- Home
- Sports and Activities
- Fitness and Health
- Strength Training and Conditioning
- High-Intensity 300
If you’re tired of the same old workouts and less-than-spectacular results, you’ll be excited to know you’ve found the remedy to your situation. In fact, you’ve found 300 of them!
High-Intensity 300 is the ultimate workout guide. Featuring 300 of the most effective and challenging workouts, it’s packed with programs that push you to your limit and maximize results.
Each workout includes detailed instruction, photos, and training tips as well as variations for types of equipment and difficulty level. Best of all, each workout is designed to be completed in 30 minutes. Challenge yourself with a different workout each day, or take a more focused approach and target goals, such as increasing muscle mass, shedding fat, or maximizing performance. The choice is yours.
And just when you think you’ve done it all, High-Intensity 300 finishes with 40 of the toughest workouts. Pulling together the most intense movements, exercises, and sequences throughout the book, this series of 30-minute challenges is for serious warriors and extreme athletes only.
Whether you are looking to ramp up the intensity of your workout, add variety and excitement to a ho-hum routine, or push yourself to the extremes of strength, fitness, or performance, High-Intensity 300 has it all—and much, much more.
Chapter 1 Ramping Up
Chapter 2 Ultimate Fat Loss
Chapter 3 Getting Stronger
Chapter 4 Targeted Muscle Builders
Chapter 5 Last (Wo)Man Standing
Chapter 6 The Core of the Matter
Chapter 7 Let’s Push! Let’s Pull!
Chapter 8 40 Toughest Workouts
Dan Trink is the director of training operations at Peak Performance in New York City, where he trains a full roster of clients and athletes. He also sits on the advisory board for Men’s Fitness magazine in the category of sport performance.
Trink is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS), the highest level of certification bestowed by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and is a USA Weightlifting (USAW) sport performance coach. He also earned a level 3 certification from the Poliquin International Certification Program, an honor reserved for trainers who have coached athletes at the national championship level and have placed in the top 10 percent at their events.
A member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, Trink was among the first group to receive the Precision Nutrition Sports and Exercise Nutrition Certification and is a modulation practitioner for BioSignature, a nutrition and lifestyle approach that optimizes hormonal balance in clients and athletes.
Trink has published articles and has been cited as a source for leading health and fitness websites and magazines, including Men’s Fitness, Greatist, T-Nation, Livestrong, Bliss Tree, and Refinery 29. His name has appeared in the Huffington Post and other general media outlets.
Trink also coaches for the Personal Trainer Development Center (PTDC), an international organization whose mission is to improve the quality of the personal training industry. As a network expert, he provides approval and verification for articles submitted to the Greatist health and fitness website.
Trink was responsible for the strength and conditioning program of middleweight boxer Matthew Macklin in preparation for his WBO title fight held in March 2012 at Madison Square Garden. He has also worked with 2012 NBA All-Star Roy Hibbert and countless international-level jiu-jitsu practitioners and mixed martial arts fighters.
A featured presenter on nutrition and strength training at the corporate and international levels, Trink has specialty certifications in TRX suspension training system, FMS (functional movement screen), DVRT functional integrated movement, and Dynamax medicine ball training.
“When it comes to providing quality information on fitness, Dan Trink always delivers. In High-Intensity 300 he has the perfect blend of science and practical experience to help you get leaner, stronger, and more muscular.”
Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, CSCS, FNSCA-- Author of The M.A.X. Muscle Plan
“The workouts in High-Intensity 300 produce results in the safest and most efficient manner possible.”
Tony Gentilcore, CSCS-- Cofounder of Cressey Performance, TonyGentilcore.com
An Introduction to Intensity
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it’s always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in.
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it's always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in. First, getting insight into the thought process behind the workout plan is a great way to gauge whether this is the right training program for your goals.
Second, when you are in the middle of a tough set, your lungs burning, sweat pouring off your forehead, and having that occasional what have I gotten myself into moment of self-doubt, you will, in the back of your mind, have an understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and why it is so effective. This should serve as motivation to keep on going. Now let's get into the three big concepts that make up the rationale behind high-intensity workouts.
What Is Intensity?
Most people think of intensity in the gym setting as the amount of effort you are putting into a workout. A slow walk on the treadmill while reading the morning paper is a low-intensity workout, while an all-out, sweat-pouring-off-your-forehead, heart-about-to-jump-out-of-your-chest circuit is high intensity. This is intensity of effort, the type of intensity you should be focusing on when completing chapters such as 40 Toughest Workouts, Last (Wo)Man Standing, and Ultimate Fat Loss. But intensity of effort is only one of the definitions of intensity that will be used in this book.
When it comes to official training lingo, intensity represents a specific percentage of your 1-repetition maximum (the maximum amount of weight you can lift for exactly 1 rep, or 1RM), or how much weight is on the bar relative to how much weight you can actually use if you were going all out. This becomes critical when trying to build strength during the workouts in the chapter Getting Stronger. Finally, there is muscular intensity, or how much localized muscle fatigue you are incurring during your workout. A workout that blasts your biceps with several back-to-back exercises as you might find in Targeted Muscle Builders would fall into this category.
So, let's review. Intensity of effort is how hard you perceive yourself to be working, intensity of load is how much weight you are lifting relative to the maximum you are capable of lifting (e.g., 85 percent of your 1RM), and muscular intensity involves repeatedly working a specific muscle to a level of exhaustion. It is important to get a grasp of what type of intensity you are trying to focus on during any given workout.
The Science Behind High-Intensity Training
Along with the performance and aesthetic benefits that people gain from high-intensity training come the scientifically researched mechanisms that cause these desired adaptations. And although the science can get complicated and expansive, it is worth understanding some key concepts and mechanisms behind why HIT is so effective. Following are three key principles as to why HIT is an efficient and results-driven approach to training.
Concept 1: EPOC
The biggest concept to wrap your head around when it comes to the benefits of high-intensity training is something called excessive postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). After either resistance training or cardiorespiratory training (or a combination of both), the body continues to need oxygen at a higher rate than before exercise began. This occurs so the body can get back to homeostasis, or its typical resting metabolic rate. Repaying the oxygen debt caused by training requires additional energy expenditure. What this means, in a nutshell, is that you will continue to utilize energy (in the form of burning calories) well after your exercise session is over. High-intensity workouts drive up the effect of EPOC even more because you create a larger oxygen deficiency during the intensified effort of this type of training.
The bottom line? The greater the intensity of the workout, the greater the EPOC and, therefore, the greater the energy expenditure (calories burned) both during and after the workout. This afterburn can last for 36 hours postworkout, so don't underestimate just how powerful it is. Now, not every workout here tries to cash in on the EPOC effect. Many workouts focus more on building strength or gaining muscle mass - which leads perfectly into our next concept.
Concept 2: Building and Maintaining Lean Mass
In all the workouts that follow, there is a component of resistance - whether it's barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, machines, or even body weight. The prevailing thought used to be that if you wanted fat loss, the majority of your training had to be centered around traditional long, slow cardiorespiratory activities such as jogging or cycling. And although those activities still have some value when looking for fat loss, they pale in comparison to resistance training. Why? Because resistance training builds lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle helps you gain strength, of course, but it is also metabolically active, and it takes a lot of energy to maintain muscle and keep it functioning. So, essentially, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you can consume without gaining additional body fat.
Concept 3: Exercise Density
Density is simply the amount of work you perform in a given amount of time - in this case, 30 minutes or less in each workout. By packing more work into a shorter amount of time you drive up your work capacity, which is critical for cardiorespiratory health and sports performance. (Ever notice that it is the athlete who can give the greatest effort in the fourth quarter or final round that is usually the most successful?) These workouts are truly the ultimate in exercise efficiency, getting the most work done, in the least amount of time, while delivering optimal body composition and performance results.
Assessing Your Fitness
It's difficult to know where you are going if you have no idea where you have been. Yet so many people begin training programs without any type of self-assessment (maybe with the exception of jumping on the scale) as a baseline by which to judge future progress. You are not going to make that mistake. Following are two basic benchmark workouts. One will measure the total number of reps you can perform of several movements. The other will test the time it takes to get through an exercise circuit. Be sure to record your results so you can reassess these in the future.
Benchmark Workout 1
Complete one set of the maximum number of repetitions for each movement. Rest 3 to 5 minutes between each movement. The number after each exercise indicates the workout number where the exercise is featured with detailed instructions.
- Barbell back squat (#63) with 50 percent of your body weight.
- Kneeling lat pull-down (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of your body weight/chin-up (intermediate or advanced) (#73)
- Incline push-up (beginner) (#115)/push-up (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- Plank (figure 1.8) to be held for the maximum amount of time
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498899_ebook_Main.png
Table 1.1 should be used as a guide to evaluate your appropriate difficulty levels for workouts. If you can only perform fewer than 10 reps of the barbell back squat, fewer than 5 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, fewer than 15 reps of the push-ups, and less than 45 seconds of the plank, you should opt for the easy variation found at the end of each workout. There is no shame in having to start with the easy variation, and with some consistent training you will be able to move to the standard workouts in no time.
If you can perform between 10 and 20 reps of the squat, 5 and 10 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, 15 and 25 reps of the push-ups, and 46 seconds and 2 minutes of the plank, you should be attempting the standard versions of the workouts.
If you are exceeding all the rep ranges (20+ squats, 10+ chins-ups or pull-downs, 25+ push-ups, 2 minute+ plank), then feel free to attempt the suggestions for stepping it up to make the workouts more challenging and intense.
What happens if you can do certain exercises at one level and other exercises at a different level? The goal of High-Intensity 300 is to provide workouts that are customizable to your fitness levels and goals while giving you a training challenge. So use the highest intensity you can manage for any exercise. Just note which level you were able to achieve, and when a comparable exercise comes up in the training program, use the intensity that is appropriate. However, if you are on the fence about which intensity to use, start with something a bit easier. You will get more benefit out of performing your workouts with great technique and a lighter load than adding more weight to the bar and using bad form. Remember, training is a lifelong endeavor. There is no need to rush into adding more load than you can handle.
Benchmark Workout 2
Complete all repetitions of all three exercises in the shortest amount of time possible. Like before, the number after the exercise indicates the workout where it's featured.
- 30 prisoner squats (#188)
- 20 incline push-ups (beginner) (#115)/20 push-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- 20 kneeling lat pull-downs (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of body weight/10 pull-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#231)
Use table 1.2 as a guide to determine appropriate difficulty level. If your total time is under 2:30 for all three exercises, you can consider utilizing the step-it-up option. If your time is between 2:30 and 5 minutes, the standard workouts should be appropriate for you. If your time is more than 5 minutes or you cannot complete the workout, I would recommend sticking with the easy option for now.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498900_ebook_Main.png
Retest both benchmark workouts every two months and record your results. If your results shift from one category to the next (e.g., you performed the second benchmark workout in 5:25 two months ago and you finished in 4:45 upon retesting), feel free to attempt the more challenging workout for the remainder of the program.
Finally, several of the workouts recommend using loads that are a percentage of your 1RM of a specific movement. Therefore, it would be beneficial to test or at least have a solid idea of your 1RM in the conventional deadlift, barbell bench press, barbell front squat, barbell back squat, and weighted chin-up before you start tackling these workouts. Table 1.3 can be used to keep track of your 1RM for these exercises.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498901_ebook_Main.png
Ramping Up to Daily Workouts
Here's the thing about high-intensity training - it's intense. Many trainees are susceptible to injury because although they have a lot of motivation and energy to begin a really challenging training program, their bodies just aren't ready for that type of effort. What follows are some basic rules and parameters you should remember when performing HIT (or, frankly, any workout program).
We also discuss the basic movement patterns - what they are and how to perform them correctly - as well as the thought process behind the easy and step-it-up options you will find at the end of each workout.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Depths of Hell and Crazy 8s
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Workout 55
The Depths of Hell
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Warm-Up
5 reps of inchworm, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Depth Jump
- Stand with both feet at the edge of a 12-inch (30 cm) box (or lower).
- Step off the box with one foot to start your descent (a), and land on both feet simultaneously (balls of your forefoot followed by your heels) (b). Keep your knees flexed in order to absorb impact and generate force.
- As soon as you make contact with the ground, jump vertically as high as you can (as you would in a vertical jump) (c).
- Land with both feet making contact with the ground at once, knees flexed to absorb impact.
Complete Workout
- A. Depth jump
- 4 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- B. Snatch (#84)
- 3 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- C1. Plyo push-up (#165)
- 2 sets x 12 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- C2. Double-arm kettlebell swing (#13)
- 2 sets x 20 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Substitute the push-up (#XX) for the plyo push-up.
Step It Up
Perform an additional set of the snatch, plyo push-up, and double-arm kettlebell swing.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, cross-body stretch, hamstring stretch.
Workout 68
Crazy 8s: Push Press
Your shoulder joint is one of the most mobile in your body. And although this is very useful for accomplishing many tasks, it also makes it one of the body's most vulnerable joints. For the vast majority of movements that you perform in the gym, externally rotating at the shoulder joint will keep it in a safer position. You can do this in many ways, including rotating your armpits out during any variation of overhead pressing. This can be accomplished by thinking about bending the bar in the bench press and screwing your hands into the floor on the push-up.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps of inchworm, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Shoulder Sweep
- Lie on your back on the floor, bend your left knee to 90 degrees, and cross it over your right leg, keeping your entire upper body in contact with the floor (if you cannot reach the floor with your left knee, place a medicine ball or yoga block underneath it to limit the range of motion).
- Place your left hand on your right knee to keep it in contact with the floor. Extend your right arm directly overhead (a).
- Sweep your right arm along the floor, attempting to internally rotate at the shoulder to bring your hand toward your middle back (b).
- When you've reached the end of the range of motion (c), sweep your arm (trying to keep as much of it in contact with the floor as possible) toward your right ear.
- Continue to sweep back and forth to these end positions until you complete all reps for one side before repeating the process for the other side.
Complete Workout
- A1. Push press (#16)
- 8 sets x 2 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- A2. Shoulder sweep
- 8 sets x 4 reps/side
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Perform 6 sets of the exercises.
Step It Up
Perform 10 sets of the exercises.
Cool-Down
Pec stretch, double lat stretch, 90-degree stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Ranger, El Diablo, and Redemption
You’ve learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it’s time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you’ve put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you’ve done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance.
You've learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it's time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you've put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you've done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance. These workouts are tough and certainly not for beginners. So lace up your sneakers and get that postworkout recovery shake ready because, as the saying goes, only the strong will survive.
Workout 270
The Ranger
The Rangers are members of the U.S. Army elite infantry and are known for being highly trained and incredibly skilled. And although you do not need to go to Ranger school to survive this workout, you will need more toughness, focus, and endurance than nearly anyone else in your gym to make it through. Save the Ranger for a day when you can't wait to get in the gym and give it everything you've got - because that is what it will take to make it to the end of this workout.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps each of inchworm and inverted hamstring stretch, 10 reps of glute bridge
Featured Exercise: TRX Face Pull
- Grab a set of TRX handles, with your palms facing the floor. Walk your feet toward the anchor point to create an angle with your body that is anywhere between 45 and 75 degrees (a).
- Keeping your arms high and perpendicular to your torso, bend at the elbows and pull your hands toward your jawline (b).
- Squeeze your upper back and shoulder blades at the top position and then return, under control, to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
 |  |
Complete Workout
Perform the sprint every minute on the minute (start at the top of the minute, perform the exercise, rest the remainder of the minute, begin the next set at the top of the next minute, repeat until all sets are complete). Rest 3 minutes. Complete 3 circuits of the remaining exercises, resting as little as possible between movements and between circuits.
- Sprint (#41)
- 20 yards (20 m)
- Every minute on the minute for 10 minutes
- Neutral-grip pull-up (#237)
- 10 reps
- Barbell thruster (#6)
- 15 reps
- TRX face pull
- 20 reps
- Burpee (#7)
- 25 reps
Easy Option
Perform 2 rounds of the circuit after you've finished the sprints.
Step It Up
Perform the sprints every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch.
Workout 275
El Diablo
Body-weight exercises are not always easier to perform than weighted movements that work the same muscle groups. The handstand push-up, featured in this workout, is a great example of an extremely challenging body-weight movement that requires not only shoulder strength but shoulder and core stability as well.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 6 reps per side of hip rocker and inverted hamstring stretch, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Handstand Push-Up
- Place your hands at wider than shoulder width on the floor, a few inches (about 10 cm) away from a wall.
- Kick both feet up so you are in a handstand position, with your heels supported on the wall (a).
- Lower yourself under control until the top of your head touches the floor (b).
- Forcefully press yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for reps. If you cannot achieve full range of motion, feel free to place a pad on the floor and bring your head to the pad.
 |  |
Complete Workout
Complete as many rounds of the following circuit in 15 minutes, resting only as needed. Use a load equivalent to your body weight for the conventional deadlift.
- Handstand push-up
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
- Conventional deadlift (#5)
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
Easy Option
Substitute standard push-ups (#12) for the handstand push-ups.
Step It Up
Use 1.5 x body weight for the conventional deadlift.
Cool-Down
Hamstring stretch, calf stretch, pec stretch.
Workout 299
Redemption
Any missed training sessions. Any of this week's cheat meals. Any nights spent staying out late instead of recovering. All of this week's missteps are about to be redeemed with this workout. Redemption involves more dynamic and explosive movements than a typical circuit, driving up metabolic demand and requiring additional focus to execute the movements correctly. The physical and mental challenges will make this one of the toughest circuits you're likely to encounter.
