How I Ensure Intensity in My Training by Luke Litchfield

As a competitive powerlifter, intensity is something I have to take seriously. When you're training to move maximal weights, simply turning up to the gym isn't enough. 

I need to be able to get into the session, switch on, focus on what I'm doing and actually produce the level of effort required.

Over the years, I've found that ensuring intensity in my training really comes down to two things:

Recovery and focus.

If one of those is missing, the quality of my training suffers.

Recovery Starts With Sleep

The first part of maintaining intensity is making sure I'm actually recovered enough to train hard.

For me, that starts with sleep.

When I was in the United States, I had conversations with some very high-level lifters about how seriously they took their sleep and recovery. One thing that came up was melatonin, which is something that isn't available over the counter in the UK in the same way.

I came back to the UK looking for something that could help me improve my sleep quality, but finding a suitable option wasn't straightforward.

That's when I started using KNOCKOUT1 from 1 Source Supplements.

It has made a noticeable difference to how I approach my sleep and, more importantly, how I feel the following day.

I'm waking up feeling more rested, more alert and more ready to actually get on with my day. I'm not getting that same groggy, under-recovered feeling that can make everything from work to training feel harder than it needs to.

For me, that's hugely important.

Recovery isn't just about feeling good. If I'm going into a heavy training session already feeling run down, it's much harder to produce the intensity I need.

Better recovery gives me a better starting point.Focus When It Matters

The second part is focus.

I can be well rested, well recovered and still have a poor session if I can't get my head in the game.

Before training, I make sure I have the basics covered first. My nutrition needs to be on point, I'm properly fuelled and I'm hydrated. Supplements aren't a replacement for those things.

Once that foundation is there, I'll use a pre-workout depending on where I am in my training cycle.

Two of the products I've used consistently are Off The Spectrum and STIM1.

Which one I use depends on what I'm trying to get from the session and where I am in my training. But the biggest thing I notice is the ability to get completely locked into what I'm doing.

That tunnel-vision effect is something I really value when I'm training.

When I'm working through heavy sets, particularly when I'm approaching the more demanding parts of a training block, I don't want my attention wandering. I want to know exactly what I'm there to do, execute the plan and put everything I have into the set.

That's where having a pre-workout that works well for me has become part of my routine.

Both Off The Spectrum and STIM1 have been instrumental in my training intensity over the past year or so, and they've become products I genuinely rely on as part of my preparation for training.

Recovery + Focus = Intensity

For me, intensity isn't something I can simply switch on when I walk into the gym.

It's something I have to create before I even start my first set.

If I'm poorly recovered, I'm not going to perform at my best.

If I'm distracted and unable to focus, I'm not going to perform at my best either.

That's why I put so much emphasis on both sides of the equation.

Recovery gives me the ability to train hard. Focus allows me to actually do it.

Sleep, nutrition and proper recovery form the foundation and products like Knockout1, Off The Spectrum and STIM1 have become useful tools within that bigger picture for me.

Over the last year, these products have played a consistent role in helping me prepare for training, recover from it and get the most out of my sessions.

If you're looking to improve the intensity and quality of your own training, I'd highly recommend looking at how you're managing both recovery & focus and seeing whether 1 Source Supplements can help support those areas.

 

Luke Litchfield, LITCHFIT.