Chapter 8 - Maximum Fitness Gains Can Be Made In Minimal Time

Question 1

The overarching goal is to adhere to the Primal Blueprint philosophy of:

Answer 1

Conducting brief, intense workouts balanced with low-level movement, balancing stress and rest, and avoiding chronic patterns at all costs

Question 2

Power-to-Weight Ratio

Answer 2

Has a strong functional component

Puts raw power in context with your body weight instead of emphasizing absolute measurements

• goes beyond strength, incorporating disparate skills such as movement mastery and muscular and cardiovascular strength endurance
• examples: counting the number of pull-ups someone can do at one time, or timing how long it takes to climb a rope or scale a hill on a bicycle

Question 3

Warm-up
A deliberate of mindful drills and stretches ensures:

Answer 3

• optimal focus
• boosts confidence
• heightens motivation and arousal

*however, the Primal program deemphasizes the importance of prolonged, elaborate warm-up periods before workouts…

Question 4

Checklist of sensations associated with a proper warm-up:

Answer 4

• temperature elevated
• fluid = creaky joints become lubricated…
• focused
• dynamic

Question 5

Don’t Start Your Workout Without Running Through The Checklist:

Answer 5

• temperature elevated (literally feeling warmer)
• respiration and heart rate increased
• body feels loose and limber
• joints feel fluid, not stiff and creaky
• mentally focused on the task ahead

*if you haven’t checked the boxes, don’t start the workout!

Question 6

High-intensity workouts should never be undertaken unless:

Answer 6

Body and mind are feeling well rested and highly motivated.

• sore muscles
• lack of motivation
• feelings of fatigue at rest
  —> are all signs that the body is not well suited for an intense workout

*month to month may look very different for training. Less intense workouts may be conducted for reasons such as:
- extensive jet lag
- nagging injury
- illness
- elevated life stress
…and so forth…

Question 7

The Primal Blueprint Pyramid sets parameters for each type of exercise

Answer 7

• 2-5 hours per week of low-level aerobic activities
• 2 strength training sessions per week, each lasting 10-30min
• 1 sprint session every 7-10 days

*however, these are general averages, sampled over an extended period of time and allowing for plenty of room for flexibility…

Question 8

Dr. David Costill popularized the concept that tapering and resting

Answer 8

Actually support fitness and peak performance
- his work suggests that even extreme reductions in normal training volume (e.g. cutting total volume in half for up to two months) not only preserves fitness levels but also improves peak performance… (he studies with collegiate swimmers)

Question 9

The most important principle to respect form optimal strength workouts is that:

Answer 9

They should be brief and intense

Question 10

Choose exercises that

Answer 10

Engage a variety of muscle groups with sweeping, real-life, functional movements, and you will promote optimal gene expression, regardless of particulars

Question 11

Sweeping, full-body, functional movements are preferred over

Answer 11

Exercises that isolate specific body parts… (as happens with many machines)

Question 12

A chronic strength training pattern involves:

Answer 12

Workouts that are too long in duration and conducted too frequently with insufficient rest between sessions

Question 13

Occasional maximum-efforts sprints trigger a cascade of positive expressions events in:

Answer 13

• neuroendocrine
• hormonal
• gene

That promote:
- muscle development
- fat loss (accelerated fat metabolism)
- increased energy
- increased alertness
- delayed aging

• enhances insulin sensitivity
• improves lipid profiles
• boosts levels of adaptogen hormones (such as testosterone and human growth hormone)
• promotes mitochondrial biogenesis
• increases mitochondrial size
• improves cognitive function
• elevated mood by decreasing inflammation in, and improving oxygen to, the brain
• increase bone density
• strengthens bones and connective tissue
  *in many ways it’s benefits surpass the benefits of cardiovascular workouts that last several times longer… this is because, though it’s entirely anaerobic, nevertheless it helps:
• increase fat-burning potential of muscles
• enhances oxygen utilization
• enhances maximal oxygen uptake in the lungs
• improves the ability to store and preserve glycogen
• improves muscle buffering capacity (better lactate clearance and less acidosis during exercise)
• extends the “time to fatigue” marker at all levels of intensity
• allows you to perform better in both high-intensity and longer-duration, lower intensity exercises
• also enhances protein synthesis by as much as 230%!

