High Intensity for Intense Gains: the Importance of HIIT

Summer is coming and the gym is starting to get really packed. People are trying to get in shape and get that summer body. Pool of sweat all over the cardio machines, people running and jogging for hours are the typical things you will see right now in any fitness centers. One of the most effective cardiovascular exercise for weight loss will be HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training. My friend Michael Manbert is kind enough to share his article about HIIT. 

High Intensity for Intense Gains: the Importance of HIIT

By Michael Manbert

Preview article for SimplyShredded.com - The Ultimate Lifting Experience. 

Ready to trim down for Spring Break and summer, and looking to drop some jaws (and panties, if that’s your thing) at the beach or pool? Don’t want to lose all your hard-earned, precious muscle mass that’s taken years to sculpt? Look no further. Catabolism - the breakdown in living organisms of more complex substances into simpler ones together with release of energy (which equates to your muscle mass being broken down and being used as fuel for your body) - generally occurs as your body is forced to expend ATP, the “energy currency” in a cell, for extended periods of time. 

Well, hell, you wouldn’t want that, would you!? You haven’t worked this hard to see your results squandered for the sake of fat loss! You’re not an Abercrombie model - you’re an athlete (or someone who aspires to resemble one). That said, in order to shed fat with minimal loss of muscle mass, one should keep low-intensity, long-distance cardio at a minimum. Instead, high-intensity interval training, HIIT, should be utilized for individuals with such goals. Take a minute to note the differences in body-types between a top distance runner - American Dathan Ritzenhein (below) - and top sprinter Jason Moots (below, farther).  Note the lean, wiry frame of Ritzenhein, forged through and tailored for performance in distance running. Next, look at the contrast that the muscular sprinter Smoots poses - a body forged through years of hard work, chalked full of lean, dense muscle mass that has surely benefitted from the anabolism that sprinting promotes.

“But what IS HIIT, and how do I perform it?”

High-intensity interval training is the primary method of speed and endurance training for nearly every athlete who plays sports that require explosiveness - something that is in direct correlation with strength, which, of course, is generally dictated by one’s muscle-mass to fat ratio. Sprinters, basketball, football and hockey players, fighters, wrestlers and a plethora of other types of athletes regularly utilize HIIT in order to keep their bodies in top shape. 

A typical HIIT session consists of running, jumping, or both. While the former of the two, running, is generally considered the most traditional form of HIIT, many top athletes utilize standing jump-sets, broad jumps, skips, and other various types of jumps. However, before delving into the various methods by which athletes utilize HIIT - many of which are advanced, specific to a certain sport, or both, let us first take a look at a couple basic forms of HIIT. 

For reference, let’s assume “jogging” means running at 60%, “sprinting” means running at 95-100%, “fast-jogging” refers to a speed between a jog and a sprint, at about 80% speed, and “slow-jogging” refers to about 40% speed.

Generic HIIT session - 

10 minute HIIT session:

30 seconds jogging 

30 seconds sprinting

30 seconds jogging

30 seconds sprinting... etc.

Continue alternating between jogging and sprinting every 30 seconds for 8 minutes, at which point you should jog for the remainder of your run, so as to slow your heartbeat, and allow for the lactic acid buildup in your muscles to dissipate. 

Generic HIIT session #2 - 

8 minute HIIT session:

30 seconds slow-jogging

30 seconds jogging

30 seconds fast-jogging

30 seconds sprinting

30 seconds slow-jogging.. etc.

Again, following your 8 minutes of brutality, allow your heart rate to slowly return to a normal state by walking for at least a couple minutes. 

Although the word “generic” often carries a negative connotation, don’t allow yourself to be put off from these HIIT session routines - sometimes, simple is better. While there are more advanced ways to perform HIIT training, a couple of which will be exemplified next, many top athletes and bodybuilders alike swear by the more “simple” HIIT (and weightlifting) routines. However, for some, simple is not enough. Let us take a look at some more advanced HIIT sets.

Advanced HIIT session - 

6 minute advanced HIIT session:

30 seconds high-knees

30 seconds “burpees”

30 seconds mountain climbers

30 seconds rest

Repeat 3 times. 

