Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below I consider myself a hard gainer. Haven't seen any real increases in about a year. I've seen some threads on HIT training and wondering if it really works. Have any of you used it? Have you seen size gains? Also, what type of diet are you using with it if you have made gains? Are you taking anything?
Is anyone using HIT -- does it work?
- Thread starter Becky
- Start date
Not sure if you've read this thread or not, but I would check it out.
I personally use HIT, and love it. I have made great gains with it so far. I'm not really a hard gainer so I may not be the best source for diet info. I pretty much just stick to high protein foods, not much more specific than that.
I also take creatine, thats about it.
I personally use HIT, and love it. I have made great gains with it so far. I'm not really a hard gainer so I may not be the best source for diet info. I pretty much just stick to high protein foods, not much more specific than that.
I also take creatine, thats about it.Milford Jenings
New member
Becky,
HIT training does work for me and some others out there. I would not call myself a hard gainer though. There is some great information on the web and opinions/styles/approaches to HIT in the thread mentioned above.
I have used HIT principles for almost as long as I have been lifting (basically always except when I tried something new) and have always been able to increase strength and gain mass. I attribute the gains that I have made in the past to growing up if you will. I started 14 years ago when I was 14 and so I grew as a natural consequence of growing up. However, I am continuing to gain mass. In the past 5-6 weeks I have gained 6.5 pounds (veified this morning in the dunk tank) of lean muscle mass.
My diet is low in carbs high in protein and fat. Some people will say that this is an "Atkins" diet, but in actuallity it is a Type 2 diabetic diet. I am able to loose a little fat while gaining a little muscle. Notice I said a little of both, since I have found that it is especially difficult to do both at the same time and is better to focus on one over the other.
As far as taking anything, I take my daily multi-vitamin and leave it at that.
Take a look at cyberpump for the "Home of HIT" and it has some good information. The best solution though is to try it out and see what happens. But go whole hog at it. Attain the intensity and do it for several weeks (like 6-8) before passing judgement.
Let me know if I assist in any other way,
MJ
HIT training does work for me and some others out there. I would not call myself a hard gainer though. There is some great information on the web and opinions/styles/approaches to HIT in the thread mentioned above.
I have used HIT principles for almost as long as I have been lifting (basically always except when I tried something new) and have always been able to increase strength and gain mass. I attribute the gains that I have made in the past to growing up if you will. I started 14 years ago when I was 14 and so I grew as a natural consequence of growing up. However, I am continuing to gain mass. In the past 5-6 weeks I have gained 6.5 pounds (veified this morning in the dunk tank) of lean muscle mass.
My diet is low in carbs high in protein and fat. Some people will say that this is an "Atkins" diet, but in actuallity it is a Type 2 diabetic diet. I am able to loose a little fat while gaining a little muscle. Notice I said a little of both, since I have found that it is especially difficult to do both at the same time and is better to focus on one over the other.
As far as taking anything, I take my daily multi-vitamin and leave it at that.
Take a look at cyberpump for the "Home of HIT" and it has some good information. The best solution though is to try it out and see what happens. But go whole hog at it. Attain the intensity and do it for several weeks (like 6-8) before passing judgement.
Let me know if I assist in any other way,
MJ
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Hey Becky,
Like MJ said, I agree totally. I have been using HIT now for about 4 years and it has made a big difference in my physique. I think that a lot of people don't give it a chance before passing judgement because it advocates using compound exercises, going to failure, and then resting. You may only workout in the gym 1-2 days per week for about 30 minutes. For most people here, not being in the gym everyday is a bit strange. Personally, if I can get the same if not better results using less time (but not less effort) then I'm all for it. I encourage you to find out more and then give it a try. DaCypher and Milford are great resources! (they really practice what they preach). Let me know if you would like more info from me.