*often lauded as the ultimate Primal workout

Question 14

A sprint workout is comprised of:
(Every 7-10 days)

Answer 14

4-6 sprints
Lasting between 8-30sec

*duration, recovery intervals, and number of repetitions vary according to the activity you choose, as well as you ability and experience level

Question 15

Sprints of 8sec or less are fueled by:

Answer 15

Pure ATP in the muscle cell

*American football

Question 16

Sprints of 8-30sec are fueled by:

Answer 16

Lactate

*shortest track or swimming events

Question 17

Maximum efforts lasting over 30sec to a couple mins are fueled by:

Answer 17

Glucose

*cannot accurately be described as “sprinting” since its impossible to deliver an all-out effort for more than 30sec. Instead, it is considered an anaerobic peak performance effort

Question 18

Peak performance efforts that extend beyond a couple of minutes use:

Answer 18

A mixture of glucose and fatty acids, burned based on the intensity of the effort as a percentage of maximum HR

*an all-out effort lasting 75sec is considered to require equal contributions from aerobic and anaerobic energy systems
-10sec all-out = 94% anaerobic
-6min = 79% aerobic and 21% anaerobic

Question 19

Effective sprint routine

Answer 19

Varied routine that features short, medium, and longer sprints can be highly effective

*dependent on goals

Question 20

Longer sprints with relatively brief rest periods

Answer 20

Develop your anaerobic lactic acid buffering system
- desirable for sustained, intense efforts (1mile race, basketball, soccer…)

Question 21

Shorter sprints with a longer rest period

Answer 21

Develops your pure speed and explosiveness

Question 22

Philosophical guidelines for sprinting

*although, exercisers may vary the number of reps and duration of rest intervals to stimulate certain fitness adaptations

Answer 22

• Duration of the recovery interval should be sufficient enough for respiration to return to near normal and for you to feel mentally refreshed enough to tackle another effort
• Each sprint should be similar in both measured performance (the time it takes to cover a certain distance) and in perceived effort level…

Question 23

Sprinting places incredible demands on the central nervous system. Consequently:

Answer 23

In addition to physical markers, such as respiration and fatigue, a sprinter should be vigilant about mental fatigue

• if you have difficulty focusing, concentrating, or even just keeping your balance during a walk recovery interval, this is an indication that the central nervous system is fried and that further sprint efforts are not advisable

Question 24

To continue sprinting when perceived effort increases/measured performance decreases is not advised because it:

Answer 24

• can result in exhaustion
• extended recovery time
• overstimulation of stress hormones
• increased risk of injury

*when effort level is maintained but performance drops off markedly, that’s a sure sign to end the workout and thereby preserve its quality and intended training effect

Question 25

The foremost goal of your sprint sessions:

Answer 25

Consistent quality

Question 26

As fitness progresses, sprinters should aspire to:

Answer 26

Increase speed rather than add more repetitions *going for quantity instead of quality will increase the risk of entering a chronic pattern and compromise the intended purpose of these types of workouts…

Question 27

Demanding that the body use stored energy instead of ingested calories can promote:

Answer 27

- insulin sensitivity - up-regulation of fat and ketone burning *due to the stimulus of the intense workout, this stored energy can be burned at an accelerated rate after exercise, speeding body fat reduction goals

Question 28

A fat- and keto- adapted athlete will experience a diminished need for:

Answer 28

Glucose during exercise and in the hours after exercise - making aggressive and immediate refueling of far less importance

Question 29

Refueling with carbohydrates immediately after exercise :

Answer 29

Will, indeed, replenish glycogen stores… but, this refueling prompts the release of insulin, which quickly removes adaptive hormones and fatty acids from the bloodstream and may shut off ketone burning…

Question 30

A pattern of immediate and complete refueling after exercise can perpetuate

Answer 30

The cycle of dependency upon dietary carbohydrates for energy and recovery Those with excess body fat may experience difficulty losing fat with this habitual refueling practice, because they never create the demand to access stored body fat use as energy

Question 31

While individual requirements vary, the more intense and more frequent one’s workout:

Answer 31

The greater their requirement for ample dietary carbohydrates to recover *there are no exact guidelines for what optimal carb intake entails, but folks can experiment with consuming an additional 100 grams of carbohydrate for every hour of vigorous exercise conducted on a particular day

Question 32

Peak Performance *athletes who wish to optimize diet can monitor assorted performance and recovery markers in conjunction with changes in dietary habits… For example:

Answer 32

An athlete might track their performance on a time trial, or gym exercise (bicycle hill climb/max number of pull-ups), while systematically experimenting - with carb intake - protein intake - meal timing - fueling strategies (eating before, during, after workouts) They might also track how - energy levels - hunger levels - sleeping habits are affected by dietary changes *in this way, they can arrive at their own personal optimal diet and fueling strategy based on how their body responds a

Question 33

Enjoyment

Answer 33

A devoted fitness enthusiast and disciplined eater must not lose sight of the importance of enjoying his or her diet and exercise efforts… *it’s important to take a big-picture view and realize that life’s too short to let perfect be the enemy of good