While this HIIT session - as can be said for HIIT as a whole - is primarily geared towards fat loss, it also incorporates some muscle-building elements, hence it being termed “advanced”. Rather than delve into detailed explanations of each exercise, allow fitness guru Brandon Carter to demonstrate this intense HIIT set.

This set is probably my personal favorite as it allows for whole-body fat loss and is extremely hard on one’s core, making for muscle gain in the abdominal and oblique region - looking to get that six-pack? Look no further.


Advanced HIIT session #2 -
6 minute advanced HIIT session:

1 minute jump-rope (70% speed)

30 seconds fast (95% speed) jump-rope

1 minute jump-rope

30 seconds fast jump-rope

1 minute jump-rope

30 seconds fast jump-rope

Rest, then repeat to your heart’s desire. Obviously, this HIIT set incorporates both jumps, which I mentioned often played an integral role in HIIT training earlier, and a jump-rope. Not very proficient with the jump-rope? Give it your best. You’re doing this to burn fat, regardless of how pretty you look while exercising. Similar sets that also incorporate jump-ropes are often utilized by boxers and soccer players in order to improve footwork and endurance. However, bodybuilders also take part in jump-oriented HIIT sessions in order to cut fat while building leg muscle. 

The sets exemplified in this article represent only a few options among the vast array of HIIT sets out there. Again - do you want to lose fat, while keeping muscle loss to a minimum? Then look no further; HIIT is for you. Those who work the hardest also reap the greatest benefits, and HIIT is quite intense and strenuous, especially for beginners. How bad do you want it? With knowledge of the benefits  HIIT provides to athletes, bodybuilders and regular, trying-to-get-in-shape people alike, it’s time to get out there and kick some ass. Good luck, and go hard. 

The Deadlift

Next time you go to the gym, try to observe around and look for people doing the deadlift; the chances are, you won't see anyone performing this lift. Many people believe that deadlift is bad for your back and if you have back problems, you should avoid this exercise. This in fact is both true and false; deadlift is beneficial for our core since its a multi-compound movement that involves many muscle groups in the upper and lower body. It mainly targets the lats, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, trapezius muscles, spinal erectors and abs.The reason why people believe that deadlift is bad for our back is because they do not practice good form and technique. Deadlift is all about form and technique, it is only beneficial if performed correctly. There are many variations for the deadlift, they are: Conventional deadlift, Sumo/wide Stance Deadlift, and Romanian/Stiffed Leg deadlift. Some people perform this lift with momentum, now that is not a deadlift. Deadlift is called a dead lift because you are lifting a dead weight from the ground up.
People asked me what I do for my back and traps and the answer is, the DEADLIFT!
More info. about the deadlift can be found in my post Workouts

Squat Myths !!

As many of you know, I am a big fan of SQUATTING.. And every time I go to the gym and do my squats, I always hear people telling me that squatting is bad for my knees, don't go down below parallel, it is bad for your back, buy these expensive flat shoes bla bla bla bla and lots of other bull shits! I am just fed up with it so here are the myths about squatting:


The Myths of the Squat.
By Rob Wagner


Myth # 1. Squatting is bad for your knees.
Dr. Klein's can take the credit for launching this one. Studies carried out over the past twenty years have rejected Klein's findings. In a study that looked at the effects that full squats and half squats had on knee stability showed no change, over eight different tests for stability, when compared to a control group. To determine the long-term effects the same researchers looked at the knees of competitive powerlifters and weightlifters and found that powerlifters and weightlifters had tighter knee joints than the controls (Chandler & Stone, 1991). Another study found that the involvement of the hamstring in full squats plays a role in helping protect the anterior cruciate ligament (Manariello, Backus & Parker, 1994). In a less scientific approach, the late John Grimek (1963) pointed out, in Strength and Health, that if squatting were bad for your knees we would have a lot of people walking around with bad knees since we perform a squat every time we sit down and stand up. When done properly the exercise actually helps develop the muscles utilized in stabilizing the knee. So how is a squat done properly, I will make it a little more clear in Myth #2. 

