Question: Drew, do you think it is possible to gain muscle mass with isometric training only, assuming a time under tension of 60-90 seconds?

Answer: Yes, it is possible to increase muscular strength and size with only isometric training if you do it with a a high intensity of effort, and a broad range of times under tension can be effective including sets lasting sixty to ninety seconds.

Over the past twenty years I have experimented with a variety of isometric protocols using very different set durations, from Max Contraction Omega sets lasting only a few seconds to timed static contractions lasting up to ninety seconds and many others in between. While different methods of isometrics have their advantages and disadvantages all of them are effective ways to build bigger, stronger muscles.

Isometric exercises do not have to be performed for very long to effectively stimulate muscular hypertrophy. Some of the earliest research on isometrics showed significant strength and size gains could be achieved with a few contractions lasting only six seconds if they were performed with maximum effort (Hettinger, T. and Muller, E. A. Muskelleistung und Muskeltraining. Internationale Zeitschrift fur angewandte Physiologie einschliesslich Arbeitsphysiologie, 5: 1 11-126, 1953) and John Little’s Max Contraction Omega Sets which consist of a few reps of even shorter isometric contractions followed by a partial negative have also been effective for increasing muscle mass. Despite the effectiveness of very brief isometric protocols I recommend using a longer time under tension to allow for a built-in warm-up and to simultaneously stimulate improvements in metabolic and cardiovascular conditioning. I’ve been using sixty to ninety second static holds and timed static contractions on various exercises with many of my personal training clients as well as in my bodyweight high intensity training and timed static contraction training programs

When I last worked with SuperSlow founder Ken Hutchins we trained many people on machines he designed specifically for timed static contraction training which measured and displayed their force input in real time. Clients were instructed to gradually increase the force they applied over a period of ten to twenty seconds up to a specific level and to maintain that for the remainder of ninety seconds. The length of time they were able to maintain their target level of force was recorded, and if they could maintain it until reaching ninety seconds we increased their target the next time they performed the exercise. Using this ninety-second protocol we saw consistent, significant strength increases, and these translated to full-range strength gains when the exercises were performed dynamically as well as visible increases in muscle mass in many trainees.

While the longer isometric contractions were just as effective for improving muscular strength and size – just like a broad range of repetitions can be effective with dynamic exercise protocols – unlike the shorter isometric protocols I’ve experimented with previously they also had a significant metabolic and cardiovascular effect. It was not unusual for clients to experience significant increases in breath and heart rate when performing ninety-second timed static contractions on compound exercises. Also, unlike the shorter isometric protocols the longer timed static contractions did not result in post-workout joint pain or discomfort for some clients, which is reason enough to err on the longer side.

I cover the use of timed static contractions and static holds for a variety of exercises in my books Project Kratos and Timed Static Contraction Training.

A new study published in the Journal of Physiology shows that neither load nor brief post-workout increases in anabolic hormones determines muscular strength or size gains as long as exercises are performed to momentary muscular failure. While some individuals may respond a little better to higher reps or higher loads, on average a broad range of reps and loads can be effective as long as you train intensely enough. As the authors state in the abstract, “…in resistance-trained individuals load, when exercises are performed to volitional failure, does not dictate hypertrophy or, for the most part, strength gains.”

Morton, R. W., Oikawa, S. Y., Wavell, C. G., Mazara, N., Mcglory, C., Quadrilatero, J., . . . Phillips, S. M. (2016). Neither load nor systemic hormones determine resistance training-mediated hypertrophy or strength gains in resistance-trained young men. Journal of Applied Physiology J Appl Physiol. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00154.2016

