If there’s one body weight exercise that is the staple for upper body strength, it’s the pull up. Many otherwise strong and fit looking men and women struggle just to do a few solid reps.
If you’re struggling to get your numbers up, then this article is for you. I have the simplest and most effective methods for increasing pull ups that have worked for myself and for many others. It isn’t fancy. It isn’t complicated. But, it works. And that’s all that matters.
If you can’t do a single pull up, I recommend starting out using Pull up resistance bands, and spending some time focusing on getting stronger before you start trying to boost your numbers.
What won’t work
I always like to start off with the common mistakes people make when trying to achieve a goal. In this case, the biggest mistake I see (and have made myself) is trying to do way too much volume.
Following someone else’s 200 pull ups per day method isn’t going to work for you if you can only get a few solid reps. Even if you can do 10 right now. It just isn’t necessary to kill yourself with hundreds of reps!
Check out these two simple methods, then read on to see how you can use them together to boost your pull up numbers dramatically.
Greasing the Groove
“Greasing the Groove” is a term coined by Pavel Tsatsouline, the legendary Russian Trainer. It means performing a movement often, without going to failure or using heavy resistance. The purpose is to reinforce the movement pattern.
The human body is an amazing machine. It is always seeking efficiency: The ability to perform tasks using the least amount of energy. If we repeat something often, we reinforce the neuromuscular efficiency of that movement.
Repetition teaches the nervous system to more efficiently recruit muscle fibers to perform the movement.
**If you don’t have access to a gym, get a Doorway Pull up Bar and do them from home!
How to “Grease the Groove.”
To use this method, simply perform a set of one or two pull ups periodically throughout the day, keeping a count of how many total reps you’re doing. Start with a low number like 10 or 20 each day and slowly increase that number over time.
Using this method, you shouldn’t be going for max reps or pushing the envelope at all. You simply perform a couple reps, and then go on about your business.
The Once a Day Max Rep Set
A few years ago, while preparing for a military training, I had a goal of being able to do 20 pull ups. At the time I was able to get 8-10.
I researched several methods and took advice from a lot of people. I tried using pyramids and my numbers actually suffered. Every approach I used involved high volume. I was doing hundreds of pull ups, but I still couldn’t get more than 10 in one set.
Then I ran into a trainer who really changed my perspective on the whole problem. He told me to just do one set every day of as many reps as possible, then leave it alone. Fast forward about 6 weeks from that day, and vuola! I got 21 pull ups!
How to use the once a day max rep method
This is probably the easiest method possible. And while I know people love fancy programs and schemes, all that matters at the end of the day is what works. And this works.
Simply perform one set of max reps of pull ups each day. It’s tempting to want to do more, but don’t. We have it ingrained in us that more is better. But this is a myth in a lot of ways, and training smarter is a real thing.
You can expect that your numbers will go up and down periodically. Don’t be discouraged, as there will be an upward trend if you just continue the process.
Combine the methods
Now that you understand these methods, let me give you a template I’ve used to get really big improvements in pull ups. You can simply alternate between the two methods, taking one day per week off completely.
If you work out, just perform your pull ups at the beginning of the workout and then go about your training as you usually do.
Conclusion
Most people want to be able to do more pull ups. It’s always impressive to watch someone jump up and bang out 20 solid reps on the bar. And that can be you!
To recap, we discussed:
Greasing the Groove: repeating a movement often to reinforce movement patterns. This means not going to failure, but doing a few reps repeatedly throughout the day.
Neuromuscular efficiency: The nervous system learns to perform a movement more efficiently, recruiting more muscle fibers faster, using the least amount of energy.
Once a Day method: Performing one set of max reps each day.
Follow these methods for 6 weeks, and let me know how much your numbers improved!
Until next time, thanks for being here, and I hope this article helps you get a little bit closer to that best version of you.
*Note: This article contains affiliate links. Any item purchases comes at no additional cost to you, and is considered a quality product by us.
Mike (Supastrong)
Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach and personal trainer. I’ve run boot camps and served as the wellness coordinator for a fortune 500 company. Currently a Federal Agent in San Diego, CA, and an Infantryman in the Army Reserve.