Warm-Up
6 reps of squat to stand, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 8 reps of glute bridge, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch
- Begin with a dumbbell on the floor between your feet. Bend down and grab the dumbbell with your right arm, keeping your butt back and chest tall (a).
- Explosively pull the dumbbell off the floor by driving your hips forward, shrugging your right traps and extending at the ankles (b).
- Keep the dumbbell close to your body as you drive your elbow high.
- Allow the dumbbell to continue overhead, and catch it in the top position, with your arm straight and knees slightly bent (c).
- Bring the dumbbell down to your shoulder and back to the floor. Complete all reps for one side before switching to the other.
 |  |  |
Complete Workout
Perform 4 rounds of the following circuit, resting as little as needed.
- Box jump (#198)
- 8 reps
- Toes to bar (#28)
- 8 reps
- Single-arm dumbbell snatch
- 4 reps/side
- Farmer's walk (#187)
- 20 yards (20 m)
Easy Option
Perform 3 rounds of the circuit.
Step It Up
Perform 5 rounds of the circuit.
Cool-Down
Standing quad stretch, 90-degree stretch, double lat stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
An Introduction to Intensity
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it’s always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in.
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it's always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in. First, getting insight into the thought process behind the workout plan is a great way to gauge whether this is the right training program for your goals.
Second, when you are in the middle of a tough set, your lungs burning, sweat pouring off your forehead, and having that occasional what have I gotten myself into moment of self-doubt, you will, in the back of your mind, have an understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and why it is so effective. This should serve as motivation to keep on going. Now let's get into the three big concepts that make up the rationale behind high-intensity workouts.
What Is Intensity?
Most people think of intensity in the gym setting as the amount of effort you are putting into a workout. A slow walk on the treadmill while reading the morning paper is a low-intensity workout, while an all-out, sweat-pouring-off-your-forehead, heart-about-to-jump-out-of-your-chest circuit is high intensity. This is intensity of effort, the type of intensity you should be focusing on when completing chapters such as 40 Toughest Workouts, Last (Wo)Man Standing, and Ultimate Fat Loss. But intensity of effort is only one of the definitions of intensity that will be used in this book.
When it comes to official training lingo, intensity represents a specific percentage of your 1-repetition maximum (the maximum amount of weight you can lift for exactly 1 rep, or 1RM), or how much weight is on the bar relative to how much weight you can actually use if you were going all out. This becomes critical when trying to build strength during the workouts in the chapter Getting Stronger. Finally, there is muscular intensity, or how much localized muscle fatigue you are incurring during your workout. A workout that blasts your biceps with several back-to-back exercises as you might find in Targeted Muscle Builders would fall into this category.
So, let's review. Intensity of effort is how hard you perceive yourself to be working, intensity of load is how much weight you are lifting relative to the maximum you are capable of lifting (e.g., 85 percent of your 1RM), and muscular intensity involves repeatedly working a specific muscle to a level of exhaustion. It is important to get a grasp of what type of intensity you are trying to focus on during any given workout.
The Science Behind High-Intensity Training
Along with the performance and aesthetic benefits that people gain from high-intensity training come the scientifically researched mechanisms that cause these desired adaptations. And although the science can get complicated and expansive, it is worth understanding some key concepts and mechanisms behind why HIT is so effective. Following are three key principles as to why HIT is an efficient and results-driven approach to training.
Concept 1: EPOC
The biggest concept to wrap your head around when it comes to the benefits of high-intensity training is something called excessive postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). After either resistance training or cardiorespiratory training (or a combination of both), the body continues to need oxygen at a higher rate than before exercise began. This occurs so the body can get back to homeostasis, or its typical resting metabolic rate. Repaying the oxygen debt caused by training requires additional energy expenditure. What this means, in a nutshell, is that you will continue to utilize energy (in the form of burning calories) well after your exercise session is over. High-intensity workouts drive up the effect of EPOC even more because you create a larger oxygen deficiency during the intensified effort of this type of training.
The bottom line? The greater the intensity of the workout, the greater the EPOC and, therefore, the greater the energy expenditure (calories burned) both during and after the workout. This afterburn can last for 36 hours postworkout, so don't underestimate just how powerful it is. Now, not every workout here tries to cash in on the EPOC effect. Many workouts focus more on building strength or gaining muscle mass - which leads perfectly into our next concept.
Concept 2: Building and Maintaining Lean Mass
In all the workouts that follow, there is a component of resistance - whether it's barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, machines, or even body weight. The prevailing thought used to be that if you wanted fat loss, the majority of your training had to be centered around traditional long, slow cardiorespiratory activities such as jogging or cycling. And although those activities still have some value when looking for fat loss, they pale in comparison to resistance training. Why? Because resistance training builds lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle helps you gain strength, of course, but it is also metabolically active, and it takes a lot of energy to maintain muscle and keep it functioning. So, essentially, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you can consume without gaining additional body fat.
Concept 3: Exercise Density
Density is simply the amount of work you perform in a given amount of time - in this case, 30 minutes or less in each workout. By packing more work into a shorter amount of time you drive up your work capacity, which is critical for cardiorespiratory health and sports performance. (Ever notice that it is the athlete who can give the greatest effort in the fourth quarter or final round that is usually the most successful?) These workouts are truly the ultimate in exercise efficiency, getting the most work done, in the least amount of time, while delivering optimal body composition and performance results.
Assessing Your Fitness
It's difficult to know where you are going if you have no idea where you have been. Yet so many people begin training programs without any type of self-assessment (maybe with the exception of jumping on the scale) as a baseline by which to judge future progress. You are not going to make that mistake. Following are two basic benchmark workouts. One will measure the total number of reps you can perform of several movements. The other will test the time it takes to get through an exercise circuit. Be sure to record your results so you can reassess these in the future.
Benchmark Workout 1
Complete one set of the maximum number of repetitions for each movement. Rest 3 to 5 minutes between each movement. The number after each exercise indicates the workout number where the exercise is featured with detailed instructions.
- Barbell back squat (#63) with 50 percent of your body weight.
- Kneeling lat pull-down (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of your body weight/chin-up (intermediate or advanced) (#73)
- Incline push-up (beginner) (#115)/push-up (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- Plank (figure 1.8) to be held for the maximum amount of time
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498899_ebook_Main.png
Table 1.1 should be used as a guide to evaluate your appropriate difficulty levels for workouts. If you can only perform fewer than 10 reps of the barbell back squat, fewer than 5 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, fewer than 15 reps of the push-ups, and less than 45 seconds of the plank, you should opt for the easy variation found at the end of each workout. There is no shame in having to start with the easy variation, and with some consistent training you will be able to move to the standard workouts in no time.
If you can perform between 10 and 20 reps of the squat, 5 and 10 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, 15 and 25 reps of the push-ups, and 46 seconds and 2 minutes of the plank, you should be attempting the standard versions of the workouts.
If you are exceeding all the rep ranges (20+ squats, 10+ chins-ups or pull-downs, 25+ push-ups, 2 minute+ plank), then feel free to attempt the suggestions for stepping it up to make the workouts more challenging and intense.
What happens if you can do certain exercises at one level and other exercises at a different level? The goal of High-Intensity 300 is to provide workouts that are customizable to your fitness levels and goals while giving you a training challenge. So use the highest intensity you can manage for any exercise. Just note which level you were able to achieve, and when a comparable exercise comes up in the training program, use the intensity that is appropriate. However, if you are on the fence about which intensity to use, start with something a bit easier. You will get more benefit out of performing your workouts with great technique and a lighter load than adding more weight to the bar and using bad form. Remember, training is a lifelong endeavor. There is no need to rush into adding more load than you can handle.
Benchmark Workout 2
Complete all repetitions of all three exercises in the shortest amount of time possible. Like before, the number after the exercise indicates the workout where it's featured.
- 30 prisoner squats (#188)
- 20 incline push-ups (beginner) (#115)/20 push-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- 20 kneeling lat pull-downs (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of body weight/10 pull-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#231)
Use table 1.2 as a guide to determine appropriate difficulty level. If your total time is under 2:30 for all three exercises, you can consider utilizing the step-it-up option. If your time is between 2:30 and 5 minutes, the standard workouts should be appropriate for you. If your time is more than 5 minutes or you cannot complete the workout, I would recommend sticking with the easy option for now.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498900_ebook_Main.png
Retest both benchmark workouts every two months and record your results. If your results shift from one category to the next (e.g., you performed the second benchmark workout in 5:25 two months ago and you finished in 4:45 upon retesting), feel free to attempt the more challenging workout for the remainder of the program.
Finally, several of the workouts recommend using loads that are a percentage of your 1RM of a specific movement. Therefore, it would be beneficial to test or at least have a solid idea of your 1RM in the conventional deadlift, barbell bench press, barbell front squat, barbell back squat, and weighted chin-up before you start tackling these workouts. Table 1.3 can be used to keep track of your 1RM for these exercises.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498901_ebook_Main.png
Ramping Up to Daily Workouts
Here's the thing about high-intensity training - it's intense. Many trainees are susceptible to injury because although they have a lot of motivation and energy to begin a really challenging training program, their bodies just aren't ready for that type of effort. What follows are some basic rules and parameters you should remember when performing HIT (or, frankly, any workout program).
We also discuss the basic movement patterns - what they are and how to perform them correctly - as well as the thought process behind the easy and step-it-up options you will find at the end of each workout.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Depths of Hell and Crazy 8s
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Workout 55
The Depths of Hell
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Warm-Up
5 reps of inchworm, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Depth Jump
- Stand with both feet at the edge of a 12-inch (30 cm) box (or lower).
- Step off the box with one foot to start your descent (a), and land on both feet simultaneously (balls of your forefoot followed by your heels) (b). Keep your knees flexed in order to absorb impact and generate force.
- As soon as you make contact with the ground, jump vertically as high as you can (as you would in a vertical jump) (c).
- Land with both feet making contact with the ground at once, knees flexed to absorb impact.
Complete Workout
- A. Depth jump
- 4 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- B. Snatch (#84)
- 3 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- C1. Plyo push-up (#165)
- 2 sets x 12 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- C2. Double-arm kettlebell swing (#13)
- 2 sets x 20 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Substitute the push-up (#XX) for the plyo push-up.
Step It Up
Perform an additional set of the snatch, plyo push-up, and double-arm kettlebell swing.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, cross-body stretch, hamstring stretch.
Workout 68
Crazy 8s: Push Press
Your shoulder joint is one of the most mobile in your body. And although this is very useful for accomplishing many tasks, it also makes it one of the body's most vulnerable joints. For the vast majority of movements that you perform in the gym, externally rotating at the shoulder joint will keep it in a safer position. You can do this in many ways, including rotating your armpits out during any variation of overhead pressing. This can be accomplished by thinking about bending the bar in the bench press and screwing your hands into the floor on the push-up.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps of inchworm, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Shoulder Sweep
- Lie on your back on the floor, bend your left knee to 90 degrees, and cross it over your right leg, keeping your entire upper body in contact with the floor (if you cannot reach the floor with your left knee, place a medicine ball or yoga block underneath it to limit the range of motion).
- Place your left hand on your right knee to keep it in contact with the floor. Extend your right arm directly overhead (a).
- Sweep your right arm along the floor, attempting to internally rotate at the shoulder to bring your hand toward your middle back (b).
- When you've reached the end of the range of motion (c), sweep your arm (trying to keep as much of it in contact with the floor as possible) toward your right ear.
- Continue to sweep back and forth to these end positions until you complete all reps for one side before repeating the process for the other side.
Complete Workout
- A1. Push press (#16)
- 8 sets x 2 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- A2. Shoulder sweep
- 8 sets x 4 reps/side
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Perform 6 sets of the exercises.
Step It Up
Perform 10 sets of the exercises.
Cool-Down
Pec stretch, double lat stretch, 90-degree stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Ranger, El Diablo, and Redemption
You’ve learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it’s time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you’ve put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you’ve done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance.
You've learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it's time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you've put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you've done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance. These workouts are tough and certainly not for beginners. So lace up your sneakers and get that postworkout recovery shake ready because, as the saying goes, only the strong will survive.
Workout 270
The Ranger
The Rangers are members of the U.S. Army elite infantry and are known for being highly trained and incredibly skilled. And although you do not need to go to Ranger school to survive this workout, you will need more toughness, focus, and endurance than nearly anyone else in your gym to make it through. Save the Ranger for a day when you can't wait to get in the gym and give it everything you've got - because that is what it will take to make it to the end of this workout.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps each of inchworm and inverted hamstring stretch, 10 reps of glute bridge
Featured Exercise: TRX Face Pull
- Grab a set of TRX handles, with your palms facing the floor. Walk your feet toward the anchor point to create an angle with your body that is anywhere between 45 and 75 degrees (a).
- Keeping your arms high and perpendicular to your torso, bend at the elbows and pull your hands toward your jawline (b).
- Squeeze your upper back and shoulder blades at the top position and then return, under control, to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
| |
Complete Workout
Perform the sprint every minute on the minute (start at the top of the minute, perform the exercise, rest the remainder of the minute, begin the next set at the top of the next minute, repeat until all sets are complete). Rest 3 minutes. Complete 3 circuits of the remaining exercises, resting as little as possible between movements and between circuits.
- Sprint (#41)
- 20 yards (20 m)
- Every minute on the minute for 10 minutes
- Neutral-grip pull-up (#237)
- 10 reps
- Barbell thruster (#6)
- 15 reps
- TRX face pull
- 20 reps
- Burpee (#7)
- 25 reps
Easy Option
Perform 2 rounds of the circuit after you've finished the sprints.
Step It Up
Perform the sprints every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch.
Workout 275
El Diablo
Body-weight exercises are not always easier to perform than weighted movements that work the same muscle groups. The handstand push-up, featured in this workout, is a great example of an extremely challenging body-weight movement that requires not only shoulder strength but shoulder and core stability as well.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 6 reps per side of hip rocker and inverted hamstring stretch, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Handstand Push-Up
- Place your hands at wider than shoulder width on the floor, a few inches (about 10 cm) away from a wall.
- Kick both feet up so you are in a handstand position, with your heels supported on the wall (a).
- Lower yourself under control until the top of your head touches the floor (b).
- Forcefully press yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for reps. If you cannot achieve full range of motion, feel free to place a pad on the floor and bring your head to the pad.
| |
Complete Workout
Complete as many rounds of the following circuit in 15 minutes, resting only as needed. Use a load equivalent to your body weight for the conventional deadlift.
- Handstand push-up
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
- Conventional deadlift (#5)
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
Easy Option
Substitute standard push-ups (#12) for the handstand push-ups.
Step It Up
Use 1.5 x body weight for the conventional deadlift.
Cool-Down
Hamstring stretch, calf stretch, pec stretch.
Workout 299
Redemption
Any missed training sessions. Any of this week's cheat meals. Any nights spent staying out late instead of recovering. All of this week's missteps are about to be redeemed with this workout. Redemption involves more dynamic and explosive movements than a typical circuit, driving up metabolic demand and requiring additional focus to execute the movements correctly. The physical and mental challenges will make this one of the toughest circuits you're likely to encounter.
Warm-Up
6 reps of squat to stand, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 8 reps of glute bridge, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch
- Begin with a dumbbell on the floor between your feet. Bend down and grab the dumbbell with your right arm, keeping your butt back and chest tall (a).
- Explosively pull the dumbbell off the floor by driving your hips forward, shrugging your right traps and extending at the ankles (b).
- Keep the dumbbell close to your body as you drive your elbow high.
- Allow the dumbbell to continue overhead, and catch it in the top position, with your arm straight and knees slightly bent (c).
- Bring the dumbbell down to your shoulder and back to the floor. Complete all reps for one side before switching to the other.
| | |
Complete Workout
Perform 4 rounds of the following circuit, resting as little as needed.
- Box jump (#198)
- 8 reps
- Toes to bar (#28)
- 8 reps
- Single-arm dumbbell snatch
- 4 reps/side
- Farmer's walk (#187)
- 20 yards (20 m)
Easy Option
Perform 3 rounds of the circuit.
Step It Up
Perform 5 rounds of the circuit.
Cool-Down
Standing quad stretch, 90-degree stretch, double lat stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
An Introduction to Intensity
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it’s always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in.
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it's always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in. First, getting insight into the thought process behind the workout plan is a great way to gauge whether this is the right training program for your goals.
Second, when you are in the middle of a tough set, your lungs burning, sweat pouring off your forehead, and having that occasional what have I gotten myself into moment of self-doubt, you will, in the back of your mind, have an understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and why it is so effective. This should serve as motivation to keep on going. Now let's get into the three big concepts that make up the rationale behind high-intensity workouts.
What Is Intensity?
Most people think of intensity in the gym setting as the amount of effort you are putting into a workout. A slow walk on the treadmill while reading the morning paper is a low-intensity workout, while an all-out, sweat-pouring-off-your-forehead, heart-about-to-jump-out-of-your-chest circuit is high intensity. This is intensity of effort, the type of intensity you should be focusing on when completing chapters such as 40 Toughest Workouts, Last (Wo)Man Standing, and Ultimate Fat Loss. But intensity of effort is only one of the definitions of intensity that will be used in this book.
When it comes to official training lingo, intensity represents a specific percentage of your 1-repetition maximum (the maximum amount of weight you can lift for exactly 1 rep, or 1RM), or how much weight is on the bar relative to how much weight you can actually use if you were going all out. This becomes critical when trying to build strength during the workouts in the chapter Getting Stronger. Finally, there is muscular intensity, or how much localized muscle fatigue you are incurring during your workout. A workout that blasts your biceps with several back-to-back exercises as you might find in Targeted Muscle Builders would fall into this category.
