Constant Movement for More Than 20 Minutes Can’t Be High Intensity

Now, if you’re exercising for 40 minutes straight or, God forbid, an hour straight. We’re really talking about low intensity. If that pissed you off, stay with me. 

Most people enjoy the feeling of steady work volumes.

And, I agree. A long run or a burner circuit feels incredible and can be incredibly hard. 

The problem is intensity isn’t measured in how it feels or by what’s difficult. It’s about output. And, even though output is relative (what’s intense for my mom is different than what is intense for my brother), the kicker is simple: no one can maintain real intensity for many minutes. 

One way you can tell if you’re training at intensity is how much rest you require to do the thing you’re doing. Intense bouts of any expression from running, cycling, weightlifting, and plyometrics require that you’re mostly resting. The rest should be three times the amount of work time in most cases. If not, you’re likely training at 65% intensity or lower. 

Want to fight me? Email me an effort to logan@deucegym.com and I’ll tell you if you’re training at high intensity or not. 

The problem with training this way is that it takes courage to program intensity when most gyms are selling dopamine and experiences that feel like you’re getting a lot done. 

If you want to move the needle in the gym, you’re going to need a chair.