Like MJ said, I agree totally. I have been using HIT now for about 4 years and it has made a big difference in my physique. I think that a lot of people don't give it a chance before passing judgement because it advocates using compound exercises, going to failure, and then resting. You may only workout in the gym 1-2 days per week for about 30 minutes. For most people here, not being in the gym everyday is a bit strange. Personally, if I can get the same if not better results using less time (but not less effort) then I'm all for it. I encourage you to find out more and then give it a try. DaCypher and Milford are great resources! (they really practice what they preach). Let me know if you would like more info from me.
diamonddiceclay
New member
according to a pro bb'er I know, only people on steroids can do well with H.I.T.
Strange... I would say that I am doing well with HIT and have never touched steroids (or anything similar). I think this goes for more than just me too... Maybe this pro BB had problems with HIT when he/she was not on steroids, hence his/her generalization. However, I think its safe for me to say that his/her statement is not very accurate.diamonddiceclay said:
Milford Jenings
New member
diamonddiceclay,
First of all no one ever always or nevers. People will respond differently to the same stimuli. I have never done A/S and will not, however I have always done best using HIT principles. My workout routine is markedly different from others but the principle is what matters. Taking something on authority from one person is usually il-advised especially in the sport we are all here to discuss. The key is to find out for yourself, after you have weighed the advice, taking what seems logical and thrown away what seems to be total BS.
I challenge you to really try HIT for 6-8 weeks and then tell us what you find out. If it doesn't work for you go on to something else, but if you gain then all the better for all of us.
Bring on the intensity and tell us if it works!
Dacypher...I love your quotes. They were exactly what I needed today!
First of all no one ever always or nevers. People will respond differently to the same stimuli. I have never done A/S and will not, however I have always done best using HIT principles. My workout routine is markedly different from others but the principle is what matters. Taking something on authority from one person is usually il-advised especially in the sport we are all here to discuss. The key is to find out for yourself, after you have weighed the advice, taking what seems logical and thrown away what seems to be total BS.
I challenge you to really try HIT for 6-8 weeks and then tell us what you find out. If it doesn't work for you go on to something else, but if you gain then all the better for all of us.
Bring on the intensity and tell us if it works!
Dacypher...I love your quotes. They were exactly what I needed today!
SteelWeaver
New member
Becky said:
Becky - here's part of your problem. Everything's relative, and success depends so much on how you view yourself and your potential. If you're in the gym thinking to yourself ...hardgainer hardgainer ... that negative image will subconsciously transform itself into a negative reality. Self-fulfilling prophecy.
Try positive imagery - see a vision of yourself in all the muscled glory you wish for, and work with positive energy to that goal. On each contraction, be thinking ... I'm growing, I'm growing, or some other positive phrase - you'd be surprised how much harder and more intensely you can work. The minute you feel a little tired, bring back your mental image of yourself looking SO FUCKING GOOD, and the crowd screaming applause (or whatever turns your crank) - you'll kick out another few reps, sets pretty quick.
OK, so some people may find this amusing, but positive thinking and imagery POSITIVELY work! Your mind is so powerful!
Believe in yourself and go kick some ass in the gym!
MonStar1023
New member
I have lowered my volume to around 6-8 total sets per bodypart and love it!!
Making better gains then ever before and I am cutting!! Way more then high-volume..
Making better gains then ever before and I am cutting!! Way more then high-volume..
In the HIT FAQ on the cyberpump.com site, the "failure" they are referring to is concentric muscular failure. That is, the concentric,or positive, part of the lift is where you are exerting the most force (i.e. with squats, when you are pushing up, or with bicep curls, when you are pulling the weight towards you). You reach failure when you are unable to complete the current rep (on the concentric/postive part of the lift) without degrading your form. Not sure if that makes any sense, but basically you fail when you can't complete another rep without cheating.
