For more than 30 years, health and fitness have been the focus of my personal and business life. I have devoted this time to researching and experimenting with my body to develop effective, results-producing fitness and nutrition programs – and it hasn’t been easy. My journey led me through countless sources of misinformation and counterproductive approaches to nutrition and exercise. Through it all I kept learning, and eventually zeroed in on the exercise/nutrition program combination that produced great results for me and many others. As a fitness professional, I am pleased to offer this information to people of all ages who are interested in improving their health, fitness level and want to increase their lifespan.
Most commercial fitness clubs today do not give members sound exercise information or effective instruction, because to do so requires accredited staffing, which comes at a high cost. In general, fitness clubs do a poor job of teaching members the proper way to exercise, which in my view is the reason why the attrition rates are so high in the fitness industry. Instead of hiring physical education graduates and exercise kinesiologists, the norm for today’s fitness clubs is to hire fitness trainers whose only qualification is a certificate from a weekend personal training course. These trainers usually know little, if anything, about the correct scientific way to exercise or the science behind nutrition.
THE HIT3 WORKOUT SYSTEM
I set out years ago to create the best result producing workout system possible.Through trial and error, I developed the high intensity, HIT3 workout system. As I continued to open fitness clubs and implement my systems, I formalized both my method of conducting fitness assessments on members and educating them on my unique HIT3 workout program. My HIT3 workout system is based on scientific fundamentals of fitness assessments and exercise physiology. It is taught by fitness professionals and takes the mystery out of the best way to work out for the purpose of achieving maximum results in a minimum amount of time.
Fitness Assessments
The foundation of the HIT3 system starts with the fitness assessment protocol. This in-depth assessment takes approximately one hour to complete. It helps to establish first and foremost the present physical fitness level of a person. The past medical history, exercise experience, lifestyle and nutrition habits, level of cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, endurance, and health and fitness goals. Taking all these factors in consideration, we are then able to determine a starting point – a base level. We then determine a persons ultimate goal and what results they wish to achieve.
The John Cardillo Premier Fitness assessment protocol is unique in the industry. The feedback we receive from people who have gone through this process, is that they are amazed at how much they learn about themselves.
Once the fitness assessment is complete and a persons fitness level is determined, a trainer who is certified on the HIT3 workout system formulates a program. This program is specifically performed on workout machines, which are sequentially set up in a private studio. Each machine is a full-range, thorough, easy-to-use apparatus that works each muscle better than any other apparatus available on the market.
HIT3 WORKOUT PRINCIPLES
1. Form
Each exercise must be performed in perfect form without jerking or heaving, or through the assistance of other body parts. Proper form ensures that the body part being exercised will receive the maximum benefit, and minimize the possibility of injury. The training in proper form also includes correct body posture and breathing techniques.
2. Intensity
The secret to results-producing exercise is the intensity factor. For exercise to be effective, it must be performed to the point of momentary muscle fatigue. We encourage each person to always be progressive in each exercise, by performing more repetitions with the particular weight resistance they are using to surpass the prescribed repetition goal. Once that repetition goal is surpassed for that exercise, for the next workout, the weight is slightly increased, so that a new challenge is imposed on the muscle part. Continually challenging each muscle group in this fashion leads to high intensity exercises, thus producing faster results.
3. Volume
The notion most people believe that if one set of exercises is good, then two or three sets are better and will produce more results, is totally false. Performing more than one set of HIT3 high-intensity exercises will not produce more results, and will lead to overtraining. An important rule of the HIT3 system is that you are to perform only one maximum set of 12 to 15 repetitions with a weight that taxes the body part to the point that not even one more repetition is possible, thus achieving momentary muscular failure. Any more sets performed beyond this point is counterproductive and will lead to overtraining. For exercise to be effective, it must be brief and high intensity in nature. Low-intensity, long volume workouts, performing countless sets of each exercise will produce little in the way of results.
3. Frequency
We advocate that the HIT3 workout program must not be performed more than twice per week, with each workout at least three days apart. Exercising more frequently than this will be counterproductive and lead to overtraining. Proper training shouldn’t take more than 40 minutes twice per week to achieve the best results. Once members are put through the HIT3 workout program, they realize the difference between proper exercise and the wasted motions that thousands of people take part in every day. With HIT3, we teach people the proper scientific way to exercise.
Cameron Dickerson is a seasoned journalist with nearly 10 years experience. While studying journalism at the University of Missouri, Cameron found a passion for finding engaging stories. As a contributor to Kev’s Best, Cameron mostly covers state and national developments.