Myth #2 When you perform the squat just bend your knees and go down.
If you bend the knees first, it limits the hip's freedom of movement. All the force is felt in the knees, and you will find yourself in a very awkward position on the balls of your feet. When performed properly the squat should start by gliding the hips backwards before the knees break. This is done while keeping the torso upright and is not simply a lean forward (Chandler, Wilson & Stone, 1989). It should be similar to sitting in a chair especially a low chair. This posterior movement actually helps you get the weight over the arch of your foot. Having the weight on the toes or heel of the foot will affect muscle function and balance. This weight positioning becomes even more crucial when you reach the bottom of the squat. As the top of the thigh reaches a parallel to the floor position or below it is now time to come up. If the weight is forward on the toes, there is a tendency for the hips to rise up faster than the shoulders, leaving you in a potentially poor leverage position. This situation is when the squat becomes a good morning exercise. The opposite result of having the weight in the heel will leave you stuck at the bottom position or on your backside due to the balance problem. 

Myth # 3. Squatting is bad for your back.
If you are using your back dynamically, as in the good morning position mentioned above, you are going to make this myth come true. Letting the low back get into a flexed position (improper technique) can create injury (Davies, 1980). The low back muscles, which include the erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, multifidus, intertransversarii, interspinales and rotatores, are all postural muscles. Their primary responsibility is to keep us vertical during standing, seated and other upright activities. When we start using the low back muscles to lift up loads dynamically, we are placing them in a job that they are not designed. Its like going to the dentist for the flu shot. While I would trust the dentist with the flu shot, I don't want him doing open-heart surgery on me. With training they can function dynamically to accommodate heavier loads but it will usually be the weak link in the chain. The low back muscles are much more effective when they are used to maintain the upright posture during squat activity (McLaughlin, Lardner & Dillman, 1978). This position can be created raising your rib cage. This position is the same as standing at attention for a drill sergeant. The low back musculature should serve to maintain the rigidity of the torso so that the force from the legs can be applied directly to the weight. The raising of the rib cage should occur immediately before you descend with the weight. 

Myth # 4. Squat with your toes pointed straight ahead.
This seems to make sense because we walk with our toes forward, but there are few similarities between walking and squatting. I have seen a small number of individuals that can squat with their toes pointed forward (less than 5 %). Most individuals have to point or flare the toes outward in a five of one o'clock or ten of two o'clock position. The flaring actually helps orient the head of the femur in the pelvis's socket type joint. A simple experiment to determine the need to flare is to hang from bar and let your feet dangle. Do the toes point straight or out slightly? Another way to test this is to squat with the toes straight ahead. If your hips feel like they are binding as you approach parallel, simply flare the toes out while in that position and you will suddenly get the appropriate depth. This foot positioning has no negative effect on the function of the muscles used in the squat (Boyden,et al, 2000; Signorile, et al, 1995; Escamilla, et al, 2001) 

Myth #5 Squats are for the quads!
If any of you have squatted in earnest, you know that not only do your quads get sore but also your glutes, adductors and hamstrings. The only way to isolate the quads in the squat would be to do them on your toes and even then the glutes will be involved. The hamstrings play the role of helping to maintain the upright posture as well as keeping the shin from moving forward during the squat. The hams and glutes also play a role in extending the thigh while the quads are extending the knees. In looking specifically at the hamstrings, they tend to be more active in the ascent phase and it has been suggested that the length of the hamstrings during the squat changes minimally (Escamiila, et al, 1997; Wilk, et al, 1996). The often forgotten adductors also play a role in stabilizing the leg and also in the role of thigh extensor. This myth can get complicated when individuals discuss the width of stance in the squat stating that wide (outside of shoulder width) will affect the muscles differently than a narrow stance (inside shoulder width). It has been shown that in narrow stance squats the gastrocnemius, one of the calf muscles, is more active when compared to wide stance squats. However, no other muscle differences have been found (McCaw & Melrose 1999; Tesch, 1993). The width of your stance should be determined by your comfort with the stance and your ability to get to parallel. If you can't reach parallel with a narrow stance then widen your feet. Another simple rule to follow is if you have long legs and a short torso you will typically need to squat with a wide stance while the opposite of short legs and long torso can use a narrower stance. This will decrease the amount of lean required for the long legged, short torso lifter. The short legged, long torso squatter can be narrower since he need less lean to keep the bar over his foot. 

