The more I think about it, the more I realize that intensity is the secret ingredient to life. Consistency—yes, yes, blah, blah, blah—that has to be there too. But if you aren’t regularly pushing right up against your current limits—trying to run faster, lift heavier, play/write/create more challenging stuff—you’re just going to stay (don’t say it!)—average (heaven’s no!).
The reason I emphasize intensity so much is because I often see people who think they’re working hard, but in reality, they have far more to give than they think. We’re pretty bad at gauging what we’re capable of, and because of that, we throw in the towel before we’ve hit the kind of intensity that actually drives growth. So, we get stuck. We stay where we are, even though we’re being consistent—whether it’s our current weight, how much muscle we have, how much we can deadlift, how fast we can play guitar, how many words we can write each day, or whatever else.
I see this all the time with lifting. People think they’ve maxed out. Then, you give them a little extra incentive—an attractive woman walks in, or just a love tap from Mother’s Taser—and, turns out, they had 15 more reps in them. What’s that about?! I’ll tell you: what people think is their limit is often far from it. Just because we feel like we’re about to fail is not a good gauge of whether we actually are.
The point—and this is universal—is that our bodies and minds adapt to the stimulus applied to them. If we want to grow, we need to force it.This isn’t about being a total idiot and killing yourself in the gym with pointless, puke-inducing workouts. It’s about targeting areas for growth,figuring out where your real limits are, and learning to train, intelligently, right up against them—consistently—until they expand outward and upward.
Intense efforts don’t have to be long-lasting—in fact, they really can’t be. Intensity—real intensity—and duration vary inversely. The harder something is, the shorter it can be sustained. When I’m maxing out on a lift or seeing how fast I can play guitar, these aren’t long efforts—but they’re really, really hard. My face looks twisted and silly, my tongue sticks out—it’s not pretty. Sometimes, the uglier, the better. I’m not saying you should allow bad technique, but let’s be real: it’s a fantasy to think your technique will always be perfect when you’re right at the edge of what you’re capable of.
There’s a saying in music that I’ve always loved: “If your practice sounds good, you’re not really practicing.” I think the same applies in the weight room: if all your lifts look absolutely pristine, you’re not really training.
OK. Take that for what it’s worth—.35 cents, maybe?—and let’s talk about implementation real quick. It’s one thing to talk about training with intensity; it’s another to actually practice it.
Now what? Let me extend an offer (challenge?) to you. I think it’s incredibly useful and honestly one of the best investments you can make if you’re serious about forging an authentically strong, lean, resilient, mobile, generalist physique.
We’re offering a 7-day trial to Strong ON!—our premier daily minimalist kettlebell programming website—for just $7.
Here’s what you’ll get:
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If you’re looking for intensity – with an accessible way to cultivate consistency, this is it.
Here’s the thing: it can’t hurt to try it out. For just $7, you’ll get access to everything, no strings attached. If you love it, you’ll find the ongoing rate to stick around ridiculously good. If not? No worries—you can hop out anytime.
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