So, let's review. Intensity of effort is how hard you perceive yourself to be working, intensity of load is how much weight you are lifting relative to the maximum you are capable of lifting (e.g., 85 percent of your 1RM), and muscular intensity involves repeatedly working a specific muscle to a level of exhaustion. It is important to get a grasp of what type of intensity you are trying to focus on during any given workout.
The Science Behind High-Intensity Training
Along with the performance and aesthetic benefits that people gain from high-intensity training come the scientifically researched mechanisms that cause these desired adaptations. And although the science can get complicated and expansive, it is worth understanding some key concepts and mechanisms behind why HIT is so effective. Following are three key principles as to why HIT is an efficient and results-driven approach to training.
Concept 1: EPOC
The biggest concept to wrap your head around when it comes to the benefits of high-intensity training is something called excessive postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). After either resistance training or cardiorespiratory training (or a combination of both), the body continues to need oxygen at a higher rate than before exercise began. This occurs so the body can get back to homeostasis, or its typical resting metabolic rate. Repaying the oxygen debt caused by training requires additional energy expenditure. What this means, in a nutshell, is that you will continue to utilize energy (in the form of burning calories) well after your exercise session is over. High-intensity workouts drive up the effect of EPOC even more because you create a larger oxygen deficiency during the intensified effort of this type of training.
The bottom line? The greater the intensity of the workout, the greater the EPOC and, therefore, the greater the energy expenditure (calories burned) both during and after the workout. This afterburn can last for 36 hours postworkout, so don't underestimate just how powerful it is. Now, not every workout here tries to cash in on the EPOC effect. Many workouts focus more on building strength or gaining muscle mass - which leads perfectly into our next concept.
Concept 2: Building and Maintaining Lean Mass
In all the workouts that follow, there is a component of resistance - whether it's barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, machines, or even body weight. The prevailing thought used to be that if you wanted fat loss, the majority of your training had to be centered around traditional long, slow cardiorespiratory activities such as jogging or cycling. And although those activities still have some value when looking for fat loss, they pale in comparison to resistance training. Why? Because resistance training builds lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle helps you gain strength, of course, but it is also metabolically active, and it takes a lot of energy to maintain muscle and keep it functioning. So, essentially, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you can consume without gaining additional body fat.
Concept 3: Exercise Density
Density is simply the amount of work you perform in a given amount of time - in this case, 30 minutes or less in each workout. By packing more work into a shorter amount of time you drive up your work capacity, which is critical for cardiorespiratory health and sports performance. (Ever notice that it is the athlete who can give the greatest effort in the fourth quarter or final round that is usually the most successful?) These workouts are truly the ultimate in exercise efficiency, getting the most work done, in the least amount of time, while delivering optimal body composition and performance results.
Assessing Your Fitness
It's difficult to know where you are going if you have no idea where you have been. Yet so many people begin training programs without any type of self-assessment (maybe with the exception of jumping on the scale) as a baseline by which to judge future progress. You are not going to make that mistake. Following are two basic benchmark workouts. One will measure the total number of reps you can perform of several movements. The other will test the time it takes to get through an exercise circuit. Be sure to record your results so you can reassess these in the future.
Benchmark Workout 1
Complete one set of the maximum number of repetitions for each movement. Rest 3 to 5 minutes between each movement. The number after each exercise indicates the workout number where the exercise is featured with detailed instructions.
- Barbell back squat (#63) with 50 percent of your body weight.
- Kneeling lat pull-down (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of your body weight/chin-up (intermediate or advanced) (#73)
- Incline push-up (beginner) (#115)/push-up (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- Plank (figure 1.8) to be held for the maximum amount of time
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498899_ebook_Main.png
Table 1.1 should be used as a guide to evaluate your appropriate difficulty levels for workouts. If you can only perform fewer than 10 reps of the barbell back squat, fewer than 5 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, fewer than 15 reps of the push-ups, and less than 45 seconds of the plank, you should opt for the easy variation found at the end of each workout. There is no shame in having to start with the easy variation, and with some consistent training you will be able to move to the standard workouts in no time.
If you can perform between 10 and 20 reps of the squat, 5 and 10 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, 15 and 25 reps of the push-ups, and 46 seconds and 2 minutes of the plank, you should be attempting the standard versions of the workouts.
If you are exceeding all the rep ranges (20+ squats, 10+ chins-ups or pull-downs, 25+ push-ups, 2 minute+ plank), then feel free to attempt the suggestions for stepping it up to make the workouts more challenging and intense.
What happens if you can do certain exercises at one level and other exercises at a different level? The goal of High-Intensity 300 is to provide workouts that are customizable to your fitness levels and goals while giving you a training challenge. So use the highest intensity you can manage for any exercise. Just note which level you were able to achieve, and when a comparable exercise comes up in the training program, use the intensity that is appropriate. However, if you are on the fence about which intensity to use, start with something a bit easier. You will get more benefit out of performing your workouts with great technique and a lighter load than adding more weight to the bar and using bad form. Remember, training is a lifelong endeavor. There is no need to rush into adding more load than you can handle.
Benchmark Workout 2
Complete all repetitions of all three exercises in the shortest amount of time possible. Like before, the number after the exercise indicates the workout where it's featured.
- 30 prisoner squats (#188)
- 20 incline push-ups (beginner) (#115)/20 push-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- 20 kneeling lat pull-downs (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of body weight/10 pull-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#231)
Use table 1.2 as a guide to determine appropriate difficulty level. If your total time is under 2:30 for all three exercises, you can consider utilizing the step-it-up option. If your time is between 2:30 and 5 minutes, the standard workouts should be appropriate for you. If your time is more than 5 minutes or you cannot complete the workout, I would recommend sticking with the easy option for now.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498900_ebook_Main.png
Retest both benchmark workouts every two months and record your results. If your results shift from one category to the next (e.g., you performed the second benchmark workout in 5:25 two months ago and you finished in 4:45 upon retesting), feel free to attempt the more challenging workout for the remainder of the program.
Finally, several of the workouts recommend using loads that are a percentage of your 1RM of a specific movement. Therefore, it would be beneficial to test or at least have a solid idea of your 1RM in the conventional deadlift, barbell bench press, barbell front squat, barbell back squat, and weighted chin-up before you start tackling these workouts. Table 1.3 can be used to keep track of your 1RM for these exercises.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498901_ebook_Main.png
Ramping Up to Daily Workouts
Here's the thing about high-intensity training - it's intense. Many trainees are susceptible to injury because although they have a lot of motivation and energy to begin a really challenging training program, their bodies just aren't ready for that type of effort. What follows are some basic rules and parameters you should remember when performing HIT (or, frankly, any workout program).
We also discuss the basic movement patterns - what they are and how to perform them correctly - as well as the thought process behind the easy and step-it-up options you will find at the end of each workout.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Depths of Hell and Crazy 8s
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Workout 55
The Depths of Hell
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Warm-Up
5 reps of inchworm, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Depth Jump
- Stand with both feet at the edge of a 12-inch (30 cm) box (or lower).
- Step off the box with one foot to start your descent (a), and land on both feet simultaneously (balls of your forefoot followed by your heels) (b). Keep your knees flexed in order to absorb impact and generate force.
- As soon as you make contact with the ground, jump vertically as high as you can (as you would in a vertical jump) (c).
- Land with both feet making contact with the ground at once, knees flexed to absorb impact.
Complete Workout
- A. Depth jump
- 4 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- B. Snatch (#84)
- 3 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- C1. Plyo push-up (#165)
- 2 sets x 12 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- C2. Double-arm kettlebell swing (#13)
- 2 sets x 20 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Substitute the push-up (#XX) for the plyo push-up.
Step It Up
Perform an additional set of the snatch, plyo push-up, and double-arm kettlebell swing.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, cross-body stretch, hamstring stretch.
Workout 68
Crazy 8s: Push Press
Your shoulder joint is one of the most mobile in your body. And although this is very useful for accomplishing many tasks, it also makes it one of the body's most vulnerable joints. For the vast majority of movements that you perform in the gym, externally rotating at the shoulder joint will keep it in a safer position. You can do this in many ways, including rotating your armpits out during any variation of overhead pressing. This can be accomplished by thinking about bending the bar in the bench press and screwing your hands into the floor on the push-up.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps of inchworm, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Shoulder Sweep
- Lie on your back on the floor, bend your left knee to 90 degrees, and cross it over your right leg, keeping your entire upper body in contact with the floor (if you cannot reach the floor with your left knee, place a medicine ball or yoga block underneath it to limit the range of motion).
- Place your left hand on your right knee to keep it in contact with the floor. Extend your right arm directly overhead (a).
- Sweep your right arm along the floor, attempting to internally rotate at the shoulder to bring your hand toward your middle back (b).
- When you've reached the end of the range of motion (c), sweep your arm (trying to keep as much of it in contact with the floor as possible) toward your right ear.
- Continue to sweep back and forth to these end positions until you complete all reps for one side before repeating the process for the other side.
Complete Workout
- A1. Push press (#16)
- 8 sets x 2 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- A2. Shoulder sweep
- 8 sets x 4 reps/side
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Perform 6 sets of the exercises.
Step It Up
Perform 10 sets of the exercises.
Cool-Down
Pec stretch, double lat stretch, 90-degree stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Ranger, El Diablo, and Redemption
You’ve learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it’s time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you’ve put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you’ve done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance.
You've learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it's time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you've put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you've done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance. These workouts are tough and certainly not for beginners. So lace up your sneakers and get that postworkout recovery shake ready because, as the saying goes, only the strong will survive.
Workout 270
The Ranger
The Rangers are members of the U.S. Army elite infantry and are known for being highly trained and incredibly skilled. And although you do not need to go to Ranger school to survive this workout, you will need more toughness, focus, and endurance than nearly anyone else in your gym to make it through. Save the Ranger for a day when you can't wait to get in the gym and give it everything you've got - because that is what it will take to make it to the end of this workout.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps each of inchworm and inverted hamstring stretch, 10 reps of glute bridge
Featured Exercise: TRX Face Pull
- Grab a set of TRX handles, with your palms facing the floor. Walk your feet toward the anchor point to create an angle with your body that is anywhere between 45 and 75 degrees (a).
- Keeping your arms high and perpendicular to your torso, bend at the elbows and pull your hands toward your jawline (b).
- Squeeze your upper back and shoulder blades at the top position and then return, under control, to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
| |
Complete Workout
Perform the sprint every minute on the minute (start at the top of the minute, perform the exercise, rest the remainder of the minute, begin the next set at the top of the next minute, repeat until all sets are complete). Rest 3 minutes. Complete 3 circuits of the remaining exercises, resting as little as possible between movements and between circuits.
- Sprint (#41)
- 20 yards (20 m)
- Every minute on the minute for 10 minutes
- Neutral-grip pull-up (#237)
- 10 reps
- Barbell thruster (#6)
- 15 reps
- TRX face pull
- 20 reps
- Burpee (#7)
- 25 reps
Easy Option
Perform 2 rounds of the circuit after you've finished the sprints.
Step It Up
Perform the sprints every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch.
Workout 275
El Diablo
Body-weight exercises are not always easier to perform than weighted movements that work the same muscle groups. The handstand push-up, featured in this workout, is a great example of an extremely challenging body-weight movement that requires not only shoulder strength but shoulder and core stability as well.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 6 reps per side of hip rocker and inverted hamstring stretch, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Handstand Push-Up
- Place your hands at wider than shoulder width on the floor, a few inches (about 10 cm) away from a wall.
- Kick both feet up so you are in a handstand position, with your heels supported on the wall (a).
- Lower yourself under control until the top of your head touches the floor (b).
- Forcefully press yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for reps. If you cannot achieve full range of motion, feel free to place a pad on the floor and bring your head to the pad.
| |
Complete Workout
Complete as many rounds of the following circuit in 15 minutes, resting only as needed. Use a load equivalent to your body weight for the conventional deadlift.
- Handstand push-up
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
- Conventional deadlift (#5)
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
Easy Option
Substitute standard push-ups (#12) for the handstand push-ups.
Step It Up
Use 1.5 x body weight for the conventional deadlift.
Cool-Down
Hamstring stretch, calf stretch, pec stretch.
Workout 299
Redemption
Any missed training sessions. Any of this week's cheat meals. Any nights spent staying out late instead of recovering. All of this week's missteps are about to be redeemed with this workout. Redemption involves more dynamic and explosive movements than a typical circuit, driving up metabolic demand and requiring additional focus to execute the movements correctly. The physical and mental challenges will make this one of the toughest circuits you're likely to encounter.
Warm-Up
6 reps of squat to stand, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 8 reps of glute bridge, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch
- Begin with a dumbbell on the floor between your feet. Bend down and grab the dumbbell with your right arm, keeping your butt back and chest tall (a).
- Explosively pull the dumbbell off the floor by driving your hips forward, shrugging your right traps and extending at the ankles (b).
- Keep the dumbbell close to your body as you drive your elbow high.
- Allow the dumbbell to continue overhead, and catch it in the top position, with your arm straight and knees slightly bent (c).
- Bring the dumbbell down to your shoulder and back to the floor. Complete all reps for one side before switching to the other.
| | |
Complete Workout
Perform 4 rounds of the following circuit, resting as little as needed.
- Box jump (#198)
- 8 reps
- Toes to bar (#28)
- 8 reps
- Single-arm dumbbell snatch
- 4 reps/side
- Farmer's walk (#187)
- 20 yards (20 m)
Easy Option
Perform 3 rounds of the circuit.
Step It Up
Perform 5 rounds of the circuit.
Cool-Down
Standing quad stretch, 90-degree stretch, double lat stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
An Introduction to Intensity
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it’s always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in.
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it's always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in. First, getting insight into the thought process behind the workout plan is a great way to gauge whether this is the right training program for your goals.
Second, when you are in the middle of a tough set, your lungs burning, sweat pouring off your forehead, and having that occasional what have I gotten myself into moment of self-doubt, you will, in the back of your mind, have an understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and why it is so effective. This should serve as motivation to keep on going. Now let's get into the three big concepts that make up the rationale behind high-intensity workouts.
What Is Intensity?
Most people think of intensity in the gym setting as the amount of effort you are putting into a workout. A slow walk on the treadmill while reading the morning paper is a low-intensity workout, while an all-out, sweat-pouring-off-your-forehead, heart-about-to-jump-out-of-your-chest circuit is high intensity. This is intensity of effort, the type of intensity you should be focusing on when completing chapters such as 40 Toughest Workouts, Last (Wo)Man Standing, and Ultimate Fat Loss. But intensity of effort is only one of the definitions of intensity that will be used in this book.
When it comes to official training lingo, intensity represents a specific percentage of your 1-repetition maximum (the maximum amount of weight you can lift for exactly 1 rep, or 1RM), or how much weight is on the bar relative to how much weight you can actually use if you were going all out. This becomes critical when trying to build strength during the workouts in the chapter Getting Stronger. Finally, there is muscular intensity, or how much localized muscle fatigue you are incurring during your workout. A workout that blasts your biceps with several back-to-back exercises as you might find in Targeted Muscle Builders would fall into this category.
So, let's review. Intensity of effort is how hard you perceive yourself to be working, intensity of load is how much weight you are lifting relative to the maximum you are capable of lifting (e.g., 85 percent of your 1RM), and muscular intensity involves repeatedly working a specific muscle to a level of exhaustion. It is important to get a grasp of what type of intensity you are trying to focus on during any given workout.
The Science Behind High-Intensity Training
Along with the performance and aesthetic benefits that people gain from high-intensity training come the scientifically researched mechanisms that cause these desired adaptations. And although the science can get complicated and expansive, it is worth understanding some key concepts and mechanisms behind why HIT is so effective. Following are three key principles as to why HIT is an efficient and results-driven approach to training.
Concept 1: EPOC
The biggest concept to wrap your head around when it comes to the benefits of high-intensity training is something called excessive postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). After either resistance training or cardiorespiratory training (or a combination of both), the body continues to need oxygen at a higher rate than before exercise began. This occurs so the body can get back to homeostasis, or its typical resting metabolic rate. Repaying the oxygen debt caused by training requires additional energy expenditure. What this means, in a nutshell, is that you will continue to utilize energy (in the form of burning calories) well after your exercise session is over. High-intensity workouts drive up the effect of EPOC even more because you create a larger oxygen deficiency during the intensified effort of this type of training.
The bottom line? The greater the intensity of the workout, the greater the EPOC and, therefore, the greater the energy expenditure (calories burned) both during and after the workout. This afterburn can last for 36 hours postworkout, so don't underestimate just how powerful it is. Now, not every workout here tries to cash in on the EPOC effect. Many workouts focus more on building strength or gaining muscle mass - which leads perfectly into our next concept.
Concept 2: Building and Maintaining Lean Mass
In all the workouts that follow, there is a component of resistance - whether it's barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, machines, or even body weight. The prevailing thought used to be that if you wanted fat loss, the majority of your training had to be centered around traditional long, slow cardiorespiratory activities such as jogging or cycling. And although those activities still have some value when looking for fat loss, they pale in comparison to resistance training. Why? Because resistance training builds lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle helps you gain strength, of course, but it is also metabolically active, and it takes a lot of energy to maintain muscle and keep it functioning. So, essentially, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you can consume without gaining additional body fat.
Concept 3: Exercise Density
Density is simply the amount of work you perform in a given amount of time - in this case, 30 minutes or less in each workout. By packing more work into a shorter amount of time you drive up your work capacity, which is critical for cardiorespiratory health and sports performance. (Ever notice that it is the athlete who can give the greatest effort in the fourth quarter or final round that is usually the most successful?) These workouts are truly the ultimate in exercise efficiency, getting the most work done, in the least amount of time, while delivering optimal body composition and performance results.
