I am pissed off. What pisses me off is the constant debauchery of science and information that the fitness industry continues to push and promote. The fitness industry is remarkable at taking good science and producing the dumbest and most pathetic garbage “programs” or “routines” possible – it is daunting how silly this BS can become.
I understand that I am in this industry that I am about to bash and am part of the whole machine, but the group that is upsetting me is the fitness instructors, fitness program designers, personal trainers, and the like who have a total disregard for education and research into what they are doing and why. This group is everywhere; in your local gyms, owners of CrossFits, running bootcamps in a neighbourhood park, etc. They are the snake oil salespeople of the fitness industry. They sell lies and spew misinformation, but ti all begins with the fitness industries over arching belief of what fitness is.
Recently some interesting articles have crossed my desk regarding high intensity interval training (HIIT), which at first I was very excited to read, but quickly it became apparent that this information was not promoting HIIT in a positive light or more importantly in an accurate light. HIIT was being referred to as “high intensity strength training” and “Tabata protocols”, but turned out to be aerobic intervals of sorts with a high focus on the dreaded “sexy metcon” style of workout (hard, sweat producing, bootcamp, high rep, shit fest of a workout). This may not seem like a big deal to most, but being a person who is passionate about the benefits of HIIT style training, it is incredibly hard to read articles that attempt to promote the research, but completely skew the application of it. If you wish to promote HIIT then you must understand it and you must do it correctly to gain the benefits or you simply end up with another poorly designed lame ass fitness class…you know the ones I am talking about.
Here are the examples of what I am bitching about;
TABATA:
The tabata protocol is a protocol we have probably all seen and done at one point or another – 20sec of work, 10sec of rest x 8 rounds (4 minutes total). This is a great workout when done on a bike or sprinting, or hill running, but it can not be done with bicep curls and calve raises as it has been promoted and marketed by many groups because it loses its effectiveness. Tabata protocols need to be done with movements or exercise that involve large muscle groups and have a high capacity for repeated efforts while maintaining high intensities (bike sprints, hill running, etc.). In the video below we have a tabata protocol workout being done for 8 minutes total with skater hops, push-ups, jump squats, and grasshoppers(?). I guarantee that this workout is “hard” to do, but it loses its intended purpose due to dumb ass programming and implementation – Tabata was meant to be an interval session done once or twice after a long break not for 8 minutes straight with exercises that do not allow high power outputs. The use of a rotational exercises that involve high levels of stability (scapular and torso) in the example of the grasshopper are very poor choices as injury is highly likely due to the inability to maintain proper posture and position. At minute 8:50 of the video the highly educated instructor makes a comment that this should be easy as a normal Tabata is 8 rounds not only the two that they are doing. Yes, 8 rounds of 20sec:10sec lady, not 8 rounds of the full protocol, which would be 32 minutes – highly unlikely Dr. Tabata would appreciate his protocol being used in such a disgusting manner. Can you imagine a high intensity 32 minutes 20:10sec interval…….excuse me….WTF. We need to understand that “interval” training requires a true break at some point and doing 20:10sec intervals for more than 4 minutes = a very different workout. The workout completed can not be argued as a HIIT workout, but more so a poorly designed muscular endurance workout. Lady screw your head on straight – more is not better. What a great example of fitness industry debauchery.
HIGH INTENSITY STRENGTH TRAINING :
Before moving any further lets first clarify something. What is high-intensity defined as in strength training? Intensity is based on the amount of load moved relative to your 100% maximal abilities. So in an example of someone who can squat 300 pounds – squatting 250 is more intense than squatting 100 and squatting 100 pounds is more intense than squatting 50. Make sense?