So you want to run faster, do you? Welcome to the article that’s going to help you get there. If you follow these principles, there’s no doubt you’ll be a faster runner, and an all around better conditioned, well oiled machine.
I’ve used these principles on myself, as well as on athletes I’ve trained. As a conditioning coach, running is an exciting way to see clear progress by improving energy systems and getting the body to adapt and improve.
Who this program is for
This article and program is for anyone who has a goal of running faster, and has at least some experience running. If you’re just starting or looking to start, check out this program for beginners
Where to Start
In order to know you’re getting faster, you have to have a reference to look back on. Before you start doing anything, get out there and time yourself on a run. Whether it’s 1 mile, or 5 miles, you’ll use that time to measure future progress.
What limits your speed right now?
If you had to go out and run a mile right now as fast as you can… what would stop you from doing it faster?
What is it that determines how fast we can run?
Once we understand what’s limiting our performance, we can seek to improve those areas. As a result, getting faster will be all but guaranteed.
5 Areas to Improve Running Speed
We’ll break it down to 5 components. We can then make a plan on how we’re going to attack our goal of getting faster. We’ll basically be rebuilding the engine. (or beefing it up, if it’s already a strong engine).
Aerobic Power, also known as VO2 Max – The maximum amount of oxygen your body can use.
Cardiac Output – the amount of blood your heart pumps with each beat.
Lactate Threshold – The point at which lactate begins to accumulate in your blood.
Recovery – Remember, your body improves and adapts only when you actually recover from your training. If you need help, check out my article: How to Recover Faster From Your Workouts
Run Faster – Plan of Attack
Now it’s time to dive in and plan out how we’re going to train to get faster. It’s important to understand that no one method is going to work. You need to include a lot of variety to get big improvements in your aerobic abilities.
First I’m going to give you the methods you’ll use, and then I’ll show you how to specifically program these methods into your weekly schedule.
Methods
*From Lowest to Highest Intensities
Cardiac Output
Cardiac Output sessions are designed to train your heart to pump more blood per beat. They are the foundation of any training program. These sessions will:
Build overall endurance and work capacity
Increase the size of the left ventricle of the heart
Improve your recovery abilities, during and after training.
Cardiac Output sessions will be longer, slower cardiovascular training days. These should last at least 30 minutes, up to 90 minutes.
During these lower-intensity sessions, you should aim to keep your heart rate between 130-150 beats per minute. For this reason, I highly recommend using a heart rate monitor to make sure you’re training in the right zone. You can also use it to measure your resting heart rate in the morning.
The Polar H10 is what I’ve used for years. It’s highly accurate and well made with all the features you’d want. It’s $86 on Amazon and worth every penny if you’re serious about your training goals.
80/20 Training Split
Research shows that programs with 80% low/moderate intensity and 20% high intensity training are optimal for performance gains. If you think elite runners are training with high intensity all the time, you’re mistaken.
High Intensity Continuous Training (HICT)
HICT sessions are designed to improve the oxidative (aerobic) capabilities of your fast twitch muscle fibers.
Choose a compound movement, like a step up, squat jump or push up.
Perform for a set period of time with 3-5 seconds of rest after each rep.
For example.. Do jump squats for 8 minutes, performing one rep every 3-5 seconds.
Continuous High Intensity Running (CHI)
Not the same thing as HICT. Continuous high intensity means running for a set period of time at the maximum speed you can maintain for the entire time.
For example: Run for 10 minutes at as fast of a pace as you can maintain the whole time. Over time, try to either run at a faster pace or add time, or both.
Threshold Training
Threshold training is designed to improve your lactate threshold. Lactate threshold is essentially the “point of no return.” Once you cross the threshold, fatigue sets in quickly and you cannot maintain your pace.
Specifically, we want to be able to run faster at threshold. This means that the aerobic system is able to clear out lactate, and you can continue at your pace, for longer. We’ll use:
3-5 minute intervals running at a pace that feels like a 7/10 perceived exertion, mixed with 2 minutes of walking/easy rest. The pace should be hard, but not “too hard.”
