What is Intensity?
Let’s start with a simple definition.
Intensity in the world of fitness refers to the degree of effort put into an exercise. It’s essentially how hard your body is working during your workout. This spectrum ranges from low intensity, where you work at a sustainable, submaximal level for extended periods, to high intensity, where you push your body to near-maximum effort but for shorter durations.
Overall workout intensity can be adjusted in various ways. You can add resistance, tweak movement speed, increase repetitions, reduce rest intervals, and more. The combinations of these elements help determine the overall intensity of your workout.
For instance, compare casually walking 50 meters every three minutes for three sets to sprinting 100 meters four times in eight minutes while wearing an eight-pound weight vest. The latter workout is significantly more intense in every aspect.
Both low and high-intensity training can be effective for improving fitness. Lower-intensity workouts are great for building stamina and endurance, while higher-intensity workouts focus on enhancing strength and power.
In recent times, intensity has become a buzzword, especially in the context of functional fitness and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Athletes and trainers frequently discuss intensity, and it’s easy to assume that more intensity equals better results.
But that’s not necessarily the case.
How Much Intensity Do You Need?
While it’s true that intensity can drive fitness improvements by challenging your body to adapt, striving for 100% intensity every day isn’t the path to optimization. Pushing yourself to the limit daily can lead to exhaustion, overtraining, loss of motivation, or even injury.
Your body requires a carefully measured dose of intensity during each workout, followed by adequate rest and recovery. Working hard is crucial, but working smart and allowing time for recovery is equally important.
For example, imagine you want to strengthen your squat, but you decide to perform a one-rep-max back squat every day, followed by a series of demanding accessory exercises with heavy loads and high reps. You’ll constantly be sore and may not enjoy your training.
Contrast this with a more intelligent approach: Regularly lifting heavy loads in various ways to challenge your legs and core at progressively higher levels, always allowing sufficient time for recovery between heavy workouts.
With the first approach, you’re likely to burn out quickly. With the second, you’ll steadily grow stronger over the years.
Determining the right amount of intensity can be challenging. Some people follow the “more is better” mindset until they’re excessively sore, and their performance drops. Others avoid adequate intensity and fail to challenge their bodies enough for meaningful change. A select few meticulously maintain workout logs to gauge the necessary intensity, but they’re rare.
The best approach? Collaborate with a certified fitness professional who can create a personalized exercise plan tailored to your goals, preferences, and experience level. These coaches will incorporate the right levels of intensity and recovery into your plan and make adjustments as needed. This may involve reducing workout intensity on particularly taxing days or implementing “deload weeks” after rigorous training blocks.
Fitness professionals are experts when it comes to managing intensity, ensuring you get “just enough but not too much.”
Ready to Get Started?
We’re here to help you navigate the intricacies of intensity and training. Let us provide you with a plan that will propel you towards your fitness goals. To book a free consultation with a fitness expert, click here for Magee or here for Richland. Let’s make your fitness journey both effective and sustainable.