THE HIT WORKOUT FAQ

DISCLAIMER:

The author of this FAQ has no qualifications in the field of Exercise Science, Sports Medicine, etc. This FAQ is based on research done by the author, and that provided by certified strength coaches. An attempt has been made to avoid scientific references in this FAQ, to make it more of a practical source of information, rather than theoretical.

WARNING:

The routines and techniques described in this FAQ are intended only for healthy men and women. People with health problems should not follow the routines without a physician's approval. Before beginning any exercise or dietary program, always consult your doctor.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:

The author wishes to make it clear that the information contained within this FAQ is based on the work of other authors, and certain sections are taken ad verbatim. Nothing in this FAQ is derived by the author himself - it is a compilation of the work done by others in the field.

Acknowledgment must especially be made to Matt Brzycki.


CONTENTS

HIT Basics

What is "HIT"?

HIT Resources

20 General Guidelines

What are some Sample HIT Workouts?

What Equipment do I Need?

What is "Overtraining" and How to Avoid It?

Other Considerations

Food and Nutrition

Rest & Sleep

Steroids

Advanced HIT

Advanced Techniques

Methodology to Determine Your "Optimal" Rep Range

Super Slow (tm) Training

HIT Anecdotes

Who uses HIT?

What are some Specific Examples of what Athletes use HIT?

A "Real Life" HIT Anecdote

Other HIT Anecdotes




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1. HIT Basics

First, a definition is in order - what exactly is intensity? Intensity has been identified as the single most crucial factor to success in your training.


Intensity can be defined as the percent of your momentary ability to perform an exercise.


It has nothing to do with how much resistance you are using, nor what percent of your 1 repetition maximum is for a chosen exercise. It refers to the degree of difficulty that you experience during the exercise. The specific intensity required to produce optimal gains in strength is remains unknown. However, if you are a healthy person and perform an exercise to the point of momentary muscular failure (100% intensity), you can be assured that you have attained a level of intensity that will stimulate increases in muscular size and strength.


1.1 What is "HIT"?

The acronym "HIT" stands for High Intensity Training.


HIT in extremely basic form means organizing your workouts so that they are:


Hard - as hard as possible in good form.

Brief - 1-3 sets of a few basic exercises performed in an hour or less.

Infrequent - No more than three times per week, often times two, or even one.

Safe - HIT is intended to be an extremely productive protocol, but also one that stresses safety. One of the fundamental goals of strength training is to act as injury preventative.

That is the essence of HIT. There is nothing complex or "magical". HIT has been used successfully for decades by many trainees without the acronym, "HIT".


It must be noted that High Intensity Training is not a set of principles etched in stone. It is a disciplined style of training which is based on the two universally known factors affecting muscular growth - Overload and Progression.


Repetitions should be done in a controlled fashion so that continuous tension is placed on the muscles. Some use a 2 second count for the concentric (lifting) phase while others use a 20 second count. The key is performing quality repetitions to a point of volitional fatigue.


One set is productive, although some high intensity advocates sometimes choose to perform more than one set. Some people may require additional sets. As a general rule, with of course some exceptions, one set performed in a high intensity manner will provide all the stimulation you need for muscular hypertrophy (growth).


The following is a quote from Dr. Ken Leistner which provides a good synopsis of what High Intensity Training is all about.


"High-intensity training is going all-out, not almost all out. It is taking one set to one's absolute limit, not almost to the limit. It is using whatever equipment that is available, not just a machine or group of machines. It is not the words of two or three men, but a commitment to work as hard as possible while in the gym without socializing, resting excessively between sets, or falling prey to the 'this isn't going to work so I'll copy the star' attitude".


When an exercise is performed in the described high intensity manner, one set usually gives your body optimum strength stimulation. Multiple sets of the same exercise are simply not necessary.


Dorian Yates' (1992-97 Mr. Olympia) trainer, Mike Mentzer, recommends the following:


"Train intensely, train briefly, and train infrequently - it's valid and will work for everyone."


A quote from Mike Mentzer about the "copying the star" mindset so prevalent in "muscle mags" and gyms:


" . . . it is a mistake to point to the 'apparent' success of a couple dozen top title winners as indubitable proof that a certain training approach is efficacious. If one were to look back through the course of their bodybuilding careers and calculate the hours, months and years of wasted effort resulting from their blind, non-theoretical volume approach, one would have to question whether their achievements could properly be termed successful at all." Mike Mentzer, IronMan Magazine, March 1994.


1.2 HIT Resources

It is always a good idea to obtain a basic textbook on exercise physiology. That would help as a guide to general, well established scientific principles in this field and can steer you away from the "pseudo-science" that is so prevalent in this field.


