HIT Training 101

            It is a well-accepted assumption that women and weight lifting do not mix.  They seek high repetition exercises in favor of the lower repetition variety to "sculpt” and "shape” for fear that they will look too "bulky”, like female bodybuilders.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  First, let me say that the female bodybuilders who have garnered themselves with a "bulky” appearance have achieved this feat through the assistance of a certain special vitamin (hopefully, you get my drift).

            It is not physically possible for any woman or man, for that matter, to achieve the heightened state of muscle mass without some sort of anabolic/androgenic assistance.  I can remember Bev Francis, a female bodybuilder during the 80’s, who could bench press 315 lbs. for several repetitions.  This is not normal.  This explanation in no way is meant to denigrate this type of athlete but to discover the actual reason for the enhanced muscularity rather than a merely perceived causation.  If you are really this big and are reading this, then you would fall into the 0.0000000001% of the genetically gifted population for whom this is possible.  If you are not this big, then please read on.

            Therefore, have no fear if you are seeking a natural means to improve upon your muscular composition.  No matter what your athletic/fitness/weight loss goals may be, a simple progressive overload in regards to properly stimulating muscular growth truly is the answer.  For instance, if you are only capable of bench-pressing the barbell, which is 45 lbs., for six repetitions, next time you enter the gym, simply shoot for a goal of an added 10 lbs. for the same amount of reps.

            My first few clients had the same sort of look in their eyes (like the proverbial deer caught in headlights) after they were taken through a workout routine.  They looked at me and said, "That’s it?”  The purpose of any exercise should be to 1) stimulate the muscle, 2) recuperate and 3) grow.  When this cycle has been completed, simply repeat the process.

            Second, performing high repetition exercises utilize the weakest of the muscle fibers, the slow twitch.  These fibers are designed for endurance, not muscle building.  Prolonged use of these fibers can actually cause the body to shed what it considers as an extra burden, i.e. valuable muscle, in order to endure an excess of repetitions and eventually move into a destructive catabolic state.  It is also noteworthy that a low to moderate intensity of high repetition exercise, either cardio or weight lifting, is not enough to stimulate an adaptive response from muscle tissue.  Muscle must recognize the stimulus as a threat in order to respond and grow.

            It is of the utmost importance to target the fast twitch muscle fibers for repetitions in the range of 5 to 8 in order to add strength and develop the appearance of the muscle.  I specifically use the word "develop” to best describe what is actually taking place.  It is not possible to "sculpt” or "shape” the muscle to appear in a particular pre-determined designed shape.  As excess fat tissue is trimmed away, the developing muscle will emerge in curvature, resulting in beautiful femininity.  Your unique set of genetic code will determine the appearance of the muscle no matter what you do. 

            The ancient Greeks prized, in particular, three specific muscle groups: 1) shoulders 2) abdominals and 3) calves.  These are the prominent features of any immortalized statue, revealing the attractiveness of symmetry.  For a man, broad shoulders provide an image of power.  A woman not only partakes in this attribute but also an illusory slenderness in contrast to her waist/hips.  Abdominals portray an athletic leanness while calves provide a picture of sleek strength for a solid foundation upon which everything previously mentioned rests. 

            It is almost comical to peruse the pages of a Muscle & Fitness magazine and assume, for instance, that the training advice of professional bodybuilders will actually give you a set of biceps just like them.  Robby Robinson, a well-known bodybuilder during the 70’s and 80’s, had some of the tallest biceps peaks of anyone I had ever seen.  It was his specific set of genes that allowed for the "shape” of his biceps, not a specific workout routine.  This is true for women as well.  Targeting your muscles with a heavier weight and lower reps will develop and therefore enhance its appearance. 

            This is also true for the infamous abdominal muscles.  Some people have a "six-pack, a four pack, while others have a multi-layered brick-look and some have strange looking splits down the middle.  Doing crunches will not alter the fat composition around the midsection but it will develop the appearance of the abdominal muscles, causing them to become more prominent in appearance when excess fat has been removed through proper calorie restriction.

            Clever advertising disguised as truth will bombard women into believing that they must perform some sort of aerobic activity with 5 lb. dumbbells for hours on end with an endless amount of repetitions is the way to best shape.  The models involved in these advertising campaigns are simply lean from the start.

            Anyone who strips away the fat will find that there are muscles already underneath whether they have worked-out or not; they simply need to bring them to the surface with added muscle as a means of passive fat reduction.  What women may perceive as shapely muscle resulting from cardio/weight loss is merely the curvy musculature genetically endowed through gender.

            I will concede to the fact that most of the women in the modeling of the fitness industry do have an athletic appearance as they are most likely hitting intermediary muscle fibers, however, the massive amount of work does not have to be done.  Working professionals as well as full-time moms are often gasping for any sort of available time to make it to the gym.  Spending hours at the gym is simply unnecessary. 

            After the birth of our two children, my wife assumed that the excess weight that she put on during the pregnancy would simply "come off.”  After plugging in miles and miles and hours and hours of effort into a treadmill, she realized that she was not significantly reducing her weight.  I could not bear to watch her struggle any longer and my offer to help was met with a cautious acceptance. I could see that it was hard for her to digest (pardon the pun) the almost "radical” amount of information that I was giving her. 

            As a result of the H.I.T. training, she has gone from a size 16 to a size 10 by adjusting her eating to a balanced diet and working out no more than 1 hour a week with no unnecessary "cardio” work!  She does not appear "bulky” and has added, to her delight, significant improvement in strength and wonderfully toned muscle.  If anyone might be questioning whether this program is right for you, I think it would do well to note that she does not have an athletic background and yet thoroughly enjoys the work out.  If  High Intensity Training can do this for her, it can do the same for you as well!