High-intensity training

Hi,
No, I'm not trying to drum up business, just networking.
A great read on HIT is Ellington Darden's book: “The New High Intensity Training."
Bill Phillips' book, "Body for Life" also recommends high-intensity.
Here's an article I've written that might answer some questions:

Middle-Age Muscle
By Michael Ardizzone

Building muscle isn’t just for guys in their 20s. Sure, we’ve got more testosterone in our younger years, but at 53 I’m probably more muscular now than I was 25 years ago. The secret is that I’ve learned more about how to challenge my muscles and make them grow, and with far fewer sets. I made so many mistakes in my 20s, that I was lucky I grew at all. Since re-thinking my workouts in my early 40s, I’ve had periods of growth and improvement. Now in my 50s, I’ve rededicated my training and I’m growing again and adding size. Here’s what I’ve learned that can help you.
These general principles can apply especially to men who are over 40:
Train more efficiently with less volume. One thing that keeps a lot of middle-aged guys from working out is the time factor. With busy lives and lots of responsibility, there’s just no time to train. The solution is to train more efficiently.
To begin, you can’t have useless reps or sets. Every rep has to count. Your workouts should be focused on making the muscle do the work, with strict form and no cheating until the last two reps. You could call this high-intensity, but there are many variations. With my form of high intensity training, I can grow on four sets per bodypart, once a week. And in terms of my time and energy levels, training for about three hours a week instead of eight makes more sense.
Years ago, I remember doing 20 sets each for back and chest, 15 sets for both biceps and triceps. Many of the top bodybuilders of the time recommended workouts like that. But after 15 years of doing 20 sets per bodypart, twice a week, I burned out my muscles. I was overtraining and never gaining size. I also had chronic tendinitis in my elbows. And because I wasn’t gaining muscle I was getting frustrated. My reaction was to train even harder, which increased the negative effects of overtraining. It was a vicious cycle. Part of the mindset that I had was that more must be better. And I refused to accept the idea that I could reduce my workouts and still grow.
In my 40s, I took a few years off hard training with the birth of my sons. And when I returned to the gym, I began to re-think my workouts. I wanted to get in optimum shape, but I had to do it in the least amount of time. I had read about the training philosophy of former Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, who preached high-intensity workouts. I adapted the principles used by people like Yates, Ellington Darden (whose book “The New High Intensity Training is a must-read) and Nautilus founder Arthur Jones, and came up with a routine that I could grow on.
What is high intensity? My take on high-intensity training includes principles like keeping the muscles under continuous tension. For example, don’t lock out your elbows on presses. When you do flat or include dumbbell bench presses, don’t lock your elbows at the top. This keeps the pec muscles in continuous tension throughout the exercise. And by not locking your elbows, you’re saving wear and tear on your elbow joint since the muscle is doing all the work. Another key principle is slow negatives and slow positives—lift the weight slowly and lower it slowly—no bouncing or cheating. And do every set this way. Concentrate on the muscle you’re building and you’ll see why strict form is critical. Another key to high-intensity workouts is training to muscular failure. Muscular failure means doing each set until you almost literally can’t move the weight. You still need to maintain as strict a form as possible throughout the exercise however, but you can cheat a little bit on the last rep or two.
Determine your ultimate goal, and train accordingly. Some key questions to ask yourself: What is your goal? Are you training your muscles or your ego? If you agree that you’re training your muscles, don’t focus solely on the amount of weight or the number of reps you’re doing. Unless you want to pursue a career as a powerlifter, you need to focus on isolating and fatiguing the muscle you’re training. That will make it grow, not heaving huge amounts of weight just to try to impress someone. Training your ego was good in your 20s, but you should have outgrown that by now. Training too heavy and with careless form also opens you up to injury.
Sets, reps and frequency. Your sets and reps can vary according to your energy and intensity levels, but as I stated above, I’m growing on about four sets per bodypart, trained once a week. My reps are anywhere from five to fifteen, and I vary them to keep my muscles challenged.
Break old habits and change your exercise routines often. Changing your workouts often helps to avoid mental and physical fatigue. If you’ve had a gym membership for 30 years like me, or even for 10 or 20 years, you have muscles that have been doing many of the same exercises for thousands of reps. Change your routine and keep your muscles from getting overworked. It will also keep you from getting bored.
Don’t neglect other forms of exercise. If you don’t have a physical hobby—hiking, handball, whatever—get one. And while a lot of guys run, make sure your form is good. Don’t put too much pressure on your back or knees.
Do some form of aerobic or heart-healthy movement. Weight training is good for your muscles, including your heart, but it’s even healthier to combine it with other activities. Again, do what you feel good doing, whether that’s typical cardio work (treadmill, stationary bike, etc.) or something else.
Watch your calories. Why do so many ex-athletes get fat after they retire? They haven’t figured out that you have to cut calories to match your decreased physical activity. The same holds for you. You can’t eat like you did 20 years ago.
Take advantage of supplements. If you’re not supplementing already, do so. Multivitamins for men over 50 are essential. Make sure your multi includes glucosamine to keep your joints strong.
Train your mind. Before a workout, either in the locker room or in a corner of the gym, take a moment to clear your mind. You have a full career, kids or grandkids, and lots to think about. Use the gym as a place to get away from it all, not take it with you. Discipline your mind to focus on your workouts. Visualize yourself as having the body you want—your goal. Your body follows your mind, so your mental preparation is critical to your success.
Avoid injuries. Since I’ve adopted high-intensity training, I rarely get injured. Be sure not to over-train, and get enough rest. How can you keep from overtraining? Don’t do upper body workouts on consecutive days. If you start dreading going to the gym or if your legs often feel heavy, you’re probably overtraining. Not only does overtraining stunt your muscle growth and dull your enthusiasm, it often leads to injuries.
Get regular check-ups. It goes without saying that the older you get the more important it is to see a doctor regularly to determine if you run any risk from physical exertion. A physical exam is a requirement before starting or returning to hard training.
Don’t “think old.” You hear people say things like 50 is the new 30, but it all depends on how you feel. Don’t give up your goals no matter what age you are. Again, your mind leads your body—if you think there are no limits due to age it can change your outlook on everything. And with just a few hours a week you can reclaim muscular gains and even get in your best shape ever.

Michael Ardizzone is a former Certified Fitness Trainer with the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) and former managing editor of Fitness Plus and Muscle Training Illustrated magazines.