High Intensity Interval Training/Power Intervals
HIIT and Power intervals are the highest intensity training we’ll use, and they should be treated with respect. These sessions will improve aerobic power. They’re also very hard, and will improve mental toughness when done at true high intensity (max effort).
For these sessions, you can use:
400 meter sprints, followed by 400 meters of walking/recovery. We want full recovery before each sprint.
If 400 meters is too difficult, sprint 200 meters instead
Hill Sprints. Find a hill or use a treadmill with a 10% incline. We’re looking for 2-3 minutes of high intensity, followed by 3-6 minutes of walking/recovery.
Recovery
Recovery is just as important as any training day. Without recovering from your workouts, you cannot reap the benefits of all the work you’re putting in. As a result, you’ll be wasting effort and potentially burning yourself out or getting injured.
I have a whole article on recovery here. Make sure your low intensity days stay low intensity. It can be tempting to push the pace. Wait for the higher intensity days and then you can push as hard as you can.
Programming
Now we’re getting down to business. The most important part to planning your training is figuring out how to split your training up to:
Maximize improvements and adaptations
Maximize recovery
Minimize injuries and burnout
The Program
The program is broken down into two week blocks. Week A and Week B.
Perform the 2 weeks, then, to ensure progression:
Increase Cardiac output days by 5 minutes every 2 weeks.
Increase HICT days by 2 minutes every 2 weeks.
Increase HIIT sprints/power intervals by adding one interval every 2 weeks.
Threshold training, add one additional repetition every 2 weeks
Run Faster Program: Week A
Run Faster Program: Week B
Wrapping it up
Run this program for 6-8 weeks, then retest yourself. You should see a pretty dramatic improvement in your speed, and you should be in much better condition.
Final Tips
I said it earlier, but it’s worth mentioning again. Training with a heart rate monitor can really help make your workouts more focused and specific. As a result, you can ensure you’re training in the right zone for the adaptations you’re trying to get from your workout.
The Polar H10 is a great, affordable option that can really take your training to the next level. I’m recommending it because I know it’s great.
Conclusion
When you’re trying to accomplish any goal, it always helps to have a plan. going about it without a plan is like looking for something in the dark.
Remember to monitor your levels of fatigue. You can always scale things down if it feels too hard, or up if it’s too easy. It’s your body. Listen to it and make sure you prioritize rest and recovery.
These are methods that I know can work, because I’ve used them on myself and on others. I’ve run a 6 minute mile at 240 pounds using these techniques.
Thanks for being here, and I hope this helps you get a little closer to that best version of yourself.
Mike (Supastrong)
Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach and personal trainer. I’ve run boot camps and served as the wellness coordinator for a fortune 500 company. Currently a Federal Agent in San Diego, CA, and an Infantryman in the Army Reserve.
If you’re reading this post, then congratulations.. you’re looking to improve yourself, and that’s what I’m here for. By following this 6 week beginners running program, you can start running and dramatically improve your fitness and running ability. You won’t be winning marathons, but you’ll be noticeably better and more fit. So are you in? Let’s do this!
You can skip straight to the actual running program if you want, but I highly recommend taking the time to read the article. You have a goal, and you landed here.. so soak it all up if you have the time.
Who am I To Write a Beginners Running Program?
I don’t usually feel it’s necessary to add a section like this.. but, when it comes to taking advice on anything fitness related.. I think I’d want to know who I’m taking the advice from. My Author Bio is at the bottom, so feel free to check it out.
Now let’s get on to more interesting topics…
Why This Program is Better Than Others
There are many ways to reach a goal, and many different approaches to start running. When I searched on Pinterest and google for “beginner running program,” I found a bunch of programs using nothing but intervals.
Every program I saw was: Day one, run 4 minutes, walk 2 minutes, repeat 5 times. Day two, run 5 minutes, walk 2 minutes, repeat 5 times…
This approach can work to some degree, but it is one dimensional and not a well thought out program. This program will build your aerobic power and capacity, strength, and endurance. It will improve your fitness on a much broader scale, using different methods and building you up over a 6 week period.
