What is "Intensity" and Why Do You Need to Increase It?

What is “intensity” in the gym and fitness world? When we try to explain the concept to new clients with little or no experience (or even some more experienced clients) they hear the word “intensity” and think we mean going 100%, throwing weights, taking 6 scoops of preworkout and doing a 3.5 hour lift. The truth is intensity is a very definable and VERY important concept to grasp to maximize results regardless of your goals.

Intensity = Stimulus

What we mean when we tell someone they need to increase (or sometimes decrease) intensity really comes down to the stimulus they are putting onto their body. Increasing stimulus for literally any goal in fitness is the key to getting stronger, faster, bigger, leaner…the list goes on. The human body adapts to strenuous stimulus and it adapts extraordinarily quickly.

Let’s say I have NEVER trained before. I do a 20 minute workout and I am CRUSHED. Sore for the next 3 days. Then, I repeat…and I repeat again…and again. Within about a week all of a sudden I don’t get sore and 20 minutes is easy. If I repeat that same workout for a year my body is used to that stimulus and will plateau AKA results come to a stand still.

This is the case whether you are a runner, powerlifter, bodybuilder, cyclist etc… The human body adapts to the intensity (stimulus) you put it through. So, how do you increase intensity to continue to get maximal progression?

Volume…

One of the most simple and broad stroking increases of intensity you can utilize. Volume increasing is also essential in all corners of fitness. Volume is simply the total amount of stimulus you are putting your body through in a given workout or a given cycle of workouts. Example: I’ve spent 4 months doing 2, tough workouts per week. Workouts can be running, lifting, circuit training or a combination of these. At this point your body has adapted and is ready for an increase in intensity (NEEDS MORE STIMULUS). I simply add in a third day….then eventually a fourth… then a fifth. As long as your recovery is on point your body will adapt to that volume.

This goes for cardio athletes as well. If you stick to running 5 miles per week that eventually has to be increased to force your body into further results. Running especially the increase in volume needs to be very gradual. You cant jump from 5 miles per week to 20 miles per week in a one month period… you will get shin splints, knee pain etc. if the volume increase isn’t gradual.

Lets hone in a little further and talk about volume per workout. Lets say I can do 3-4 sets of dumbbell bench press with 30lbs. You don’t (necessarily) have to increase weight to increase intensity. Try that same weight for 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps. That small increase in intensity is enough stimulus to keep your body guessing and INCREASES progress overall.

Weight

My personal favorite (because it pertains more to my specific goals)… increasing the weight that you are lifting. This isn’t just for powerlifters and bodybuilders. If you’re an everyday gym goer and you’ve been benching 135lbs for 3 sets of 10 for 2 years… something is wrong (realistically go hire a trainer..) But, in all seriousness increasing weight safely on your lifts of all kinds will dramatically increase intensity and speed results to your goals. Weight increase should be done SLOWLY and UNDER CONTROL! If you’re comfortably squatting 225 and throw on 365 you’re most likely going to get hurt. Lifting correctly trumps any added stimulus, period.

Rest Periods

Rest periods are an overlooked factor and underutilized tool as far as intensity and stimulus change. For the sake of the argument… lets say I’ve done the EXACT same workout for 1 year. It’s 45 minutes of weight training (all the same exercises) and 15 minutes of steady state cardio on a treadmill or bike. Take that exact same workout and do it in 30 minutes. Cut your rest periods in half and all of a sudden at the end of the workout you’re barely getting through your last set and the next day you’re sore again… added intensity.

Don’t Add…Change Your Intensity…

I’d classify this more as “change your stimulus” vs. intensity. Ever not ran for 6 months but you’ve been lifting like a maniac? Go run 10 sprints and you’ll be sore for a week. Sometimes you need to throw your body for a loop and keep it guessing. Every once in a while do something totally outside your wheelhouse. Go play pickup basketball, hit some heavy deadlifts, go on a 10 mile bike ride.

In simpler, less dramatic terms CHANGE YOUR EXERCISES. If you’re hitting the same exercises day in and day out you just took the fast lane to a plateau. Simple things like changing positions on a bench press, hitting a box squat vs. a regular squat, banded deadlift vs. regular can be enough change in stimulus to keep your body guessing and keep your progress flying.

Lower your intensity…

There are times when a clients intensity is far too high. If you’re hitting 2-a-day workouts 5x/week for weeks on end, your body is not going to recover properly. Remember, your body isn’t growing inside the gym…its the recovery that provides results.

Same thing goes for the workout itself. You can’t have hyper-intense volume and/or heavy workouts every single day and expect to recover. Lowering your intensity can sometimes be the key to speeding up your results. This is a rare case… its not usual that we have to tell clients to back off intensity and working out in general. But as a trainer your job is to be honest with your clients… if they aren’t recovering, having chronic soreness and little injuries constantly… there is a good chance the intensity is too high.