Abstract

Forty-nine resistance-trained men (mean ± SEM, 23 ± 1 y) performed 12 wk of whole-body RT. Subjects were randomly allocated into a higher-repetition (HR) group who lifted loads of ~30-50% of their maximal strength (1RM) for 20-25 repetitions/set (n=24) or a lower-repetition (LR) group (~75-90% 1RM, 8-12 repetitions/set, n=25), with all sets being performed to volitional failure. Skeletal muscle biopsies, strength testing, DXA scans, and acute changes in systemic hormone concentrations were examined pre- and post-training. In response to RT, 1RM strength increased for all exercises in both groups (p < 0.01), with only the change in bench press being significantly different between groups (HR: 9 ± 1 vs. LR: 14 ±1 kg, p = 0.012). Fat- and bone-free (lean) body mass, type I and type II muscle fibre cross sectional area increased following training (p < 0.01) with no significant differences between groups. No significant correlations between the acute post-exercise rise in any purported anabolic hormone and the change in strength or hypertrophy were found. In congruence with our previous work, acute post-exercise systemic hormonal rises are not related to or in any way indicative of RT-mediated gains in muscle mass or strength. Our data show that in resistance-trained individuals load, when exercises are performed to volitional failure, does not dictate hypertrophy or, for the most part, strength gains.

Unlike many other resistance training studies which use a relatively small number of untrained subjects and tend to only last six to eight weeks this one used forty-nine men with at least two years of previous resistance training experience and lasted twelve weeks, making the results more reliable and relevant to training beyond the beginner stage. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups; a higher rep group that used thirty to fifty percent of their one rep max to perform sets of twenty to twenty-five repetitions, and a lower rep group that used seventy-five to ninety percent of their one rep max for sets of eight to twelve repetitions. Each group performed four brief, full-body workouts per week, consisting of three sets to momentary muscular failure of each exercise:

Monday/Thursday:

• Leg Press super-setted with Seated Row
• Bench Press super-setted with Cable Hamstring Curls
• Front Planks

Tuesday/Friday:

• Shoulder Press super-setted with Bicep Curls
• Triceps Extensions super-setted with Wide-Grip Pulldowns
• Leg Extensions

I would have preferred the subjects perform only one set to failure and combine the exercises into two longer full-body workouts instead of the four shorter ones. Since most other studies show no significant difference in muscular strength and size gains between single and multiple sets or when performing more than two or three full-body workouts per week, this would have been just as effective but more time efficient.

Results

Over the twelve weeks both groups increased muscular strength on all exercises, with no significant difference except the lower rep group improved slightly more in the bench press. Both groups had hypertrophy in both type I (slow twitch) and II (fast twitch) muscle fiber cross sectional area throughout the body with no significant difference. This confirms that a broad range of training loads and repetition ranges can be effective for improving muscular strength and size if exercises are performed to momentary muscular failure, and disproves the popular belief you must use lighter weights and higher reps to target your slow twitch muscle fibers and heavier weights and lower reps to target your fast twitch muscle fibers. The authors state, “The current data, along with previous work (28, 35), are direct proof that hypertrophy and strength gains are not a function of the load lifted and directly contradict the assertion that acute EMG recordings predict hypertrophic potential (21). Instead, we propose that exercising until volitional failure with adequate volume and load (between 30-90% 1RM) will sufficiently activate muscle motor units, which drives skeletal muscle hypertrophy.”

The study also disproves the popular belief that the acute hormonal effects of training with short rest periods or super-setting are beneficial for increasing muscular strength and size. They state, “post-exercise levels of circulating hormones did not change as a result of the RT intervention were unrelated to, and did not account for significant changes in, muscle mass or strength” and “In agreement with previous studies (50-52) it is clear that the post-exercise increases in systemic hormone concentrations are unrelated to changes in muscle hypertrophy or strength.” So rushing between exercises to increase growth hormone will not improve muscular strength or size gains as if often claimed, although it might still be beneficial for cardiovascular conditioning. I now question this as well, since research comparing sprint interval training with traditional endurance training shows it is not necessary to maintain a high metabolic demand and elevated heart rate continuously for this purpose.

Implications for training

While this shows a broad range of loads and repetitions can be effective there will be a point of diminishing returns below some level of load and above some time under load, and you should not expect to get the same results if you perform hour-long sets to failure using a very light weight. There is no mention in the study of the repetition cadence used so the exercises were most likely performed at typical speeds, meaning the high repetition sets probably did not exceed ninety seconds, and we can’t assume the same results using sets that are much longer than this. Also, while a broad range of repetitions can be effective on average, the optimal repetition range for some individuals may be lower or higher and may even vary between muscle groups and you should experiment and adjust your rep ranges or time under loads accordingly.