Assessing Your Fitness
It's difficult to know where you are going if you have no idea where you have been. Yet so many people begin training programs without any type of self-assessment (maybe with the exception of jumping on the scale) as a baseline by which to judge future progress. You are not going to make that mistake. Following are two basic benchmark workouts. One will measure the total number of reps you can perform of several movements. The other will test the time it takes to get through an exercise circuit. Be sure to record your results so you can reassess these in the future.
Benchmark Workout 1
Complete one set of the maximum number of repetitions for each movement. Rest 3 to 5 minutes between each movement. The number after each exercise indicates the workout number where the exercise is featured with detailed instructions.
- Barbell back squat (#63) with 50 percent of your body weight.
- Kneeling lat pull-down (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of your body weight/chin-up (intermediate or advanced) (#73)
- Incline push-up (beginner) (#115)/push-up (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- Plank (figure 1.8) to be held for the maximum amount of time
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498899_ebook_Main.png
Table 1.1 should be used as a guide to evaluate your appropriate difficulty levels for workouts. If you can only perform fewer than 10 reps of the barbell back squat, fewer than 5 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, fewer than 15 reps of the push-ups, and less than 45 seconds of the plank, you should opt for the easy variation found at the end of each workout. There is no shame in having to start with the easy variation, and with some consistent training you will be able to move to the standard workouts in no time.
If you can perform between 10 and 20 reps of the squat, 5 and 10 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, 15 and 25 reps of the push-ups, and 46 seconds and 2 minutes of the plank, you should be attempting the standard versions of the workouts.
If you are exceeding all the rep ranges (20+ squats, 10+ chins-ups or pull-downs, 25+ push-ups, 2 minute+ plank), then feel free to attempt the suggestions for stepping it up to make the workouts more challenging and intense.
What happens if you can do certain exercises at one level and other exercises at a different level? The goal of High-Intensity 300 is to provide workouts that are customizable to your fitness levels and goals while giving you a training challenge. So use the highest intensity you can manage for any exercise. Just note which level you were able to achieve, and when a comparable exercise comes up in the training program, use the intensity that is appropriate. However, if you are on the fence about which intensity to use, start with something a bit easier. You will get more benefit out of performing your workouts with great technique and a lighter load than adding more weight to the bar and using bad form. Remember, training is a lifelong endeavor. There is no need to rush into adding more load than you can handle.
Benchmark Workout 2
Complete all repetitions of all three exercises in the shortest amount of time possible. Like before, the number after the exercise indicates the workout where it's featured.
- 30 prisoner squats (#188)
- 20 incline push-ups (beginner) (#115)/20 push-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- 20 kneeling lat pull-downs (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of body weight/10 pull-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#231)
Use table 1.2 as a guide to determine appropriate difficulty level. If your total time is under 2:30 for all three exercises, you can consider utilizing the step-it-up option. If your time is between 2:30 and 5 minutes, the standard workouts should be appropriate for you. If your time is more than 5 minutes or you cannot complete the workout, I would recommend sticking with the easy option for now.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498900_ebook_Main.png
Retest both benchmark workouts every two months and record your results. If your results shift from one category to the next (e.g., you performed the second benchmark workout in 5:25 two months ago and you finished in 4:45 upon retesting), feel free to attempt the more challenging workout for the remainder of the program.
Finally, several of the workouts recommend using loads that are a percentage of your 1RM of a specific movement. Therefore, it would be beneficial to test or at least have a solid idea of your 1RM in the conventional deadlift, barbell bench press, barbell front squat, barbell back squat, and weighted chin-up before you start tackling these workouts. Table 1.3 can be used to keep track of your 1RM for these exercises.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498901_ebook_Main.png
Ramping Up to Daily Workouts
Here's the thing about high-intensity training - it's intense. Many trainees are susceptible to injury because although they have a lot of motivation and energy to begin a really challenging training program, their bodies just aren't ready for that type of effort. What follows are some basic rules and parameters you should remember when performing HIT (or, frankly, any workout program).
We also discuss the basic movement patterns - what they are and how to perform them correctly - as well as the thought process behind the easy and step-it-up options you will find at the end of each workout.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Depths of Hell and Crazy 8s
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Workout 55
The Depths of Hell
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Warm-Up
5 reps of inchworm, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Depth Jump
- Stand with both feet at the edge of a 12-inch (30 cm) box (or lower).
- Step off the box with one foot to start your descent (a), and land on both feet simultaneously (balls of your forefoot followed by your heels) (b). Keep your knees flexed in order to absorb impact and generate force.
- As soon as you make contact with the ground, jump vertically as high as you can (as you would in a vertical jump) (c).
- Land with both feet making contact with the ground at once, knees flexed to absorb impact.
Complete Workout
- A. Depth jump
- 4 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- B. Snatch (#84)
- 3 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- C1. Plyo push-up (#165)
- 2 sets x 12 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- C2. Double-arm kettlebell swing (#13)
- 2 sets x 20 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Substitute the push-up (#XX) for the plyo push-up.
Step It Up
Perform an additional set of the snatch, plyo push-up, and double-arm kettlebell swing.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, cross-body stretch, hamstring stretch.
Workout 68
Crazy 8s: Push Press
Your shoulder joint is one of the most mobile in your body. And although this is very useful for accomplishing many tasks, it also makes it one of the body's most vulnerable joints. For the vast majority of movements that you perform in the gym, externally rotating at the shoulder joint will keep it in a safer position. You can do this in many ways, including rotating your armpits out during any variation of overhead pressing. This can be accomplished by thinking about bending the bar in the bench press and screwing your hands into the floor on the push-up.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps of inchworm, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Shoulder Sweep
- Lie on your back on the floor, bend your left knee to 90 degrees, and cross it over your right leg, keeping your entire upper body in contact with the floor (if you cannot reach the floor with your left knee, place a medicine ball or yoga block underneath it to limit the range of motion).
- Place your left hand on your right knee to keep it in contact with the floor. Extend your right arm directly overhead (a).
- Sweep your right arm along the floor, attempting to internally rotate at the shoulder to bring your hand toward your middle back (b).
- When you've reached the end of the range of motion (c), sweep your arm (trying to keep as much of it in contact with the floor as possible) toward your right ear.
- Continue to sweep back and forth to these end positions until you complete all reps for one side before repeating the process for the other side.
Complete Workout
- A1. Push press (#16)
- 8 sets x 2 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- A2. Shoulder sweep
- 8 sets x 4 reps/side
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Perform 6 sets of the exercises.
Step It Up
Perform 10 sets of the exercises.
Cool-Down
Pec stretch, double lat stretch, 90-degree stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Ranger, El Diablo, and Redemption
You’ve learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it’s time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you’ve put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you’ve done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance.
You've learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it's time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you've put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you've done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance. These workouts are tough and certainly not for beginners. So lace up your sneakers and get that postworkout recovery shake ready because, as the saying goes, only the strong will survive.
Workout 270
The Ranger
The Rangers are members of the U.S. Army elite infantry and are known for being highly trained and incredibly skilled. And although you do not need to go to Ranger school to survive this workout, you will need more toughness, focus, and endurance than nearly anyone else in your gym to make it through. Save the Ranger for a day when you can't wait to get in the gym and give it everything you've got - because that is what it will take to make it to the end of this workout.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps each of inchworm and inverted hamstring stretch, 10 reps of glute bridge
Featured Exercise: TRX Face Pull
- Grab a set of TRX handles, with your palms facing the floor. Walk your feet toward the anchor point to create an angle with your body that is anywhere between 45 and 75 degrees (a).
- Keeping your arms high and perpendicular to your torso, bend at the elbows and pull your hands toward your jawline (b).
- Squeeze your upper back and shoulder blades at the top position and then return, under control, to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
| |
Complete Workout
Perform the sprint every minute on the minute (start at the top of the minute, perform the exercise, rest the remainder of the minute, begin the next set at the top of the next minute, repeat until all sets are complete). Rest 3 minutes. Complete 3 circuits of the remaining exercises, resting as little as possible between movements and between circuits.
- Sprint (#41)
- 20 yards (20 m)
- Every minute on the minute for 10 minutes
- Neutral-grip pull-up (#237)
- 10 reps
- Barbell thruster (#6)
- 15 reps
- TRX face pull
- 20 reps
- Burpee (#7)
- 25 reps
Easy Option
Perform 2 rounds of the circuit after you've finished the sprints.
Step It Up
Perform the sprints every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch.
Workout 275
El Diablo
Body-weight exercises are not always easier to perform than weighted movements that work the same muscle groups. The handstand push-up, featured in this workout, is a great example of an extremely challenging body-weight movement that requires not only shoulder strength but shoulder and core stability as well.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 6 reps per side of hip rocker and inverted hamstring stretch, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Handstand Push-Up
- Place your hands at wider than shoulder width on the floor, a few inches (about 10 cm) away from a wall.
- Kick both feet up so you are in a handstand position, with your heels supported on the wall (a).
- Lower yourself under control until the top of your head touches the floor (b).
- Forcefully press yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for reps. If you cannot achieve full range of motion, feel free to place a pad on the floor and bring your head to the pad.
| |
Complete Workout
Complete as many rounds of the following circuit in 15 minutes, resting only as needed. Use a load equivalent to your body weight for the conventional deadlift.
- Handstand push-up
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
- Conventional deadlift (#5)
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
Easy Option
Substitute standard push-ups (#12) for the handstand push-ups.
Step It Up
Use 1.5 x body weight for the conventional deadlift.
Cool-Down
Hamstring stretch, calf stretch, pec stretch.
Workout 299
Redemption
Any missed training sessions. Any of this week's cheat meals. Any nights spent staying out late instead of recovering. All of this week's missteps are about to be redeemed with this workout. Redemption involves more dynamic and explosive movements than a typical circuit, driving up metabolic demand and requiring additional focus to execute the movements correctly. The physical and mental challenges will make this one of the toughest circuits you're likely to encounter.
Warm-Up
6 reps of squat to stand, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 8 reps of glute bridge, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch
- Begin with a dumbbell on the floor between your feet. Bend down and grab the dumbbell with your right arm, keeping your butt back and chest tall (a).
- Explosively pull the dumbbell off the floor by driving your hips forward, shrugging your right traps and extending at the ankles (b).
- Keep the dumbbell close to your body as you drive your elbow high.
- Allow the dumbbell to continue overhead, and catch it in the top position, with your arm straight and knees slightly bent (c).
- Bring the dumbbell down to your shoulder and back to the floor. Complete all reps for one side before switching to the other.
| | |
Complete Workout
Perform 4 rounds of the following circuit, resting as little as needed.
- Box jump (#198)
- 8 reps
- Toes to bar (#28)
- 8 reps
- Single-arm dumbbell snatch
- 4 reps/side
- Farmer's walk (#187)
- 20 yards (20 m)
Easy Option
Perform 3 rounds of the circuit.
Step It Up
Perform 5 rounds of the circuit.
Cool-Down
Standing quad stretch, 90-degree stretch, double lat stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
An Introduction to Intensity
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it’s always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in.
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it's always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in. First, getting insight into the thought process behind the workout plan is a great way to gauge whether this is the right training program for your goals.
Second, when you are in the middle of a tough set, your lungs burning, sweat pouring off your forehead, and having that occasional what have I gotten myself into moment of self-doubt, you will, in the back of your mind, have an understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and why it is so effective. This should serve as motivation to keep on going. Now let's get into the three big concepts that make up the rationale behind high-intensity workouts.
What Is Intensity?
Most people think of intensity in the gym setting as the amount of effort you are putting into a workout. A slow walk on the treadmill while reading the morning paper is a low-intensity workout, while an all-out, sweat-pouring-off-your-forehead, heart-about-to-jump-out-of-your-chest circuit is high intensity. This is intensity of effort, the type of intensity you should be focusing on when completing chapters such as 40 Toughest Workouts, Last (Wo)Man Standing, and Ultimate Fat Loss. But intensity of effort is only one of the definitions of intensity that will be used in this book.
When it comes to official training lingo, intensity represents a specific percentage of your 1-repetition maximum (the maximum amount of weight you can lift for exactly 1 rep, or 1RM), or how much weight is on the bar relative to how much weight you can actually use if you were going all out. This becomes critical when trying to build strength during the workouts in the chapter Getting Stronger. Finally, there is muscular intensity, or how much localized muscle fatigue you are incurring during your workout. A workout that blasts your biceps with several back-to-back exercises as you might find in Targeted Muscle Builders would fall into this category.
So, let's review. Intensity of effort is how hard you perceive yourself to be working, intensity of load is how much weight you are lifting relative to the maximum you are capable of lifting (e.g., 85 percent of your 1RM), and muscular intensity involves repeatedly working a specific muscle to a level of exhaustion. It is important to get a grasp of what type of intensity you are trying to focus on during any given workout.
The Science Behind High-Intensity Training
Along with the performance and aesthetic benefits that people gain from high-intensity training come the scientifically researched mechanisms that cause these desired adaptations. And although the science can get complicated and expansive, it is worth understanding some key concepts and mechanisms behind why HIT is so effective. Following are three key principles as to why HIT is an efficient and results-driven approach to training.
Concept 1: EPOC
The biggest concept to wrap your head around when it comes to the benefits of high-intensity training is something called excessive postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). After either resistance training or cardiorespiratory training (or a combination of both), the body continues to need oxygen at a higher rate than before exercise began. This occurs so the body can get back to homeostasis, or its typical resting metabolic rate. Repaying the oxygen debt caused by training requires additional energy expenditure. What this means, in a nutshell, is that you will continue to utilize energy (in the form of burning calories) well after your exercise session is over. High-intensity workouts drive up the effect of EPOC even more because you create a larger oxygen deficiency during the intensified effort of this type of training.
The bottom line? The greater the intensity of the workout, the greater the EPOC and, therefore, the greater the energy expenditure (calories burned) both during and after the workout. This afterburn can last for 36 hours postworkout, so don't underestimate just how powerful it is. Now, not every workout here tries to cash in on the EPOC effect. Many workouts focus more on building strength or gaining muscle mass - which leads perfectly into our next concept.
Concept 2: Building and Maintaining Lean Mass
In all the workouts that follow, there is a component of resistance - whether it's barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, machines, or even body weight. The prevailing thought used to be that if you wanted fat loss, the majority of your training had to be centered around traditional long, slow cardiorespiratory activities such as jogging or cycling. And although those activities still have some value when looking for fat loss, they pale in comparison to resistance training. Why? Because resistance training builds lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle helps you gain strength, of course, but it is also metabolically active, and it takes a lot of energy to maintain muscle and keep it functioning. So, essentially, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you can consume without gaining additional body fat.
Concept 3: Exercise Density
Density is simply the amount of work you perform in a given amount of time - in this case, 30 minutes or less in each workout. By packing more work into a shorter amount of time you drive up your work capacity, which is critical for cardiorespiratory health and sports performance. (Ever notice that it is the athlete who can give the greatest effort in the fourth quarter or final round that is usually the most successful?) These workouts are truly the ultimate in exercise efficiency, getting the most work done, in the least amount of time, while delivering optimal body composition and performance results.
Assessing Your Fitness
It's difficult to know where you are going if you have no idea where you have been. Yet so many people begin training programs without any type of self-assessment (maybe with the exception of jumping on the scale) as a baseline by which to judge future progress. You are not going to make that mistake. Following are two basic benchmark workouts. One will measure the total number of reps you can perform of several movements. The other will test the time it takes to get through an exercise circuit. Be sure to record your results so you can reassess these in the future.
Benchmark Workout 1
Complete one set of the maximum number of repetitions for each movement. Rest 3 to 5 minutes between each movement. The number after each exercise indicates the workout number where the exercise is featured with detailed instructions.
- Barbell back squat (#63) with 50 percent of your body weight.
- Kneeling lat pull-down (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of your body weight/chin-up (intermediate or advanced) (#73)
- Incline push-up (beginner) (#115)/push-up (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- Plank (figure 1.8) to be held for the maximum amount of time
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498899_ebook_Main.png
Table 1.1 should be used as a guide to evaluate your appropriate difficulty levels for workouts. If you can only perform fewer than 10 reps of the barbell back squat, fewer than 5 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, fewer than 15 reps of the push-ups, and less than 45 seconds of the plank, you should opt for the easy variation found at the end of each workout. There is no shame in having to start with the easy variation, and with some consistent training you will be able to move to the standard workouts in no time.
If you can perform between 10 and 20 reps of the squat, 5 and 10 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, 15 and 25 reps of the push-ups, and 46 seconds and 2 minutes of the plank, you should be attempting the standard versions of the workouts.
If you are exceeding all the rep ranges (20+ squats, 10+ chins-ups or pull-downs, 25+ push-ups, 2 minute+ plank), then feel free to attempt the suggestions for stepping it up to make the workouts more challenging and intense.
What happens if you can do certain exercises at one level and other exercises at a different level? The goal of High-Intensity 300 is to provide workouts that are customizable to your fitness levels and goals while giving you a training challenge. So use the highest intensity you can manage for any exercise. Just note which level you were able to achieve, and when a comparable exercise comes up in the training program, use the intensity that is appropriate. However, if you are on the fence about which intensity to use, start with something a bit easier. You will get more benefit out of performing your workouts with great technique and a lighter load than adding more weight to the bar and using bad form. Remember, training is a lifelong endeavor. There is no need to rush into adding more load than you can handle.
