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High Intensity bodybuilding has existed since the earliest days of weight training, but its popularity soared in the 1970’s. It is still a popular form of training today because of its ability to produce big results with small amounts of training within each workout.
Anyone who wants to utilize High Intensity Bodybuilding should know that there are a variety of High Intensity training methods, seven of which will be discussed in this article. However, before providing video demonstrations of these methods, it is important to understand the basic characteristics of High Intensity Training.
Max Effort and Max Fatigue
High Intensity Training is often referred to as H.I.T. The defining characteristic of High Intensity Training is that maximum effort is exerted within a set. Maximum effort requires that a bodybuilder perform as many reps as possible which will result in maximum muscle fiber recruitment and maximum muscular fatigue. The goal of this is to stimulate the muscles to grow bigger and stronger.
Train Each Muscle Group Once or Twice per Week
Since High Intensity Bodybuilding is incredibly taxing on one’s body, most High Intensity bodybuilders train each muscle group only once or twice per week.
Short Workouts:
It is also important to point out that short workouts consisting of just two to four sets per muscle group are the norm when using High Intensity sets. Not all bodybuilders follow the two to four set norm as some may only do one high intensity set per muscle group. There are others who have been known to employ many more than four high intensity sets.
Individual Differences
Among those who try High Intensity Bodybuilding, there seem to be super-responders who thrive on the use of High Intensity workouts on a regular basis. Other bodybuilders respond to High Intensity Training when they use it occasionally, but they stop responding to it if they use it all of the time. There are also bodybuilders who do not like High Intensity Training. This is usually because they feel it leads to a higher risk of injury, or they simply find that they respond to other forms of training better. Through trial and error, you will learn whether High Intensity bodybuilding is an option that works best when you use it either, all of the time, some of the time, or none of the time.
Famous High Intensity Bodybuilders
There are definitely elite level bodybuilders who have used High Intensity bodybuilding with great success. While there are many outstanding bodybuilders who have made extensive use of High Intensity Training, a small list of some of the most notable includes:
Tom Platz
Milos Sarcev
Dorian Yates
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A List of Seven High Intensity Bodybuilding Methods
Out of the many variations of High Intensity Bodybuilding, seven methods are listed below. This list is followed by a series of videos that demonstrates the use of each method.
1. Rest-Pause Reps
2. Pre-Exhaust Super Sets
3. Partial Rep Burns
4. Forced Reps
5. Giant Sets
6. Negative Only Reps, and Negatives after Reaching Positive Failure
7. Strip Sets, Drop Sets, and Down The Rack Sets
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Video Section
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High Intensity Training Method #1
Rest-Pause Reps
When using the rest-pause method, a full set is first performed to failure. The lifter then takes a brief rest of about ten to twenty seconds after the set and performs as many reps as possible, which will usually only be a small number of reps compared to the initial set. The lifter can then rest for another ten to twenty seconds before performing as many reps as possible again. The short rest-pause sets that come after the first full set are generally repeated two to four times before terminating the entire rest-pause set. The following is an example of rest-pause training for the bench press, but the rest-pause method can be used for any exercise.
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High Intensity Training Method #2
Pre-Exhaust Super Sets
The pre-exhaust method refers to doing two different exercises for the same muscle group with no rest between sets of the exercises. Exercise selection plays a key role in the pre-exhaust method as the first set must be an exercise that isolates the muscle being worked. This would include exercises such as dumbbell flyes or the use of a peck deck for chest; lateral raises with dumbbells or cables for shoulders; straight arm pulldowns or pullovers for back; and leg extensions or leg curls for upper legs. The first set is immediately followed by a second set using a different exercise that must be a compound exercise for the same muscle group. No rest is allowed between sets. Compound exercises may include bench press for chest; overhead presses for shoulders; a rowing motion or pulldowns for back; and squats or leg presses for legs. The following videos demonstrate exercise combinations that can be used for the muscle you want to target with a pre-exhaust super set.
Pre-Exhaust for Chest Muscles
Dumbbell Flyes followed by Bench Press
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Cable Flyes followed by Dumbbell Press
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Pre-Exhaust for Shoulders
Dumbbell Lateral Raises followed by Overhead Pess
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Pre-Exhaust for Back Muscles
Straight Arm Pushdowns followed by Lat Pulldowns
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Pre-Exhaust for Leg Muscles
Leg Extensions followed by Squats
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High Intensity Training Method #3
Partial Rep Burns
Partial rep burns are performed immediately after completing a set of full reps that is pushed to failure. When you can no longer perform normal reps using a full range of motion, you continue the set by doing partial reps. This simply means that you use a partial range of motion for each rep until you can no longer do partial reps.
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High Intensity Training Method #4
Forced Reps
The following video is a repeat of the first video that was posted at the top of this article. It demonstrates the use of forced reps while doing barbell curls, but forced reps can be done with other exercises as well.
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High Intensity Training Method #5
Giant Sets
Giant sets generally consist of doing three or more different exercises for the same muscle group with no rest between sets for different exercises.
The giant set in the following video is extremely long. Not only does it include eight exercises with no rest between sets for the chest muscles, it includes slow negatives for one of the sets. The giant set also includes a set in which the bodybuilder alternates between super slow reps and explosive reps, as well as forced reps for one of the sets. This giant set consists of almost six minutes of continuous time under tension for the chest muscles.
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High Intensity Training Method #6
Negative Reps
Negative reps consist of slowly lowering the weight instead of lifting the weight. If you reach the point where you can no longer lift the weight upward, you may still have enough strength in reserve to lower the weight slowly by doing a series of negative reps. This often times means you must have a spotter lift the weight for you when you no longer have the power to lift it by yourself. After the spotter lifts the weight, you lower it slowly. However, there are ways to get around the need for a spotter as you will see in the videos.