It should also be noted that while either low-load/high-rep sets or high-load/low-rep sets or anything in between can be effective for improving general muscular strength and size it is still necessary to perform specific high-load/low-rep sets to improve maximal strength in specific lifts (e.g. for increasing bench press or squat 1RM for competition) due to neural adaptations: “Though there is no apparent advantage of lifting with different loads on changes in muscle mass, there is undoubtedly a neuromuscular advantage to lifting heavier loads if the primary outcome is performing a 1RM test (28). Conversely, it appears that periodic practice of the chosen strength outcome (e.g. 1RM) is effective at eliminating the majority of any post-training difference.” For example, while low-load/high-rep sets to failure can improve your strength for powerlifting, you would need to increase the weight and reduce the reps on the competitive as you get closer to a contest.

If your goal is to improve your overall functional ability and physical appearance I recommend erring conservatively and using exercise loads that allow you to achieve momentary muscular failure within sixty to ninety seconds as a starting point (for example, six to ten repetitions at a 4/1/4 cadence, four to six repetitions at a negative-emphasized 4/1/10 cadence, or a 60 to 90 second static hold or timed static contraction). Using lower loads can make many exercises safer and using higher reps and a longer time under load can increase the metabolic and cardiovascular conditioning effect while being just as effective for improving muscular strength and hypertrophy.

This study also confirms that bodyweight high intensity training can be just as effective for increasing muscular strength and size as training with weights or machines as long as the method you use allows you to achieve momentary muscular failure within a reasonable time frame. This isn’t surprising, since I’ve been seeing these kinds of results in my bodyweight training clients for the past few years.

If your primary goal is building bigger, stronger muscles, you don’t need to rush between exercises to elevate growth hormone levels. While limiting rest between exercises may be more beneficial for cardiovascular and metabolic conditioning, and it will allow you to complete your workouts faster, doing so does not appear to have any effect on muscular strength and size increases. That being said, resting longer between exercises to increase the loads you are capable of using doesn’t appear to be necessary either. As a general guideline I recommend something in between; rest just long enough between exercises so cumulative systemic fatigue doesn’t interfere with your ability to perform subsequent exercises with a high intensity of effort and to achieve momentary muscular failure due to local muscular fatigue.

Question: Have you ever had clients that wanted to lose fat and benefited from the strength gains and global conditioning of a HIT program, but weren’t disciplined enough to follow a modest caloric deficit and therefore did not reach their aesthetic goals? If so, how did you get them to snap out of it, if at all?

The reason I ask this, is because it seems the majority of people that I train, (and even others who undergo a training regimen) have little success with fat loss. They are dedicated and train hard, but it always comes down to the same thing: they don’t watch what they eat and how much they eat.

Answer: This is what I tell people who want me to train them for fat loss:

The biggest factor in losing fat is your diet. A proper exercise program will help you lose fat by maintaining or increasing your lean body mass and metabolic rate, but exercise alone isn’t enough. You have to restrict your calorie intake and you have to eat adequate protein and appropriate amounts of carbs and fat for your body, preferably from high quality food sources. If you are willing to follow the guidelines I give you consistently for as long as it takes you will lose fat. I can guarantee the guidelines work because everybody else I’ve trained who has followed them has been successful. I can not, however, guarantee that you will be successful because although I can make sure you have effective workouts while you are here with me I can not follow you around the rest of the time controlling what you do or don’t eat. As hard as the workouts are, for many people sticking to a diet is even harder. So, if you want to know whether you are going to be successful you just need to ask yourself how badly you want it and how hard you are willing to work for it.

I will teach you tactics and strategies to help you follow your diet, to simplify it, to make it a little easier and a little faster, but it will never be easy or fast. Losing fat takes hard work, consistency, and time. There are no secrets, no tricks, no shortcuts, and no easy or quick ways to lose fat.

