Day 254: What Is Intensity?

G'day,

Ooooh man! That was an extremely intense workout today. I was dripping in sweat by the end of it.

Here's the weird part, today's workout consisted of weight training only, no cardio. To be covered in sweat after a cardio workout is a given, though for weight training it is quite rare for me.

Just to top it off, I got hammered by a sudden downpour of rain as I rode home from the gym! How's that for synchronicity!

Anyway, back to my original thought. Why was I covered in sweat after my weight training workout? The answer I believe has to do with intensity.

It stands to reason that the more intense your training is the more you will sweat. In regards to weight training, short rest periods and a high set volume will also increase the intensity factor of your workout.

I firmly believe that the level of intensity with which you train at is a major (and underrated) component of a successful physique transformation.

This is not news to most people, pick up any reputable workout book or magazine and you'll notice that the subject of intensity is often discussed.

The problem with discussing intensity is, how do we define it? Quite obviously intensity cannot be quantified in the same way as sets, reps and rest periods.

Let's face it, what's intense for me may not be intense for you, and vice-versa. With this in mind, perhaps it is better to give you my version of intensity as a reference point that you can use.

Below is a blog post I made on Day 38 while I was in the midst of Mission 1. I am discussing a brutal cardio workout I had completed earlier that day.

N.B. Tomorrow I'll discuss another facet of intensity (other than the purely physical) which I believe to be even more important. Stay tuned!

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Man Vs. Machine

Day 38 of 84 - Mission 1

Status - Round 4: Phase 2: Day 1

G'day,

Today was a titanic struggle, it was literally man versus machine. No, I wasn't squaring off against the Terminator, the machine I am talking about is far more lethal.

Can you guess what it is? One word...Treadmill.

Yes I know, it may look harmless to the uninitiated but once you start a high intensity workout on it there's no going back baby!

It all started at 9.30 am this morning. When I woke up I felt queasy just thinking about it. I was going for my personal best - 4 cycles of 6, 12, 14, and 16 km/h at 1 minute intervals BUT the last cycle had to be 2 minutes and 5 seconds.

I hit 2 minutes at 16 km/h on Tuesday this week, now it was time to up the ante to 2 minutes and 5 seconds. Five extra seconds may not sound like much but let me tell you...it was pure torture. As I entered the final minute I was already feeling nauseous, my stomach was churning, my calves were aching.

The final 15 seconds felt like 15 minutes.

This is living life in the moment, right here right now.

Will you fulfill the most important promise you can make? You know...the ones you make to yourself. Of course I did, do you know why?

Because, no matter how hard it is I always know in the back of my mind that these are the moments that define success or failure. The only way you can dramatically transform your physique in a short period of time is to continually raise your standards.

You have to break through new barriers every single workout. If you stay stagnant even for one workout you will not progress, simple as that. The great thing is that you can apply these intense experiences to other areas of your life.

Are you living in the moment?

Do you cherish what you already have?

Do you respect yourself and others enough to keep the promises you make?

I have discovered over the course of the last 38 days that changing your body shape is a great metaphor for life changes. I already feel more confident and secure in myself.

I also notice that the people around me are reacting to me differently, in a positive way. The changes in me are now becoming obvious, almost daily I am stopped by someone I know. They tell me how great I am looking, they also notice my new-found confidence.

So yes, I can safely say that those extra 5 seconds don't just make a little bit of difference...they make ALL the difference.

Until next time that is, when it will be those extra 10 seconds.

I can already feel it now...

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Peace,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

P.S. Below are Day 252 pics for July 20, 2007: Mission 3 - Phase 1, Day 25 of 60

P.S.S. You can see effects of that massive downpour of rain that hit me on the way home!