Benchmark Workout 2
Complete all repetitions of all three exercises in the shortest amount of time possible. Like before, the number after the exercise indicates the workout where it's featured.
- 30 prisoner squats (#188)
- 20 incline push-ups (beginner) (#115)/20 push-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- 20 kneeling lat pull-downs (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of body weight/10 pull-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#231)
Use table 1.2 as a guide to determine appropriate difficulty level. If your total time is under 2:30 for all three exercises, you can consider utilizing the step-it-up option. If your time is between 2:30 and 5 minutes, the standard workouts should be appropriate for you. If your time is more than 5 minutes or you cannot complete the workout, I would recommend sticking with the easy option for now.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498900_ebook_Main.png
Retest both benchmark workouts every two months and record your results. If your results shift from one category to the next (e.g., you performed the second benchmark workout in 5:25 two months ago and you finished in 4:45 upon retesting), feel free to attempt the more challenging workout for the remainder of the program.
Finally, several of the workouts recommend using loads that are a percentage of your 1RM of a specific movement. Therefore, it would be beneficial to test or at least have a solid idea of your 1RM in the conventional deadlift, barbell bench press, barbell front squat, barbell back squat, and weighted chin-up before you start tackling these workouts. Table 1.3 can be used to keep track of your 1RM for these exercises.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498901_ebook_Main.png
Ramping Up to Daily Workouts
Here's the thing about high-intensity training - it's intense. Many trainees are susceptible to injury because although they have a lot of motivation and energy to begin a really challenging training program, their bodies just aren't ready for that type of effort. What follows are some basic rules and parameters you should remember when performing HIT (or, frankly, any workout program).
We also discuss the basic movement patterns - what they are and how to perform them correctly - as well as the thought process behind the easy and step-it-up options you will find at the end of each workout.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Depths of Hell and Crazy 8s
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Workout 55
The Depths of Hell
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Warm-Up
5 reps of inchworm, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Depth Jump
- Stand with both feet at the edge of a 12-inch (30 cm) box (or lower).
- Step off the box with one foot to start your descent (a), and land on both feet simultaneously (balls of your forefoot followed by your heels) (b). Keep your knees flexed in order to absorb impact and generate force.
- As soon as you make contact with the ground, jump vertically as high as you can (as you would in a vertical jump) (c).
- Land with both feet making contact with the ground at once, knees flexed to absorb impact.
Complete Workout
- A. Depth jump
- 4 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- B. Snatch (#84)
- 3 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- C1. Plyo push-up (#165)
- 2 sets x 12 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- C2. Double-arm kettlebell swing (#13)
- 2 sets x 20 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Substitute the push-up (#XX) for the plyo push-up.
Step It Up
Perform an additional set of the snatch, plyo push-up, and double-arm kettlebell swing.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, cross-body stretch, hamstring stretch.
Workout 68
Crazy 8s: Push Press
Your shoulder joint is one of the most mobile in your body. And although this is very useful for accomplishing many tasks, it also makes it one of the body's most vulnerable joints. For the vast majority of movements that you perform in the gym, externally rotating at the shoulder joint will keep it in a safer position. You can do this in many ways, including rotating your armpits out during any variation of overhead pressing. This can be accomplished by thinking about bending the bar in the bench press and screwing your hands into the floor on the push-up.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps of inchworm, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Shoulder Sweep
- Lie on your back on the floor, bend your left knee to 90 degrees, and cross it over your right leg, keeping your entire upper body in contact with the floor (if you cannot reach the floor with your left knee, place a medicine ball or yoga block underneath it to limit the range of motion).
- Place your left hand on your right knee to keep it in contact with the floor. Extend your right arm directly overhead (a).
- Sweep your right arm along the floor, attempting to internally rotate at the shoulder to bring your hand toward your middle back (b).
- When you've reached the end of the range of motion (c), sweep your arm (trying to keep as much of it in contact with the floor as possible) toward your right ear.
- Continue to sweep back and forth to these end positions until you complete all reps for one side before repeating the process for the other side.
Complete Workout
- A1. Push press (#16)
- 8 sets x 2 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- A2. Shoulder sweep
- 8 sets x 4 reps/side
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Perform 6 sets of the exercises.
Step It Up
Perform 10 sets of the exercises.
Cool-Down
Pec stretch, double lat stretch, 90-degree stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Ranger, El Diablo, and Redemption
You’ve learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it’s time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you’ve put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you’ve done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance.
You've learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it's time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you've put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you've done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance. These workouts are tough and certainly not for beginners. So lace up your sneakers and get that postworkout recovery shake ready because, as the saying goes, only the strong will survive.
Workout 270
The Ranger
The Rangers are members of the U.S. Army elite infantry and are known for being highly trained and incredibly skilled. And although you do not need to go to Ranger school to survive this workout, you will need more toughness, focus, and endurance than nearly anyone else in your gym to make it through. Save the Ranger for a day when you can't wait to get in the gym and give it everything you've got - because that is what it will take to make it to the end of this workout.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps each of inchworm and inverted hamstring stretch, 10 reps of glute bridge
Featured Exercise: TRX Face Pull
- Grab a set of TRX handles, with your palms facing the floor. Walk your feet toward the anchor point to create an angle with your body that is anywhere between 45 and 75 degrees (a).
- Keeping your arms high and perpendicular to your torso, bend at the elbows and pull your hands toward your jawline (b).
- Squeeze your upper back and shoulder blades at the top position and then return, under control, to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
| |
Complete Workout
Perform the sprint every minute on the minute (start at the top of the minute, perform the exercise, rest the remainder of the minute, begin the next set at the top of the next minute, repeat until all sets are complete). Rest 3 minutes. Complete 3 circuits of the remaining exercises, resting as little as possible between movements and between circuits.
- Sprint (#41)
- 20 yards (20 m)
- Every minute on the minute for 10 minutes
- Neutral-grip pull-up (#237)
- 10 reps
- Barbell thruster (#6)
- 15 reps
- TRX face pull
- 20 reps
- Burpee (#7)
- 25 reps
Easy Option
Perform 2 rounds of the circuit after you've finished the sprints.
Step It Up
Perform the sprints every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch.
Workout 275
El Diablo
Body-weight exercises are not always easier to perform than weighted movements that work the same muscle groups. The handstand push-up, featured in this workout, is a great example of an extremely challenging body-weight movement that requires not only shoulder strength but shoulder and core stability as well.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 6 reps per side of hip rocker and inverted hamstring stretch, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Handstand Push-Up
- Place your hands at wider than shoulder width on the floor, a few inches (about 10 cm) away from a wall.
- Kick both feet up so you are in a handstand position, with your heels supported on the wall (a).
- Lower yourself under control until the top of your head touches the floor (b).
- Forcefully press yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for reps. If you cannot achieve full range of motion, feel free to place a pad on the floor and bring your head to the pad.
| |
Complete Workout
Complete as many rounds of the following circuit in 15 minutes, resting only as needed. Use a load equivalent to your body weight for the conventional deadlift.
- Handstand push-up
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
- Conventional deadlift (#5)
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
Easy Option
Substitute standard push-ups (#12) for the handstand push-ups.
Step It Up
Use 1.5 x body weight for the conventional deadlift.
Cool-Down
Hamstring stretch, calf stretch, pec stretch.
Workout 299
Redemption
Any missed training sessions. Any of this week's cheat meals. Any nights spent staying out late instead of recovering. All of this week's missteps are about to be redeemed with this workout. Redemption involves more dynamic and explosive movements than a typical circuit, driving up metabolic demand and requiring additional focus to execute the movements correctly. The physical and mental challenges will make this one of the toughest circuits you're likely to encounter.
Warm-Up
6 reps of squat to stand, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 8 reps of glute bridge, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch
- Begin with a dumbbell on the floor between your feet. Bend down and grab the dumbbell with your right arm, keeping your butt back and chest tall (a).
- Explosively pull the dumbbell off the floor by driving your hips forward, shrugging your right traps and extending at the ankles (b).
- Keep the dumbbell close to your body as you drive your elbow high.
- Allow the dumbbell to continue overhead, and catch it in the top position, with your arm straight and knees slightly bent (c).
- Bring the dumbbell down to your shoulder and back to the floor. Complete all reps for one side before switching to the other.
| | |
Complete Workout
Perform 4 rounds of the following circuit, resting as little as needed.
- Box jump (#198)
- 8 reps
- Toes to bar (#28)
- 8 reps
- Single-arm dumbbell snatch
- 4 reps/side
- Farmer's walk (#187)
- 20 yards (20 m)
Easy Option
Perform 3 rounds of the circuit.
Step It Up
Perform 5 rounds of the circuit.
Cool-Down
Standing quad stretch, 90-degree stretch, double lat stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
An Introduction to Intensity
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it’s always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in.
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it's always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in. First, getting insight into the thought process behind the workout plan is a great way to gauge whether this is the right training program for your goals.
Second, when you are in the middle of a tough set, your lungs burning, sweat pouring off your forehead, and having that occasional what have I gotten myself into moment of self-doubt, you will, in the back of your mind, have an understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and why it is so effective. This should serve as motivation to keep on going. Now let's get into the three big concepts that make up the rationale behind high-intensity workouts.
What Is Intensity?
Most people think of intensity in the gym setting as the amount of effort you are putting into a workout. A slow walk on the treadmill while reading the morning paper is a low-intensity workout, while an all-out, sweat-pouring-off-your-forehead, heart-about-to-jump-out-of-your-chest circuit is high intensity. This is intensity of effort, the type of intensity you should be focusing on when completing chapters such as 40 Toughest Workouts, Last (Wo)Man Standing, and Ultimate Fat Loss. But intensity of effort is only one of the definitions of intensity that will be used in this book.
When it comes to official training lingo, intensity represents a specific percentage of your 1-repetition maximum (the maximum amount of weight you can lift for exactly 1 rep, or 1RM), or how much weight is on the bar relative to how much weight you can actually use if you were going all out. This becomes critical when trying to build strength during the workouts in the chapter Getting Stronger. Finally, there is muscular intensity, or how much localized muscle fatigue you are incurring during your workout. A workout that blasts your biceps with several back-to-back exercises as you might find in Targeted Muscle Builders would fall into this category.
So, let's review. Intensity of effort is how hard you perceive yourself to be working, intensity of load is how much weight you are lifting relative to the maximum you are capable of lifting (e.g., 85 percent of your 1RM), and muscular intensity involves repeatedly working a specific muscle to a level of exhaustion. It is important to get a grasp of what type of intensity you are trying to focus on during any given workout.
The Science Behind High-Intensity Training
Along with the performance and aesthetic benefits that people gain from high-intensity training come the scientifically researched mechanisms that cause these desired adaptations. And although the science can get complicated and expansive, it is worth understanding some key concepts and mechanisms behind why HIT is so effective. Following are three key principles as to why HIT is an efficient and results-driven approach to training.
Concept 1: EPOC
The biggest concept to wrap your head around when it comes to the benefits of high-intensity training is something called excessive postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). After either resistance training or cardiorespiratory training (or a combination of both), the body continues to need oxygen at a higher rate than before exercise began. This occurs so the body can get back to homeostasis, or its typical resting metabolic rate. Repaying the oxygen debt caused by training requires additional energy expenditure. What this means, in a nutshell, is that you will continue to utilize energy (in the form of burning calories) well after your exercise session is over. High-intensity workouts drive up the effect of EPOC even more because you create a larger oxygen deficiency during the intensified effort of this type of training.
The bottom line? The greater the intensity of the workout, the greater the EPOC and, therefore, the greater the energy expenditure (calories burned) both during and after the workout. This afterburn can last for 36 hours postworkout, so don't underestimate just how powerful it is. Now, not every workout here tries to cash in on the EPOC effect. Many workouts focus more on building strength or gaining muscle mass - which leads perfectly into our next concept.
Concept 2: Building and Maintaining Lean Mass
In all the workouts that follow, there is a component of resistance - whether it's barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, machines, or even body weight. The prevailing thought used to be that if you wanted fat loss, the majority of your training had to be centered around traditional long, slow cardiorespiratory activities such as jogging or cycling. And although those activities still have some value when looking for fat loss, they pale in comparison to resistance training. Why? Because resistance training builds lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle helps you gain strength, of course, but it is also metabolically active, and it takes a lot of energy to maintain muscle and keep it functioning. So, essentially, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you can consume without gaining additional body fat.
Concept 3: Exercise Density
Density is simply the amount of work you perform in a given amount of time - in this case, 30 minutes or less in each workout. By packing more work into a shorter amount of time you drive up your work capacity, which is critical for cardiorespiratory health and sports performance. (Ever notice that it is the athlete who can give the greatest effort in the fourth quarter or final round that is usually the most successful?) These workouts are truly the ultimate in exercise efficiency, getting the most work done, in the least amount of time, while delivering optimal body composition and performance results.
Assessing Your Fitness
It's difficult to know where you are going if you have no idea where you have been. Yet so many people begin training programs without any type of self-assessment (maybe with the exception of jumping on the scale) as a baseline by which to judge future progress. You are not going to make that mistake. Following are two basic benchmark workouts. One will measure the total number of reps you can perform of several movements. The other will test the time it takes to get through an exercise circuit. Be sure to record your results so you can reassess these in the future.
Benchmark Workout 1
Complete one set of the maximum number of repetitions for each movement. Rest 3 to 5 minutes between each movement. The number after each exercise indicates the workout number where the exercise is featured with detailed instructions.
- Barbell back squat (#63) with 50 percent of your body weight.
- Kneeling lat pull-down (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of your body weight/chin-up (intermediate or advanced) (#73)
- Incline push-up (beginner) (#115)/push-up (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- Plank (figure 1.8) to be held for the maximum amount of time
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498899_ebook_Main.png
Table 1.1 should be used as a guide to evaluate your appropriate difficulty levels for workouts. If you can only perform fewer than 10 reps of the barbell back squat, fewer than 5 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, fewer than 15 reps of the push-ups, and less than 45 seconds of the plank, you should opt for the easy variation found at the end of each workout. There is no shame in having to start with the easy variation, and with some consistent training you will be able to move to the standard workouts in no time.
If you can perform between 10 and 20 reps of the squat, 5 and 10 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, 15 and 25 reps of the push-ups, and 46 seconds and 2 minutes of the plank, you should be attempting the standard versions of the workouts.
If you are exceeding all the rep ranges (20+ squats, 10+ chins-ups or pull-downs, 25+ push-ups, 2 minute+ plank), then feel free to attempt the suggestions for stepping it up to make the workouts more challenging and intense.
What happens if you can do certain exercises at one level and other exercises at a different level? The goal of High-Intensity 300 is to provide workouts that are customizable to your fitness levels and goals while giving you a training challenge. So use the highest intensity you can manage for any exercise. Just note which level you were able to achieve, and when a comparable exercise comes up in the training program, use the intensity that is appropriate. However, if you are on the fence about which intensity to use, start with something a bit easier. You will get more benefit out of performing your workouts with great technique and a lighter load than adding more weight to the bar and using bad form. Remember, training is a lifelong endeavor. There is no need to rush into adding more load than you can handle.
Benchmark Workout 2
Complete all repetitions of all three exercises in the shortest amount of time possible. Like before, the number after the exercise indicates the workout where it's featured.
- 30 prisoner squats (#188)
- 20 incline push-ups (beginner) (#115)/20 push-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- 20 kneeling lat pull-downs (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of body weight/10 pull-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#231)
Use table 1.2 as a guide to determine appropriate difficulty level. If your total time is under 2:30 for all three exercises, you can consider utilizing the step-it-up option. If your time is between 2:30 and 5 minutes, the standard workouts should be appropriate for you. If your time is more than 5 minutes or you cannot complete the workout, I would recommend sticking with the easy option for now.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498900_ebook_Main.png
Retest both benchmark workouts every two months and record your results. If your results shift from one category to the next (e.g., you performed the second benchmark workout in 5:25 two months ago and you finished in 4:45 upon retesting), feel free to attempt the more challenging workout for the remainder of the program.
Finally, several of the workouts recommend using loads that are a percentage of your 1RM of a specific movement. Therefore, it would be beneficial to test or at least have a solid idea of your 1RM in the conventional deadlift, barbell bench press, barbell front squat, barbell back squat, and weighted chin-up before you start tackling these workouts. Table 1.3 can be used to keep track of your 1RM for these exercises.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498901_ebook_Main.png
Ramping Up to Daily Workouts
Here's the thing about high-intensity training - it's intense. Many trainees are susceptible to injury because although they have a lot of motivation and energy to begin a really challenging training program, their bodies just aren't ready for that type of effort. What follows are some basic rules and parameters you should remember when performing HIT (or, frankly, any workout program).
We also discuss the basic movement patterns - what they are and how to perform them correctly - as well as the thought process behind the easy and step-it-up options you will find at the end of each workout.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Depths of Hell and Crazy 8s
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Workout 55
The Depths of Hell
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Warm-Up
5 reps of inchworm, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Depth Jump
- Stand with both feet at the edge of a 12-inch (30 cm) box (or lower).
- Step off the box with one foot to start your descent (a), and land on both feet simultaneously (balls of your forefoot followed by your heels) (b). Keep your knees flexed in order to absorb impact and generate force.
- As soon as you make contact with the ground, jump vertically as high as you can (as you would in a vertical jump) (c).
- Land with both feet making contact with the ground at once, knees flexed to absorb impact.
Complete Workout
- A. Depth jump
- 4 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- B. Snatch (#84)
- 3 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- C1. Plyo push-up (#165)
- 2 sets x 12 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- C2. Double-arm kettlebell swing (#13)
- 2 sets x 20 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Substitute the push-up (#XX) for the plyo push-up.