Some people fail because they don’t want to make the hard choices or do the work required to achieve their goals. They want the results, but aren’t willing to do what is necessary to earn them. Some people fail because they have an unrealistic expectation of how fast they can lose fat and become frustrated and quit when the fat doesn’t come off as quickly as they hoped. If you want to be successful you need to understand and accept two things right now; first, you are going to have to make hard choices, and second, depending on how much fat you want to lose it may take you a long time. Also, once you lose the fat and build the body you want you have to keep working to keep it. You don’t ever get to go back to eating the way you did that caused you to gain too much fat to begin with unless you want to gain it back, and after all the work you put into losing it I hope you don’t ever do that. If you want to continue to look like someone who eats healthy and exercises you have keep eating healthy and exercising.

Ultimately this comes down to motivation, and what motivates you depends on your priorities. You have to understand what  your long term end goals are, the reasons you want to lose fat, build muscle, get fit, etc. Specifically, you have to ask yourself what it is about your life that will be better as a result of being more physically fit and attractive (I could give you a lot of reasons, but they have to be yours). So, I want you to do three things.

First, think about why you want to lose fat, improve your physical appearance and fitness, etc. Write down every reason you can think of. Then, look over all of the reasons you’ve written and for each one of those write down all the ways those things will improve your life. These ends goals are your motivation, the things you want to think about when having to make hard choices or when you become frustrated with the process.

Second, take these goals and use them to create a mission statement for yourself that includes what you want to accomplish, why it is important to you, and how you’re going to do it. Write it down.

Last, makes copies of your mission statement. Post one somewhere you will see it every day as a reminder. Give one to me so I can better understand your goals and help motivate you and keep you on track. Give copies to your family and friends and ask that they help by providing encouragement on support. If you’re having a hard time talk with me or one of these people about it so we can help.

Understand it will take hard work and time, but that you can do it, the effort is worth it, and that you can count on your trainer, family, and friends for support.

Question:

I completely agree with the one set to failure protocol, however, something plays on my mind. I’ve always read and been lead to believe that a certain amount of muscle fibres contract maximally to lift a weight – as apposed to fewer muscle fibres all contracting sub maximally. Therefore when I’ve finished my one all out set to failure, I’ve stimulated those fibres that contracted maximally. If I was then to reduce the weight I could keep going which suggests there were fibres that were not used in the first set. Therefore one all-out set followed by a descending set would guarantee all fibres being stimulated. Then again, I don’t want to use anymore reps than necessary to trigger adaptation. Is a descending set or other set extension technique necessary for maximum muscle fiber recruitment?

Answer:

A muscle fiber either contracts maximally or not at all. Muscle fibers are grouped into motor units of different sizes, and are recruited in order from the smallest to the largest depending on how much force the muscle needs to produce. During an exercise as some motor units fatigue and the combined force they are capable of producing decreases your body recruits more motor units to continue to produce the level of force required to overcome the resistance. As these newly recruited motor units fatigue more are recruited, until eventually every motor unit thus every fiber in the targeted muscles has been recruited. When you reach momentary muscular failure it means all of the motor units in the targeted muscles have been recruited and fatigued to the point where they are unable to produce the required level of force, and effectively stimulated to grow larger and stronger.

It is not necessary to extend the set by reducing the weight or performing other set-extension techniques like forced reps or negatives to recruit all of the motor units in the targeted muscles. Doing so just retraces the same motor unit recruitment pattern which increases the stress on your body without significantly improving the stimulus for muscular strength and size increases. The only time I use or recommend set-extension techniques is if a trainee falls a rep or two short of their lower target repetition number, and this is usually for the purpose of increasing metabolic stress or to help acclimate them to greater exertional discomfort so they can learn to continue to contract intensely despite the burn. Depending on the person and the exercise or equipment being used I may have them extend the set to reach a time under load equivalent to their lower target rep number by performing a static hold or timed static contraction instead. Isometric holds and rest-pause repetitions are often more practical set extenders when performing bodyweight exercises or when training alone.

