This is the best site out there for exercise information, including links to
information I state below:

http://www.exercisestandards.org/

There are a few people on this list that train HIT style.   To me, tho,
doing more than one set means it wasn't intense enough to begin with.  I
train HIT using a superslow protocol to failure between 90-150 seconds on
each exercise.  Squats will ruin your spine, I dont care what anyone
says...not bad if you are a chiropracter but if you have a history of
osteoporosis I think you should run from squats and Smiths and such.  That
is why squatters typically have to do "decompression" after an exercise (ask
Mike Mentzer about that one...he knows!)  It can physically make you
shorter!  Aerobic exercise is bad for your joints and maybe for your heart.
I quit the HIT list because they made too many sexist "jokes". Plus Rob
moved to Onelist and I think Onelist manages their lists very poorly.  I
subscribe instead to the medical exercise list, and you can too at:

http://www.medxonline.com/


I work out about once every 5 days.  I do 5 different exercises each time.
I do the biggest muscle groups only and neck/lumbar due to my specific body
probs (car accident injuries).  Calf raises are a waste of time...it seemed
like instead you need to do more big stuff like a leg press (not the same
bad spine effects as a squat...have you ever done a MedX leg press?) and leg
curl, abductor and inductor.  Tho back I would say is important for anyone,
usually row is enough for most peoples neck but not mine.

My routine is limited by crappy machines, I just do the better designed ones
that give me the most benefits:

A day:  Neck (only back and forth on the 4-way), hip abductor, leg press,
assisted dip, asstd chin ups
B day:  Back extension, leg extension, leg curl, row, chest press

I can't work out any more frequently or I lose time under load, meaning I
haven't fully recovered.  I use a strict 10-5 protocol with perfect form and
breathing.  Naturally I don't count reps, I just go slow til I fail, and up
the weight when I hit around  2 min 30 sec.

I work harder than anyone else in my gym, I practically puke each time I go
in, even tho I'm only there for 15-20 minutes.   I use Nautilus machines
because they are the best available where I live.  Of course I would rather
use MedX. Hammer's alright.

Freeweights are not as efficient a way of training because they only rely on
gravity--no resistence curve. If you like to socialize at the gym, its nice
to have a spotter and use free weights.  But I really dont enjoy what I do,
its the most gruelsome part of my life.  I go in to work my ass off and get
out.  Of course I enjoy the long-term benefits.

Good machines work the whole range of motion due to their resistence curve.
On good machinery you can fail at any point in the exercise,
randomly--something you won't be able to do with freeweights.  Also,
machinery is safer (messing with the weights themselves is not necessary)
and you don't need a spotter.

The only injury I have ever had is getting off the assisted chinup after I
failed.  That machine has too many bars.  But it is nothing like trying to
mess with freeweights, not to mention the potential for hurting others
around you when you use freeweights, besides yourself.

I can't work out any more frequently or I lose time under load.   It looked
to me like you were doing a bit too much exercising. You need to up the
weight, drop it back to one set, and fail in under 3 min for starters.

I am in the best shape I have ever been in in my life and I am a big fan of
HIT.  And with a paleo diet, man, my life just couldn't be better!

Judith