Step It Up
Perform an additional set of the snatch, plyo push-up, and double-arm kettlebell swing.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, cross-body stretch, hamstring stretch.
Workout 68
Crazy 8s: Push Press
Your shoulder joint is one of the most mobile in your body. And although this is very useful for accomplishing many tasks, it also makes it one of the body's most vulnerable joints. For the vast majority of movements that you perform in the gym, externally rotating at the shoulder joint will keep it in a safer position. You can do this in many ways, including rotating your armpits out during any variation of overhead pressing. This can be accomplished by thinking about bending the bar in the bench press and screwing your hands into the floor on the push-up.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps of inchworm, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Shoulder Sweep
- Lie on your back on the floor, bend your left knee to 90 degrees, and cross it over your right leg, keeping your entire upper body in contact with the floor (if you cannot reach the floor with your left knee, place a medicine ball or yoga block underneath it to limit the range of motion).
- Place your left hand on your right knee to keep it in contact with the floor. Extend your right arm directly overhead (a).
- Sweep your right arm along the floor, attempting to internally rotate at the shoulder to bring your hand toward your middle back (b).
- When you've reached the end of the range of motion (c), sweep your arm (trying to keep as much of it in contact with the floor as possible) toward your right ear.
- Continue to sweep back and forth to these end positions until you complete all reps for one side before repeating the process for the other side.
Complete Workout
- A1. Push press (#16)
- 8 sets x 2 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- A2. Shoulder sweep
- 8 sets x 4 reps/side
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Perform 6 sets of the exercises.
Step It Up
Perform 10 sets of the exercises.
Cool-Down
Pec stretch, double lat stretch, 90-degree stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Ranger, El Diablo, and Redemption
You’ve learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it’s time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you’ve put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you’ve done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance.
You've learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it's time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you've put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you've done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance. These workouts are tough and certainly not for beginners. So lace up your sneakers and get that postworkout recovery shake ready because, as the saying goes, only the strong will survive.
Workout 270
The Ranger
The Rangers are members of the U.S. Army elite infantry and are known for being highly trained and incredibly skilled. And although you do not need to go to Ranger school to survive this workout, you will need more toughness, focus, and endurance than nearly anyone else in your gym to make it through. Save the Ranger for a day when you can't wait to get in the gym and give it everything you've got - because that is what it will take to make it to the end of this workout.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps each of inchworm and inverted hamstring stretch, 10 reps of glute bridge
Featured Exercise: TRX Face Pull
- Grab a set of TRX handles, with your palms facing the floor. Walk your feet toward the anchor point to create an angle with your body that is anywhere between 45 and 75 degrees (a).
- Keeping your arms high and perpendicular to your torso, bend at the elbows and pull your hands toward your jawline (b).
- Squeeze your upper back and shoulder blades at the top position and then return, under control, to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
| |
Complete Workout
Perform the sprint every minute on the minute (start at the top of the minute, perform the exercise, rest the remainder of the minute, begin the next set at the top of the next minute, repeat until all sets are complete). Rest 3 minutes. Complete 3 circuits of the remaining exercises, resting as little as possible between movements and between circuits.
- Sprint (#41)
- 20 yards (20 m)
- Every minute on the minute for 10 minutes
- Neutral-grip pull-up (#237)
- 10 reps
- Barbell thruster (#6)
- 15 reps
- TRX face pull
- 20 reps
- Burpee (#7)
- 25 reps
Easy Option
Perform 2 rounds of the circuit after you've finished the sprints.
Step It Up
Perform the sprints every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch.
Workout 275
El Diablo
Body-weight exercises are not always easier to perform than weighted movements that work the same muscle groups. The handstand push-up, featured in this workout, is a great example of an extremely challenging body-weight movement that requires not only shoulder strength but shoulder and core stability as well.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 6 reps per side of hip rocker and inverted hamstring stretch, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Handstand Push-Up
- Place your hands at wider than shoulder width on the floor, a few inches (about 10 cm) away from a wall.
- Kick both feet up so you are in a handstand position, with your heels supported on the wall (a).
- Lower yourself under control until the top of your head touches the floor (b).
- Forcefully press yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for reps. If you cannot achieve full range of motion, feel free to place a pad on the floor and bring your head to the pad.
| |
Complete Workout
Complete as many rounds of the following circuit in 15 minutes, resting only as needed. Use a load equivalent to your body weight for the conventional deadlift.
- Handstand push-up
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
- Conventional deadlift (#5)
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
Easy Option
Substitute standard push-ups (#12) for the handstand push-ups.
Step It Up
Use 1.5 x body weight for the conventional deadlift.
Cool-Down
Hamstring stretch, calf stretch, pec stretch.
Workout 299
Redemption
Any missed training sessions. Any of this week's cheat meals. Any nights spent staying out late instead of recovering. All of this week's missteps are about to be redeemed with this workout. Redemption involves more dynamic and explosive movements than a typical circuit, driving up metabolic demand and requiring additional focus to execute the movements correctly. The physical and mental challenges will make this one of the toughest circuits you're likely to encounter.
Warm-Up
6 reps of squat to stand, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 8 reps of glute bridge, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch
- Begin with a dumbbell on the floor between your feet. Bend down and grab the dumbbell with your right arm, keeping your butt back and chest tall (a).
- Explosively pull the dumbbell off the floor by driving your hips forward, shrugging your right traps and extending at the ankles (b).
- Keep the dumbbell close to your body as you drive your elbow high.
- Allow the dumbbell to continue overhead, and catch it in the top position, with your arm straight and knees slightly bent (c).
- Bring the dumbbell down to your shoulder and back to the floor. Complete all reps for one side before switching to the other.
| | |
Complete Workout
Perform 4 rounds of the following circuit, resting as little as needed.
- Box jump (#198)
- 8 reps
- Toes to bar (#28)
- 8 reps
- Single-arm dumbbell snatch
- 4 reps/side
- Farmer's walk (#187)
- 20 yards (20 m)
Easy Option
Perform 3 rounds of the circuit.
Step It Up
Perform 5 rounds of the circuit.
Cool-Down
Standing quad stretch, 90-degree stretch, double lat stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
An Introduction to Intensity
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it’s always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in.
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it's always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in. First, getting insight into the thought process behind the workout plan is a great way to gauge whether this is the right training program for your goals.
Second, when you are in the middle of a tough set, your lungs burning, sweat pouring off your forehead, and having that occasional what have I gotten myself into moment of self-doubt, you will, in the back of your mind, have an understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and why it is so effective. This should serve as motivation to keep on going. Now let's get into the three big concepts that make up the rationale behind high-intensity workouts.
What Is Intensity?
Most people think of intensity in the gym setting as the amount of effort you are putting into a workout. A slow walk on the treadmill while reading the morning paper is a low-intensity workout, while an all-out, sweat-pouring-off-your-forehead, heart-about-to-jump-out-of-your-chest circuit is high intensity. This is intensity of effort, the type of intensity you should be focusing on when completing chapters such as 40 Toughest Workouts, Last (Wo)Man Standing, and Ultimate Fat Loss. But intensity of effort is only one of the definitions of intensity that will be used in this book.
When it comes to official training lingo, intensity represents a specific percentage of your 1-repetition maximum (the maximum amount of weight you can lift for exactly 1 rep, or 1RM), or how much weight is on the bar relative to how much weight you can actually use if you were going all out. This becomes critical when trying to build strength during the workouts in the chapter Getting Stronger. Finally, there is muscular intensity, or how much localized muscle fatigue you are incurring during your workout. A workout that blasts your biceps with several back-to-back exercises as you might find in Targeted Muscle Builders would fall into this category.
So, let's review. Intensity of effort is how hard you perceive yourself to be working, intensity of load is how much weight you are lifting relative to the maximum you are capable of lifting (e.g., 85 percent of your 1RM), and muscular intensity involves repeatedly working a specific muscle to a level of exhaustion. It is important to get a grasp of what type of intensity you are trying to focus on during any given workout.
The Science Behind High-Intensity Training
Along with the performance and aesthetic benefits that people gain from high-intensity training come the scientifically researched mechanisms that cause these desired adaptations. And although the science can get complicated and expansive, it is worth understanding some key concepts and mechanisms behind why HIT is so effective. Following are three key principles as to why HIT is an efficient and results-driven approach to training.
Concept 1: EPOC
The biggest concept to wrap your head around when it comes to the benefits of high-intensity training is something called excessive postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). After either resistance training or cardiorespiratory training (or a combination of both), the body continues to need oxygen at a higher rate than before exercise began. This occurs so the body can get back to homeostasis, or its typical resting metabolic rate. Repaying the oxygen debt caused by training requires additional energy expenditure. What this means, in a nutshell, is that you will continue to utilize energy (in the form of burning calories) well after your exercise session is over. High-intensity workouts drive up the effect of EPOC even more because you create a larger oxygen deficiency during the intensified effort of this type of training.
The bottom line? The greater the intensity of the workout, the greater the EPOC and, therefore, the greater the energy expenditure (calories burned) both during and after the workout. This afterburn can last for 36 hours postworkout, so don't underestimate just how powerful it is. Now, not every workout here tries to cash in on the EPOC effect. Many workouts focus more on building strength or gaining muscle mass - which leads perfectly into our next concept.
Concept 2: Building and Maintaining Lean Mass
In all the workouts that follow, there is a component of resistance - whether it's barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, machines, or even body weight. The prevailing thought used to be that if you wanted fat loss, the majority of your training had to be centered around traditional long, slow cardiorespiratory activities such as jogging or cycling. And although those activities still have some value when looking for fat loss, they pale in comparison to resistance training. Why? Because resistance training builds lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle helps you gain strength, of course, but it is also metabolically active, and it takes a lot of energy to maintain muscle and keep it functioning. So, essentially, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you can consume without gaining additional body fat.
Concept 3: Exercise Density
Density is simply the amount of work you perform in a given amount of time - in this case, 30 minutes or less in each workout. By packing more work into a shorter amount of time you drive up your work capacity, which is critical for cardiorespiratory health and sports performance. (Ever notice that it is the athlete who can give the greatest effort in the fourth quarter or final round that is usually the most successful?) These workouts are truly the ultimate in exercise efficiency, getting the most work done, in the least amount of time, while delivering optimal body composition and performance results.
Assessing Your Fitness
It's difficult to know where you are going if you have no idea where you have been. Yet so many people begin training programs without any type of self-assessment (maybe with the exception of jumping on the scale) as a baseline by which to judge future progress. You are not going to make that mistake. Following are two basic benchmark workouts. One will measure the total number of reps you can perform of several movements. The other will test the time it takes to get through an exercise circuit. Be sure to record your results so you can reassess these in the future.
Benchmark Workout 1
Complete one set of the maximum number of repetitions for each movement. Rest 3 to 5 minutes between each movement. The number after each exercise indicates the workout number where the exercise is featured with detailed instructions.
- Barbell back squat (#63) with 50 percent of your body weight.
- Kneeling lat pull-down (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of your body weight/chin-up (intermediate or advanced) (#73)
- Incline push-up (beginner) (#115)/push-up (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- Plank (figure 1.8) to be held for the maximum amount of time
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498899_ebook_Main.png
Table 1.1 should be used as a guide to evaluate your appropriate difficulty levels for workouts. If you can only perform fewer than 10 reps of the barbell back squat, fewer than 5 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, fewer than 15 reps of the push-ups, and less than 45 seconds of the plank, you should opt for the easy variation found at the end of each workout. There is no shame in having to start with the easy variation, and with some consistent training you will be able to move to the standard workouts in no time.
If you can perform between 10 and 20 reps of the squat, 5 and 10 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, 15 and 25 reps of the push-ups, and 46 seconds and 2 minutes of the plank, you should be attempting the standard versions of the workouts.
If you are exceeding all the rep ranges (20+ squats, 10+ chins-ups or pull-downs, 25+ push-ups, 2 minute+ plank), then feel free to attempt the suggestions for stepping it up to make the workouts more challenging and intense.
What happens if you can do certain exercises at one level and other exercises at a different level? The goal of High-Intensity 300 is to provide workouts that are customizable to your fitness levels and goals while giving you a training challenge. So use the highest intensity you can manage for any exercise. Just note which level you were able to achieve, and when a comparable exercise comes up in the training program, use the intensity that is appropriate. However, if you are on the fence about which intensity to use, start with something a bit easier. You will get more benefit out of performing your workouts with great technique and a lighter load than adding more weight to the bar and using bad form. Remember, training is a lifelong endeavor. There is no need to rush into adding more load than you can handle.
Benchmark Workout 2
Complete all repetitions of all three exercises in the shortest amount of time possible. Like before, the number after the exercise indicates the workout where it's featured.
- 30 prisoner squats (#188)
- 20 incline push-ups (beginner) (#115)/20 push-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- 20 kneeling lat pull-downs (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of body weight/10 pull-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#231)
Use table 1.2 as a guide to determine appropriate difficulty level. If your total time is under 2:30 for all three exercises, you can consider utilizing the step-it-up option. If your time is between 2:30 and 5 minutes, the standard workouts should be appropriate for you. If your time is more than 5 minutes or you cannot complete the workout, I would recommend sticking with the easy option for now.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498900_ebook_Main.png
Retest both benchmark workouts every two months and record your results. If your results shift from one category to the next (e.g., you performed the second benchmark workout in 5:25 two months ago and you finished in 4:45 upon retesting), feel free to attempt the more challenging workout for the remainder of the program.
Finally, several of the workouts recommend using loads that are a percentage of your 1RM of a specific movement. Therefore, it would be beneficial to test or at least have a solid idea of your 1RM in the conventional deadlift, barbell bench press, barbell front squat, barbell back squat, and weighted chin-up before you start tackling these workouts. Table 1.3 can be used to keep track of your 1RM for these exercises.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498901_ebook_Main.png
Ramping Up to Daily Workouts
Here's the thing about high-intensity training - it's intense. Many trainees are susceptible to injury because although they have a lot of motivation and energy to begin a really challenging training program, their bodies just aren't ready for that type of effort. What follows are some basic rules and parameters you should remember when performing HIT (or, frankly, any workout program).
We also discuss the basic movement patterns - what they are and how to perform them correctly - as well as the thought process behind the easy and step-it-up options you will find at the end of each workout.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Depths of Hell and Crazy 8s
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Workout 55
The Depths of Hell
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Warm-Up
5 reps of inchworm, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Depth Jump
- Stand with both feet at the edge of a 12-inch (30 cm) box (or lower).
- Step off the box with one foot to start your descent (a), and land on both feet simultaneously (balls of your forefoot followed by your heels) (b). Keep your knees flexed in order to absorb impact and generate force.
- As soon as you make contact with the ground, jump vertically as high as you can (as you would in a vertical jump) (c).
- Land with both feet making contact with the ground at once, knees flexed to absorb impact.
Complete Workout
- A. Depth jump
- 4 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- B. Snatch (#84)
- 3 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- C1. Plyo push-up (#165)
- 2 sets x 12 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- C2. Double-arm kettlebell swing (#13)
- 2 sets x 20 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Substitute the push-up (#XX) for the plyo push-up.
Step It Up
Perform an additional set of the snatch, plyo push-up, and double-arm kettlebell swing.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, cross-body stretch, hamstring stretch.
Workout 68
Crazy 8s: Push Press
Your shoulder joint is one of the most mobile in your body. And although this is very useful for accomplishing many tasks, it also makes it one of the body's most vulnerable joints. For the vast majority of movements that you perform in the gym, externally rotating at the shoulder joint will keep it in a safer position. You can do this in many ways, including rotating your armpits out during any variation of overhead pressing. This can be accomplished by thinking about bending the bar in the bench press and screwing your hands into the floor on the push-up.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps of inchworm, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Shoulder Sweep
- Lie on your back on the floor, bend your left knee to 90 degrees, and cross it over your right leg, keeping your entire upper body in contact with the floor (if you cannot reach the floor with your left knee, place a medicine ball or yoga block underneath it to limit the range of motion).
- Place your left hand on your right knee to keep it in contact with the floor. Extend your right arm directly overhead (a).
- Sweep your right arm along the floor, attempting to internally rotate at the shoulder to bring your hand toward your middle back (b).
- When you've reached the end of the range of motion (c), sweep your arm (trying to keep as much of it in contact with the floor as possible) toward your right ear.
- Continue to sweep back and forth to these end positions until you complete all reps for one side before repeating the process for the other side.
Complete Workout
- A1. Push press (#16)
- 8 sets x 2 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- A2. Shoulder sweep
- 8 sets x 4 reps/side
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Perform 6 sets of the exercises.
Step It Up
Perform 10 sets of the exercises.
Cool-Down
Pec stretch, double lat stretch, 90-degree stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Ranger, El Diablo, and Redemption
You’ve learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it’s time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you’ve put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you’ve done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance.
You've learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it's time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you've put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you've done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance. These workouts are tough and certainly not for beginners. So lace up your sneakers and get that postworkout recovery shake ready because, as the saying goes, only the strong will survive.
Workout 270
The Ranger
The Rangers are members of the U.S. Army elite infantry and are known for being highly trained and incredibly skilled. And although you do not need to go to Ranger school to survive this workout, you will need more toughness, focus, and endurance than nearly anyone else in your gym to make it through. Save the Ranger for a day when you can't wait to get in the gym and give it everything you've got - because that is what it will take to make it to the end of this workout.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps each of inchworm and inverted hamstring stretch, 10 reps of glute bridge
Featured Exercise: TRX Face Pull
- Grab a set of TRX handles, with your palms facing the floor. Walk your feet toward the anchor point to create an angle with your body that is anywhere between 45 and 75 degrees (a).
