One more citation on exercise intensity from Wikipedia:
Intensity, volume, and frequency
Three important variables of strength training are intensity, volume, and frequency. Intensity refers to the amount of work required to achieve the activity and is proportional to the mass of the weights being lifted. Volume refers to the number of muscles worked, exercises, sets, and reps during a single session. Frequency refers to how many training sessions are performed per week.
These variables are important because they are all mutually conflicting, as the muscle only has so much strength and endurance, and takes time to recover due to microtrauma. Increasing one by any significant amount necessitates the decrease of the other two, e.g. increasing weight means a reduction of reps, and will require more recovery time and therefore fewer workouts per week. Trying to push too much intensity, volume and frequency will result in overtraining, and eventually lead to injury and other health issues such as chronic soreness and general lethargy, illness or even acute trauma such as avulsion fractures. A high-medium-low formula can be used to avoid overtraining, with either intensity, volume, or frequency being high, one of the others being medium, and the other being low. One example of this training strategy can be found in the following chart:
Type High Med Low
Intensity (% of 1RM) 80–100% 40–70% 0–40%
Volume (per muscle) 3+ exercises 2 exercises 1 exercises
Sets 4+ sets 2–3 sets 1 set
Reps 20+ reps 8–15 reps 1–6 reps
Session frequency 4+ p/w 2–3 p/w 1 p/w
Notice in the chart what the specific definition is for intensity. Intensity is the % of 1 rep max. Exactly what I said at the beginning of this silly argument. The full Wikipedia article is here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strength_training#Intensity,_volume,_and_frequency
OK, now we are going into Flat Earth, David Icke -- reptilian hybrid territory. This is a jump the shark moment. I think my reputation is well known that I take debates seriously (maybe too seriously) and take it to the bitter agonizing end. But if I am suspect or believe that I am just debating a unrepentant and hopelessly irrational person then I will concede. It's pointless debating a nut case. (BTW, aren't you a Holocaust denier? Correct me if I am wrong because I know there are a few here that bitterly resent for my rabid support of Israel and the Jewish people).
Anyway, in regard to your sources. You keep talking about "every strength coach". Who exactly and how are you so intimate with their training protocol? The way you speak you present yourself as some authority with real hands-on experience working with professional athletes like Coach.
And I notice you did a bit of cherry-picking on Wikipedia. When I wiki-ed intensity they gave me this definition:
Intensity is the amount of physical power (expressed as a percentage of the maximal oxygen consumption) that the body uses when performing an activity. For example, exercise intensity defines how hard the body has to work to walk a mile in 20 minutes.This is measured in units of METs which for our purposed doesn't have to be defined in detail only that it can be used as a comparison to various activities. And this what this article does. It starts with sleep, walking, jogging, and so on with the increase in METs corresponding to the amount of physical effort, the V02, i.e. oygen consumption.
Nothing is said about weights or resistance.
Remember, pretty much anybody can post a write-up on Wiki. It is not surprising that the explanation that you cut and pasted for our edification, if not amusement, came with this disclaimer:
[iThis article needs more medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. Please review the contents of the article and add the appropriate references if you can. Unsourced or poorly sourced material may be challenged and removed.[/i]
For a more concise definition of intensity, we can refer to the National Academy of Sports Medicine:
Training intensity refers to the level of effort a person exerts during exercise relative to his or her maximum effort."Note how they make reference to absolute intensity and relative intensity.
"relative to his or her maximum."
For example, if Shizzo and I run a mile in 8 minutes. The absolute intensity would be the same. Distance covered during a specific time frame is the same. But relative intensity would be quite different. Shizzo would be wheezing and near collapse trying to complete that mile while I'll do it while being on my cell phone watching "The Simpsons" reruns.
