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High Intensity Training, Heavy Duty,
Mike Mentzer and Arthur Jones
Arthur Jones gave us the original theory of HIT. His three truths include:
Training must be intense enough to trigger the growth mechanism, meaning forcing the muscle to grow because you have subjected it to stress it could not perform, i.e. failure.
Because of this intense stress, the workload (training session) must not exceed the body's ability to recover, so the workouts must be short. And...
Because every workout is so stressful, they must be infrequent to allow sufficient time for full recovery.
Mike Mentzer made a major contribution to the advancement of HIT with his theories of Heavy Duty Training, and with his discovery of genetics and their relationship of exercise tolerance. This logical next truth helped us understand that no single workout program or schedule can fit all weight trainers.
We now introduce the next "truths" of HIT allowing you, for the first time, to know and understand the whole truth about HIT. Added to the first four comes...
1. Since muscle grows from origin and insertion, every rep must be full range stretch and contraction, controlled and deliberate. Half reps, excessive momentum and cheating do NOTHING to stimulate full muscular growth. Remember, we want full, complete stimulation of all muscle fibers, not just some.
2. Recent studies have shown the eccentric movement (resisting the weight) actually stimulates more muscle fiber than concentric, and since adding negatives on a regular basis to our workouts... well, my leg press has gone up four plates in just four training sessions.
3. Some, like Mentzer, say that nutrition isn't that important and others, like Chris Aceto, suggest it is the most important aspect of training. Well, the last truth is that training and nutrition are two wheels of the same cart. Both wheels and the cart roll forward. It doesn't matter which wheel (training or nutrition) you take off, the cart goes nowhere.
So, to review the truths of High Intensity Training:
- Train your muscle to failure (and occasionally beyond) to force new growth in your body in response to a need.
- Design a program that is short and focused. Why is there no mile sprint? Because sprinters run with 100% intensity and cannot maintain that intensity for long distances. Neither can you train for two hours with this intensity. My max is about 40-45 minutes.
- Train each bodypart no more than once a week to allow sufficient rest and growth between training sessions.
- Each of us has differences in our ability to recover from HIT. If you find yourself making little or no progress, you are probably over training, THE biggest problem in bodybuilding today.
- Keep every rep strict and controlled. Do not bounce, swing or stop short of either full stretch or full contraction.
- Slow your pace when resisting a weight and use eccentric movement to recruit the most muscle fibers.
- Spend as much time planning your eating program as you do your training program. Use as much discipline at the table as you do in the gym.
Ask us any questions you have about High Intensity Training workouts, nutrition, etc. Email your questions to info@trulyhuge.com
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Arthur Jones Articles
The Upper Body Squat
The Colorado Experiment
A Totally New Concept in Exercise and Equipment
Average Expectations from Training
"Speaking of Pump" or One Arm Problem Solved
Total Omni-Directional, Direct Exercise System
How Muscles Perform Work
In Plain English
The Best Kind of Exercise
Accentuate the Negative
The Facts Are...
The Time Factor In Exercise
Cause & Effect
Editorial
Arthur Jones Interview
Size or Strength
The Final Breakthrough
A Second Look At The Final Breakthrough
Distance, Resistance, Speed: The Real Basis of Exercise
Is Great Size Incompatible With Sharp Muscularity?
Real Value of Exercise
Is It Worth The Price?
The Next Step
High Intensity Training and Steroids
Five Types of Exercise: Which is Best?
One Less Bump...
And Then The Bomb
Arthur Jones Routine
A Response to a Post on the SportScience List
Arthur Jones Biography
Arthur Jones Photos and Videos
Arthur Jones Diet and Nutrition for High Intensity Training
Arthur Jones Obituary
Arthur Jones Books