Intensity vs. Suffering
Intensity is NOT what you think it is
The Takeaway: A true measure of intensity is the amount of resistance you are exposing your muscles, bones, and joints to, not some form of suffering. This typically means lifting heavy enough for 3 sets of 5-12 reps (with maybe one or two reps to spare).
I remember a popular fitness program that had people doing short, miserable workouts for 90 days. It was trendy. It was exciting to talk about. Dozens of people I knew did it. They got great results in those 90 days. Then…
…they never worked out again (even when I checked on them over a decade later). They burned out because that type of exercise is NOT sustainable, so their motivation and progress stopped abruptly. They thought, as I once did, that intensity meant suffering for their body, but that suffering trained their brain to think exercising really sucks and isn’t worth the effort.
What may surprise you is that when you watch the strongest, most athletic, and best-looking (very subjective, and why are you staring?) people in the gym, they are often the ones moving the slowest and taking the most rest.
WHAT PEOPLE THINK INTENSITY IS (IT’S NOT)
- Lungs burning
- Soaking in sweat
- Taking no rest between exercises
- Being super sore
- Fast-and-furious reps
- On the verge of puking
- Anything extreme
- One-rep maxes
- Working muscles beyond failure
- Ignoring pain (this is dumb, actually)
Yes, people who do this are badasses, but they’re also bad at fundamentals. These alphas are often my worst members because they’ve piled high volume onto poor movement. They can look great, but are usually weak and full of muscular imbalances. Not to mention the injuries. They rush through everything instead of training with intention. They have unrealistic expectations, then wonder why their hard work isn’t working.
WHAT INTENSITY IS
Intensity is about the stimulus to the body. It’s giving your muscles, bones, and joints a little more resistance than before. Not a lot, but a challenging yet reasonable amount.
True intensity comes from exposing your body to resistance (lifting weights) that you can only handle for around 5-12 reps before failure. It’s lifting heavy enough that you need to sit down for a minute or two between sets. Beyond this, the body may be suffering, but it’s built to survive volume. Impressively. I know it seems counterintuitive that better results can come from moving slower, doing fewer reps, and taking more rest, but that’s the science.
In other words, for a truly strong, athletic, and capable body, follow an intelligent strength training program.
And if you love the idea of being strong, athletic, and capable, I will teach you that it doesn’t take extreme suffering. I will guide you through the lessons that turned my fitness around and why I feel better than ever at 46.
It’s all included in the Forever Athlete Foundations course and playbook.
P.S. Just want the workouts without the full course? Grab the Foundations Training Program here.