Common Mistakes New Runners Make When They Start Running
First things first, let’s discuss a few common mistakes people make when they start out with a new goal of starting to run. It usually looks something like this:
First, they think about starting for a long time. Then they finally get out there and start running. Having no program or strategy, they try to run too much, and end up either giving up, burning out, or getting injured. Or, they forget their orginal motivation and lose the desire.
The most common mistakes I’ve seen
Running too frequently: You have to build up to higher volumes of any physical activity so your body can adapt to it. More is NOT better.
Doing the same thing every time you work out: Variety is necessary to improve your aerobic fitness and work capacity. Repetitive stress injuries are a real thing.
Not having enough desire, or having unclear goals.. They go hard for a couple weeks, then fizzle out.
Trying to do too much, and losing motivation when they see no progress: Progress = Motivation. Read that again.. small goals are achievable and add up to big goals. You don’t get from A to B overnight. Seeing progress is the most motivating thing that can happen. This running program is built around that concept.
3 Things To Do Before You Start Running
Write down your “Why.” In one sentence.. Why do you want to start running? Having a why can be the difference between quitting and winning.
Have you failed in the past? Why? Write down what you’ll do this time when you are in that same situation.
Commit to finishing the 6 weeks. Finish what you start, no matter what.
Here is your 6 week beginners running program. There are a few terms you might want to get familiar with. Nothing too complicated.
Terms
Long Slow Distance (LSD): An easy run or cardio session. You should be able to carry a conversation. If you cannot run for 20 minutes, then walk fast. You can also use any cardio machine.. elliptical, stair climber..etc..
Continuous High Intensity: Run for the prescribed time at as fast a pace as you can maintain for the whole time (8 minutes for week 1).
Max Reps: As many as you can do with good form. If you can’t do a push up, do them elevated.. like on a table or a bench.
Intervals: Periods of higher intensity followed by periods of low intensity. Basically, sprinting then walking. When walking, focus on breathing and recovering. When sprinting, work as hard as you can. The biggest improvements will come from these sessions.
Rest: Relax, go for a walk, light stretching.. no training.
Week 1: Start Running
Week 1 starts off with a test. Go out and run a mile and a half and see how long it takes. Don’t stress about it. If it’s slow, that’s fine. If you have to walk part of it, that’s fine too. Just get it done, record the time, and take a victory for the day.
**Tip: Save these pictures so you can easily pull them up and know exactly what you’ll need to do each day. This is why I chose to use this format, and I hope it is helpful.
Week 2: Getting in the Zone
Hope you’re rested from the weekend. Remember your Why. Each training day completed is a small victory. Do your best, and don’t worry about your performance.. as long as you’re putting in effort, it’s a victory. You’ll notice We’re adding just a little bit each week. That’s called progression.
We’re introducing intervals in Week 2. Just run fast for 30 seconds, then walk for 60 seconds. Keep moving.
Week 3: Movin on Up
More of the same. Push on, have fun. Have faith. Your fitness is improving and you’re almost halfway through the program.
Week 4: The Crucible
I’m calling week 4 the crucible because this is around the time a lot of people quit. They get sidetracked, make excuses or forget their original motivation. Don’t be that person. Finish what you started. This is the last week before we move to 4 training days/week. Remember your Why!
Notice the intervals have changed to 60 second sprints with 120 seconds walking.
Week 5: Almost There
2 weeks left in the program. We will now begin training 4 days per week. Adding an additional day is a big step in a program. You can reap more benefits from the additional training, and can do so without running yourself into the ground… because you’ve earned the work capacity.
Week 6: The Home Stretch
Your final week. If you made it here, I salute you. I get goosebumps when people have the discipline and heart to see things through. The last week will be the hardest, but you should be ready for it by now.
What’s Next?
If you finished this 6 week program, I have no doubt that you’ve made some big improvements to your overall fitness and in your running ability. After a good weekend of rest, Retest yourself in the 1.5 mile run.
The next thing you MUST do is let me know the results!
If you’d like to learn more about training and fitness, I have a few articles that I think would benefit you a lot: I love the science of strength and conditioning and how the body adapts and improves.. it’s all really amazing.
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you did, I’d love to hear about it. Follow this blog and I can promise I’ll do my best to get you quality content that can help you continue to improve your fitness and get to that best version of you!