The release of the bodyweight high intensity training program handbook was the second of three phases of Project Kratos. The first was my own experimentation and refinement. The goal of the second phase was getting feedback and case studies from as many people as possible and further improving the program and how it is taught. Project Kratos is now entering phase three and I am looking for highly motivated and dedicated people to implement the current bodyweight high intensity training method combining the original Kratos bodyweight protocol and timed static contraction training into a comprehensive strength, conditioning, and physique transformation program. Do not sign up for this program unless you want to make a dramatic change in your body and are willing to do the work required to achieve it.

All Project Kratos participants will receive:

• Three months of bi-weekly one-on-one phone or Skype consultations providing detailed program instruction
• Access to exclusive videos demonstrating the proper form and progression for each exercise
• Constant e-mail support to answer your questions about the program
• A signed hard copy of the final training manual and access to all supplementary materials and videos
• Discounts on future videos and seminars related to Project Kratos

Participants will be required to submit before and after photographs and measurements, training and diet logs, and a written summary of their experiences with the program, and the best transformations will be included as case studies in the final training manual. The Project Kratos and Timed Static Contraction ebooks are required for participation and are included in the second menu option if you do not have them already. Participation is limited to the first thirty  people so sign up now to guarantee your spot:

Sign up for Project Kratos Phase Three: $450 / $500 with ebooks

Distance Training Packages

Project Kratos Phase Three (no ebooks) $450.00 USDProject Kratos Phase Three (plus ebooks) $500.00 USD

Feedback on Project Kratos:

“Baye applies sane, sensible guidelines and his exercise selections are all good ones.” – Ellington Darden, PhD

“Drew’s latest work, Project: Kratos – named for the Greek god of strength and power – is a bodyweight high intensity training program designed to maximize full-body strength, conditioning, and body composition. With safety, efficiency and little or no equipment as a basis for his book, Drew worked to develop a program that goes beyond the average application most people are accustomed to. Those of you who are familiar with Drew’s writings, videos and other projects know how thorough he is in his research and the manner in which he conveys every nuance. Trust me when I tell you, no stone goes unturned in Kratos and to say I’m impressed would be an understatement.”  – Fred Fornicola

“I have placed a number of guys on the program with some of my own variations. All of my clients have had great success. I’ve had several people relate to me that they can hardly believe how strong they feel and would have never believed such a thing possible without weights.” – Steve Maxwell, black belt senior world and Pan American jiu jitsu champion

“I own pretty much all of the major bodyweight training books that have come out over the last few years such as You Are Your Own Gym, Body by You, Overcoming Gravity, Pushing the Limits, Raising the Bar, Bodyweight Strength Training, and Convict Conditioning. I would say that the Project: Kratos Bodyweight High Intensity Training book is definitely the most well thought out and effective of the bunch and would be my recommendation as the single best bodyweight training book around.”  – Bill Cameron

“This manual is excellent!  I went to Starbucks and read this thing entirely today – well done!”

“I like the content of your book.  Content is arranged very logically and explanations are clear and easy to understand.”

“For those who utilize or are looking to utilize bodyweight workouts… this has to be one of the best ebooks/books I’ve ever come across. No B.S. instruction with obvious skill and knowledge on Drew’s part. Qualities that many health “professionals” truly lack these days. Enough already… just buy it!”

“The results we achieved until now are unbelievable. I lost 20kg of weight and I’m now stronger than ever in my life (and I did intense sport for decades). My wife is now – aged 55 – for the first time in her life able to perform pullups, real pushups and so on. She achieved these results in less than 3 month. After finishing today’s training a few minutes ago, I just want to let you know. The change in nutrition and training according to your program where the most important contributions to our health and strength for decades.” – Kilian & Regina G.

The Job Analogy

If two different companies offered you the same job for the same salary but one of them required you to work two to three times as many hours per week under more dangerous conditions, would you consider both job offers equal? Of course not. Nor should you consider two exercise programs equally effective if one of them requires a greater time investment and carries a higher risk of injury even if both result in the same degree of physical improvement over time. Your long term return on investment and risk versus reward ought to be considered.

