HIT (high intensity training)
H.I.T has been very popular among bodybuilders, especially Dorian Yates and Mike Mentzer. This typical method is pretty much in the gym and out within 45 minutes. This is a no nonsense method and should be done with high intensity. For example only 45 seconds rest between the sets and 2 minute breaks between each exercise. Dorian Yates became known for this method while his competitors used low intensity and high volume methods.
DY’s H.I.T was a bit different to others. While others used the 3 working set method but still high intensity, dorian would go even further to cut time out of his workouts and make it even more intense by using a 2 warm up set + 1 working set method. This means that the first warm-up set would be light, a set in which you can do 12 reps easily but not too easy. The second is ‘heavy’, this means a weight in which 8-12 reps becomes challenging. An example of this would be, if I were to Dumbbell press 40kg as my main working set I would use 35kg for the heavy WU. The 3rd set which would be the ‘working set’ is an all out set. EVERYTHING must go into this set. No thinking ” oh that will do, save some energy for next exercise or set ”. This is the purpose to H.I.T training. By going all out and giving it everything doing another set after it would be pointless because your muscle has been worked to its maximum there for cannot be worked anymore.
H.I.T should not be used all year around. 6 weeks of H.I.T then you will need drop in intensity. You body will hit a wall at a certain point and will need to recover, this is the maintenance phase in which you lower the weight and intensity for a week or so ready to hit it hard again. You must remember with H.I.T progression is key, even if its a 1.25kg progression each workout, it will build up!
The Reps
Now lets move on to the actual rep movement. When doing the bench press for example most people lower the bar at the speed of light and blast back up. There is 2 things wrong with this.
1. There is 3 parts to a rep.
2. Muscle fibers have not been worked to its potential.
Yes it’s true, a rep isn’t just the pushing, curling or pulling movement it has 2 other parts which are key to muscle growth. In my opinion the most important would be the negative part to a rep, e.g lowering of the bar to chest when doing bench press. Doing that in a controlled manner and slowly you will feel the stress your chest is under and it is backed more and more with scientific research that it actually stimulates the muscles MORE than that of a positive movement. ( the pressing movement of the bench press or pulling movement of a row )
The second part is the stationary part of the rep. When doing the bench press as an example again, when the bar is lowered to just above the chest that is when your chest is using the most muscle fibers to keep that weight up. Holding a pause at that point would put the muscle under additional stress and would work the muscle more. This technique can be used in most exercises.
Now by being enlightened by the 3 parts to a rep, you can now use all 3 while doing a rep to increase intensity. Maybe just adding the slow negative movement and then altering with the pause rep. This is what DY wants in the working set of his method, an all out push of that muscle. e.g just bench pressed 100kg for 8 reps and cannot push the bar up anymore, get your training partner to pull the bar up and do some negatives 2-3 at the end to kill it off, or maybe do some forced reps also. By combining these techniques you are on the course to destroy any muscle fibre in its way.
Drop sets
This technique is one of the best out there to increase intensity and possibly make you cry like a girl ( leg extensions! ) to do a drop set you must do a set at a specific weight then once that set is over the weight gets dropped and then straight back into it. 3-4 drop sets is ideal anymore the weight it’s lowered to would be too light and you will gain no benefit from it. e.g leg extensions: 90kg-75kg-60kg-45kg
FORM
Good form is vital when doing high intensity. Do not go into the gym and pick up a dumbbell that is too heavy for you just to get more intensity. This is a no go. You must find a weight in which you struggle but can still use good form. DY would always use good form no matter how hard the rep got. The most important thing in this is that you can feel your muscle working, the mind muscle connection. Once you can do this and progress you are on to gold.
The Routine
- Day 1- Delts, traps, triceps, abs
- Day 2- Back, rear delts
- Day 3- Rest
- Day 4- Chest, Biceps, Abs
- Day 5- Rest day
- Day 6- Quads, Hams, calves
- Day 7- Rest
* – indicates Warm up set
Biceps
Incline dumbbell curls
* 1×10
1×6-8
EZ-curl barbell curls
* 1×10
1×6-8
Nautilus curls
* 1×10
1×6-8
Triceps
Triceps pushdown
* 1×15
* 1×12
1×8-10
Lying EZ-curl barbell extensions
* 1×12
1×8-10
Back & Read Delt
Hammer Strength pulldowns
* 1×15
* 1×12
1×8-10
Barbell rows
* 1×12
1×8-10
Hammer Strength one-arm rows
1×8-10
Cable rows (overhand grip)
1×8-10
Hammer Strength rear-delt machine
1×8-10
Bent-over dumbbell raises
1×8-10
Hyperextensions
1×10-12
Deadlifts
* 1×8
1×8
Chest
Incline barbell press
* 1×12
* 1×8
1×8
Hammer Strength seated bench presses
* 1×10
1×6-8
Incline dumbbell flyes
* 1×10
1×8
Cable crossovers
1×10-12
Shoulders
Smith machine presses
* 1×15
* 1×12
1×8-10
Seated laterals
* 1×12
1×8-10
One-arm cable laterals
* 1×20
1×8-10
Dumbbell Shrugs
* 1×12
1×10-12
Legs
Leg extensions
* 1×15
* 1×12
1×10-12
Leg presses
* 1×12
* 1×12
1×10-12
Hack squats
* 1×12
1×10-12
Lying leg curls
* 1×10-12
1×10-12
Stiff-legged deadlifts
1×8-10
Single-leg curls
1×8-10
Standing calf raises
* 1×10-12
1×10-12
Seated calf raises
1×8-10
The above routine does not need to be done exactly the same but you can see how he worked and how his sets got done. Incorporate his method into you’re routine about using his 2 warm up and 1 working set method. 3-5 exercises per body part.
Thanks for reading and remember doing all of this without the correct nutrition is worthless, nutrition must be spot on along with good training. Good luck!