Question 34

Intermittent is effective

Answer 34

The body is extremely receptive to a sporadic pattern of eating - individuals may vary their meal timing and eating windows to align with daily fluctuations in hunger - with exercise, there are a myriad of benefits in a periodized training schedule that promotes a balance between stress and rest and focuses on different training priorities at different periods

Question 35

Organ Reserve

Answer 35

The functional capacity of vital organs to support life - it is closely correlated with the amount of functional lean muscle mass you have (because functional muscle mass supports optimal organ function and minimizes organ stress)

Question 36

The essence of delaying the aging process

Answer 36

Having optimal muscle mass and strong organ reserve is *you are working organs when challenging the muscles; both adhere to the “use it or lose it” principle *body systems work synergistically…

Question 37

Scientifically and practically speaking, the aging process as we know it today should really be called the

Answer 37

“Process of physical decline largely due to inactivity and/or adverse lifestyle practices”

Question 38

Mitochondrial Biogenesis in high-intensity workouts

Answer 38

- increase the size and number of mitochondria - increase number of oxidative enzymes found in mitochondria

Question 39

Oxidative Enzymes

Answer 39

- citrate synthase - malate dehydrogenase - succinate dehydrogenase - improves metabolic function of skeletal muscles - boosting fat and carbohydrate breakdown for fuel - speeding energy formation from ATP

Question 40

Having abundant oxidative enzymes

Answer 40

- improves exercise performance at both high and low intensities - provides greater protection against oxidative stress - a key marker of aging

Question 41

High-intensity exercise increases mitochondrial density and oxidative enzymes by:

Answer 41

Constructing completely different message signaling pathways than those formed by traditional endurance training These pathways turn on the “master switch” called the PGC-1a (PGC-one-alpha) that causes a favorable rise in mitochondria density and oxidative enzyme activity

Question 42

Mitochondrial benefits of intense training are probably maximized when:

Answer 42

Combined with aerobic exercise

Question 43

Play

Answer 43

Loosely defined as activity that is: - fun - perhaps has an element of spontaneity (but can also be structured and competitive) - deemphasizes the formal structure and tangible measurements of accomplishment - gets you out of the focused, rational mindset that you exist in for most of the day *has you completely absorbed in the moment and the pure joy of the experience

Question 44

The free-flowing, risk-free nature of play allows us to:

Answer 44

- test out skills and scenarios that prepare us for real-life challenges The spontaneity and exploration that characterize play: - helps form mold new neural circuits - improve connections - improve behavior patterns Also a: - stress reliever, particularly from life-or-death rigors of primal life, but also from the unrelenting stress and tight structure of hectic modern life

Question 45

When humans are deprived of play they suffer from multiple dysfunctional symptoms, including:

Answer 45

- lack of curiosity - diminished social competency - uncontrolled emotions Net result = a narrowing of social, emotional, and cognitive intelligence *this “narrowing” of perspective is also a profound marker of accelerated aging

Question 46

Okay promotes the development and maintenance of a

Answer 46

“Cognitively fluid mind” *a wonderful attribute with which to navigate the extremely complex and high-tech nature of modern life

Question 47

Static stretching (passive muscle stretching) weakens muscles for

Answer 47

Up to 30min after the session *the neuromuscular inhibitory response

Question 48

Post-workout stretches (often static) can:

Answer 48

- assist in the transition from an active state to an inactive state - possibly prevent injury - speed recovery - alleviate post-exercise soreness

Question 49

Dynamic stretches

Answer 49

Are done in the course of deliberate movements designed to produce a stretch Often mimic or exaggerate the desired range of motion in the impending exercise - example: runner doing high-knee skips or lunges…

Question 50

Two functional, full-body stretches recommended by the Primal Health Coach program

Answer 50

1. Grok Hang 2. Grok Squat *stretches that recruit a variety of muscle groups and allow gravity to be the main - and really only - source of resistance *effective and safe because they use gravity and the leverage of body weight to achieve a stretch, instead of a deliberate counterforce

Question 51

Grok Hang

Answer 51

Entails hanging from a bar or branch for as long as you can support your body weight Provides a comprehensive upper body stretch and even a traction effect along the spinal column as the discs gently elongate after a few moments

Question 52

Grok Squat

Answer 52

Involves squaring down to the ground and lowering your torso between your bent knees Provides a comprehensive stretch for: - feet - calves - Achilles tendons - hamstrings - quadriceps - buttocks - lower back - upper back -shoulders

Question 53

A sore (painful) muscle is the body’s way of telling us to:

Answer 53

- slow down - rest - allow the healing process to run its course

Question 54

Muscle Tightness

Answer 54

A protective mechanism to avoid further trauma and damage to the surrounding area

Question 55

Expected from a devoted exercise routine:

