Intensity vs. Intelligence

This entry was posted on April 22, 2009 by Mike Robertson. It was tagged with Training.

Several of us from IFAST went out to dinner last night, and we were discussing the difference between "intense" training and "intelligent" training.

Before we begin, I'm not trying to suggest the two are mutually exclusive. In fact, the best programs seamlessly meld the two. However, quite often you'll see programs that lean too hard in one direction vs. the other.

There's a recent trend towards "intense" training, and in a lot of aspects, I'm all for it. If you aren't training really hard, it's going to be hard to get optimal results.

But where do you draw the line? It takes no intelligence whatsoever to smoke somebody. I could have anyone take me out to a track, make me perform walking lunges for a lap or two, and I'd be smoked. My legs would shake. My lungs would burn. And I'd probably be sore for days to come.

But would I get anything out of that? Would I be better on the back end? Would that help me achieve my fitness related goals?

Maybe, but probably not.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have people that are all about training smart. Again, there's nothing wrong with this. Good exercise selection, proper exercise technique, proper progression, these are all key components of a successful exercise program.

But what if you never really push yourself? What if you never come out of your comfort zone? Do you think you're going to truly reach your potential?

The key in training is to try and balance "intensity" with "intelligence." The closer you get to this happy medium, the closer I'd imagine you'll be to achieving ultimate success.