Intensity is perhaps the most overlooked attribute to a person’s training plan, but also one of the easiest to change. But not only that, it’s one of the most impactful too.
Intensity works best, as any form of training does, when it is structured. Having a structure in place makes it much easier to track your results and assess how you’re progressing against your training goals.
If you want to increase your training intensity, try one (or all) of these:
Increase the load.
Don’t make it too easy for yourself. If muscle building is your goal, make sure you’re lifting a weight that challenges you. If you’re bashing out reps for fun, chances are the load isn’t heavy enough. You might be able to throw the bar around like a boss, but your muscles aren’t being stimulated enough to promote any real muscle development.
Reduce recovery times.
Whether you’re lifting weights or running on a treadmill, recovery time should directly reflect the output of a workout. By reducing this recovery time, you’re forcing your body to adapt quicker and respond to the greater demands placed on it. Your cardio vascular system will kick into overdrive in order to transport blood, oxygen and nutrients around the body during this increased state of activity.
Increase the volume.
If 3 sets is your typical set range per exercise, increase this to 4-5 sets every now and again. This will target your muscles at a time when they are already pre-fatigued, breaking down more muscle fibres for greater muscle growth.
The increased volume of total reps can also aid muscular endurance – a key factor in maintaining solid form during the latter stages of set reps.
If cardio is more your thing, why not run 4 x 500m splits instead of 3, or row an extra 500m split?
Mental Edge.
Sometimes you just need a mental edge. Turning up to a training session when you’re feeling tired or unfocused is a sure-fire way to have a bad workout. That’s why a pre workout can be a great go-to supplement when you feel like you need a bit of a kicker. Give ELEVATE™ a go – it’s our premium pre workout with over 13 active ingredients, now available in a world exclusive Cherry Cola flavour.
These are just a few simple examples of how you can tweak your existing training in order to bump up intensity levels for improved muscular development and cardiovascular fitness.
The key thing to remember is this: if it’s easy, it probably isn’t doing much by way of improvement. If it’s hard, you’re heading in the right direction.
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