Thanks for being here!
SupaStrong
Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach, personal trainer and formerly an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. I’ve run boot camps and served as the wellness coordinator for a fortune 500 company. Currently a Federal Agent in San Diego, CA, and an Infantryman in the Army Reserve.
Is HIIT harmful? Can it damage your health and fitness? It all depends how you use it…
Snapshot:
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has become a popular training method for squeezing in a workout in a small amount of time.
Failure to balance high and low intensity training methods can hurt your fitness and your health. HIIT is a powerful tool to be respected.
HIIT, performed properly, can improve several markers of fitness, both aerobic and anaerobic, heart rate recovery and peak power output. (1)
High Intensity Training has infiltrated almost every corner of the fitness landscape. But is HIIT actually improving, or sabotaging your health and fitness level?
What is HIIT?
High Intensity Interval Training refers to any workout in which you are:
Working out at greater than 90% of your max heart rate
Using maximum-intensity periods of work followed by rest periods
Examples: Interval Sprints, High Intensity Circuits done for 3 minutes with a short rest period between sets.
The Allure of HIIT
HIIT is the preferred method of many with limited time to work out. The rationale is, you can squeeze a quick HIIT workout in 20 minutes and get the same benefit as an hour of a normal workout. For the majority of us with crazy busy lives, HIIT offers a convenient solution.
Many also believe that performing such high intensity training simply must be more beneficial. After all, it’s harder and requires you to really push yourself when compared to an hour of lower intensity training. It’s the widely accepted misconception that more is better.
The Problem
Too much HIIT causes a massive recovery debt and chronic stress-state
I hate to be the one to kill a good vibe.. but I feel like it’s my duty to expose this problem so you can hopefully have a better understanding of what you’re actually doing in the gym and to your body and mind.
First off, I have to be clear that I’m not saying that HIIT training is “Bad.” There are actually plenty of studies that show some really amazing results, and I’ll cover that later. But….
To understand the problem with too much HIIT training, you have to understand a few things about your body and how it responds to stress:
Stress, from anything.. be it work stress, being stuck in traffic, relationship stress, or really intense physical demands.. is registered by the body in a similar way.
The sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) is activated in response to stress, dumping stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, into the body.
Keeping your body in a state of constant, chronic stress is the opposite of promoting health and fitness. The body cannot recover, build muscle or improve any markers of fitness when it is in a chronic state of stress.
The main take-away here is that HIIT training is INTENSE… and it takes your body a lot longer than you think to actually fully recover from it. A really high intensity trainings session can take several days to recover from.
What You’re doing to Your Body
use both forms of training for optimal fitness gains
Overdosing yourself with too much high intensity training is causing you to accumulate an ever increasing recovery debt. Your body is never fully recovered, and is being forced back into a sympathetic, stress dominant state over and over. Sooner or later, something will give.
The massive amounts of energy being demanded by constant stress will be recruited from other areas.. your immune system, your cognitive function.. and a host of other functions you probably don’t want to mess with. The end result is a reduction in actual fitness and health.
New Research into HIIT and Overtraining
A new study by Les Mills Lab found that 40 minutes a week of HIIT training was optimal for most people. Beyond this amount of high intensity training, most people will not reap additional benefits and will in fact become more fatigued. Read about the study by Les Mills here.
How Much HIIT is Optimal?
The answer to this question depends on your current level of fitness and the nature of the training. Remember that HIIT refers to training at maximum intensity (at least 90% of max heart rate).
For 90% of people out there, there is absolutely no need for more than 2 true high intensity training days per week. Elite athletes rarely ever go beyond 3 days per week, and even then it is only for a short time.
So how much is optimal? Well, if you’re in pretty good shape, 2 days per week would be optimal. If you’re out of shape, 1-2 days per week is where I’d recommend starting. If you feel like you’re in great shape, you can utilize HIIT up to 3 times per week, but definitely keep an eye on your fatigue, and if you’re that serious about your fitness, you can use things like heart rate variability to check in on your body and see if it’s being overstressed.