Answer 55

Minor aches, pains, stiffness and soreness *first thing in the morning you might feel stiff, but you should easily be able to work out the kinks and feel supple and fluid after a short and sensible warm-up session —> if pain, stiffness, and soreness linger after a warm-up period and compromises workout performance, then the overall exercise program needs to be adjusted to minimize stress

Question 56

Acute muscle soreness

Answer 56

Manifests when muscles become sore and stiff immediately following an intense workout The pain is caused by an accumulation of waste products such as: - lactic acid in muscles - swelling of tissues due to increased blood flow caused by aggressive contractions - the exhaustion of muscles unable to perform requested work Subsides an hour or so after the workout is complete and the body has returned to a resting state

Question 57

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

Answer 57

A common phenomenon in which stiffness, soreness, and tenderness are felt, often with significant delay, in the aftermath of challenging workouts

Question 58

Timeframe symptoms of DOMS

Answer 58

Are strongest between 24 hours & 72 hours after exercise, with the worst soreness typically 48 hours after the session

Question 59

Cause of DOMS

Answer 59

Micro-trauma to muscle fibers due to eccentric muscle contractions, where a muscle is asked to lengthen against resistant force May be caused by enzyme efflux, or leaking, as a result of eccentric contractions - calcium leaks out of storage areas in the cells and accumulates in the traumatized muscle tissues - this prompts an inflammatory response that helps transport calcium back to its proper location in the muscle sarcoplasm, where it helps regulate contractions *soreness is delayed because it takes a while after the muscle sustains it’s initial trauma for the healing process to play out… - after an intense workout, stress hormone levels are elevated and muscles are engorged with blood, both of which mask initial pain and soreness

Question 60

The accumulation of lactic acid in the muscle during intense work efforts

Answer 60

Does not cause delayed onset muscle soreness

Question 61

DOMS is not necessarily

Answer 61

An indication of a workout’s effectiveness And the lack of DOMS is not an indication that a workout was ineffective Or correlated with the level of damage to the muscle… *it’s mostly a function of how familiar the workout was…

Question 62

Experiencing DOMS is a great message from your body that:

Answer 62

It’s time to rest and avoid anything close to maximum effort until soreness completely dissipates

Question 63

Repeat-bout effect

Answer 63

Muscles become more resilient when the exercise that caused DOMS is repeated

Question 64

Necessary components for the inflammatory process to work effectively

Answer 64

- Begins with vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels to increase blood flow to the injured site - The immune system sends leukocytes and macrophages (types of white blood cells) to clean out waste products and allow healing to begin - This causes more fluid retention and swelling at the site, more sensitivity to pain, and restricted movement *while the circulatory system works to clear waste products, the lymphatic system removes excess fluid buildup caused by the immune response

Question 65

The practice of icing

Answer 65

Potentially delays the healing process by inhibiting the lymphatic system from clearing toxins out of the injured area… - it actually promotes additional fluid buildup with a “backflow” effect - whereby waste is contained in the injured area instead of being swept away - does relieve pain, but that’s not necessarily a good thing…

Question 66

The effect of taking NSAIDs for inflammation of muscles

Answer 66

Even more disruptive to the healing process than ice - they short-circuit the natural inflammatory process by blocking prostaglandin production, relieving pain, reducing swelling

Question 67

ECM - Elevate, Compress, Move

Answer 67

An alternative to the long standing RICE protocol Move = move safely, in a manner that does not introduce additional pain to the area - increases flow - improves range of motion - assists the lymphatic system in its duties Compression = assists the lymphatic system in its duties Can be achieve through - bands - contractions - specially designed compressive clothing Elevate = elevate the injured area above the heart will regulate the inflammatory process naturally and prevent excessive fluid from pooling in the injured area

Question 68

Pain, inflammation, and diminished mobility

Answer 68

Are welcome elements of the homeostatic drive of the body - effective governors to regulate the balance of stress and rest in pursuit of fitness and peak performance

Question 69

No matter your fitness level, conducting high-intensity workouts - adapted to your current fitness level and physical capabilities

Answer 69

Is extremely important for your fitness, body composition, and overall health goals

Question 70

Sprinting is considered the best exercise for

Answer 70

Burning fat - because it accelerates fat metabolism and improves insulin sensitivity It also: - enhances oxygen uptake & utilization - improves glycogen regulation - supports the body’s ability to process and eliminate lactic acid and other waste byproducts in the bloodstream -

Question 71

Orthorexia

Answer 71

An unhealthy obsession with eating a “correct,” highly regimented diet, and avoiding any foods perceived to be unhealthful, to the extent that the practice becomes psychologically stressful

Question 72

A good measure of functional fitness =

Answer 72

Power-to-Weight Ratio

Question 73

Play is characterized by not being attached to

Answer 73

Outcome