Braden Robbins

6th
12/10/15

HIT vs HVT
Mark is a young guy in his teens. He goes to a school with tons of students
attending. Mark is like most guys, one who really wants to impress a girl. This girls
name is Vanessa. She happens to have a crush on the captain of the football team.
Because Mark really likes Vanessa, he wants to know what she likes about this football
player. Maybe he could replicate the characteristics that Vanessa finds attractive in a
guy. After some investigation, Mark decides what he needs to do. Mark realizes that,
just like the football player, he is athletic, smart, funny, and kind. So what was he
missing? Mark was lacking in muscle mass. Mark was good at sports, but not
necessarily very strong. This was the answer Mark needed. The very next day, Mark hit
the weight room after school. Being new to the exercise, Mark didnt know how to
approach strength training. He looked to the left and saw Geoff bench pressing 200
pounds! This kid was lifting with high intensity, but low volume. He then looked to his
right and saw Alejandro bench pressing 70 pounds repeatedly. Alejandro was lifting with
high volume, low intensity. Mark didnt have any weight lifting background, and didnt
know how to organize a training program that would benefit him the most. Should he
choose high volume, low intensity; or high intensity, low volume? With the end goal of
increasing, and improving muscle strength in mind, which training style is best?
You might be wondering, what is high volume training (HVT), or high intensity
training (HIT)? I will define these for you. First we have high volume training. As

previously stated, an example of this could be lifting lighter weight, but for a longer
period of time. This is an example of building up your aerobic system. The aerobic
system deals with the oxygen you intake during exercise, and utilizing it to the best of
your bodys ability. Your aerobic system takes time and hard work to build, but is easily
maintained. In many programs, high volume is the entire training style. The benefit to
that is to be able to get more out of the air your breathe, keeping your body comfortable,
fit, and relaxed during exercise.
On the other hand you have high intensity training. In my hypothetical situation at
the beginning of this paper, I described high intensity training as bench pressing a lot of
weight, without very many repetitions. This uses a lot of explosive muscle fibers. You
could also look at it as a sprinter during track season running the 100m. dash. This type
of training is geared towards your anaerobic system. Anaerobic means, without
oxygen. It requires being fast, strong, and powerful. This style of training, improvement
is more easily obtained, but also more easily lost. In weightlifting scenarios, this type of
training is widely accepted. You need to have explosive muscle fibers to accomplish
increases in the amount of weight you lift.
When it comes to training, whether it be lifting or running, there are two basic
schools of thought. You can go the direction of a high intensity, low volume program; or
a high volume low intensity program. These are the most widely accepted training
styles, for they both have different benefits associated with them. Although many
programs only involve one or the other, there are also combinations of the two in select
programs. After conducting research, I have come to the conclusion that the best
training doesnt contain one or the other, but both.

I will identify the differences between high intensity training, and high volume
training; look at the use of the different training styles through the history of exercise;
show the benefits to using both; and provide examples of how they are used by
professionals. Having conducted research on a topic that is highly controversial, and
has no concrete evidence about which training style is truly best, I will do my best to
provide accurate information for a better understanding of the subject at hand.
So I have explained what the types of training are, but lets discuss the
differences and advantages of each are. As previously stated, one is highly reliant on
the use and intake of oxygen. On the other hand, high intensity uses quick and
explosive muscle movements. One of the perks to high intensity, is building size in your
muscles. A common opinion is the volume guys don't understand the "scientific"
approach to building muscle, and just don't push themselves hard enough to get the job
done in a few sets (Par Deus, 1). What Par Deus is implying through this statement is
that there is a difference between the two training styles as far as muscle growth goes.
Volume training tones the muscles and helps create muscle endurance, rather muscle
size and power. This is just one of the many examples of benefits through intensity
training.
Now to talk about volume advantages. If you can control your breathing, and not
get that out of breath feeling, doesnt it make sense to be able to perform better, for
longer? Well many people think this way. One person who believes this is Greg
Gavedon. He says, I have also found that I get the best results with my personal
training clients using multiple sets and exercises for each body part
(http://greggavedon.com, 1). Multiple sets is always associated with high volume,