What if you really like the job and want to spend more hours working? Some people claim to like working out, but if they answer honestly when questioned you’ll find they do for psychological and social rather than physiological reasons, and what they really like isn’t exercise but social interaction with people who share their interest in exercise and other similar values. The next time you’re at the gym watch and you’ll see people spending far more time talking to or looking at other people (or trying to draw attention to themselves and checking to see if other people are looking at them) than actually exercising. There is nothing wrong with this if people understand and are honest about their reasons and there are psychological benefits from exercise itself, but most people would be better off exercising in the most effective manner for physical improvement and finding other activities which are much better suited to their social and psychological wants and needs.

What Is The Best Way To Exercise?

Most discussions on the relative effectiveness of different exercise methods are short sighted, focusing only on the degree of change in some factor over shorter time frames and ignore the issues of efficiency and safety, which are equally important. In the long run any reasonably effective program can maximize your genetic potential for all of the general factors of functional ability, but if a method requires a larger time investment to do so or causes more wear and tear on the body or carries a greater risk of injury it is not equal.

The means goal of exercise is to stimulate the body to produce improvements in the general factors of functional ability, but the real goals of exercise, the end goals, are the various improvements in your life that result from accomplishing the means goal. Every hour you spend working out that you don’t need to and every bit of unnecessary wear you put on your body that can contribute to a loss of functional ability in the long run detracts from the greater enjoyment of life that is the real goal of exercise.

It’s not just about building muscle, losing fat, and getting fit. It’s also about doing so more efficiently and more safely so that you are able to spend more of your life enjoying the benefits of exercise than pursuing them, or worse, suffering the harm of poor exercise choices. This is why I do and teach high intensity training, and why I am so critical of the time wasting and harmful bullshit promoted by much of the fitness industry. In the long run, when you take everything into account – results, efficiency, and safety – HIT really is the best way to exercise.

The April 2016 video seminar will be held on Saturday the 23rd at 12:00 pm EST and the topic will be eating and training to lose fat while maintaining or even increasing muscle mass. The seminar will include forty-five to sixty minutes of discussion followed by thirty to forty-five minutes of questions and answers. If you have questions about optimizing your workouts and diet for losing fat and building muscle you don’t want to miss this one.

Sign up for this month’s High Intensity Training Video Seminar with Drew Baye: $49.95

The first twenty-five people to sign up will receive a Skype contact request from Drew Baye within twenty-four hours of the seminar or earlier which must be accepted participate. You must be online and signed into your Skype account before the seminar is scheduled to begin, at which time you will receive a Skype call from Drew Baye.

If you attempt to sign up after all of the spots have been filled you will not be charged and you will be redirected to a page with information on contacting me to be notified if an opening becomes available due to a cancellation.

Because participation is limited and only available on a first-come basis there are no refunds for cancellations made later than one week before the seminar.

Question: I am an avid fan of Arthur Jones and have almost all his books, I do train alone and started the big five exercises recently, and I do supplement peak 8 cardio workouts with a Bowflex max trainer. The reason I do this is because of something Clarence Bass touched on which I think is true for people who train without that push from a personal trainer which Dr Ellington has also commented on about people not have a personal trainer to push them. I think the HIT cardio fills that gap. Love your work.

Bass comments on fast intense HIT workouts for cardio benefit:

“Perhaps not, but the question remains whether an appreciable number of people are willing—or able—to push themselves that hard without Arthur or the military driving them to the outer limits of effort, workout after workout. Proper Strength Training may be the most efficient way to build strength and endurance simultaneously—but what difference does it make if serious strength trainers are unwilling to keep doing it. Surely, it isn’t a viable approach for lifetime fitness.”

“I believe it makes more sense—and is more practical—to rest as long as necessary between sets to exert maximum effort on each strength movement—and then do brief, whole-body, high-intensity intervals or sprints to build and maintain cardiovascular fitness. You can combine the two forms of training or do them in separate workouts. That’s my approach.”

“Jones freely admitted that few people would train as he recommended without his hobnail boots urging them on. He never trained that way for very long.”

Answer: I’ve read most of Clarence Bass’ books and many of his articles and I like him and agree with a lot of things he’s said, but he’s wrong about this.