Textbooks suggested by Lyle McDonald, CSCS:


The Physiological Basis for Exercise and Sport, by Edward L. Fox, Richard W. Bowers, Merle L. Foss Hardcover 5th edition (February 1993) Brown & Benchmark Pub; ISBN: 0697126269


Physiology of Sport and Exercise, Jack Wilmore and David Costill; Human Kinetics (1994)


HIT Books

A Practical Approach to Strength Training (3rd Edition), Matt Brzycki [ NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, 4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, Illinois 60646-1975. (1-800-722-2677)]


Beyond Brawn, Stuart McRobert


The Insider's Tell-All Handbook On Weight-Training Technique, Stuart McRobert


The Muscle & Might Training Tracker, Stuart McRobert


For ordering information on McRobert's books, go to www.hardgainer.com.


Strength Fitness: Physiological Principles and Training Techniques (expanded 2nd edition), Dr. Wayne Westcott.


For those interested specifically in the Super Slow (tm) protocol: The Ultimate Exercise Protocol: Super Slow (2nd Edition), Ken Hutchins


Strength Training: Objective Principles of an Exact Discipline, Brian D. Johnston. Check out www.mikementzer.com for more information and ordering details. Johnston also heads up the International Association of Resistance Trainers


Maximum Muscular Fitness: Strength Training Without Equipment, Dan Riley.


This book is devoted to a technique called manual resistance (or "manuals" for short). This technique can be used with a partner, without any equipment, and is regularly used by the Washington Redskins (of whom Riley is the Strength and Conditioning Coach) and other athletes.


It can also be used as an advanced technique as detailed in 3.1.


Arthur Jones writings can be found on Cyberpump! For more of Arthur Jones' writings:


Arthur Jones Collection

IRONMAN Magazine

1701 Ives Ave

Oxnard, CA 93033

$29.95 + $5.00 s/h

1-800-447-0008, ext. 1


Note: You obviously don't need to buy ALL of these books.


For an overall "complete" book on strength training, Matt Brzycki's, A Practical Approach to Strength Training is recommended. It is very complete in that it covers the history of strength training, strength training principles in details, exercise selection/description/routines using free weights, Nautilus and Universal equipment, as well as manual (partner assisted) exercise. "Must-haves" also include Beyond Brawn and The Insider's Tell-All Handbook on Weight-Training Technique by Stuart McRobert.


There aren't any books out by Dr. Ken Leistner, but if you have any old IronMan magazines (circa late '80s and back) he has written some excellent columns in "The Steel Tip" that are now being republished on Cyberpump!. (TST is no longer published). Excellent advice that is not just for powerlifters, but anyone who wants to improve their strength. Leistner is also a regular writer for The H.T. Newsletter and MILO.


HIT related Newsletters/Magazines

The HT[Hard Training] Newsletter.


The regular contributing authors have included/include:


Dr. Ken Leistner, Dr. Ted Lambrinides, Matt Brzycki, Ken Mannie, Bob Whelan, Dr. Joe Horrigan, etc.


The mailing address is:


Hard Training, P.O. Box 19446 Cincinnati, Ohio 45219


Hardgainer. For ordering information check out the Hardgainer website: www.hardgainer.com. 6 bimonthly issues. Another "must-have".


Master Trainer: Lifetime Bodybuilding and Masters Athletes. Suite 221, Memorial Building, 610 N. Main St., Blacksburg, VA 24060-3349 Attn: Dr. Richard A. Winett. An outstanding newsletter for "lifetime" lifters. Ordering information can be found on the website www.ageless-athletes.com


1.3 Internet Resources

NOTE: These links are current as of the time of this writing. The addresses may change.


Cyberpump! - THE home of HIT on the web: www.cyberpump.com


Hardgainer - Covers the Hardgainer philosophy popularized by Stuart McRobert: www.hardgainer.com


Mike Mentzer's web page: www.mikementzer.com


Dr. Richard Winett's Master Trainer website: www.ageless-athletes.com


"Maximum" Bob Whelan's Natural Strength website: www.naturalstrength.com


Super Slow - Devoted to the Super Slow protocol: www.superslow.com


Clarence "Ripped" Bass's website: www.cbass.com


1.3 20 General Guidelines

There are many variations among HIT advocates, but there is one overriding commonality. They all espouse brief, hard work done infrequently.


When you're in the gym you want to focus your energies on only performing work that is productive, i.e., growth producing. In good form, you push yourself as far as you can go on every set. Now, by training this way you simply CANNOT do the marathon 2-3 hour workouts the "champs" say they do in the muscle mags.


HIT can be summed up in the following general guidelines. These guidelines - or ones very similar - have formed the basis of strength training programs for years:


1. Train with a high level of intensity


Intensity is defined as "a percentage of momentary ability". In other words, intensity relates to the degree of "inroad" or muscular fatigue, made into muscle at any given instant.


Research, going back almost 100 years now has conclusively shown that intensity is the single most important factor in obtaining results from strength training.


It has been shown that the harder that you train (intensity), the greater the adaptive response.