Blood&Iron
New member
DaCypher said:
Some HIT authorities, most notably Dr. Ellington Darden, actually recommend going to static failure. After the weight stops, continue pushing for at least 15seconds, though you might not even perceive that the weight is moving. He recommends having the mindset that, although the weight has stopped moving, you're going to complete the rep anyway. Visualize a vivid life or death situation, e.g. a car is crushing you to death and only by completing the rep will you live. I find this difficult to do while using a standard cadence of 2-4 since it's hard to perceive that the weight is still moving when you've been lifting so quickly, but with SuperSlow it is good. It works, but you need to be careful because it can easily lead to overtraining. Going to concentric failure will, in most cases, be sufficient. Going to eccentric failure, meaning you cannot even lower the weight under control is generally a bad idea--unless you have an experienced spotter--for obvious reasons.
Blood&Iron
New member
Re: Re: Is anyone using HIT -- does it work?
Labelling oneself a hardgainer will in no way lead to diminished gains. It is merely a realistic appraisal of one's potential, and most often forces one to pay even more careful attention to careful training, diet, and rest. This can only improve one's results.SteelWeaver said:
Blood&Iron
New member
DaCypher said:Blood&Iron,
Wow, that sounds pretty hardcore. I gotta give that a try next workout.
Tell me what you think. It doesn't get more hardcore than SuperSlow. There was a great study by Dr. Wayne Westcott which showed much improved results using SuperSlow over a standard cadence, but he remarked that the problem was only about 2 out of 98(?) participants said they would be willing to continue doing their workouts in such a manner because they were so painful.
I read about super slow while I was researching HIT. It definetly looks very intense. I don't think I'm ready for it (or maybe I'm just afraid to try it). Either way, I think sometime down the road I'm going to have to give it a try.
I'm really anxious for my next workout so I can try that static failure. By the way, where have you been reading about the Dr. Wayne Westcott studies?
I'm really anxious for my next workout so I can try that static failure. By the way, where have you been reading about the Dr. Wayne Westcott studies?
Blood&Iron
New member
I've seen the SuperSlow study mentioned in a number of places. Cyberpump, superslow.com, a few newspaper articles, and in an issue of Muscular Development magazine from a number of months ago--though MD did its best to discredit the study(MD's staff is made almost exclusively of periodization advocates,) I haven't taken a look at the actual study. It's probably too recent to be in Medline. I think SuperSlow is great--though not the be all and end all of exercise science--and used it almost exclusively for a couple of years, however it makes working out very unpleasant. Of late I've been letting myself enjoy my workouts, rather than dreading them, and this is impossible if I'm using SuperSlow. The other problem I have with SuperSlow is the dogmatism of Ken Hutchins and co, although this is a trait endemic to the exercise field. SuperSlow devotees tend to view those who don't fully subscribe to their theories as quacks and morons.
Blood&Iron, DaCypher and other HIT-ers,
Two questions.....
1. When we talk about reaching concentric failure are we talking complete and utter concentric failure? Let me be more specific...often, when I'm doing an exercise, I'll reach concentric failure at some point, but with most of the movements, I can lower the weight, wait a few seconds (10-30), and then a lot of times, I'll be able to force out another rep. If I continued to do that, I might be able to continue squeezing out 1 rep at a time, resting and continuing, but is that what's considered concentric failure, or is it as soon as you can't do another rep during the course of your normal rep range.
2. Also, do any of you have erratic breathing patterns when doing HIT cadence (2/4, or other slower cadences) reps? I notice that I tend to do a lot of little exhale/inhales even on the negative because I'm moving so slowly, as opposed to the normal inhale on the negative, exhale on the positive that you normally see with faster cadence reps. Occasionally, I find that my breathing can screw up my set, because I'm holding too long, and my breathing gets all erratic. Anyone have a good pattern to their breathing that works for them?
Two questions.....
1. When we talk about reaching concentric failure are we talking complete and utter concentric failure? Let me be more specific...often, when I'm doing an exercise, I'll reach concentric failure at some point, but with most of the movements, I can lower the weight, wait a few seconds (10-30), and then a lot of times, I'll be able to force out another rep. If I continued to do that, I might be able to continue squeezing out 1 rep at a time, resting and continuing, but is that what's considered concentric failure, or is it as soon as you can't do another rep during the course of your normal rep range.
