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The New High Intensity Training: The Best Muscle-Building System You've Never Tried
Certain to become the bible of HIT-the training that revolutionized lifting with shorter, far-more-intense workouts-New High Intensity Training by Ellington Darden is the last word on how to achieve explosive growth safely, without steroids!
For many dedicated bodybuilders, the weight-lifting theories of Arthur Jones are gospel. It was Jones, the inventor of Nautilus exercise equipment, who first discovered that short, intense workouts could produce better results than the long, high-volume workouts then in vogue.
Even though research into Jones's methods has proved them correct, a number of high-profile strength coaches use HIT to train their athletes, and the bodybuilding magazine Ironman does HIT-based features every issue, there still are no major HIT books in stores. This new book-by champion bodybuilder, exercise researcher, and best-selling author Ellington Darden, who is a Jones disciple and friend-shows lifters how to apply the master's teachings, along with some new HIT concepts to achieve extraordinary results.
At the heart of the book is a complete, illustrated, six-month course for explosive growth. Exercise by exercise, workout by workout, the reader is shown precisely what to do, and perhaps even more important, what not to do. Charging that too many bodybuilders follow a more-is-better approach-too many exercises, too many sets, and too much frequency-and rely on steroids to compensate for depleted recovery ability, Darden shows why HIT, steroid-free and healthy, is the best way to safely build muscle. Finally, the exercise religion Arthur Jones founded, and Darden fine-tuned, has its bible.
For many dedicated bodybuilders, the weight-lifting theories of Arthur Jones are gospel. It was Jones, the inventor of Nautilus exercise equipment, who first discovered that short, intense workouts could produce better results than the long, high-volume workouts then in vogue.
Even though research into Jones's methods has proved them correct, a number of high-profile strength coaches use HIT to train their athletes, and the bodybuilding magazine Ironman does HIT-based features every issue, there still are no major HIT books in stores. This new book-by champion bodybuilder, exercise researcher, and best-selling author Ellington Darden, who is a Jones disciple and friend-shows lifters how to apply the master's teachings, along with some new HIT concepts to achieve extraordinary results.
At the heart of the book is a complete, illustrated, six-month course for explosive growth. Exercise by exercise, workout by workout, the reader is shown precisely what to do, and perhaps even more important, what not to do. Charging that too many bodybuilders follow a more-is-better approach-too many exercises, too many sets, and too much frequency-and rely on steroids to compensate for depleted recovery ability, Darden shows why HIT, steroid-free and healthy, is the best way to safely build muscle. Finally, the exercise religion Arthur Jones founded, and Darden fine-tuned, has its bible.
- GenresFitnessHealthNonfiction
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2004
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207 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 22, 2012
This was my non-fiction book so don't expect much of a story. It is about a man named Arthur Jones who created a training style called high intensity training. He trained a teenager named Casey Viator who would later end up as the youngest Mr. America (Mr. America is a body building competition in America). The author Ellington Darden describes all of the workouts and how they are to be performed in depth and other things such as diet, days off, etc. I believe that this is an amazing training style, but it has its setbacks. 1) You need a trainer that can push you hard enough to do the workouts with high intensity. 2) You need all the equipment it asks for. 3)The Miami Dolphins used this training when they went undefeated in 1972, what I am unsure of is if they used any other workouts to supplement their sports training.
If you are offended by body builders with no shirts on then you shouldn't be looking in this book, let alone the cover. I absolutely would recommend this book to people serious about muscle gain.
If you are offended by body builders with no shirts on then you shouldn't be looking in this book, let alone the cover. I absolutely would recommend this book to people serious about muscle gain.
November 7, 2007
There is a common more-is-better philosophy that permeates American thought. It spills over from everything including money to bodybuilding. The common popular training approach in bodybuilding is more sets+more reps=bigger muscles. Well anyone who is familiar with High Intensity Training realizes the idea that a muscle only has to be stimulated to maximal effort during one set and allowed to rest in order to grow. As you read the book you'll come into contact with the writing and thoughts of Arthur Jones who was perhaps the first person to start expounding on H.I.T. concepts. This philosophy just makes rational sense and is fascinating to read about. I don't know you'll find anything "new" in this book but Darden certainly does a nice job of tying everything together and comparing this shorter but harder more intense type of training with the usual longer lower-intensity high volume training.