Alright with that out of the way lets delve into the newest garbage fitness idea that has made its way across my desk. An article recently published in the National Post on high intensity interval training (HIIT) titled “Get Fit with HIIT: With its promise of big results in little time, High Intensity Interval Training is a worthy workout for 2014” the benefits of HIIT training were discussed – I am always excited to see posts and information regarding HIIT in main stream media as it can bring to light all of great things that HIIT offers and possibly provides people with knowledgable methods of applying HIIT training to get the most out of their workouts. Based on research completed on HIIT we know that it is one of the most efficient methods of gaining anaerobic and aerobic fitness. HIIT is also well known for producing positive gains in blood markers, lung function, heart health, and weight loss among many others. The benefits are endless, but like everything else the snake oil salespeople of the fitness industry gets there hands on they have the ability to turn it into a huge pile of steaming BS. The article written in the Post is discussing a “high intensity strength training program” that a gym in UK is promoting, this of course peaked my interest, so I delved a little further into what this program was all about as at a first glance it felt like something was a little fishy. The article can be read HERE
Upon further research I found the following video of the program and then proceeded to waste minutes of my life listening to little is anything intelligent coming from my computer speakers (refer to link to waste your time as I did);
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/get-stronger-fast
This video and write up could not be given a worse title – “Get Stronger – FAST” – again a laughable concept after watching the video. The instructor in the video clearly demonstrates a complete disregard for what strength training is, what HIIT is, what intensity is defined as, what promotes and equals a good workout, plus so much more. The instructor makes the following bold statements regarding the program offered;
– “The program is a high intensity strength workout” – Really?…do you have any idea what intensity and strength training look like as I think you might be slightly misguided my friend.
– “Its super intense, your going to be drowning in a pool of your own sweat at the end, you leave feeling like total bad ass” – Really?… again with the intensity, you mean hard and silly not intense..right? Of course drowning in a pool of your own sweat is the equivalent of a great workout. I propose doing burpees in a sauna to truly attempt to drown in a pool of your own sweat – this too is super “intense” and awesome, don’t believe me try it.
– “You do 3 – 10 minute rounds, these are high intensity strength training rounds” – Really?…. High intensity strength training for 10 minutes straight, what moron made this one up. More accurately this workout can be termed a 10 minute workout combining high rep low intensity strength training with a muscular endurance and aerobic energy system focus, far from a high intensity strength workout you silly lady 
– “The first movement is called a deadlift, it is a super simple exercise” – Really?….a super simple exercise and we will do it for a minute straight – (insert vocal fry to the remaining sentence for maximal effect) yeah like it must totally be a deadlift…. Its like the best for bum muscles and stuff, my friends friend told me its super super awesome and her friends cousin is like totally a celebrity trainer somewhere awesome. Puke in my mouse damn it.
– “But your working a different muscle group, so you can go right into the next exercise” – Really?…. a minute of deadlifts that are done SO INTENSE that I should not be able to do one more rep, but now push-ups. Oh that makes sense you should definitely be ready to complete push-ups because they eliminate all fatigue that the deadlifts produced on my muscles and respiratory system – makes sense? Tell me more fine lady.
– “After this your heart rate is going to be up and your going to be drenched (in sweat), and your goign to be ready to bring your heart rate down with a different exercise” (speaking of the VipR lateral dance move thing) – Really?…. so a different exercises will bring my heart rate down at minute 4 of your “high intensity strength training workout program” awesome – what can this magical exercise be? Oh sweet lateral weighted lunges – that will do the trick…again I scream out – WTF?
– “When you feel like your already finished, we ask you to do a little bit more – its kind of like running a car on an empty tank (speaking of metabolic finishers)” – Really?…. a metabolic finisher! Oh boy its Christmas, what could it be – OH snap its a burpee thingy on top of a log!! Sweet – metabolic overload!, run this tank dry suckers! – I am on a crazy train heading straight to maximal metabolic stimulation town…….wooohoooo.
17 deep breathes….alright moving on.
So it turns out that HIIT like so many other aspects of fitness – it is becoming bastardized to the highest degrees and it pisses me right off. There are many people in the world and I throw myself into this boat, who are trying hard to learn, advance, and educate people about proper training modalities and methods and then you have dope ass snake oil salespeople spewing such bologna out of their mouths that it makes me a little ill. The fitness industry needs to try a little harder to understand what it is that they do and try not to ruin everything to the point of no return as it does little if anything to improve peoples way of life or the advancement of exercise science.
I feel a little better now and I am sorry I subjected you to such torment, but it is all in the name of saving face for HIIT and exercise science – a noble cause.
1. Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, Hirai Y, Ogita F, Miyachi M, Yamamoto K. Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Oct;28(10):1327-30. PubMed PMID: 8897392.