because it is impossible to perform at your max weight more than a few times. He has
described that with multiple sets, he has seen the best results not just with his own
training, but in the growth of his clients. I have demonstrated how high volume training
could be supported as the best training style.
So now we see that there are differences using a specific training style over the
other. Lets take a look at what has been accepted from the past through the present. In
an article by Steve Magness, he takes time to teach about the history of training. I will
now reflect some of that information into this paper. According to Magness, there wasnt
much training in the 1800s but it was all intensity based. In the early 1900s, running
was starting to grow, but intensity still ruled. Intervals rose up in the mid 1900s. After
becoming tired of endless intervals on the track, long distance runs, or workouts
requiring higher volume, became hugely popular in the 1960s-70s. In the late 1900s
intensity made a comeback, however in the 2000s endurance became dominant. Why
the switch every 10-20 years? My guess is that its because of a backlash or desire to
innovate (Steve Magness, 1). There are studies and styles that are constantly trying to
be proven or changed when dealing with this subject. Because of this, this controversial
topic is very opinionated.
Steve Magness is a very qualified and knowledgeable source, and provides a lot
of useful information on this discussion, which is high volume versus high intensity. He
addresses this debate, and comes out by stating this:
Its obvious that a sweet spot of aerobic + high intensity training is needed.
Use history to guide you where that sweet spot is. Weve had guys who have
done 20 mpw and nothing but intervals and crazy endurance junkies who did
200+mpw with little intense training. Its not surprising that weve settled on

somewhere in the middle. So dont fall into the trap of gravitating towards an
extreme. Instead, learn from what is currently being done and work to make
small tweaks to improve it (1).

Magness says that we have settled in the middle. In our current day and age, we have
the best athletes of all time, breaking world records constantly. Whether it be in
swimming, running, or throwing, we are constantly finding new information on how to
improve and better ourselves. Right now, we are doing this through a mixture of both
high volume, and high intensity.
I hope that it has become very apparent that there isnt just one correct way to
train. Since there are an infinite number of ways to train yourself, lets take a look at
what the best of the best are doing. Mo Farah is arguably the best distance runner in
the world. He holds multiple world records, and is a very credible source of information
on what to for the most elite level of training. According to Mo Farahs trainer, Alberto
Salazar, Farahs training looks like this: ... Tuesday: 8-12 mile tempo run anywhere
from 4:40 to 5:00min/mile pace (depending on altitude and terrain)... Friday: 10x200m
intervals (with 200m recovery jogs) on grass in 29 seconds each rep; 10x200m hill
sprints at equal effort, walk back down to recover (Rob Murray, 1). On Mo Farahs
weekly schedule, there is evidence supporting a mixed training style. On Tuesday Farah
has a tempo run. For being such an elite runner, this isnt as intense as it sounds. This
pace is his lower intensity, while this distance he is running is the high volume. Later in
the week, his Friday consists of a high intensity workout. He does fewer sets, of a more
intense, or fast, uphill sprint. So what does this tell you? If one of the best athletes in the
world mixes his training types, maybe that has the most benefit to it.

In conclusion, I have shown the advantages and differences between HIT vs

HVT, described the history of acceptance between the two, provided information on
what highly qualified trainers believe, and included what the best athletes in the world
are doing to improve. Mark didnt know the answer to building the muscle to impress
Vanessa, and what it comes down to is that nobody really knows. My personal stance is
based on Mo Farah, with a mixed training program, but that doesnt mean it is right. For
many individuals, training affects them differently, so you have to decide for yourself and
do what works for you.

Deus, Par. "HIT Vs. Volume!" Bodybuilding.com. 27 June 2005. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.

Gavedon, Greg. "High Intensity Training VS Volume Training." Greggavedoncom RSS. 13

May 2011. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.
Magness, Steve. "Science of Running: The Evolution and History of Training: The
Volume versus Intensity Cycle." Science of Running: The Evolution and History of
Training: The Volume versus Intensity Cycle. Web. 18 Dec. 2015.
Murray, Rob. "Mo Farah's Typical Weekly Training Schedule." Training a Runner RSS. 9
Oct. 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2015.