Chapter 12 - Exercise Primally: Move, Lift, And Sprint! Flashcards
Primal Blueprints three basic exercise laws:
- Move frequently at a slow pace
- Lift heavy objects regularly
- Perform occasional all-out sprint workouts
The ultimate Primal Movement
Brief, all-out sprints
Brief, all-out sprints:
- promote hormone balance
- stimulate lean muscle development
- accelerate fat metabolism
- enhance organ function to delay aging
- increase longevity
- promote breakthroughs past fitness and body composition plateaus
Low-level cardio sessions alone
Won’t increase fat metabolism dramatically enough to significantly reduce excess body fat, but they will enhance fat metabolism both during exercise and at rest
Regular brief, intense strength and sprint sessions
Raise metabolic rate and body temperature both during and after exercise
Ideal fat percentage range for men
10-18%
Ideal fat percentage ranges for women
14-24% (for a lean, toned physique)
The best exercise program is
The one you stick with
*so do the activities and individual workouts that you enjoy the most while hearing to the philosophical principles represented by the three exercise exercise related primal blueprint laws
- move frequently
- lift heavy things
- sprint (once in awhile)
This will promote maximum health, wellness, and longevity
A pattern of chronic cardio
(sustained, frequent aerobic activity above your maximum aerobic heart rate), triggers:
- excessive stress hormone production
- anaerobic metabolism with glucose as the primary energy source
- lactate accumulation in the bloodstream
The Move Frequently law means:
- finding as many ways as possible to move more throughout every day —avoid being too sedentary.
- conducting structured aerobic workouts (cardio, machines, hiking, swimming, cycling, walking/jogging/running, depending on your fitness level) or below your maximum aerobic heart rate of 180-age and not in chronic patterns
- Adding complementary flexibility/mobility, endeavors such as yoga, Pilates, tai chi, gymnastics, mobility/rehab drills, and properly conducted stretching exercise
Most important component of the “move frequently” mandate
Is not the structured workout but just becoming more active in daily life…
Regular brief, intense resistance workouts
- stimulate a spike in adaptive hormones (such as testosterone and human growth hormone) into the bloodstream
- improve organ reserve
- accelerate fat loss
- increase energy
PEMs
Primal Essential Movements
- squats
- pushups
- pull-ups
- planks
Push-up exercise progression
Easy = wall push-up
Intermediate = incline pushup
Baseline (essential mastery movement) = push-up
Pull-up exercise progression
Easy = chair assisted pull-up
Intermediate = chin-up with inverted grip
Baseline (essential mastery movement) = pull-up with overhand grip
If you ability to squat is poor
You will develop adverse posture and movement mechanics that will increase the stream on your spine, knees, and other joints
Squat exercise progression
Easy = assisted squat
Essential mastery movement = baseline squad
Plank exercise progression
Easy = forearm/knee plank
Intermediate = hand/feet plank
Essential mastering movement = baseline elbow/feet plank
Planes that are fundamentally important to move through include:
- squat
- lunge
- hinge
- push
- pull
- rotation
Bird-dogs and dead-bugs
Also entrain the anti-rotation system by connecting an arm to the opposite leg via a series of muscles and connective tissue known as the “diagonal slings”
Hormetic Effect
A favorable response to inappropriate exposure to stress
- Such as sprinting, which elicits a brief/intermittent stress response
- When the stressors is removed and as the body slows to a state relaxation, biochemical signals produce a cascade of neuroendocrine, hormonal and gene expression that stimulates:
- lean muscle development
- optimize fat metabolism
- enhance organ reserve
to promote both peak performance and longevity
Sprint workouts
Duration = 8-20sec, perhaps up to 30sec for a low- or no-impact sprint like cycling
You need never do more than six sprints per session
The emphasis is always quality over quantity
When sprint runs are conducted on a regular basis
A strong signal is sent to the genes to optimize body composition
Running
The most beneficial type of sprinting because it’s weight-bearing nature improves bone density and provides greater stimulation for muscle gain and toning
The duration of a sprint rest interval
Is dependent on how long it takes for respiration to return to near normal
Exercisers should only commence the next sprint in the sequence when they feel refreshed and recovered
*if performance or form starts to break down, or if you experience muscle or joint pain (as opposed to muscle fatigue) the sprint workout should end immediately
Sprinting form
Most important aspect for efficient sprinting = maintaining a balanced center of gravity
- shoulders, torso, and pelvis should remain in forward alignment at all times
- maintain an elongated spine and tall posture at all times
- never allow any energy to cave into the ground upon impact
- arms and hands should be relaxed as they pump back and forth
- you should feel like the shoulders are supplying all the force for pumping, with all muscles below remaining relaxed and supple
- knees should be driving high, recovery leg shooting quickly right under the butt instead of extending backward
- always with the big toe held high to maximize explosive propulsion
Keys to remember for correct sprinting
- Bicycle
- form for your feet is similar to correct for when pedaling a bike
-try to get your feet off the ground as fast as possible —> imagine you are running over hot lava - Strong Foot
- you should dorsiflex immediately after your foot leaves the ground, as If you were trying to maintain contact with a bicycle pedal and keep your big toe high instead of dragging or pointing down to the ground - Generate explosive force
- land and absorb shock on your midfoot, allowing the heel to snap to the ground. This positions, the Achilles tendon to act like a spring and generate explosive force for the takeoff
- The ability to generate explosive force with each stride is the key determinate for running speed (contrary to the common notion that faster turnover makes for greater speeds) - Bicycle “sprinting”
- maintain a cadence of 80 to 100 revolutions per minute. This cadence range balance is the workload between the cardiovascular system and the muscular skeletal system —> 15 revolutions every 10 seconds is right on the mark
- with each pedal stroke, concentrate on applying circular force rather than stomping force down on the pedals
- do not rock your hips side to side in an effort to go faster; instead keep your pelvis, level and centered
- your upper body should remain still and relaxed, even when the effort is difficult
- make sure your seat height is appropriate: place your heel on the pedal when it’s at the bottom of a pedal stroke. Your leg should extend fully.
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Sprint Warm-Ups
The first five minutes of a sprint workout are delegated to an easy cardio warm-up, generally making a light effort of the same exercise
Next, conduct some dynamic stretches
Dynamic stretches for a sprinting workout
- pull quads
- knee-to-chest
- open hips
- mini-lunge
- high knees
Preparation efforts for sprinting
Initiate 2 to 4 “wind sprints” each lasting 7 to 10 seconds, in which you gradually increase speed up to about 90% of maximum effort and then settle back into a light jog or cycle
Sprinting cool down
Take 5 to 10 minutes to cool down with easy activity, keeping your heart rate below 180-age
Stationary bike sprinting is a good option if you
- are novice sprinter
- are out of condition
- have joint problems
- Sprinting on an outdoor bicycle is not advised because of the high skill level required and danger with vehicles
Tabata
Consists of 20 seconds of maximal output followed by 10 seconds of rest
- you repeat these sequences for an appropriate number of minutes based on fitness level
- can be applied, not only to sprints, but also assorted strength training exercises such as burpees, jump rope, or performing squats
The foundation of the Primal fitness approach
Move frequently