Now that I’ve sufficiently killed the HIIT vibe, let me backpedal a bit.. To be clear, HIIT is not a bad thing. It is actually a well researched, highly productive form of training.. Studies have shown that you can improve aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, get leaner and stronger utilizing high intensity interval training.
A 2017 study by Frontiers in Physiology found that high intensity interval training was superior to lower intensity training, showing improved:
Anaerobic power
Heart rate recovery
Neuromuscular status (peak power)
Conclusion
So what are we to make of all this? HIIT can cause big improvements in fitness, but can also damage fitness.. what do we do?
Balance is always the key to growth
Knowledge really is power. HIIT is a powerful tool in your arsenal, with the capacity to dramatically improve your conditioning and fitness. But it is to be respected…
Your training week should include a lower intensity training day for each high intensity day. This way you can reap the benefits of both types of training, without putting your body in a constant state of stress. Lower intensity training promotes recovery and parasympathetic function.
These 10 Fitness tips can help take your workout game to the next level. Get stronger, Improve faster, and crush new goals .
Note: This article contains affiliate links to products I believe in and use. They come at no additional cost to you.
Progress = Motivation
It’s undeniable that progress is the driving force that keeps us motivated to push ourselves forward.
There’s nothing better than seeing hard work result in real changes to our body and our abilities.
It’s critical, then, to make sure you’re doing the right things to keep progress rolling forward.
Sooner or later, we all reach a point where changes need to be made. We plateau, and many lose motivation or become complacent and just go through the motions, repeating the same routine for months or years with little results to show for it.
Here are 10 things you can do to take your workouts, your fitness and your life to the next level. You might just find something that can restart your motivation and get you moving forward to that best version of yourself, where you belong!
Tip #1: Keep a Workout Journal
Keeping a workout Journal will allow you to:
Track Progress over time
See what was working for you in the past when you run into problems in the present
“Compete” against yourself using past performances in any type of workout
Analyze exactly what you’re doing, and how much you’re doing, compared to the results you’re getting.
Great coaches and trainers will always have their clients keep a workout journal. Having access to past workouts can be invaluable.
There are plenty of free apps you can use. I use “Day One Journal.” It’s free and easy to use. It also allows you to place “tags” on all your workouts, so you can easily reference them when you need to.
Advanced
You can dive a lot deeper into this, if you’re a more serious athlete.. You could be tracking things like your resting heart rate each morning and/or your heart rate variability. You could also have some specific workout “tests” you can repeat to measure progress.
Tip #2: Use a Heart Rate Monitor
Example of a Training Session with a HR monitor
Using a heart rate monitor can change the way you work out completely.
You can be specific about what you’re trying to accomplish in your workout by using different heart rate zones for different outcomes.
For example, training for 30 minutes with your heart rate between 110-120 would be a low intensity cardio session, stimulating recovery.
30 minutes with the heart rate between 130-150 would be stimulating cardiac output.. training the heart to pump more blood per beat and enlarging the left ventricle, improving aerobic fitness.
Training for 30 minutes with a HR at 155-170 would be training for aerobic power, and would be a much higher intensity session.
I highly recommend the Polar H10 heart rate monitor. Polar really can’t be beat in this department, and this model is both affordable and accurate. It’s also full of great features.
If you’re more advanced, a heart rate monitor can be even more useful. You can track how long it takes your heart rate to recover after intense activity, with the goal of increasing your one minute heart rate recovery over time. You can also keep track of your resting heart rate by testing it first thing in the morning. A low resting heart rate is the surest sign of improving aerobic fitness.
Tip #3: Have a Clear Goal
If you ask people in the gym what their goals are, you’d get all kinds of answers.
From experience as a trainer I can tell you, most people don’t really know exactly what they’re trying to accomplish. They say things like “I just want to gain muscle and lose weight,” or, “I want to get in shape.”
These are not clear, definite goals. A goal should be something like; “I want to lose 15lbs in the next 8 weeks,” or, “I want to gain 5lbs of muscle and be at 10% body fat by May 1st.”
Goals should be: SMART
Specific – What exactly do you want to accomplish?
Measurable – Don’t just say “lose weight.” Say, I’m going to lose 10lbs.
