Ellington Darden
HIT vs HIIT
I google “high intensity training” and “HIT” a few times a month to find new research, articles, discussions, blog posts, etc. and I’ve noticed more and more people using the term high intensity training to refer to high intensity interval training or HIIT, a method of cardiovascular training involving short periods of high intensity activity followed by short periods of rest or very low intensity activity. This is not high intensity training. High intensity training or HIT refers to strength training methods and programs characterized by relatively high level of effort and low volume and frequency of training.
It could be argued the term is equally applicable to both strength and cardiovascular training of high intensity, however, Ellington Darden set the precedence when he used the term in reference to Arthur Jones training principles during a presentation at Duke University in the 1970’s.
High Intensity Strength Training: More Aerobic Than “Aerobics”
The following article is published here with the permission of the author, Greg Anderson, owner of Seattle’s home for high intensity training, Ideal Exercise.
The most common question asked by our new personal training clients at Ideal Exercise is: “Where are the treadmills and stationary bicycles?”. Most have never heard that great benefits to the cardiovascular system, commonly referred to as “aerobic fitness”, can be had through a program of high intensity strength training with no additional steady-state activity. And while I do certainly spend a great deal of my time explaining why such benefits are certainly possible (and more desirable as it is much more efficient to achieve muscular and cardiovascular benefits in a single program) it usually takes a few workouts before the client understands the depth and magnitude of cardiovascular involvement possible from strength training. As one of my trainees remarked recently (after a set of squats to complete failure followed by 20 seconds of effort against the bar in the bottom position): “My God! (gasp, gasp…) this is more aerobic than aerobics…”
Although (as I shall explain) the statement that high intensity strength training is “more aerobic than aerobics” is not entirely correct, such an observation on the trainee’s part does underscore the profound effect of intense muscular contractions on the cardiovascular system. The current mania for “aerobics” in the fitness industry stems from a misunderstanding of two factors: The function of the cardiovascular system, and the identification of skeletal muscle as the window through which optimum loading of the entire metabolic system(s) - including the cardiovascular system - takes place. › Continue reading
More Modified CrossFit Routines
Since the CrossFit post I’ve received several requests for more “CrossHIT” routines - CrossFit routines modified to be more consistent with high intensity training principles. The difference between these and more bodybuilding-oriented HIT routines is a greater emphasis on metabolic conditioning and incorporation of more bodyweight and gymnastic exercises, which I believe are of considerable value. While there may be no positive transfer of skill from bodyweight or gymnastic movements to different movements, regular performance may improve general kinesthetic sense and proprioception as well as awareness of and confidence in one’s physical abilities.
CrossFit’s Greg Glassman has described the method as “constantly varied functional movement executed at high intensity” . Although an exercise is commonly considered to be “functional” if it mimics a movement of daily living, work or sport, since only the strength gained from an exercise will transfer to other movements and not any specific skill, any exercise that effectively strengthens the body and contributes to improvements in other general aspects of fitness could be considered functional. By replacing the Olympic lifts and certain other movements with exercises involving the same muscle groups you do not sacrifice any functional benefit. It is unnecessary to move fast during exercise to develop speed and power in other activities and there is no transfer of skill from an exercise to a different movement. For example, the skill of performing power cleans will not positively transfer to the different although superficially similar movement of a football lineman exploding off the line any more than the skill acquired performing football blocking drills will positively transfer to swimming. › Continue reading
Interview with Josh Trentine, NGA and IDFA Natural Pro Bodybuilder
The following interview was originally posted on baye.com in late 2006.
Josh Trentine is the CEO of Overload Personal Training and a natural bodybuilding competitor. He has been competing successfully for years using high intensity training, and turned pro this year in both the NGA and IDFA after taking 1st places in both the 2006 Natural USA and 2006 Canadian Classic.
Drew Baye: How did you get involved in bodybuilding?
Josh Trentine: I watched my first contest, when I was 20 years old. The next year, I found out there would be a natural Mr. Ohio, and I entered (21 years old). At the time, I was using the typical high volume approach that the muscle mags promote. I was training at least 2 hours a day six to seven days per week, many times two sessions per day, not including a bunch of cardio. I hit the stage that year at a whopping 159 lbs.
Drew Baye: So when did you make the switch to H.I.T. training and what prompted you to do so?
Josh Trentine: I continued to compete for the next 2 years, until I was 23. During this time, through the process of trial and error, I gradually reduced my volume, and got better, and better results. › Continue reading
Q&A: SuperSlow and Fat Loss
Drew,
First, thank you for your response in advance.
I am embarking on a 2 week trial of superslow. The trainer is roughly doing 10/10 with a 2 minute maximum w/no rest between the 8 exercises(I failed at approx. 1:45 on all exercises). The workout took about 25 minutes. He wants me to train only 1x week. My goal is to lose fat around my midsection (I have some fat due to inactivity after a car accident in which I was hit by a drunk driver as well as poor eating habits) and get stronger/more fit. I am 47 yrs old, 5? 8” tall and weigh 170lbs. with approx. 10% BF.
I thought of doing something close to Darden’s “a.s.a.p.” (1500 cal diet w/SS work). Do you have advice that might help me get the best result I can achieve?
BTW, I feel very tired after my 1st SS workout today. The studio has all Med Ex machines.
Thanks again and I appreciate your contributions and I look forward to your response.
If your body fat was accurately measured at 10% you should have very little fat around your midsection to lose. At 10% body fat most men’s abdominal muscles are starting to show fairly good definition. My first advice would be to have your body composition re-measured.
Assuming you actually are 10% body fat at 170 pounds, and are still relatively inactive, a rough estimate of your daily calorie expenditure would be around 2,300. If you start working out more than once weekly and become more physically active on a day to day basis this number would increase. An estimate of your daily calorie deficit for near maximum fat loss would be around 500 - your body can get roughly 30 calories per day from each pound of stored fat - so I recommend starting at 1,800 calories. If you eat less than that and your daily calorie deficit exceeds the amount of energy you can get from your fat stores the difference is going to have to come from other tissues, which could mean a reduction in muscle mass. › Continue reading
Interview With Ellington Darden, PhD.
In this interview the author of the best-selling Nautilus book series retraces his early training days with Arthur Jones and Casey Viator and talks about some of the golden-age bodybuilders who inspired him. Then, he discusses how he merged his experiences into his latest publication, The New High Intensity Training