Negative reps at the end of a set of Dips
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Negative Reps For Biceps Curls
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Two Legs up and One Leg Down with Leg Press
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You can also do bodyweight sets where you only lower your body weight instead of lifting it first. This can be done with pullups and dips.
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Negative Pull-Ups
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High Intensity Training Method #7
Strip Sets, Drop Sets, and Down The Rack Sets
Strips sets are performed by performing a set of reps to failure. Some weight is quickly stripped off of the bar or machine so that you can continue to do more reps immediately after the weight is reduced. You can continue to strip off more weight in order to do more reps for as many sets as you like.
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Drop Sets are the same as strip sets. If you decreasing the weight three consecutive times with no rest between sets, the method is known as a Triple Drop Set.
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Down The Rack with Dumbbells
Some lifters use a method with dumbbells called “Down The Rack, or Run The Rack.” This method is similar to strip sets but dumbbells are used by starting with a heavy pair of dumbbells that are lifted to the point of failure. The lifter immediately moves down the rack to a lighter set of dumbbells for another set, and continues to decrease weight for as many sets as he or she wishes to perform.
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Down The Rack With Lateral Raises
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Down The Rack With Alternate Dumbbell Curls
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High Intensity Arm Workout
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High Intensity Chest Workout
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High Intensity Back Workout
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My Own Experience With High Intensity Training
In my own training experience, I have never found that the exclusive use of High Intensity Training was the best approach. High Intensity Training worked best when I mixed in some lower intensity workouts between the high intensity workouts. If I did two high intensity workouts per week for each body part, it led to over training. If I only did one high intensity workout per week for each body part, it led to under training and loss of strength and size. It seemed to work better to work each muscle group once per week with high intensity training, and to do two moderate intensity workouts between each high intensity workout.
Adding In Recovery Workouts or Moderate Intensity Workouts
When doing High Intensity workouts, I did three to four sets per muscle group using the methods described earlier in this article. The lower intensity workouts consisted of one to two easy warm up sets, followed by two sets that were only moderate in intensity. I generally did 6 to 8 reps for my first set, and 12 reps for my second set, and I made sure to stop four to six reps short of failure. The recovery workouts allowed me to fully recover between high intensity workouts without experiencing the effects of de-training which occurs when resting too long between workouts.
I understand that adding recovery workouts between high intensity workouts is not the best option for everyone, but it seemed to be essential in my own case. I mention this because it may be that some of you who are reading this will also benefit from alternate between high intensity and moderate intensity as well. If you find that recovery workouts are essential in your own case, the exact ratio and timing of recovery workouts to high intensity workouts is something that you will have to determine through trial and error. It may be that you do a high intensity workout every other workout, or one high intensity workout every third workout.
How to Mix High Volume Training With High Intensity Training
Pyramid Your Sets from Low Intensity to High Intensity
Some top bodybuilders mix high volume training with high intensity training. This means that they may do ten to fifteen sets for each muscle group, but only two to four of those sets are high intensity sets. They often do this by using the pyramid method in which each successive set of an exercise is performed with more intensity until a high level of intensity is reached by the last set of the exercise. An example, will help to clarify how this can be done.
We will imagine that a bodybuilder does four sets of bench presses and increases the intensity of each set. The first set is a low intensity set in which he leaves eight or more reps in the tank (this means he stops at least eight reps short of failure). He then adds weight and leaves five or six reps in the tank for the second set. The weight is then increased for the third set which pushes the bodybuilder to the point where he leaves two to three reps in the tank, and the fourth set is a high intensity set that is pushed to failure or beyond with the methods explained in this article. The bodybuilder would then use the same procedure when doing two more chest exercises that are each performed for four sets. By the end of his chest workout, this bodybuilder will have performed twelve sets with three of them being high intensity sets. There are many bodybuilders who train in a manner similar to this.
Intersperse Moderate Intensity Workouts with High Intensity Workouts
There are other bodybuilders who prefer to do a lot of sets using moderate intensity for three or four weeks, followed by three or four weeks of training in which they do workouts consisting of only a few high-intensity sets for each muscle group. This type of training is based on alternating periods of high volume training with periods of low volume training. The purpose of this is to accelerate the metabolism and recovery rate during the high volume phase. Once this change in physiology has taken effect, the body is more likely to respond with a supercompensation of glycogen storage and protein synthesis within the muscles during the low volume, high intensity phase.
As with any form of weight training, you must find the right combination of training variables that is well suited for your own body. This means you will need to experiment to discover the right number of sets per muscle group, and you will need to discover a training frequency that matches your recovery rate. You may also need to alternate high intensity training with moderate intensity training until you find a combination that delivers consistent results. Of course, this will take a systematic trial and error which will require patience and persistence, but that is what it will take to find a combination of training variables that leads to the best outcome. May God bless you with the best of training.
Additional Resources
If you still want to learn more about high intensity training, there are some fairly prominent personalities within the high intensity training community who are known for teaching, promoting, and popularizing high intensity training. A few of these people include:
Arthur Jones: Creator of Nautilus equipment
Ellington Dardin: Author of several books on High Intensity Training
Doug McGuff: Author of Body by Science
Clarence Bass: Author of Ripped
Drew Baye: Author of several books on High Intensity Training
John Little: Author of High Intensity Bodybuilding Books
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Articles on H.I.T.
Arthur Jones: The Ideal Workout
Mike Mentzer’s High Intensity Heavy Duty Training
Build Muscles In Minutes With High Intensity Training
High Intensity For Hardgainers
History Of High Intensity Training
The 7 Most Intense Bodybuilding Methods With Video
Dorian Yates Basic Philosophy of His Training
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Mike Mentzer’s High Intensity Heavy Duty Training Method
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