Added intensity in a workout, be it aerobic training or anaerobic exercise, increases energy expenditure (burns more calories), improves insulin sensitivity, increases lactate threshold, and much more. Weight loss can be more efficient and effective, and athletic performance will increase
We measure intensity with the following things:
- How much weight we lift on every set of a specific movement
- How many reps we get with that weight on a specific movement
- What our rep tempo was during every rep/set with a specific movement
- What our rest period was during every rep/set with a specific movement
These things create the framework to measure intensity, and you MUST do this in order to make your body progress.
It requires a great deal of mental focus and application because of course, it is very challenging, which is why most people don’t get the results they want.
If it was easy, everybody would be walking around jacked, right?
When you start measuring those 4 components of your training, it automatically forces you to gradually progress.
Let me explain why…
When all 4 metrics are tracked, you don’t allow yourself to take longer rest intervals, cheat on your rep tempo, back off with the weight or do less reps.
If you did 10 reps on a squat with 180 kgs, using a 3 second negative and 90 second rest periods, in order to progress those are the measurements you must use next time round. If you go up 10 kgs, but you use 1 second negatives and 5 minute rest periods, it doesn’t count!
To qualify yourself as somebody who has progressed their training over the course of a block, all of these things have to be measured, and maintained / improved.
Over time, with consistency, your intensity increases and your body improves because of it!
Are you tracking all of these things, every workout?
If you use a little more weight, but take longer rest periods sitting on your phone etc. you have actually gone backwards in intensity even thought the load has increased. This is where people fall down in making progress.
On the flip side side of this you don’t always have to increase your weights, length of workout etc. You can increase the intensity, shorter rest periods, higher top speed in a cycle class for instance.
Intensity is the key to progression!
If you use a little more weight, but take longer rest periods sitting on your phone etc. you have actually gone backwards in intensity even thought the load has increased. This is where people fall down in making progress.
On the flip side side of this you don’t always have to increase your weights, length of workout etc. You can increase the intensity, shorter rest periods, higher top speed in a cycle class for instance.
Intensity is the key to progression!