- Keeping your arms high and perpendicular to your torso, bend at the elbows and pull your hands toward your jawline (b).
- Squeeze your upper back and shoulder blades at the top position and then return, under control, to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
| |
Complete Workout
Perform the sprint every minute on the minute (start at the top of the minute, perform the exercise, rest the remainder of the minute, begin the next set at the top of the next minute, repeat until all sets are complete). Rest 3 minutes. Complete 3 circuits of the remaining exercises, resting as little as possible between movements and between circuits.
- Sprint (#41)
- 20 yards (20 m)
- Every minute on the minute for 10 minutes
- Neutral-grip pull-up (#237)
- 10 reps
- Barbell thruster (#6)
- 15 reps
- TRX face pull
- 20 reps
- Burpee (#7)
- 25 reps
Easy Option
Perform 2 rounds of the circuit after you've finished the sprints.
Step It Up
Perform the sprints every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch.
Workout 275
El Diablo
Body-weight exercises are not always easier to perform than weighted movements that work the same muscle groups. The handstand push-up, featured in this workout, is a great example of an extremely challenging body-weight movement that requires not only shoulder strength but shoulder and core stability as well.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 6 reps per side of hip rocker and inverted hamstring stretch, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Handstand Push-Up
- Place your hands at wider than shoulder width on the floor, a few inches (about 10 cm) away from a wall.
- Kick both feet up so you are in a handstand position, with your heels supported on the wall (a).
- Lower yourself under control until the top of your head touches the floor (b).
- Forcefully press yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for reps. If you cannot achieve full range of motion, feel free to place a pad on the floor and bring your head to the pad.
| |
Complete Workout
Complete as many rounds of the following circuit in 15 minutes, resting only as needed. Use a load equivalent to your body weight for the conventional deadlift.
- Handstand push-up
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
- Conventional deadlift (#5)
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
Easy Option
Substitute standard push-ups (#12) for the handstand push-ups.
Step It Up
Use 1.5 x body weight for the conventional deadlift.
Cool-Down
Hamstring stretch, calf stretch, pec stretch.
Workout 299
Redemption
Any missed training sessions. Any of this week's cheat meals. Any nights spent staying out late instead of recovering. All of this week's missteps are about to be redeemed with this workout. Redemption involves more dynamic and explosive movements than a typical circuit, driving up metabolic demand and requiring additional focus to execute the movements correctly. The physical and mental challenges will make this one of the toughest circuits you're likely to encounter.
Warm-Up
6 reps of squat to stand, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 8 reps of glute bridge, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch
- Begin with a dumbbell on the floor between your feet. Bend down and grab the dumbbell with your right arm, keeping your butt back and chest tall (a).
- Explosively pull the dumbbell off the floor by driving your hips forward, shrugging your right traps and extending at the ankles (b).
- Keep the dumbbell close to your body as you drive your elbow high.
- Allow the dumbbell to continue overhead, and catch it in the top position, with your arm straight and knees slightly bent (c).
- Bring the dumbbell down to your shoulder and back to the floor. Complete all reps for one side before switching to the other.
| | |
Complete Workout
Perform 4 rounds of the following circuit, resting as little as needed.
- Box jump (#198)
- 8 reps
- Toes to bar (#28)
- 8 reps
- Single-arm dumbbell snatch
- 4 reps/side
- Farmer's walk (#187)
- 20 yards (20 m)
Easy Option
Perform 3 rounds of the circuit.
Step It Up
Perform 5 rounds of the circuit.
Cool-Down
Standing quad stretch, 90-degree stretch, double lat stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
An Introduction to Intensity
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it’s always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in.
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it's always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in. First, getting insight into the thought process behind the workout plan is a great way to gauge whether this is the right training program for your goals.
Second, when you are in the middle of a tough set, your lungs burning, sweat pouring off your forehead, and having that occasional what have I gotten myself into moment of self-doubt, you will, in the back of your mind, have an understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and why it is so effective. This should serve as motivation to keep on going. Now let's get into the three big concepts that make up the rationale behind high-intensity workouts.
What Is Intensity?
Most people think of intensity in the gym setting as the amount of effort you are putting into a workout. A slow walk on the treadmill while reading the morning paper is a low-intensity workout, while an all-out, sweat-pouring-off-your-forehead, heart-about-to-jump-out-of-your-chest circuit is high intensity. This is intensity of effort, the type of intensity you should be focusing on when completing chapters such as 40 Toughest Workouts, Last (Wo)Man Standing, and Ultimate Fat Loss. But intensity of effort is only one of the definitions of intensity that will be used in this book.
When it comes to official training lingo, intensity represents a specific percentage of your 1-repetition maximum (the maximum amount of weight you can lift for exactly 1 rep, or 1RM), or how much weight is on the bar relative to how much weight you can actually use if you were going all out. This becomes critical when trying to build strength during the workouts in the chapter Getting Stronger. Finally, there is muscular intensity, or how much localized muscle fatigue you are incurring during your workout. A workout that blasts your biceps with several back-to-back exercises as you might find in Targeted Muscle Builders would fall into this category.
So, let's review. Intensity of effort is how hard you perceive yourself to be working, intensity of load is how much weight you are lifting relative to the maximum you are capable of lifting (e.g., 85 percent of your 1RM), and muscular intensity involves repeatedly working a specific muscle to a level of exhaustion. It is important to get a grasp of what type of intensity you are trying to focus on during any given workout.
The Science Behind High-Intensity Training
Along with the performance and aesthetic benefits that people gain from high-intensity training come the scientifically researched mechanisms that cause these desired adaptations. And although the science can get complicated and expansive, it is worth understanding some key concepts and mechanisms behind why HIT is so effective. Following are three key principles as to why HIT is an efficient and results-driven approach to training.
Concept 1: EPOC
The biggest concept to wrap your head around when it comes to the benefits of high-intensity training is something called excessive postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). After either resistance training or cardiorespiratory training (or a combination of both), the body continues to need oxygen at a higher rate than before exercise began. This occurs so the body can get back to homeostasis, or its typical resting metabolic rate. Repaying the oxygen debt caused by training requires additional energy expenditure. What this means, in a nutshell, is that you will continue to utilize energy (in the form of burning calories) well after your exercise session is over. High-intensity workouts drive up the effect of EPOC even more because you create a larger oxygen deficiency during the intensified effort of this type of training.
The bottom line? The greater the intensity of the workout, the greater the EPOC and, therefore, the greater the energy expenditure (calories burned) both during and after the workout. This afterburn can last for 36 hours postworkout, so don't underestimate just how powerful it is. Now, not every workout here tries to cash in on the EPOC effect. Many workouts focus more on building strength or gaining muscle mass - which leads perfectly into our next concept.
Concept 2: Building and Maintaining Lean Mass
In all the workouts that follow, there is a component of resistance - whether it's barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, machines, or even body weight. The prevailing thought used to be that if you wanted fat loss, the majority of your training had to be centered around traditional long, slow cardiorespiratory activities such as jogging or cycling. And although those activities still have some value when looking for fat loss, they pale in comparison to resistance training. Why? Because resistance training builds lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle helps you gain strength, of course, but it is also metabolically active, and it takes a lot of energy to maintain muscle and keep it functioning. So, essentially, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you can consume without gaining additional body fat.
Concept 3: Exercise Density
Density is simply the amount of work you perform in a given amount of time - in this case, 30 minutes or less in each workout. By packing more work into a shorter amount of time you drive up your work capacity, which is critical for cardiorespiratory health and sports performance. (Ever notice that it is the athlete who can give the greatest effort in the fourth quarter or final round that is usually the most successful?) These workouts are truly the ultimate in exercise efficiency, getting the most work done, in the least amount of time, while delivering optimal body composition and performance results.
Assessing Your Fitness
It's difficult to know where you are going if you have no idea where you have been. Yet so many people begin training programs without any type of self-assessment (maybe with the exception of jumping on the scale) as a baseline by which to judge future progress. You are not going to make that mistake. Following are two basic benchmark workouts. One will measure the total number of reps you can perform of several movements. The other will test the time it takes to get through an exercise circuit. Be sure to record your results so you can reassess these in the future.
Benchmark Workout 1
Complete one set of the maximum number of repetitions for each movement. Rest 3 to 5 minutes between each movement. The number after each exercise indicates the workout number where the exercise is featured with detailed instructions.
- Barbell back squat (#63) with 50 percent of your body weight.
- Kneeling lat pull-down (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of your body weight/chin-up (intermediate or advanced) (#73)
- Incline push-up (beginner) (#115)/push-up (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- Plank (figure 1.8) to be held for the maximum amount of time
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498899_ebook_Main.png
Table 1.1 should be used as a guide to evaluate your appropriate difficulty levels for workouts. If you can only perform fewer than 10 reps of the barbell back squat, fewer than 5 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, fewer than 15 reps of the push-ups, and less than 45 seconds of the plank, you should opt for the easy variation found at the end of each workout. There is no shame in having to start with the easy variation, and with some consistent training you will be able to move to the standard workouts in no time.
If you can perform between 10 and 20 reps of the squat, 5 and 10 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, 15 and 25 reps of the push-ups, and 46 seconds and 2 minutes of the plank, you should be attempting the standard versions of the workouts.
If you are exceeding all the rep ranges (20+ squats, 10+ chins-ups or pull-downs, 25+ push-ups, 2 minute+ plank), then feel free to attempt the suggestions for stepping it up to make the workouts more challenging and intense.
What happens if you can do certain exercises at one level and other exercises at a different level? The goal of High-Intensity 300 is to provide workouts that are customizable to your fitness levels and goals while giving you a training challenge. So use the highest intensity you can manage for any exercise. Just note which level you were able to achieve, and when a comparable exercise comes up in the training program, use the intensity that is appropriate. However, if you are on the fence about which intensity to use, start with something a bit easier. You will get more benefit out of performing your workouts with great technique and a lighter load than adding more weight to the bar and using bad form. Remember, training is a lifelong endeavor. There is no need to rush into adding more load than you can handle.
Benchmark Workout 2
Complete all repetitions of all three exercises in the shortest amount of time possible. Like before, the number after the exercise indicates the workout where it's featured.
- 30 prisoner squats (#188)
- 20 incline push-ups (beginner) (#115)/20 push-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- 20 kneeling lat pull-downs (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of body weight/10 pull-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#231)
Use table 1.2 as a guide to determine appropriate difficulty level. If your total time is under 2:30 for all three exercises, you can consider utilizing the step-it-up option. If your time is between 2:30 and 5 minutes, the standard workouts should be appropriate for you. If your time is more than 5 minutes or you cannot complete the workout, I would recommend sticking with the easy option for now.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498900_ebook_Main.png
Retest both benchmark workouts every two months and record your results. If your results shift from one category to the next (e.g., you performed the second benchmark workout in 5:25 two months ago and you finished in 4:45 upon retesting), feel free to attempt the more challenging workout for the remainder of the program.
Finally, several of the workouts recommend using loads that are a percentage of your 1RM of a specific movement. Therefore, it would be beneficial to test or at least have a solid idea of your 1RM in the conventional deadlift, barbell bench press, barbell front squat, barbell back squat, and weighted chin-up before you start tackling these workouts. Table 1.3 can be used to keep track of your 1RM for these exercises.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498901_ebook_Main.png
Ramping Up to Daily Workouts
Here's the thing about high-intensity training - it's intense. Many trainees are susceptible to injury because although they have a lot of motivation and energy to begin a really challenging training program, their bodies just aren't ready for that type of effort. What follows are some basic rules and parameters you should remember when performing HIT (or, frankly, any workout program).
We also discuss the basic movement patterns - what they are and how to perform them correctly - as well as the thought process behind the easy and step-it-up options you will find at the end of each workout.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Depths of Hell and Crazy 8s
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Workout 55
The Depths of Hell
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Warm-Up
5 reps of inchworm, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Depth Jump
- Stand with both feet at the edge of a 12-inch (30 cm) box (or lower).
- Step off the box with one foot to start your descent (a), and land on both feet simultaneously (balls of your forefoot followed by your heels) (b). Keep your knees flexed in order to absorb impact and generate force.
- As soon as you make contact with the ground, jump vertically as high as you can (as you would in a vertical jump) (c).
- Land with both feet making contact with the ground at once, knees flexed to absorb impact.
Complete Workout
- A. Depth jump
- 4 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- B. Snatch (#84)
- 3 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- C1. Plyo push-up (#165)
- 2 sets x 12 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- C2. Double-arm kettlebell swing (#13)
- 2 sets x 20 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Substitute the push-up (#XX) for the plyo push-up.
Step It Up
Perform an additional set of the snatch, plyo push-up, and double-arm kettlebell swing.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, cross-body stretch, hamstring stretch.
Workout 68
Crazy 8s: Push Press
Your shoulder joint is one of the most mobile in your body. And although this is very useful for accomplishing many tasks, it also makes it one of the body's most vulnerable joints. For the vast majority of movements that you perform in the gym, externally rotating at the shoulder joint will keep it in a safer position. You can do this in many ways, including rotating your armpits out during any variation of overhead pressing. This can be accomplished by thinking about bending the bar in the bench press and screwing your hands into the floor on the push-up.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps of inchworm, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Shoulder Sweep
- Lie on your back on the floor, bend your left knee to 90 degrees, and cross it over your right leg, keeping your entire upper body in contact with the floor (if you cannot reach the floor with your left knee, place a medicine ball or yoga block underneath it to limit the range of motion).
- Place your left hand on your right knee to keep it in contact with the floor. Extend your right arm directly overhead (a).
- Sweep your right arm along the floor, attempting to internally rotate at the shoulder to bring your hand toward your middle back (b).
- When you've reached the end of the range of motion (c), sweep your arm (trying to keep as much of it in contact with the floor as possible) toward your right ear.
- Continue to sweep back and forth to these end positions until you complete all reps for one side before repeating the process for the other side.
Complete Workout
- A1. Push press (#16)
- 8 sets x 2 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- A2. Shoulder sweep
- 8 sets x 4 reps/side
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Perform 6 sets of the exercises.
Step It Up
Perform 10 sets of the exercises.
Cool-Down
Pec stretch, double lat stretch, 90-degree stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Ranger, El Diablo, and Redemption
You’ve learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it’s time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you’ve put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you’ve done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance.
You've learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it's time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you've put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you've done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance. These workouts are tough and certainly not for beginners. So lace up your sneakers and get that postworkout recovery shake ready because, as the saying goes, only the strong will survive.
Workout 270
The Ranger
The Rangers are members of the U.S. Army elite infantry and are known for being highly trained and incredibly skilled. And although you do not need to go to Ranger school to survive this workout, you will need more toughness, focus, and endurance than nearly anyone else in your gym to make it through. Save the Ranger for a day when you can't wait to get in the gym and give it everything you've got - because that is what it will take to make it to the end of this workout.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps each of inchworm and inverted hamstring stretch, 10 reps of glute bridge
Featured Exercise: TRX Face Pull
- Grab a set of TRX handles, with your palms facing the floor. Walk your feet toward the anchor point to create an angle with your body that is anywhere between 45 and 75 degrees (a).
- Keeping your arms high and perpendicular to your torso, bend at the elbows and pull your hands toward your jawline (b).
- Squeeze your upper back and shoulder blades at the top position and then return, under control, to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
| |
Complete Workout
Perform the sprint every minute on the minute (start at the top of the minute, perform the exercise, rest the remainder of the minute, begin the next set at the top of the next minute, repeat until all sets are complete). Rest 3 minutes. Complete 3 circuits of the remaining exercises, resting as little as possible between movements and between circuits.
- Sprint (#41)
- 20 yards (20 m)
- Every minute on the minute for 10 minutes
- Neutral-grip pull-up (#237)
- 10 reps
- Barbell thruster (#6)
- 15 reps
- TRX face pull
- 20 reps
- Burpee (#7)
- 25 reps
Easy Option
Perform 2 rounds of the circuit after you've finished the sprints.
Step It Up
Perform the sprints every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch.
Workout 275
El Diablo
Body-weight exercises are not always easier to perform than weighted movements that work the same muscle groups. The handstand push-up, featured in this workout, is a great example of an extremely challenging body-weight movement that requires not only shoulder strength but shoulder and core stability as well.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 6 reps per side of hip rocker and inverted hamstring stretch, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Handstand Push-Up
- Place your hands at wider than shoulder width on the floor, a few inches (about 10 cm) away from a wall.
- Kick both feet up so you are in a handstand position, with your heels supported on the wall (a).
- Lower yourself under control until the top of your head touches the floor (b).
- Forcefully press yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for reps. If you cannot achieve full range of motion, feel free to place a pad on the floor and bring your head to the pad.
| |
Complete Workout
Complete as many rounds of the following circuit in 15 minutes, resting only as needed. Use a load equivalent to your body weight for the conventional deadlift.
- Handstand push-up
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
- Conventional deadlift (#5)
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
Easy Option
Substitute standard push-ups (#12) for the handstand push-ups.
Step It Up
Use 1.5 x body weight for the conventional deadlift.
Cool-Down
Hamstring stretch, calf stretch, pec stretch.
Workout 299
Redemption
Any missed training sessions. Any of this week's cheat meals. Any nights spent staying out late instead of recovering. All of this week's missteps are about to be redeemed with this workout. Redemption involves more dynamic and explosive movements than a typical circuit, driving up metabolic demand and requiring additional focus to execute the movements correctly. The physical and mental challenges will make this one of the toughest circuits you're likely to encounter.
