Intensity: The Fitness Industry’s Most Bastardized Concept

Zero trainers missed the basic memo that intensity is required to drive adaptation and improve fitness qualities. I’d venture to offer that almost zero consumers are confused about the need for intensity for some change to happen in their bodies. 

The industry in general and specifically the consumer is wildly confused about what intensity is.

The good news, however,  is that we can measure intensity.

The First Mistake: the absolute vs relative intensity mistake

Most of the misguided fear in the industry begins here, where people start equating intensity with others. Comparison creeps in and the conversation shifts to absolute intensity. 

As it turns out, training your body has nothing to do with another person’s body. So, absolute intensity, or who is doing more work faster than another person is irrelevant when it comes to training. Unless you’re hosting a race or a competition, absolute intensity is useless. 

Training is about relative intensity. This is the intensity you’re expressing relative to yourself. High relative intensity is where the money is at! After all, we’re trying to get your body fit, not someone else’s.

The Second Mistake: making intensity and difficulty synonyms 

They are not. Intensity is a measure of output, not a scale of adversity. Many things in the gym are hard but not true intensity. 

You can always tell the people who have lots of experience working out and very little experience with intensity. They are allergic to rest. 

To all my brothers and sisters in Christ, if your effort is ten, twenty, thirty, or (god forbid) forty minutes of sustained effort, you’re not training at intensity. Your Hyrox event can be many things to you, albeit life, your religion, your source of meaning, but it cannot be intense. 

Efforts that are near 80, 90, and 100% effort are mathematically intense. And, the literature (and literally everyone’s personal experience) shows that these bouts are both short and require rest. 

Intensity is key to developing many important fitness qualities, so let’s do it, shall we? If you’re on board, you’re going to need a chair and a ton of rest, however. 

Keep going!