Achievable – You aren’t going to add 100lbs to your bench press in 30 days. Remember, Progress = Motivation.. Set yourself up to achieve small goals that are attainable, and they will add up to big changes.
Relevant – If you’re training for a marathon, your goals should be relevant to that.. too many people have conflicting goals like, I want to get bigger, lose weight, get stronger, get leaner and run faster.
Timely – Goals should have a time-frame. If you want to add 50lbs to your bench press, say: “I’ll add 50lbs to my bench press in 6 months by doing _______.”
Have clear goals, and be able to express how you’re going to accomplish the goal. If you don’t know how, then that is why trainers have jobs, and there is plenty of information out there as well. It’s your goal, and your responsibility to go after it!
Tip #4: Use High Intensity Training Carefully
Too many people are obsessed with HIIT workouts. And it’s true, HIIT can be a highly effective way to achieve a range of fitness goals. But HIIT training comes at a cost, as it takes considerable energy for your body to recover from a constant beat-down of high intensity effort.
A study by Les Mills Lab concluded that 40 minutes of HIIT training per week was optimal for most people, with added training being detrimental to fitness and performance.
High intensity training, or HIIT, should be utilized no more than twice per week. Even elite athletes rarely go above 3 days per week, and even then it is only for short training cycles.
your bodies simply cannot recover enough to adapt to that much high intensity effort, and so short term gains in performance will soon turn to a massive recovery debt, and your workouts and your well-being will suffer the consequences.
Fitness is best improved by using a variety of different intensities and methods. Keep the HIIT to 1-2 days per week and utilize other methods, low and moderate intensity training on the other days.
There are several ways you can help speed boost your workout recovery. I’ll list a few here from my article: 10 Ways to Boost Workout Recovery:
Recovery Workouts: lower intensity workouts to stimulate blood flow and recovery the day after a high intensity workout.
Compression clothing: Compression can reduce muscle damage and soreness. Check out 2XU Compression Pants if you want real compression.
Pre Workout Protein and Carbs: Pre workout nutrition is often overlooked and has a big impact on recovery.
Massage/Relaxation
Massages and any other form of deep relaxation can be very beneficial.. as they help nudge the body into a parasympathetic recovery state. Studies have shown that massage can reduce Delayed onset muscle soreness by 30%.
Take care of yourself. Focus as much on recovery as you do on working out and training, and you will reap much greater rewards from your efforts and stay in the game a lot longer.
#6 Switch Up Your Training Every 6-10 Weeks
After 6-10 weeks of focusing on one aspect of your training (strength, endurance, size, etc..) your progress is sure to slow down and eventually come to a halt.
For this reason, smart athletes Periodize their training. This means they place more focus in one area for a period of time (usually 6-8 weeks), and then switch their focus. This allows for constant progress.
This doesn’t mean that you completely disregard other areas of fitness. You simply place less emphasis on them so you can focus a little more in another area. If you’re going to try to get stronger for 6-8 weeks, you can add an extra day or two of strength training, and do a little less cardio/endurance work during that time.
Periodizing your training will give you the best chance at continuous progress and is the best long term strategy to follow for optimal gains in fitness.
#7 Use The Right Supplements
If you walk into any supplement store, you are bombarded with literally thousands of different supplements all claiming to have incredible results.
It’s really important to understand that these supplement companies are not bound by the FDA, and can make all sorts of claims that aren’t necessarily true at all.
Keep it simple. There are supplements backed by a ton of research showing they work, and exactly how they work and what they DO.
Once you understand this, all you have to do is choose the right ones to help you with your goals. If your only goal is losing weight, creatine probably isn’t going to benefit you, regardless of what the label claims.
Supplements That Actually Work
Creatine
-Increase Power/Power Endurance -Increase Strength -Increase size -Use for heavy/max lifting, short sprinting, HIIT
L-Citrulline
-Increase Nitric Oxide -Vasodilator – Improved blood flow -Gives a “pump” when lifting -Use for higher volume lifting, strength/size, HIIT
Antioxidant Supplements
-Tart Cherry, Turmeric, other similar products -Reduce Inflammation -Using frequently can hinder the body’s natural ability to control inflammation from your training.