While the results you get from exercise are proportional to how intensely you train and most people won’t train as intensely on their own as they will with a good personal trainer or training partner, it is not necessary to strength train with the absolute maximum intensity of effort humanly possible to effectively improve your cardiovascular and metabolic conditioning. You just have to consistently train hard enough to place a greater demand on your muscles and the supporting systems than they are accustomed to, and the longer you do this the better you get at it. Over the past two decades I’ve received e-mails from thousands of people who were able to accomplish this following the guidelines in my books and articles without a trainer pushing them through their workouts and without additional “cardio” sessions.

While moving quickly between exercises can help you maintain an elevated heart rate throughout your workout, research comparing sprint interval training to traditional endurance training shows this is not necessary to improve your cardiovascular and metabolic conditioning. As long as you create enough of a metabolic and cardiovascular demand during each exercise it doesn’t appear to matter if you rest for a few minutes in between, and properly performed compound exercises do this as effectively as sprints or better with less wear on your joints and lower risk of injury.

Even if you do move quickly between exercises and cumulative systemic fatigue reduces the loads you are able to use for subsequent exercises you can still train with the same relative intensity of effort, which is more important than load for stimulating increases in muscular strength and size.

Resting longer between exercises may favor muscular strength and size gains over cardiovascular and metabolic conditioning, and rushing between exercises may do the opposite, but as long as you are training intensely enough either method is more effective, more efficient, and safer for your joints in the long run than performing separate sprint interval training sessions for cardiovascular and metabolic conditioning. Because of this a proper high intensity training program is not only a viable approach for lifetime fitness, it is the best approach.

When you’re performing an exercise don’t worry about the rep you just did, don’t worry about the rep you’re doing, and don’t worry if you’ll be able to do another. Your goal isn’t to do reps, your goal is to use the resistance to efficiently load the muscles you’re targeting with the exercise. Performing some number of repetitions is not your goal; your rep count is just a record of exercise performance for later evaluation. Intense muscular contraction and effectively stimulating increases in muscular strength and size is your goal (and if you do that, improvements in all the supporting factors of functional ability like cardiovascular and metabolic conditioning and bone and connective tissue strength will follow). Stay focused on the present, focused on making the rep you’re doing as hard as possible and on intensely contracting the target muscles. You’ll get a lot more benefit from the exercise doing this than if you just focus on making weight go up and down.

I’ve said it hundreds if not thousands of times: how you do each rep is more important than how many reps you do.

It’s an easy thing to say or write, but it can be a very hard thing to do consistently. Even after over twenty years of doing and teaching high intensity training I still have to remind myself before workouts and I still slip sometimes and catch myself focusing on what I’m doing to the weight with my muscles instead of what I’m doing to my muscles with the weight.

It’s difficult when you know doing the exercise correctly makes it so much harder. Especially when your muscles burn and your heart pounds and you’re thinking all it would take to make it easier is to move your body a little to gain some leverage, go a little faster through the harder parts of and a little slower through the easier ones, and offload some of the work to other muscle groups. But that’s when you need to remember why you’re doing it and do the exact opposite: maintain proper positioning and keep the tension where it belongs on the target muscles, don’t rush through the hard parts and don’t slow down through the easier parts or pause to rest. Go towards that pain and embrace it instead of running away from it, because that is what makes you stronger.

Don’t just go through the motions like everyone else in the gym. Keep your mind on your muscles and focus on intensely contracting and trying to empty them out instead of just trying to make the weights move up and down. Don’t just focus on getting each rep, focus on getting the most out of each rep.

Here are a few tips for improving your focus during your workouts:

1. 1. Meditate regularly. I know it sounds like new-agey nonsense, but it works.

1. 1. Take a few minutes to relax and visualize your workout before you begin.

1. 1. Think about your goals and why achieving them is worth the momentary pain of intense exercise.

1. 1. Think about the muscles you’re going to target before starting an exercise.

1. 1. Ignore everybody else in the gym. You’re there to work out, not to socialize or compete.

1. 1. If the gym is noisy, wear noise-cancelling headphones to reduce distractions.

1. Work out with a good trainer or training partner who understands how to keep you focused.