At Precision One Health and Fitness, we see a lot of members showing up consistently—and that’s awesome. But here’s the thing: just showing up isn’t enough. There’s a major difference between training and training with intensity, and it’s that difference that often separates average results from exceptional progress.
So, What Is “Intensity”?
Intensity isn’t just how sweaty you are or how tired you feel—it’s about how hard your body is actually working during a session. You can coast through a workout or push yourself to your limits with the same set of exercises. The results? Night and day.
A great way to measure intensity is with the RPE scale—short for Rate of Perceived Exertion. It’s a 1–10 scale where:
- 1 feels like a walk in the park,
- 5–6 is moderate effort (you’re working, but holding a conversation),
- 8–9 is tough (grinding, short breaths, serious focus),
- 10 is your max effort
If your workout consistently hovers around a 4 or 5 on the RPE scale, you’re training. But to grow muscle, gain strength, and see change, you need to spend time in that 7–9 range.
How to Train with More Intensity
- Refine your technique – is your body position correct for the muscle you are targeting? Are you moving too quickly?
- Control the end ranges of the movement’s repetition – are you in control of the weight at all times? Are you using momentum to swing the weight up again, rather than your muscles contracting?
- Think internal NOT external – what does this movement feel like, where is the challenge?
- Track your progress and focus on gradually providing more challenge to the load / time performed for / reps achieved
- RPE – use the scale appropriately to select the right load
Final Thoughts
Training with intensity is what takes your gym time from maintenance to transformation. You don’t need fancy gear or magic potions—just a focused approach, smart effort, and a willingness to get a little uncomfortable.
Next time you walk into Precision One, ask yourself: Am I just training, or am I training with purpose?