Warm-Up
6 reps of squat to stand, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 8 reps of glute bridge, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch
- Begin with a dumbbell on the floor between your feet. Bend down and grab the dumbbell with your right arm, keeping your butt back and chest tall (a).
- Explosively pull the dumbbell off the floor by driving your hips forward, shrugging your right traps and extending at the ankles (b).
- Keep the dumbbell close to your body as you drive your elbow high.
- Allow the dumbbell to continue overhead, and catch it in the top position, with your arm straight and knees slightly bent (c).
- Bring the dumbbell down to your shoulder and back to the floor. Complete all reps for one side before switching to the other.
| | |
Complete Workout
Perform 4 rounds of the following circuit, resting as little as needed.
- Box jump (#198)
- 8 reps
- Toes to bar (#28)
- 8 reps
- Single-arm dumbbell snatch
- 4 reps/side
- Farmer's walk (#187)
- 20 yards (20 m)
Easy Option
Perform 3 rounds of the circuit.
Step It Up
Perform 5 rounds of the circuit.
Cool-Down
Standing quad stretch, 90-degree stretch, double lat stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
An Introduction to Intensity
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it’s always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in.
As I mentioned in the introduction, this book is not meant to be a review of research studies on the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT). I want you to jump in, start training, and get the results you are looking for. However, it's always good to understand the thinking and mechanisms behind any training plan you engage in. First, getting insight into the thought process behind the workout plan is a great way to gauge whether this is the right training program for your goals.
Second, when you are in the middle of a tough set, your lungs burning, sweat pouring off your forehead, and having that occasional what have I gotten myself into moment of self-doubt, you will, in the back of your mind, have an understanding of why you are doing what you are doing and why it is so effective. This should serve as motivation to keep on going. Now let's get into the three big concepts that make up the rationale behind high-intensity workouts.
What Is Intensity?
Most people think of intensity in the gym setting as the amount of effort you are putting into a workout. A slow walk on the treadmill while reading the morning paper is a low-intensity workout, while an all-out, sweat-pouring-off-your-forehead, heart-about-to-jump-out-of-your-chest circuit is high intensity. This is intensity of effort, the type of intensity you should be focusing on when completing chapters such as 40 Toughest Workouts, Last (Wo)Man Standing, and Ultimate Fat Loss. But intensity of effort is only one of the definitions of intensity that will be used in this book.
When it comes to official training lingo, intensity represents a specific percentage of your 1-repetition maximum (the maximum amount of weight you can lift for exactly 1 rep, or 1RM), or how much weight is on the bar relative to how much weight you can actually use if you were going all out. This becomes critical when trying to build strength during the workouts in the chapter Getting Stronger. Finally, there is muscular intensity, or how much localized muscle fatigue you are incurring during your workout. A workout that blasts your biceps with several back-to-back exercises as you might find in Targeted Muscle Builders would fall into this category.
So, let's review. Intensity of effort is how hard you perceive yourself to be working, intensity of load is how much weight you are lifting relative to the maximum you are capable of lifting (e.g., 85 percent of your 1RM), and muscular intensity involves repeatedly working a specific muscle to a level of exhaustion. It is important to get a grasp of what type of intensity you are trying to focus on during any given workout.
The Science Behind High-Intensity Training
Along with the performance and aesthetic benefits that people gain from high-intensity training come the scientifically researched mechanisms that cause these desired adaptations. And although the science can get complicated and expansive, it is worth understanding some key concepts and mechanisms behind why HIT is so effective. Following are three key principles as to why HIT is an efficient and results-driven approach to training.
Concept 1: EPOC
The biggest concept to wrap your head around when it comes to the benefits of high-intensity training is something called excessive postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). After either resistance training or cardiorespiratory training (or a combination of both), the body continues to need oxygen at a higher rate than before exercise began. This occurs so the body can get back to homeostasis, or its typical resting metabolic rate. Repaying the oxygen debt caused by training requires additional energy expenditure. What this means, in a nutshell, is that you will continue to utilize energy (in the form of burning calories) well after your exercise session is over. High-intensity workouts drive up the effect of EPOC even more because you create a larger oxygen deficiency during the intensified effort of this type of training.
The bottom line? The greater the intensity of the workout, the greater the EPOC and, therefore, the greater the energy expenditure (calories burned) both during and after the workout. This afterburn can last for 36 hours postworkout, so don't underestimate just how powerful it is. Now, not every workout here tries to cash in on the EPOC effect. Many workouts focus more on building strength or gaining muscle mass - which leads perfectly into our next concept.
Concept 2: Building and Maintaining Lean Mass
In all the workouts that follow, there is a component of resistance - whether it's barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, machines, or even body weight. The prevailing thought used to be that if you wanted fat loss, the majority of your training had to be centered around traditional long, slow cardiorespiratory activities such as jogging or cycling. And although those activities still have some value when looking for fat loss, they pale in comparison to resistance training. Why? Because resistance training builds lean muscle tissue. Lean muscle helps you gain strength, of course, but it is also metabolically active, and it takes a lot of energy to maintain muscle and keep it functioning. So, essentially, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you can consume without gaining additional body fat.
Concept 3: Exercise Density
Density is simply the amount of work you perform in a given amount of time - in this case, 30 minutes or less in each workout. By packing more work into a shorter amount of time you drive up your work capacity, which is critical for cardiorespiratory health and sports performance. (Ever notice that it is the athlete who can give the greatest effort in the fourth quarter or final round that is usually the most successful?) These workouts are truly the ultimate in exercise efficiency, getting the most work done, in the least amount of time, while delivering optimal body composition and performance results.
Assessing Your Fitness
It's difficult to know where you are going if you have no idea where you have been. Yet so many people begin training programs without any type of self-assessment (maybe with the exception of jumping on the scale) as a baseline by which to judge future progress. You are not going to make that mistake. Following are two basic benchmark workouts. One will measure the total number of reps you can perform of several movements. The other will test the time it takes to get through an exercise circuit. Be sure to record your results so you can reassess these in the future.
Benchmark Workout 1
Complete one set of the maximum number of repetitions for each movement. Rest 3 to 5 minutes between each movement. The number after each exercise indicates the workout number where the exercise is featured with detailed instructions.
- Barbell back squat (#63) with 50 percent of your body weight.
- Kneeling lat pull-down (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of your body weight/chin-up (intermediate or advanced) (#73)
- Incline push-up (beginner) (#115)/push-up (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- Plank (figure 1.8) to be held for the maximum amount of time
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498899_ebook_Main.png
Table 1.1 should be used as a guide to evaluate your appropriate difficulty levels for workouts. If you can only perform fewer than 10 reps of the barbell back squat, fewer than 5 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, fewer than 15 reps of the push-ups, and less than 45 seconds of the plank, you should opt for the easy variation found at the end of each workout. There is no shame in having to start with the easy variation, and with some consistent training you will be able to move to the standard workouts in no time.
If you can perform between 10 and 20 reps of the squat, 5 and 10 reps of the chin-ups or pull-downs, 15 and 25 reps of the push-ups, and 46 seconds and 2 minutes of the plank, you should be attempting the standard versions of the workouts.
If you are exceeding all the rep ranges (20+ squats, 10+ chins-ups or pull-downs, 25+ push-ups, 2 minute+ plank), then feel free to attempt the suggestions for stepping it up to make the workouts more challenging and intense.
What happens if you can do certain exercises at one level and other exercises at a different level? The goal of High-Intensity 300 is to provide workouts that are customizable to your fitness levels and goals while giving you a training challenge. So use the highest intensity you can manage for any exercise. Just note which level you were able to achieve, and when a comparable exercise comes up in the training program, use the intensity that is appropriate. However, if you are on the fence about which intensity to use, start with something a bit easier. You will get more benefit out of performing your workouts with great technique and a lighter load than adding more weight to the bar and using bad form. Remember, training is a lifelong endeavor. There is no need to rush into adding more load than you can handle.
Benchmark Workout 2
Complete all repetitions of all three exercises in the shortest amount of time possible. Like before, the number after the exercise indicates the workout where it's featured.
- 30 prisoner squats (#188)
- 20 incline push-ups (beginner) (#115)/20 push-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#12)
- 20 kneeling lat pull-downs (beginner) (#120) with 50 percent of body weight/10 pull-ups (intermediate or advanced) (#231)
Use table 1.2 as a guide to determine appropriate difficulty level. If your total time is under 2:30 for all three exercises, you can consider utilizing the step-it-up option. If your time is between 2:30 and 5 minutes, the standard workouts should be appropriate for you. If your time is more than 5 minutes or you cannot complete the workout, I would recommend sticking with the easy option for now.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498900_ebook_Main.png
Retest both benchmark workouts every two months and record your results. If your results shift from one category to the next (e.g., you performed the second benchmark workout in 5:25 two months ago and you finished in 4:45 upon retesting), feel free to attempt the more challenging workout for the remainder of the program.
Finally, several of the workouts recommend using loads that are a percentage of your 1RM of a specific movement. Therefore, it would be beneficial to test or at least have a solid idea of your 1RM in the conventional deadlift, barbell bench press, barbell front squat, barbell back squat, and weighted chin-up before you start tackling these workouts. Table 1.3 can be used to keep track of your 1RM for these exercises.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/130/E5962_498901_ebook_Main.png
Ramping Up to Daily Workouts
Here's the thing about high-intensity training - it's intense. Many trainees are susceptible to injury because although they have a lot of motivation and energy to begin a really challenging training program, their bodies just aren't ready for that type of effort. What follows are some basic rules and parameters you should remember when performing HIT (or, frankly, any workout program).
We also discuss the basic movement patterns - what they are and how to perform them correctly - as well as the thought process behind the easy and step-it-up options you will find at the end of each workout.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Depths of Hell and Crazy 8s
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Workout 55
The Depths of Hell
There may be no exercise better suited for improving vertical leap than the depth jump. There also may be no exercise more demanding on your ankle and knee joints. Be sure to have mastered box jumps and bounding drills before taking on the depth jump. And when you do tackle this movement, start off on a low box (12 inches [30 cm] or lower), and limit the number of contacts until you gain experience with the exercise.
Warm-Up
5 reps of inchworm, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Depth Jump
- Stand with both feet at the edge of a 12-inch (30 cm) box (or lower).
- Step off the box with one foot to start your descent (a), and land on both feet simultaneously (balls of your forefoot followed by your heels) (b). Keep your knees flexed in order to absorb impact and generate force.
- As soon as you make contact with the ground, jump vertically as high as you can (as you would in a vertical jump) (c).
- Land with both feet making contact with the ground at once, knees flexed to absorb impact.
Complete Workout
- A. Depth jump
- 4 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- B. Snatch (#84)
- 3 sets x 3 reps
- 90 seconds of rest
- C1. Plyo push-up (#165)
- 2 sets x 12 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- C2. Double-arm kettlebell swing (#13)
- 2 sets x 20 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Substitute the push-up (#XX) for the plyo push-up.
Step It Up
Perform an additional set of the snatch, plyo push-up, and double-arm kettlebell swing.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, cross-body stretch, hamstring stretch.
Workout 68
Crazy 8s: Push Press
Your shoulder joint is one of the most mobile in your body. And although this is very useful for accomplishing many tasks, it also makes it one of the body's most vulnerable joints. For the vast majority of movements that you perform in the gym, externally rotating at the shoulder joint will keep it in a safer position. You can do this in many ways, including rotating your armpits out during any variation of overhead pressing. This can be accomplished by thinking about bending the bar in the bench press and screwing your hands into the floor on the push-up.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps of inchworm, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Shoulder Sweep
- Lie on your back on the floor, bend your left knee to 90 degrees, and cross it over your right leg, keeping your entire upper body in contact with the floor (if you cannot reach the floor with your left knee, place a medicine ball or yoga block underneath it to limit the range of motion).
- Place your left hand on your right knee to keep it in contact with the floor. Extend your right arm directly overhead (a).
- Sweep your right arm along the floor, attempting to internally rotate at the shoulder to bring your hand toward your middle back (b).
- When you've reached the end of the range of motion (c), sweep your arm (trying to keep as much of it in contact with the floor as possible) toward your right ear.
- Continue to sweep back and forth to these end positions until you complete all reps for one side before repeating the process for the other side.
Complete Workout
- A1. Push press (#16)
- 8 sets x 2 reps
- 60 seconds of rest
- A2. Shoulder sweep
- 8 sets x 4 reps/side
- 60 seconds of rest
Easy Option
Perform 6 sets of the exercises.
Step It Up
Perform 10 sets of the exercises.
Cool-Down
Pec stretch, double lat stretch, 90-degree stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
The Ranger, El Diablo, and Redemption
You’ve learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it’s time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you’ve put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you’ve done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance.
You've learned the movement patterns, built up strength, worked on conditioning, and improved lagging body parts. Now it's time to put it all together and see what you can do with all the work you've put in. These 40 workouts combine aspects from all the training you've done up to this point for the ultimate expression of performance. These workouts are tough and certainly not for beginners. So lace up your sneakers and get that postworkout recovery shake ready because, as the saying goes, only the strong will survive.
Workout 270
The Ranger
The Rangers are members of the U.S. Army elite infantry and are known for being highly trained and incredibly skilled. And although you do not need to go to Ranger school to survive this workout, you will need more toughness, focus, and endurance than nearly anyone else in your gym to make it through. Save the Ranger for a day when you can't wait to get in the gym and give it everything you've got - because that is what it will take to make it to the end of this workout.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 5 reps each of inchworm and inverted hamstring stretch, 10 reps of glute bridge
Featured Exercise: TRX Face Pull
- Grab a set of TRX handles, with your palms facing the floor. Walk your feet toward the anchor point to create an angle with your body that is anywhere between 45 and 75 degrees (a).
- Keeping your arms high and perpendicular to your torso, bend at the elbows and pull your hands toward your jawline (b).
- Squeeze your upper back and shoulder blades at the top position and then return, under control, to the starting position. Repeat for reps.
| |
Complete Workout
Perform the sprint every minute on the minute (start at the top of the minute, perform the exercise, rest the remainder of the minute, begin the next set at the top of the next minute, repeat until all sets are complete). Rest 3 minutes. Complete 3 circuits of the remaining exercises, resting as little as possible between movements and between circuits.
- Sprint (#41)
- 20 yards (20 m)
- Every minute on the minute for 10 minutes
- Neutral-grip pull-up (#237)
- 10 reps
- Barbell thruster (#6)
- 15 reps
- TRX face pull
- 20 reps
- Burpee (#7)
- 25 reps
Easy Option
Perform 2 rounds of the circuit after you've finished the sprints.
Step It Up
Perform the sprints every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.
Cool-Down
Double lat stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch.
Workout 275
El Diablo
Body-weight exercises are not always easier to perform than weighted movements that work the same muscle groups. The handstand push-up, featured in this workout, is a great example of an extremely challenging body-weight movement that requires not only shoulder strength but shoulder and core stability as well.
Warm-Up
4 reps per side of the world's greatest stretch, 6 reps per side of hip rocker and inverted hamstring stretch, 8 reps per side of shoulder sweeps
Featured Exercise: Handstand Push-Up
- Place your hands at wider than shoulder width on the floor, a few inches (about 10 cm) away from a wall.
- Kick both feet up so you are in a handstand position, with your heels supported on the wall (a).
- Lower yourself under control until the top of your head touches the floor (b).
- Forcefully press yourself back up to the starting position and repeat for reps. If you cannot achieve full range of motion, feel free to place a pad on the floor and bring your head to the pad.
| |
Complete Workout
Complete as many rounds of the following circuit in 15 minutes, resting only as needed. Use a load equivalent to your body weight for the conventional deadlift.
- Handstand push-up
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
- Conventional deadlift (#5)
- 5 reps x as many sets as possible
Easy Option
Substitute standard push-ups (#12) for the handstand push-ups.
Step It Up
Use 1.5 x body weight for the conventional deadlift.
Cool-Down
Hamstring stretch, calf stretch, pec stretch.
Workout 299
Redemption
Any missed training sessions. Any of this week's cheat meals. Any nights spent staying out late instead of recovering. All of this week's missteps are about to be redeemed with this workout. Redemption involves more dynamic and explosive movements than a typical circuit, driving up metabolic demand and requiring additional focus to execute the movements correctly. The physical and mental challenges will make this one of the toughest circuits you're likely to encounter.
Warm-Up
6 reps of squat to stand, 6 reps per side of quadruped T-spine rotation, 8 reps of glute bridge, 10 reps of cat - cow
Featured Exercise: Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch
- Begin with a dumbbell on the floor between your feet. Bend down and grab the dumbbell with your right arm, keeping your butt back and chest tall (a).
- Explosively pull the dumbbell off the floor by driving your hips forward, shrugging your right traps and extending at the ankles (b).
- Keep the dumbbell close to your body as you drive your elbow high.
- Allow the dumbbell to continue overhead, and catch it in the top position, with your arm straight and knees slightly bent (c).
- Bring the dumbbell down to your shoulder and back to the floor. Complete all reps for one side before switching to the other.
| | |
Complete Workout
Perform 4 rounds of the following circuit, resting as little as needed.
- Box jump (#198)
- 8 reps
- Toes to bar (#28)
- 8 reps
- Single-arm dumbbell snatch
- 4 reps/side
- Farmer's walk (#187)
- 20 yards (20 m)
Easy Option
Perform 3 rounds of the circuit.
Step It Up
Perform 5 rounds of the circuit.
Cool-Down
Standing quad stretch, 90-degree stretch, double lat stretch.
Learn more about High-Intensity 300.
Related Books
