The concept of working out at high intensities is not new, and the benefits are clear, so it’s not surprising that there are many fitness programs that emphasize the “high intensity” concept.  However, lately… more so then ever before… I’ve seen an influx of “high intensity” exercise programs.

Now I haven’t personally done all of these programs, so I don’t know what they’re all like…and although I believe that working out with intensity is far better than not working out with intensity…there’s a right way and a wrong way to perform these high intensity workouts.  Just mindlessly pushing yourself to exhaustion doing random or ineffective exercises is foolish, dangerous and unproductive.

Believe it or not, there is a method to the madness.

Here are three things to look out for when doing high intensity workouts:

• It shouldn’t be done using ineffective exercises (ie. isolation exercises)

• It shouldn’t be done for long durations (ie. no longer than 20 - 30 minutes)

• It shouldn’t be done to the point where your form is compromised

Some people will completely disagree with me on some of these points, but here’s why I feel so strongly about them.

First, what’s the use of doing ineffective, inefficient exercises to begin with.  Keep in mind that there are always functional exercises that you can do that’s more effective than one muscle-at-a-time isolation exercises.  Take bicep curls for instance, it’s a super popular exercise that targets your biceps, but many studies have shown that doing chin ups is far more effective in stimulating your biceps then doing bicep curls…not to mention it also works your abs and increases your overall all calorie burn.

Second, when it comes to performing high intensity exercises, it’s got to be kept short.  Doing long high intensity workout is an oxymoron.  Keep in mind that working out for long periods negates all the benefits of high intensity workouts.  The concept of intensity is dependent on quality not quantity, so you don’t need to focus on time.  When it comes to high intensity workouts, fitness is intensity dependent not time dependent.

Third, and perhaps most important, form should not be compromised for any reason.  Some may argue that a little sloppiness in form is acceptable, since the nature of high intensity workout lends itself to breaking form. And although that may be true to some respects, it still doesn’t eliminate the fact that form dictates everything.  Proper form allows maximum muscle recruitment thereby increasing the effectiveness and safety of an exercise.  Even a slight change in form can alter the muscles being recruited and it can change the biomechanics just enough to put undue pressure on your body, leaving you more susceptible to injuries.  Take the deadlift for instance, it’s considered one of the most effective exercise for building overall strength and power, but if it’s poorly performed, you can easily injure your low back.

As long as you follow these 3 basic rules, you’ll be able to get the most out of any high intensity workouts.  And if a program doesn’t follow these rules, you may want to think twice, before participating in a potentially unsafe and possibly ineffective fitness program.