Weight Lifting - How to Save Time While Increasing Strength
I recently came across a research study. It talked about what
the physical activity profile was for adults who were tying to
lose weight.
They surveyed almost 15,000 people and determined that only half
of those who include exercise as part of their program
incorporate enough exercise to be effective. So, maybe the half
that wasn't exercising enough is doing it at higher intensity
levels for those shorter exercise sessions. Then it's plenty
effective.
I doubt the subjects used in the study were doing high intensity
training, but it's what you should consider doing. Especially if
you have a tight schedule and not a lot of time to exercise,
it's a great solution. 20-30 minutes is all it will take.
Guess what one of the greatest intensity factors is when it
comes to strength training? There are a few key ones, but
momentary muscle failure is at the top of the list.
This means pushing the muscle to the point where another
repetition cannot be completed in good form. Then once you're
done with that muscle group, you move to the next one. And the
best way to do this is by lifting slow!
The great thing about it is that you can pick any exercise in
your gym to do it with. Or you can even do it with your own
bodyweight using exercises like pushups and do it from the
convenience of your living room.
I've recently begun training some new clients and so they've
done High Intensity Training (H.I.T.) a few times. One of them
is a seasoned exerciser and told me this morning that he's not
felt his muscles work this way before. He loves the challenge of
pushing himself during a workout as well as how it saves him so
much time.
According to one of the guru's of strength training, Wayne
Westcott PhD, "The primary intent of high-intensity strength
training is to fatigue additional muscle fibers during a more
demanding exercise set. Based on the research studies reviewed,
it appears that one good set of resistance exercise is as
effective as two or three sets for providing a sufficient
strength stimulus and producing significant strength gains."
If you're a busy professional and don't have a lot of extra time
to spend exercising then increasing the intensity of your
strength training is a great solution to bring you excellent
strength gains in half the time.