When I was 15 years old, the first gym that I ever trained at had no ventilation, three light bulbs, a concrete floor and most of the equipment was bolted to the ground. If you couldn’t bench at least 300lbs, the guys there would not let you use the equipment. I couldn’t bench 300lbs back then but they knew I was young and saw that I trained hard, so fortunately I was tolerated.
During one of my workouts, I overheard a new guy ask one of the strongest guys in the gym the same question you’ve asked me. Without a single word, the strong guy immediately threw the new guy to the ground and pinned him face down. Then he put a choke hold on this new guy until his face went 3 different shades of purple. Just before the “newbie” lapsed into unconsciousness, the strong guy (who was grinning the whole time) released his grip, got up and went back to a set of curls as if the whole violent incident never happened!
After coughing and spluttering for a few minutes, the new guy (who was now in a state of shock), gently asked one of the strong guy’s friends “why the heck did he do that?” The strong guy’s friend said “How bad did you want to take a breath when he had you like that? Well, that should be your approach to every working set”. It’s probably not the ideal explanation, but I’ll remember the look on that new guy’s face for as long as I live.
From a textbook perspective, intensity relates to the amount of overload used during weight training. This can be expressed as a percentage of your 1-rep’ max on a particular lift. Working with a load of 80% of your 1RM equates to a high intensity. A lesser percentage equates to lighter loads and a lower level of intensity. But the only math you really need to be doing is counting to 6.
There is a simpler, more effective measure that you can apply. Follow the Max-OT principle of utilizing the 4-6-rep’ range as your working maximum. For example; if you pick up a weight and curl it for 6-reps and put it down knowing darn well you could have completed 10, then that set was not performed with maximum intensity. However, if you pick up a heavier weight and curl it for only 6 reps, (and can't possibly squeeze another rep out) then that weight is your 6-rep maximum and you are training at a much higher intensity. Once you can lift that weight a seventh time, it's time to increase the weight. Persist with this new weight until you eclipse the 6-rep mark once again.
The Max-OT method is all about overload coupled with maximum intensity. This approach is simple but there is nothing more effective for building muscle. Max-OT ensures you are training with maximum intensity and setting yourself up for maximum muscle growth.