2. Also, do any of you have erratic breathing patterns when doing HIT cadence (2/4, or other slower cadences) reps? I notice that I tend to do a lot of little exhale/inhales even on the negative because I'm moving so slowly, as opposed to the normal inhale on the negative, exhale on the positive that you normally see with faster cadence reps. Occasionally, I find that my breathing can screw up my set, because I'm holding too long, and my breathing gets all erratic. Anyone have a good pattern to their breathing that works for them?
Guinness,
Personally, I would say that I try to stick with the 204 cadence (2 seconds on the positive, 0 second rest, and then 4 seconds on the negative). By following this, you will never be able to rest for 10-30 seconds. This long of a rest would be a break between sets. The idea behind HIT is to keep your muscles under stress for a continuous amount of time. By resting for 10-30 seconds (or even a quick rest of 3 seconds or something) defeats the purpose. You need to keep the muscles under constant tension for maximum results, in my opinion.
In terms of breathing, I find myself taking a couple breathes on the negative. On the postive I usually have no problem exhaling one breath and I think the breathing is the most important on the positive part of the lift anyways since the negative is a bit easier. Anyways, I find this tends to be a personal thing. I'd recommend trying to exhale once on the postive, and take a few (maybe only 2) breaths on the negative and see how that works. It definetly helps me to develop a pattern.
Anyways, hope that helps...
Personally, I would say that I try to stick with the 204 cadence (2 seconds on the positive, 0 second rest, and then 4 seconds on the negative). By following this, you will never be able to rest for 10-30 seconds. This long of a rest would be a break between sets. The idea behind HIT is to keep your muscles under stress for a continuous amount of time. By resting for 10-30 seconds (or even a quick rest of 3 seconds or something) defeats the purpose. You need to keep the muscles under constant tension for maximum results, in my opinion.
In terms of breathing, I find myself taking a couple breathes on the negative. On the postive I usually have no problem exhaling one breath and I think the breathing is the most important on the positive part of the lift anyways since the negative is a bit easier. Anyways, I find this tends to be a personal thing. I'd recommend trying to exhale once on the postive, and take a few (maybe only 2) breaths on the negative and see how that works. It definetly helps me to develop a pattern.
Anyways, hope that helps...
Blood&Iron
New member
Here's my take...
Concentric failure is when you can no longer complete a rep with good form. i.e. the weight will not move without cheating it up. What you're doing is called rest-pause training. I think it can be very effective, and I use it on things like the squat and leg press. This is the basis for the 20-rep breathing squats advocated by Dr. Ken Leistner and Randall Strossen, where you take your 10-rep weight and crank out 20 reps. I do think rest-pause should be used sparingly though, as it is very demanding on your body and can lead to overtraining(Many who practice HIT think overtraining can only be cause by excessive volume. I find excessive intensity--a term most HITters would label an oxymoron--can be just as detrimental.Guinness said:
Make a conscious effort to breath normally. Obviously, the rules of exhale on effort are difficult to apply when the concentric contraction is long--particulary with SuperSlow where the positive is 10s. When using a 2-4 cadence, I typically exhale once slowly during the concentric, and inhale and exhale forcefully about once every second on the negative.
Blood&Iron
New member
Edu-
I wrote a longer response including a sample workout but the site went into maintenance mode right as I posted it, and it consequently got lost somewhere in the ether. Anyways, take a look at
http://www.cyberpump.com
They've got tons of sample HIT workouts posted over there.
I wrote a longer response including a sample workout but the site went into maintenance mode right as I posted it, and it consequently got lost somewhere in the ether. Anyways, take a look at
http://www.cyberpump.com
They've got tons of sample HIT workouts posted over there.