A high level of intensity is characterized by performing an exercise to the point of concentric (positive) muscular failure, i.e., you've exhausted your muscles to the extent that the weight cannot be moved for any more repetitions.


Failure to reach a desirable level of intensity - or muscular fatigue - will result in little or no gains in functional strength or muscular size as low intensity workouts do very little or nothing in the way of stimulating muscle size/strength. Evidence for this "threshold" is suggested in the literature by the overload principle (Enoka, 1988; Fox and Mathews, 1981; Hochschuler, Cotler and Guyer, 1993; Jones, 1988; Wilmore 1982).


2. Follow the "double progression" technique in regards to repetitions and weight


For a muscle to increase in size and strength it must be forced to do progressively harder work.


Your muscles must be overloaded with a workload that is increased steadily and systematically throughout the course of your program. This is often referred to as progressive overload.


Therefore every time you work out you should attempt to increase either the weight you use or the repetitions you perform relative to your previous workout. This can be viewed as a "double progressive" technique (resistance and repetitions). Challenging your muscles in this manner will force them to adapt to the imposed demands (or stress).


Each time you attain the maximum number of repetitions, you should increase the resistance for your next workout. Progression need not be in dramatic leaps and bounds, although this can happen. The point to remember is that the weight must always be challenging. The resistance should be increased in an amount that you are comfortable with.


One of the biggest mistakes even advanced trainees can make is adding too much weight, too fast. Stuart McRobert espouses the use of very small weight increments - quarter-kilo or even 100-gram discs. One supplier of steel fractional plates - from 1oz to 1.75lbs - that can be added to an Olympic bar (or pinned on a weight stack) is Piedmont Design Associates, which has a website at www.fractionalplates.com


Adding 1lb/week to your squat or deadlift may not seem like much, but as Stuart McRobert points out, "How many of you, two years from now, couldn't be happy with a "mere" 100 pounds on your eight-rep squat?"


A sidebar on PROGRESSION:


There has often been the debate of whether to train for "size" or "strength". There is no difference in training methodology. Training for size leads to strength increases. Training for strength leads to size increases (although it does not necessarily follow the % increase in one attribute will be equal to the % increase in the other).


The following two quotes illustrate:


Arthur Jones is the creator of the Nautilus line of equipment, former owner of MedX Inc., and considered by many to be the "father" of HIT. Jones has stated that, with barbell curls as the example, when it is possible for a trainee to curl 200 lbs in good form without body swing,


"...then his arms will be as large as they need to be for any possible purpose connected with any sport just short of wrestling bears".


Dr. Ken Leistner:


"I am fond of telling doubting trainees that it's just a matter of always adding weight to the bar, adding another repetition, If you could get to the point where you're squatting 400 lbs for 20 reps, stiff-legged deadlifting 400 lbs for 15 reps, curling 200 for 10 reps, pressing 200 for 10 reps, doing 10 dips with 300 lbs around your waist, and chinning with 100 pounds, don't you think you would be big - I mean awfully big? And strong? Obviously!"


That sums up progression pretty well.


3. Perform 1 to 3 sets of each exercise


In order for a muscle to increase in size/strength it must be fatigued or overloaded in order for an adaptive response to occur. It really doesn't matter whether you fatigue your muscles in one set or several sets - as long as your muscles experience a certain level of exhaustion.


When performing multiple sets, the cumulative effect of each successive set makes deeper inroads into your muscle thereby creating muscular fatigue; when performing a single set to failure, the cumulative effect of each successive repetition makes deeper inroads into your muscle thereby creating muscular fatigue. Numerous research studies have shown that there are no significant differences when performing either one, two or three sets of an exercise, provided, of course, that one is done with an appropriate level of intensity (i.e. to the point of concentric muscular failure).


However, as there are always exceptions to the rule. But, as a general guideline the vast majority of people will never need more than 1-3 sets.


4. Reach concentric muscular failure within a prescribed number of repetitions


As stated above, research shows that our level of intensity is the most important factor in determining your results from strength training; all things being equal the HARDER you train, the BETTER your response.


As muscle hypertrophy is an adaptive response by the body to stress, you should always strive to go as far as you can go on that "impossible" rep. Every centimeter matters. Your "impossible" rep should last between 10-15 seconds. One could even call this an "isometric rep".


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CAUTION: There are a few notable exercises where you should NOT try the "isometric rep". These include the bench press (and it's variants) and stiff-legged deadlift. The bottom position of those exercises are where you are most vulnerable to injury. "Failure" for these exercises means completing as many reps as you can without degradation in form and then lowering the weight under control to the starting position. The same rule applies to the squat and deadlift (and their variations). "Failure" means you cannot complete another rep without degradation in form. Do NOT try to go farther than this and try the "impossible" rep or worse, negative reps. You are looking for injury if you do this. Always err on the side of caution.