Myth #6 In squats the bar placement doesn't matter
Bar placement does matter and it can enhance your ability in the lift if you have the right placement. Bar placement when in tune with your stance, can make all the difference in the world with your squat performance. The two typical placements are high bar where the bar sits on top of the traps below your 7th cervical vertebrae and low bar where the bar is placed across the posterior deltoid or on top of the scapula. In either case create a solid foundation, for the bar to sit on, by lifting the elbows posteriorly toward the ceiling. Some guidelines I suggest if you are that long legged, short torso person is to squat with the bar in a high bar position. This will lessen the degree of forward lean you will have to achieve to keep the bar over your foot during the squat. For the long torso, short leg person the low bar position is advantageous because it will allow you to stand more upright and will reduce the work done by the low back. In Sweden a study was conducted using weight lifters (high bar) and powerlifters (low bar). In this study the high bar squatters tended to distribute the load more evenly across the knee and hip while the low bar lifters put more load in the hips joint. The low bar lifters handled the heaviest weight in the study but showed lower force values at the knee joint than the high bar squatters. When they looked at the hams and quads involvement they found that the low bar squatters had more activity in both sets of muscles than the high bar squatters and that the low bar squatters had more hamstring activity than the high bar (Wretenberg, et al, 1996). One note about this study was that there was no selection of bar position based on limb and torso lengths. If this had been considered I feel there would have been fewer significant differences between the two groups 

Myth #7 Squats will make your butt big
This will happen if you have the big butt gene. If your family has large rumps, then yes, it's a good chance that you have one already and squatting may enhance it. However, if you don't have this physical characteristic and no one in your family displays it, the likelihood of you getting a big butt from squatting is slim. In the case of having the big butt gene, squatting does not have to be eradicated from your program. Focus more on strength development by keeping the reps lower (5 and under) regardless of weight used. From my experience higher reps can put on the size when supported nutritionally. Alternatives like the front squat can also be used. 

Myth #8 Squat slow
Actually the way to squat is with controlled speed. The control relates to your ability to maintain correct posture during the entire movement. McLaughlin (1989) suggests that more experienced squatters lower their squat at speeds under 2 miles per hour or 2 feet, 10 inches per second. He recommends that 1 mph is better and that would be around 1.5 feet per second. So if you are about 6 feet tall, a full squat could have the bar traveling around 3 feet in distance. You would want to lower the bar down to parallel in a range of one to two seconds. I am more of a 1 second fan, but I feel that that speed plays a big role in athletic development. On the ascent you should move the bar as fast as you can with control. Your ability to maintain posture will always determine your speed. 

Workouts

The following workouts applies to both men and women.


The BIG 3 Lifts:
Squats

 It trains primarily the muscle of the thighs, hips and buttocks,hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body.


Deadlift

Deadlift is a compound movement that works grip strength with the erector spinae, gluteus maximus, adductor magnus,hamstrings, and quadriceps serving as the primary muscles. The remaining muscles are involved in stability control. It is, in a sense, the purest test of strength because it is one of the few lifts of dead weight (weight lying on the ground).


Bench Press

It  utilizes pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, long head of biceps brachii and coracobrachialis to flex the shoulder. It also uses predominately triceps brachii and anconeous to produce elbow extension. Wider hand spacing creates larger emphasis on shoulder flexion and narrower hand spacing utilises more elbow extension. Because of this a wider spacing is associated with working pectorals and narrower hand spacing is associated with working triceps.

In addition to the major phasic (dynamic) muscles the bench press also uses tonic (stabilising) muscles: scapular stabilisers (serratus anterior, middle and inferior trapezius), humeral head stabilisers (rotator cuff muscles), and core (transverse abdominis, obliques, multifidus, erector spinae, quadratus lumborum).

Beginners
Starting Strength

Workout A 
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
3x5 Deadlift

Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Barbell Rows


Sample:
Week 1
Monday: Workout A
Wed: Workout B
Friday: Workout A


Week 2
Monday: Workout B
Wed: Workout A
Friday: Workout B


The days are just an example but you can train any day of the week as long as they are 3 non-consecutive days.
Read more..


