What is HIT?
What is High Intensity Training (HIT)?
High Intensity Training or HIT is a type of progressive resistance exercise characterized by a high level of effort and relatively brief and infrequent workouts. Nautilus inventor Arthur Jones helped define and popularize HIT in the 1970’s, often summarizing the general philosophy as “…train harder, but train briefer” or “…train harder, but train less often”.
Train Harder…
The most fundamental principle of exercise is overload. To stimulate increases in muscular strength and size you must work your muscles harder than they are accustomed to. The harder or more intense an exercise is the greater the degree of overload and the more effective the exercise.
In a HIT workout exercises are usually done for as many repetitions as possible in good form. This is called working to momentary muscular failure. Training to momentary muscular failure ensures you have effectively worked all the fibers in the muscles targeted.
Some people believe regularly training to muscular failure is too stressful on the body and specifically the central nervous system. However, this is not a problem as long as you do not work out too long or too often.
Different HIT methods can vary in many ways but they all emphasize working as hard as possible.
…But Train Briefer
The greater effort you put into a workout the shorter it must be to avoid overtraining. HIT workouts typically include around a dozen exercises and require about thirty minutes to complete. Some consolidation workouts may include as few as three or four exercises and take less than ten minutes. Most HIT methods involve performing only one all-out work set per exercise, but a few prescribe two or three sets for some exercises.
The optimal volume of exercise can vary a lot between people depending on their genetics, goals, age, and other factors. Athletes in training and people with physically demanding jobs may need to perform less exercise to avoid overtraining.
Some people believe low volume HIT workouts are only effective for beginners and that advanced trainees need more volume. However, as people become more advanced and learn to exercise harder a reduction in training volume is often needed to avoid overtraining.
Train Less Often
After a hard workout your body needs time off to rest, recover, and adapt. Working out too often and getting too little rest interferes with this, leading to overtraining and a lack or loss of progress.
Most people will get the best results working out only two or three times per week on non-consecutive days. Some people may recover more slowly and need to work out less frequently to avoid overtraining.
General Guidelines for High Intensity Training
The following are general guidelines for HIT. Keep in mind the specific workout volume and frequency and exercise selection should be modified to fit your body and goals.
- Training Frequency: Beginners should perform no more than three workouts per week on non-consecutive days. Advanced trainees may need to work out less frequently, not more.
- Training Volume: Perform one set of one to three exercises for each major muscle group (fewer exercises for full-body workouts, more for body-part workouts in a split routine).
- Number of Repetitions: A wide range of repetitions can be effective, but for a good balance of muscular strength and size, cardiovascular and metabolic conditioning, and safety a moderate to high repetition range resulting in a time under load between 45 and 90 seconds is recommended .
- Progression: Beginners should increase the weight used for an exercise by about five pounds or five percent (whichever is less) when the upper target repetition number can be completed in good form. Weight should be progressed by smaller increments as trainees become more advanced, and very advanced trainees should increase the weight by as little as one pound or one percent (whichever is less).
- Repetition Speed: Move slowly enough to maintain strict control over your body position and path of movement and to reverse direction smoothly between lifting and lowering. Avoid fast, jerky movements.
- Range of Motion: Full-range repetitions, partial-range repetitions, and isometrics are all effective when performed properly.
Examples of workouts based on these guidelines:
Basic full-body workout with Nautilus machines:
- Leg Press or Squat machine
- Pulldown
- Chest Press or Dip
- Compound Row
- Overhead Press
- Hip/Back Extension
- Trunk Curl
- Heel Raise
- Neck Flexion
- Neck Extension
Basic full-body workout with free weight and body weight exercises:
- Barbell Squat
- Chin Up
- Bench Press or Parallel-Bar Dip
- Bent Over Row
- Standing Press
- Stiff-Legged Deadlift or Hip/Back Extension
- Weighted Crunch
- Heel Raise
- Neck Flexion
- Neck Extension
Full-Body or Split Routines?
Split routines include multiple workouts targeting different body parts or muscle groups. This is a better approach for people with certain muscle groups that take a longer time to recover. There are many different ways to organize split routines. Some the most common are:
- Upper and lower body
- Pushing and pulling
- Upper body pushing, upper body pulling, and lower body
For examples of high intensity training split routines read High Intensity Workouts
Machines or Free Weights?
Although HIT is often associated with machines due to it’s promotion by Nautilus inventor Arthur Jones, it can be performed effectively with any type of equipment or even just your own body weight. Your results have far more to do with how you exercise than what equipment you use.
Bodybuilding or Strength Training?
HIT is not exclusively for bodybuilding, strength training, or any single factor of fitness. When properly performed HIT can be effective for achieving a variety of fitness, health, and physique goals.
References:
Carpinelli RN, Otto RM, Winett RA. A Critical Analysis of the ACSM Position Stand on Resistance Training: Insufficient Evidence to Support Recommended Training Protocols. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online 2004;7(3):1-60
Smith D, Bruce-Low, S. Strength Training Methods and The Work of Arthur Jones. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online 2004;7(6): 52-68
Fisher J, Steele J, Bruce-Low S, Smith D. Evidence Based Resistance Training Recommendations. Medicine Sportiva Med Sport 01/2011; 15:147-162
Darden, Ellington. The Nautilus Book: An Illustrated Guide to Physical Fitness The Nautilus Way. Chicago: Contemporary Books, Inc., 1981