Caffeine
-You know it works! -Decreased perceived exertion/makes exercise feel easier -Can train longer without feeling fatigue -Increases motivation to work harder -Regular use/tolerance diminishes effectiveness
Beta-Alanine
-Decreases perceived exertion -Can work at higher intensities for longer/delays fatigue -Use for longer sessions, endurance training, HIIT
BCAA’s
-Branched Chain Amino Acids -Reduce muscle wasting during prolonged training -Use during training if you havn’t eaten a pre-training meal or are training in a fasted state. -Use for longer duration sessions to spare muscle tissue
Use supplements that are complimentary to your Goals and proven to work.
I prefer to buy my supplements from Bulk Supplements. It’s cheaper, you get more, and it’s the supplement in pure form, with no added fillers.
#8 Always Perform a Warm up
One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in the gym is going straight into a workout without warming up.
The likelihood of getting injured can be reduced by performing a dynamic warm up; raising body temperature, increasing elasticity of the muscles and pushing blood into the joints.. creating a “cushion” and readying the body for more intense work.
Research has shown that performing a warm up can improve performance. Warming up properly can make you stronger and more powerful during your workout.
A Proper Warm-Up:
5-10 minutes of light cardiovascular activity, slowly building up to higher intensities
dynamic stretching (not static stretching where you hold for 30 seconds), and mobility work.
Lower intensity movements similar to what you plan on doing in your workout, gradually building up to working sets. If you’re going to be bench pressing, start out with some light presses, warm up the shoulders, etc..
Making sure you warm up will result in less injuries, and will lead to better performances in your workouts.
Research also shows that warming up may reduce the amount of soreness you experience after your workout. Keep your body healthy… use the warm up as a way to focus on the upcoming session and get your mind focused and your body ready to push new limits.
#9 Always Perform a Cool Down
There is less research pointing to the benefits of a cool down versus warming up.
Studies have shown some conflicting results with respect to using a cool down as a means to faster recovery from training. However, there are absolutely some very good reasons to incorporate a cool-down into your training sessions.
According to one study in the Journal of Sports Medicine, an active cool down may help prevent immune system depression and promote faster recovery from intense training sessions.
How to Cool-Down Properly
Perform light cardiovascular activity for 5 minutes, gradually reducing your heart rate as low as possible.
Perform some light stretching, focus on relaxing
Foam rolling is a good idea, if you have the time and the means
Assume a recovery position, anything where you feel relaxed.
Focus on driving the heart rate down as close to resting as possible. Spend 3-5 minutes in this position.
A good cool-down can help speed up the process of the body going into a parasympathetic recovery mode. Walking out of the gym amped up with your heart rate rate still in the training zone isn’t a great idea.
#10 Never Neglect Your Aerobic Fitness.. Your Life May Depend on it.
Regardless of what your goals are, having at least a base level of aerobic fitness is paramount to your overall health and longevity. There are very direct links to aerobic fitness and mortality risks.
A massive study of more than 122,000 people foundthat the higher your level of cardio-respiratory fitness, the less chance you have of dying from all causes.
The importance of this study cannot be overstated. Aerobic fitness reduces mortality risks across the board, with NO upper limit observed. The better your aerobic fitness, the less chance you have of dying, period!
This doesn’t mean you have to turn yourself into an endurance athlete. Training the aerobic system is simple and can be done with 3-5 sessions per week of low-moderate intensity cardiovascular sessions.
You can incorporate some extra cardio into almost any training program. Check out my article related to this Here.
Conclusion
I hope this was helpful for you. If you take your workouts and your goals seriously, there is no doubt that incorporating some, or all of the 10 ideas in this list can be of great benefit to you. They certainly have been for me, and I’ve been doing this for a long time!
Continue to improve and find that best version of yourself!
Let me know what you think with a comment, or email me at Contact@supastrong.net
Thanks for being here!!!
Mike (Supastrong)
Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach and personal trainer. I’ve run boot camps and served as the wellness coordinator for a fortune 500 company. Currently a Federal Agent in San Diego, CA, and an Infantryman in the Army Reserve.
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