Intermediate Lifters (At least 4 months of lifting experience)
Bill Starr 5x5 Program


Advance (At least 8 months of lifting experience)

Day 1 (Monday) Quads,Hamstrings,Back,Biceps,Abs

4x Squats: 5 reps

4x Leg curls: 8-10 reps

4x Barbell Row: 8-10 reps

4x Bicep Curls: 10-12 reps

4x Abs Work: 15 reps

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Day 2 (Tuesday) Chest,Triceps

4x Bench Press: 5 reps

4x Incline Press(Barbell or DB): 8-10 reps

4x Decline Bench Press 8-10 reps

4x Tricep Isolation(Skull Crushers/Kick Backs etc.): 10-12 reps

4x Cable Crossovers/Chest Flies/Pec Deck 10-12 reps

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Day 4 (Thursday) Hamstrings,Back,Quads,Abs,Lower Back

4x Deadlifts: 5 reps

4x Pullups: 8 reps (30-40 Reps total)

4x Leg Press: 8-10 reps

4x Biceps Curls:10-12 reps

4x Abs Work: 15 Reps

1x Lower Back work:12-16 Reps

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Day 5/6 (Friday or Saturday) Chest,Shoulders,Traps,Calves

4x Military Press (Barbell or DB): 5 reps

4x Chest Dips/Arnold DB Press: 8-10 reps

4x Side Lateral Raise: 8-10 reps

2x Reverse Butterfly: 10-12 reps --> Switch to Chest flies/Pec Deck/Cable Crossovers every other week.

4x Trapezius work: 8-10 Reps

3x Calves Work: 12-16 Reps

Notes:

-Last set of accessory workouts must be a burnout set.

-Deload after 5-6 weeks.

• Deload- A "deload" is a period of time typically a week where either less intensity, volume and/or frequency, or a combination of all three is used to allow accumulated fatigue to dissipitate. A deload is usually recommended every 4-6 weeks (approx). An example would be to train just once or twice during that week using less intensity and/or volume than usual.

-Change Accessory Workouts every week. Don’t Change the ones in BOLD.

Accessory work outs: (Change accessory work outs every week) DB=dumbbells

• Chest : DB Bench, DB Incline, Chest Dips, Resistance-Pushups, Decline Bench Press, Pec-deck, Dumbbell Flies, Cable Cross-over
• Shoulders: DB military, Side Lateral Raise, Front Lateral Raise, Reverse Butterfly, Push-Press
• Back/Lats: DB Row, Chins, T-bar rows, Barbell Rows, Lat Pull downs, Pull ups
• Triceps: Triceps Pushdowns, Triceps Extension, Skull crusher, Kickbacks
• Biceps: Barbell curls, Hammer Curls, Preacher Curls
• Quadriceps: Leg extension, Leg Press, Hack Squat, Lunges
• Hamstrings: Leg Curls, Glutes-ham raise, Romanian Dead lifts
• Abs: Leg Raises, Sit-ups, Side Bends, Crunches, Abs Wheel, Cable Crunches
• Lower back: Hypers, Superman, Good mornings
• Trapezius: Dumbbell Shrugs, Power Shrugs, Upright Rows, Barbell Shrugs
• Calves: Standing Calf-raises, Donkey calf-raises, Seated Calf-raises

<big>De-load Routine</big>: Lift about 60-65% of the usual weight.

• Day 1: UPPER4 sets, 5-8 Reps with a maximum of 90sec. rest for each set.

Bench Press

Military Press/Push Press

Barbell Rows

Pull-Downs

• Day 2: LOWER 4 sets, 5-8 Reps with a maximum of 90sec. rest for each set.

Squats

Deadlifts

Lower Back

Abs Work

Notes:

-Perform a warm up for each compound movement to get your blood flowing and to prepare your body for the exercise you are about to perform.

Perform each rep in a controlled manner (No momentum).

-Keep rest periods short (60-90sec.)

-Try to add 2.5lbs-5lbs every week on your compound lifts i.e. Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Barbell Rows, Military Press.

-Record your progress on the compound lifts.