I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about intensity and high intensity training. The word intense gets used too much I think for things that are not intense. It's in the kid's slang, "that's intense," and they apply it to things to indicate something is pretty cool in their opinion. That's OK, but it downgrades the real meaning of the word intense.
Webster's dictionary defines intense as taking something to an extreme degree. That is what I am talking about! You want to have an intense workout every time. Taking that to a deeper level; you want to do every session, every set, and every rep with intensity. When you do that you are achieving what I call RIPPED Intensity. This is one of the Pillars of the RIPPED Weight Training System.
This is one of the keys to getting a transformation in the quickest, most efficient way possible.
An example of having this RIPPED Intensity is thinking about your grip on the weight. Everyone has to grip the weight, no kidding, but how you do it is what I am talking about. Not your actual grip or your hand position; I am talking about holding the weight like someone is trying to tear it out of your hand. Hold on to it like you are hanging on a tree branch over the Grand Canyon. Do you get the picture? This is only one aspect of intensity, and the best way to get results is having these sorts of things in your head all the time you are at the gym. It is like you are turning on a switch as you are heading for the gym and then amping up the energy at you hit the floor and get into your routine. Thats high intensity training.
Your intensity in all things is what can take you to the next level with your lifting and muscle development. Have you ever gotten stuck at a plateau? All of us have. You are benching X amount of weight and maybe you have a mental block about putting on that next plate. Many times this is a 'benchmark' weight level, if you can excuse the pun. It was many years that the four minute mile stood as a record. Runners had it in their heads that it could not be broken, but as soon as it was broken, it was like the dam broke, and a few people went sub-four quickly after Roger Bannister did it.
The trick to breaking these barriers is intensity. Maybe you have a block about benching 200 pounds, or 300. Whatever level you are at, you know what I am talking about. Ratchet up your intensity and you will be surprised at what you can accomplish. Remember, what you believe you can achieve.