SIX KEYS TO INTENSITY

SIX KEYS TO INTENSITY 

To some, working out is simply about numbers.Three sets of eight. Four sets of 10. Rest one minute

between sets. Do 20 total sets. But beneath every tangible number and finite measurement used to define the amount of work you’ve done,there’s the enigmatic — albeit ever-important —variable known as intensity. In fact, this might be the most crucial training variable of all.Intensity isn’t a number. It can’t be written down in a training log nearly as succinctly as, say,a tally of sets and reps you do for an exercise. And a set of 50 reps isn’t necessarily more intense than a set of six. Bottom line: Where training for gain sin muscle size is concerned, intensity equals muscle failure.If your muscles fatigue to the point that you can’t do another rep (aka “failure”), that’s an intense set. Stopping short of failure? Not as intense. Yet intensity goes far beyond just one set — each set affects the next set, every workout affects the next workout, every week affects the

next week, and so on. How you manage your intensity from set to set and workout to workout goes a long way in dictating the effectiveness of your program. That said, there’s a certain hierarchy to training intensity, and the best way to articulate it is to start small (with a single rep) and pull the layers back until you see the big picture.Hence, the following six levels of intensity.

1. INTENSITY OF A REP

To ensure adequate intensity in a set, and subsequently in a workout, you first need to make sure that each and every rep is performed in an intense manner. Of course, the first few reps of a 20-rep set (in which you would use a relatively light weight) feel muchdifferent than those of a six-rep set — with the heavier weight, the reps feel difficult right away, whereas the first sev eral reps with the lighter weight feel much easier. Yet the amount of weight you use and how many reps you plan to do in that set shouldn’t affect each individual rep.

The first key to maximizing intensity at this level is to concentrate on the muscle group you’re working, whether you’re at the beginning or the end of a high-rep set and regardless of whether the weight feels heavy or light. This is what bodybuilders typically refer to as the “mind-muscle connection.” Second, make sure you emphasize the eccentric, or negative, portion of each rep just as much as the positive, or concentric, portion. Don’t let the weight simply drop on every rep; rather, control the negative so it takes at least two seconds

to lower the weight. Since it’s possible to produce greater force during eccentric con traction than during concentric muscle actions, eccentric activity may be more important in producing muscle strength and size. Therefore, it’s critical to control the weight’s return or descent; don’t just let it fall back down. Oftentimes, the negative is overlooked in high-rep sets, as well as when training heavy. Making a habit of both of these practices— concentrating on the working muscles and controlling the negative — ensures adequate intensity

on each and every rep.Third, consider the point of peak contraction (the top of the repetition where you squeeze the muscle for a moment or two before continuing through the rep). This squeezing creates more work for the muscle, driving more blood flow (aka “the pump”), which temporarily increases the muscle’s size by placing a stretch on it. This stretch initiates biochemical pathways that signal the muscle to grow.