What exactly do you mean that I did not understand. What exactly to increase?
That was also my impression. However, I don’t know if I ever actually saw an article where he stated that in writing…
In any case, some later HIT gurus seemed to become obsessed with getting as much (momentary) inroad as possible in a single set, chasing runaway negatives, doing forced reps, “emptying the tank” as much as possible. It was never clear to me if there was clear evidence that this was better, or if it was just a case of assuming more must be better.
It should also be emphasized that this is a momentary decrease in muscle capability, which is somewhat different that the strength deficit that would exist 24 or 48 hours after a hard training session.
This can be a point of confusion.
I believe that intensity, as a measure of degree of effort, originated in the HIT community. In academic circles, intensity traditionally meant the level of force relative to your maximum capability, e.g., % of 1RM.
These days, it is probably safest to state whether you mean intensity of effort or intensity of load, just to avoid misunderstanding.
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Thanks Al! I happen to utilize the academic interpretation when I estimate my max effort on a set. This helps planning my next workout, did I reach 90% on a certain weight? Should I stay or progress in weight next workout? It sure helps, but the energy level of the day may differ. It’s all a matter of keeping track of progression.
Sorry for being vague!
Average Al pointed out that the definition of intensity can vary greatly depending upon whom you are talking to. I avoid these discussions. Inroad is not defined by scientific methods yet!, and cannot be measured!
The thing is that as one ages, high intensity can result in injuries when using higher percentages of 1RM!
Inroad into muscular strength can occur with lighter weights. It just takes longer. Also, no movement needs to occur to inroad deeply. Metabolic work occurs during isometrics. Maybe Doc Ziegler had it right years ago with isometrics. He certainly got the drugs right.
Hope this helps! I should have remained silent on this subject… oh well!
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I thought you alluded that you can use inroad to determine ideal rep range. I was responding to that.
Yeah but in recent years, even science is using the term intensity akin to effort. That intensity as the RM load was quite stupid IMO.
And inroad isn’t a measurable thing a person gauges during a workout, Darden talks about it in one of his older books. It’s more about choosing the load your using where you hit failure. But I’d say in reality, it probably is pretty related to growth stimulation. One of my best growth routines were with multiple drop sets which caused a huge ‘inroad’. After 3-5 supersets with drop sets, the fatigue level was off the charts and I grew faster than ever.
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However, it depends on how heavy the weights are and how advanced your lift is. If someone squats with 400 pounds for the maximum, for him to train with 85-90% will be much more stressful than someone who squats with 200 pounds. On the other hand, when you train with heavier weights in low reps you usually train with less volume. And it depends on what is meant by low repetitions. If, for example, my maximum is 200 pounds and I train in 5x3x85%, in general my total volume will be 2,550 pounds, and if I do 3x10x70%, my total volume will be 4,200 pounds. In the end, my joints will be exposed to a lot more repetitions and friction (twice as much work as volume), which sometimes raises the question of whether heavy weights are really more dangerous. Personally, I do not have any pain with less volume and weights of 85-90%.
But lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about the benefits of a man like me who is chasing a 50-year-old to train with such heavy weights.
Personally, I’m not strong, but it’s still a burden on the body if you often train with 80-90% of your maximum lift. After all, the health benefits for the body and muscles can be provided by many other exercises that do not include squats and deadlifts. Even if you only train on machines, it will still be useful. Well, of course, you will not be so strong, but many of us do not have the ambition to go to bodybuilding competitions or powerlifting. Squats and deadlifts have many benefits for the body, but notice - if performed correctly. And the chance that in a training session the performance is incorrect and will bring serious problems is very high. I’m not saying: don’t squat, I’m just putting the pros and risks on the scales.
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You seem to have a firm grasp of the salient concepts. I will remain as silent as possible hereafter.