What is Intensity?
A few weeks ago, we released a blog about training volume. Training volume often equates to the number of sets and reps performed during a workout, session, week, or month. Training volume guides your training, so that you are working towards specific goals; for example, if you would like to get stronger, lower reps are generally programmed: 5/3/1 and if you want to increase muscle size, moderate to high volume sets can be prescribed: 3 x 10, 4 x 8, 2 x 20.
Intensity is a crucial aspect of programming that we didn't fully address in our previous blog. As we said, volume is the guide for the specific adaptation you are trying to achieve; intensity dictates that enough stimulus is taking place to tell the body to adapt.
In this blog, we will discuss what intensity is, the benefits of tracking intensity, how to determine the intensity and how, at The Project PT we try to instil the idea that there is a right time and place to make things less or more intense during training sessions.
What is intensity?
Like many things in the training world, you can generally tease out a definition of a term by coupling it to its normal use.
"That journey this morning was intense." "She intensely concentrated on the task at hand." "That was an intense conversation."
Generally, when we use the word intense, it means that something was effortful and oftentimes hard. This generality can be applied to resistance training. When we talk about intensity, it often refers to how hard the activity was to complete. Often, resistance training intensity is calculated by the percentage you are lifting relative to your one-repetition maximum. It basically says one repetition maximum: how much load (KG) can you lift for one rep. This being your maximum, you can no longer do the movement for further repetitions, and if you added a bit of weight on the bar, you would not be able to move it. Classically, training intensity would be programmed as a percentage of your one repetition maximum, and this is where training volume and intensity work together but have an inverse relationship.
Let's say that your goal is to get as strong as possible. Once again, at The Project PT, we appreciate that strength is multifaceted, but in this instance, you want to try and improve your one repetition maximum (1RM) on the deadlift. From last week's programming blog, we determined a principle called SAID (specific adaptation to imposed demands); in this context, if you want to get stronger in the deadlift, training it with the right stimulus probably makes sense.
Going back to our blog on volume, the specific volume will determine the adaptation. To get stronger, fewer repetitions with heavier weights makes a lot of sense. Let us say we know our deadlift 1RM (130kg). For most people, it generally makes little sense to train one repetition during general training (more on why later). So, you will likely be doing repetitions of 3-5 for strength training. Starting your program off, you decide to do the lifts for five repetitions, for simplicity sake let us say the five reps equates to 85% of your 1RM, so when training the deadlift to get stronger in the beginning, you are going to train deadlifts with roughly 110kg working sets.
What to do if you don't know 1RM and other ways to track intensity
The classic way to determine one repetition maximum is to have a dedicated session to assess the upper weight you can lift for a specific movement. The session generally revolves around you performing an exercise, let's say bench press; you perform the bench press for multiple sets, starting light and increasing the weight. In the first few sets, the load increase can be greater, but gradually, the loads become more incremented. You perform sets, with adequate rest in between, until you cannot complete the lift (volitional failure). The previous weight lifted can be deemed to be your one repetition maximum. What is the drawback to these testing sessions, and therefore, why do we not always train one rep during training if we want to get stronger? Well, they are intense, not just physically but mentally as well. You must be in the right headspace and physical position to do these lifts. They are also time-consuming, as you need to rest for 5-8 minutes and you need a spotter at all times. You may be asking yourself, if we do not do the testing sessions, how do we determine the load lifted is intense enough to warrant the load and, therefore the adaptation? There are a few ways to work around this.
One rep max formulas
If you have been to our strength classes or powerlifting class at The Project PT, you are probably used to lifting a heavy weight for 3-5 repetitions, where the last rep was a real struggle to perform. You might have told yourself that that was the upper limit of the weight you could do without a spotter helping you complete the movement. From this set, you can determine a rough 1RM estimation; if you plug the values into the formula picture below, it will give you a one-repetition lift for the exercise.
Some caveats on the formula: it generally works better with lower repetitions between 3-6; anything above the one repetition maximum amount only sometimes equates correctly.
RPE and RIR
Another way to determine intensity is RPE (rated perceived exertion). RPE is a subjective measure of how hard you found a set of exercises to complete. Generally, it is done on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is easy and 10 is difficult. You can find percentages online that equate the number for the rough 1RM. It is one way of determining progression over time, as you can start your strength program with an RPE of 5 and work up to 8-9 throughout the week. Remember, it generally doesn't make sense to consistently reach 10, which indicates training to failure, which can be counterproductive if done too frequently.
Another subjective measure which I prefer is RIR. RIR stands for repetitions in reserve. Repetition in reserve means how many more reps you could perform with the weight you lifted after the prescribed repetitions. So, if I did a back squat for ten repetitions with 90kg, finished it, and thought to myself, I could have done five more repetitions before failure. You would say that is a 5 RIR. This generally resonates with most people better, and it is a great complement to percentage-based intensity measurements.
Why is tracking progression important?
At The Project PT we take a lot of time planning our training sessions, especially our flagship Strength Class. Although we are the ones that determine volume, since sets and reps are generally fixed on our screen, our members and their blue books determine the intensity. Intensity is often the most objective measure of improvement we have regarding training, which is why we are so proud of our blue books.
By tracking intensity, we can be sure that we are not only achieving our goals but improving over time while not risking overtraining. If for the six week block you determine an adequate intensity for your first session, always good to slightly undershoot the first session as it gives you room to grow, over the course of six weeks you can gradually increase the intensity and see the progress. Let say you overshoot it, in regards to intensity, some things may occur, you might find you get weaker at the lifts because of fatigue or you may find you get run more easily. This is a lesson to take away and because you tracked intensity over time it gives you patterns to follow in the future. Perhaps you notice your lifts our down that week, maybe you are overtraining and tired, take that as a deload week and take it easy. Or you noticed this week you are extra strong, maybe something changed in your daily life, more sleep for example.
Tracking progression helps in other ways as well:
Motivation: Seeing your numbers improve over time can be a great motivator to keep pushing forward.
Goal setting: Accurate tracking allows you to set realistic, achievable goals based on your actual progress.
Recovery management: Tracking helps you understand how different recovery strategies affect your performance.
Performance prediction: Accurate tracking can help you estimate your potential performance for those lifts in the future.
Personalisation: Everyone responds differently to training; tracking helps you understand what works best for your body.
Plateau identification: Consistent tracking makes it easier to spot when you've hit a plateau and need to adjust your training approach.
Confidence building: Seeing your progress quantified can boost your confidence in your abilities and the effectiveness of your training.
Conclusion
Understanding and properly managing training intensity is crucial for achieving your fitness goals, whether aiming to increase strength, build muscle, or improve overall fitness. By using a combination of objective and subjective measures like 1RM percentages, RPE, and RIR, you can fine-tune your workouts for optimal results. Remember, intensity should vary throughout your training program, and what works best will depend on your individual response and recovery capacity.
Common mistakes to avoid include always training at maximum intensity, and neglecting proper recovery. Each person's optimal training intensity may vary, so listening to your body and adjusting is crucial.
We encourage you to experiment with these intensity measurement techniques and find what works best. Have you tried using RPE or RIR in your training? We would love to hear your thoughts.