One area I got annoyed with was Darden's implication that very few people can develop BIG muscular growth. He seems to think most all of us are limited by lack of genetic potential to get a really big physique. One of his methods of determining this is to have a subject measure the gap between his flexed bicep and his elbow joint. If you have a 2-inch gap for instance you have very poor genetic potential. This is a bogus method of assessing muscular potential. Obviously the already big guys are going to have less of a gap since their arms are already filled out. If you were to look at Dorian Yates or Markus Ruhl before each of them started training you may have assumed they had little potential as well. However, we know the kind of mass both of these men eventually added to their frames.
Anyhow, the rest of the book reads nicely with some bodybuilding history, illustrations of exercises and sample HIT routines to try for the beginner, intermediate or advanced athlete. There's a little discussion on nutrition but not much. At the very end there is a little question and answer section, which is helpful to gaining a better understanding of some of the book's ideas. I recommend it to people who think they know it all...to expand their minds a bit and open up to achieving more of their muscle-building potential.
One area I got annoyed with was Darden's implication that very few people can develop BIG muscular growth. He seems to think most all of us are limited by lack of genetic potential to get a really big physique. One of his methods of determining this is to have a subject measure the gap between his flexed bicep and his elbow joint. If you have a 2-inch gap for instance you have very poor genetic potential. This is a bogus method of assessing muscular potential. Obviously the already big guys are going to have less of a gap since their arms are already filled out. If you were to look at Dorian Yates or Markus Ruhl before each of them started training you may have assumed they had little potential as well. However, we know the kind of mass both of these men eventually added to their frames.
Anyhow, the rest of the book reads nicely with some bodybuilding history, illustrations of exercises and sample HIT routines to try for the beginner, intermediate or advanced athlete. There's a little discussion on nutrition but not much. At the very end there is a little question and answer section, which is helpful to gaining a better understanding of some of the book's ideas. I recommend it to people who think they know it all...to expand their minds a bit and open up to achieving more of their muscle-building potential.
May 30, 2013
Very little nutrition to go with the various level workouts.
Nice examples for people starting out or that struggle with direction. People who are experienced would probably not find a lot of "Ah ha" moments.
Nice examples for people starting out or that struggle with direction. People who are experienced would probably not find a lot of "Ah ha" moments.
July 16, 2012
Motivational.
October 26, 2020
Very interesting -
Train less, not more.
Train harder.
Slower is better.
Train to failure.
Eat less protein, not more
Train less, not more.
Train harder.
Slower is better.
Train to failure.
Eat less protein, not more
December 29, 2015
I cannot speak to the integrity of the workouts described in this book as such, but I can speak to the principles described in it.
The first time I used this book was several years a go to create a weight-lifting program... the only difference being that whereas this book suggests a high intensity and low volume workout routine; and I combined HIT principles with volume training, essentially a personal version of the FST-7 training programme. Because of the great results it yielded, I decided to go through this book again to construct my workout plan for 2016.
The first time I used this book was several years a go to create a weight-lifting program... the only difference being that whereas this book suggests a high intensity and low volume workout routine; and I combined HIT principles with volume training, essentially a personal version of the FST-7 training programme. Because of the great results it yielded, I decided to go through this book again to construct my workout plan for 2016.
August 22, 2014
This book is amazing- going to start applying it's principles and will post if I finally get results that I've been trying for for years. I know it's for men and I'm obviously a woman, but I think a lot of it can be used for my fat loss/muscle gain as well- the numbers are just off. Everything he says is completely contradictory to what everyone else says, but it just rings true- without even trying it, I just feel like it's going to work! If nothing else, it has given me my fire back.
March 31, 2012
Has some interesting ideas. You need to join a gym in order to use the machines recommended in the workouts. I like the concentration on the negative part of the exercise. Dislike the excessive use of creatine.
August 8, 2011
A basic introduction to high intensity training. Not bad but there are better sources for this information that don't ridicule Mike Mentzer unecessarily.
December 21, 2011
New workouts, training and diet to add to my repertoire.
December 7, 2013
The older edition of the book was fantastic. I am not sure why they "needed" a newer version. But the information is great. I recommend it.
February 2, 2014
I think there's a lit of merit to HIT, but I found half of this book too gossipy to be very helpful.
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August 17, 2015good
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews