Posts Tagged ‘atp’

A Super-Sexy David Beckham-esque HIIT Sprint Workout

February 25th, 2010

David Beckham : Men's Health

Awhile back, Men’s Health wrote an article showing us guys how we can “Live It Like Beckham“.

Included in that article was the David Beckham Workout.

Looking at that workout almost 2 years later, I realized that…..it was a hunk of junk.

Seriously, this guy makes bazillions of dollars every year and this is the best workout that him and his team of trainers & therapists can come up with.

We can do better.

So, here we go:

1.   Strength Training

The MH article ignored Beckham’s strength training routine, so like them, we will save that part of his training routine for another article.

However, if you are interested in building some strong, powerful “athlete” muscles, start with this article.

2.    Aerobic Training

The MH article also neglected to look at Beckham’s aerobic training. Luckily for you, I am going to build some aerobic conditioning into your….

3.    Anaerobic / HIIT / Tabata Training

Alright, here’s where the fun begins.

  • 3 workouts per week
  • Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced workout
  • Increased speed, power & anaerobic endurance
  • Less of this

  • And more of this

Beginner Workouts

  • These workouts are designed for beginners who are interested in losing tons of weight and getting super-fit and ripped.
  • For beginners, I am going to assume that you are performing 2 strength training workouts per week
  • I will outline 3 Super-Sexy David Beckham-esque HIIT Sprint Workouts. The number of workouts you perform will depend upon your schedule, goals & recovery abilities.
  • My recommendation: Do all 3 workouts if you can
  • Regarding fitness equipment, I prefer trainees do these workouts while sprinting outdoors or on an exercise bike in the gym or on a Versaclimber or on a rowing machine. A treadmill can be used with lower intensity workouts, but when the sprinting gets intense, the treadmill can get a wee bit dangerous.

Workout #1

  • Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
  • 3 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest
  • 10 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
  • 3 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest
  • 10 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #2

  • Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
  • 3 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest / 15 sec sprint with 45 sec rest / 20 sec. sprint with 40 sec. rest
  • 10 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
  • 3 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest / 15 sec sprint with 45 sec rest / 20 sec. sprint with 40 sec. rest
  • 10 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #3

  • Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
  • 10 minutes of sprints – 10 x 10 sec. sprint with 50 sec rest
  • Cool-down – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.

Intermediate Workouts

  • These workouts are designed for intermediates who have outgrown the beginner workouts and are still interested in losing tons of weight and getting super-fit and ripped.
  • I am assuming that you are performing 2 strength training workouts per week
  • I will outline 3 Super-Sexy David Beckham-esque HIIT Sprint Workouts. The number of workouts you perform will depend upon your schedule, goals & recovery abilities.
  • My recommendation: Do all 3 workouts if you can
  • Regarding fitness equipment, I prefer trainees do these workouts while sprinting outdoors or on an exercise bike in the gym or on a Versaclimber or on a rowing machine. A treadmill can be used with lower intensity workouts, but when the sprinting gets intense, the treadmill can get a wee bit dangerous.

Workout #1

  • Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
  • 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest
  • 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
  • 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest
  • 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
  • 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest
  • 5 to 30 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #2

  • Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
  • 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec/50 sec – 15/45 – 20/40 – 10/50 – 15/45 sec. sprint/rest ratio
  • 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
  • 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec/50 sec – 15/45 – 20/40 – 10/50 – 15/45 sec. sprint/rest ratio
  • 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
  • 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec/50 sec – 15/45 – 20/40 – 10/50 – 15/45 sec. sprint/rest ratio
  • 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
  • 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec/50 sec – 15/45 – 20/40 – 10/50 – 15/45 sec. sprint/rest ratio
  • 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #3

  • Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
  • 10 minutes of sprints – 10 x 10 sec. sprint with 50 sec rest
  • 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
  • 10 minutes of sprints – 10 x 10 sec. sprint with 50 sec rest
  • 5 to 30 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Advanced Workouts

  • These workouts are designed for advanced trainees who have outgrown the intermediate workouts and who are almost super-fit and ripped.
  • I am still assuming that you are performing 2 strength training workouts per week
  • I will outline 3 Super-Sexy David Beckham-esque HIIT Sprint Workouts. The number of workouts you perform will depend upon your schedule, goals & recovery abilities.
  • My recommendation: Do all 3 workouts if you can
  • Regarding fitness equipment, I prefer trainees do these workouts while sprinting outdoors or on an exercise bike in the gym or on a Versaclimber or on a rowing machine. A treadmill can be used with lower intensity workouts, but when the sprinting gets intense, the treadmill can get a wee bit dangerous.

Workout #1

  • Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
  • 2 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with 20 second rests (4 sprints total)
  • 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
  • 4 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with 20 second rests (4 sprints total)
  • 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
  • 2 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with 20 second rests (4 sprints total)
  • 5 to 30 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (185 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #2

  • Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
  • 4 minute Tabata workout – 4 x 20 sec sprint / 40 sec rest
  • 10 minutes cardio at 50% of max intensity
  • 4 minute Tabata workout – 4 x 20 sec sprint / 40 sec rest
  • 5 to 30 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #3

  • Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
  • 10 minutes of sprints – alternate 10/15/20 sec sprints
  • 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
  • 10 minutes of sprints- alternate 10/15/20 sec sprints
  • 5 to 30 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

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Enjoy

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And while it’s not required, I highly recommend using an interval timer with your sprints. Trying to watch the clock an do these workouts is a real pain in the butt.

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Energy System Fitness

April 17th, 2008

In my recent post, The Components of Physical Fitness, I broke down physical fitness into it’s component parts and provided a brief introduction of each part.

On Monday of this week, I wrote in more detail about Structural Balance and how it impacts overall physical fitness.

Today I will try to explain the concept of Energy System fitness and how it applies to overall physical fitness.

Energy System Fitness

Energy system fitness refers to the efficiency of the human body to supply energy (specifically ATP – the main source of cellular energy) to all of the it’s cells.

Depending on the intensity and duration of the activity that you are performing (sleeping, working at your computer, jogging, running from the bulls in Pamplona) your body will withdraw or synthesize ATP from one, two or even all three of it’s energy system pathways.

For maximum efficiency, the body is usually drawing from all three, but depending on the activity, one energy system pathway will usually predominate.

The three sources or energy systems are the ATP-PC System (Phosphogen System), the Anaerobic System (Lactic Acid System) and the Aerobic System.

In this article, I will throw some science your way. If that is your thing; enjoy. If not, skip it. You can get all of the benefits of this article by sticking to the layman’s terms.

ATP-PC Energy System Pathway

The acronym ATP-PC stands for ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) and PC (Phosphocreatine). ATP and PC work together as part of a coupled reaction to provide very rapid, very pure but ultimately short lived energy to the brain and muscles.

A good way to picture the function of ATP-PC energy is to look at at the performance of an Olympic sprinter.

In the 100 metre distance, sprinters explode from the blocks, build their speed up to their personal best and then try to hold off the inevitable loss in speed as their available energy begins to drop.

As their explosiveness and high rate of speed relies on their ATP-PC energy system, so does their inability to hold onto that speed past the 6 to 7 second mark.

As ATP-PC begins to fail around the 5 to 7 second mark, the body has to call upon the Anaerobic/Lactic energy system to make up for the lost ATP-PC.

Anaerobic Energy System Pathway

Like the ATP-PC energy system, the Anaerobic energy system does not require oxygen to produce ATP for energy. However, unlike the ATP-PC system, it is more complex than a simple coupled reaction.

First; pyruvate is produced from glucose. Then the pyruvate is converted into lactate. Along the way, two molecules of ATP are produced for every one molecule of glucose that is used.

Simple right? This is where the controversy about lactate and lactic acid comes in.

The mainstream belief is that a build-up of lactic acid causes the famous “burn” that we have all felt when we pushed ourselves to our limit. The lactic acid was thought to cause pain and fatigue and eventually cause the muscles to stop working altogether.

A more recent theory doesn’t blame lactic acid for the pain and fatigue. This theory says that in very intense physical activity, large amounts of ATP is being produced and hydrolysed in a very short period of time. When ATP is is hydrolysed, a hydrogen ion is released. These hydrogen ions cause the muscle cells to become acidic. This acidity manifests itself as the “burn”.

Aerobic Energy System Pathway

Merriam-Webster defines Aerobic as “living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen”

The Aerobic system produces 38 molecules of ATP from each molecule of Glucose that is used. It is used throughout the body for all metabolic processes. In athletics, the Aerobic Energy System is primarily used in sub-maximal exercise such as long distance running.

The Aerobic system can be divided into 3 separate stages: Glycolysis, The Krebs Cycle and Oxydative Phosphorylation. However, for the purposes of this post, I will not be delving that deep into the science. Way too boring for most readers. If you are interested, look here.

Not interested in the details?

The Aerobic system produces a stable, long lasting source of energy. However, it can not respond as quickly as the Anaerobic or ATP-PC systems. Therefore, it is the dominant system during sub-maximal activities, while the other two systems dominate the more intense athletic endeavors.

So What Does All of This Mean?

Any person that wants to develop his/her physical fitness to the best of their abilities MUST address all 3 Energy Systems.

How Do We Do That?

Fitness programs can easily be adjusted to focus on the three different Energy Systems.

In my practice, I lump the ATP-PC and Anaerobic systems together. For most people, the difference between the two is negligible.

So now we are left with 2 systems – Anaerobic or Maximal effort and Aerobic or Sub-Maximal effort.

Anaerobic / Maximal

Anaerobic energy system training is best addressed by High Intensity Interval Training.

I will delve deeper into HIIT training in future posts.

Aerobic / Sub-Maximal

Aerobic training has been popular in North America since Dr. Ken Cooper published his book, Aerobics in 1968.

Future posts will provide a more detailed investigation of aerobic training.

Sports

Basketball is an anaerobic sport as it alternates short duration, high intensity sprints with periods of lower intensity movements around the basket. These lower intensity activities allow the anaerobic system to recharge. This sport would improve the functioning of the anaerobic system at the expense of the development of the aerobic system. The same could be said for hockey and football.

Long distance running is the perfect example of an aerobic sport.

An excellent illustration of different sports & how they rely on different energy systems can be seen here.

Effect on Body Composition

A common misconception exists that aerobic exercise is the best exercise to encourage fat loss. Current research is showing that theory to be false.

In that study, 17 subjects were split into 2 groups, and over a 20 week period of time, performed either aerobic exercise or anaerobic exercise (in the form of H.I.I.T.). At the end of the 20 weeks, the HIIT group had lost over 3 times as much subcutaneous fat while expending less than half as many calories.

Energy System Fitness

I hope this post was helpful in helping you understand how Energy System training fits into the concept of overall Physical Fitness.

See this post if you need help designing your own HIIT workout program.

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The Components of Physical Fitness

April 10th, 2008

What is physical fitness?

You will receive some very different answers depending upon who you ask.

To a person with a medical condition, physical fitness may be a day without pain or a day where they have the energy to walk down to the corner store. To the weekend warrior, it is being able to compete with his friends and still be able to go to work on Monday.

To an Olympic calibre gymnast, physical fitness is performing an Iron Cross. The flexibility of an accomplished yoga practitioner is a display of physical fitness. As is the endurance of a triathelete. Or the power of an Olympic style weightlifter. Or the speed of a sprinter. Or the agility of a badminton player…

They are all right and they are all wrong.

For their particular needs, there is an appropriate level of adequate fitness. The weekend warrior has no need to perform an Iron Cross. Or a gymnast to run a marathon.

The decathalete / heptahalete is supposed to represent the ultimate of physical fitness. While the other athletes are specialists, these multi-sports athletes train to develop the ultimate combination of the different components that make up physical fitness.

So that is where we will go. By breaking down physical fitness into it’s components, we will arrive at a better understanding of physical fitness.

The 5 Components of Physical Fitness

Muscular Strength

This component of physical fitness deals specifically with the performance of the body’s skeletal muscles.

Your skeletal muscles contract and stretch in order to produce movement. Simple.

How they produce that movement is less simple. Your body’s muscles are highly adaptable. They will react to the stresses that you place upon them. Sit on the couch and they will atrophy. Try and run fast and they adapt to produce faster contractions. Lift heavy objects and they will increase their ability to produce maximum strength.

One way to organize these different types of strength is in relation to time.

Maximum muscular strength is the ability to produce the most amount of force regardless of time. That big guy at your gym that is ALWAYS bench pressing may have a high level of maximum strength. He can produce a large amount of force (to move that heavy barbell) but he does it relatively SLOOOWWWLY.

Maximum muscular endurance is the ability to produce a smaller amount of force, but do it for a long time. A marathon runner has a high level of muscular endurance. His bodyweight requires less force to move than a heavy barbell, but he is able to move that weight for 2+ hours non-stop.

Maximum muscular speed is the ability to produce muscular movement very quickly. A hummingbird’s wings are the epitome of speed.

Muscular power is a combination of maximum strength and speed. An Olympic weightlifter is a great example of power. So are high jumpers and sprinters. Another way of looking at power would be to use our weightlifter friend from the gym.

If he bench presses 300 lbs but takes 3 seconds to perform the lift, his power output is 100 lbs. per second. However, if he drops the weight to 200 lbs and performs the lift in 1 second, his power output shoots up to 200 lbs. per second.

If that wasn’t confusing enough, different types of muscular strength rely on the development of the 4 other components of physical fitness.

Neuro-Muscular Co-ordination

This component of physical fitness deals with the communication between your brain, nervous system and your skeletal muscles.

While an in depth analysis of the nervous system is far beyond the scope of this post, I can break it down for you like this:

Your brain issues a command to your muscles. That command is carried via the nervous system (technically, the brain is part of the nervous system) to the muscles. The muscles perform the action if possible. Your nervous system relays the movement to the brain. The brain receives this feedback and issues another command. And so on and so on.

This is a highly trainable skill. Highly desirable as well.

A baby learns to walk by seeing others walk, processing this information in it’s brain and then issuing a command to the muscles to get up and walk. Initially this command will fail as the muscles do not yet have the ability to perform this action. However, the feedback is delivered from the muscles to the brain via the nervous system. The feedback is analyzed and another command is issued and another attempt by the muscles to walk is attempted.

Eventually, the baby will walk.

This neuro-muscular co-ordination is required when learning a new skill or improving a current skill.

Neuro-muscular co-ordination is usually described as agility or balance or simply co-ordination.

Structural Balance

This aspect of fitness has to do with the alignment and interplay of your skeleton, skeletal muscles, ligaments, tendons & fascia.

Are your hamstrings too tight? Is your pelvis in proper alignment? Is the fascia covering your diaphram too tight? Like that well known spiritual said, the leg bone is connected to the shin bone…

If your body is out of alignment in one place, there will be adaptations elsewhere. Whether those adaptations will result in pain and injury depends on factors that are largely out of your control.

Before beginning a new fitness program, it might be a good idea to visit some form of physical therapist for an analysis of your structural balance. An osteopath may be a good option as well.

Energy Systems

Energy system fitness refers to the ability of the body’s three sources of ATP (the main source of cellular energy) to produce that ATP.

The three sources or energy systems are the ATP-PC System (Phosphogen System), the Anaerobic System (Lactic Acid System) and the Aerobic System.

A common misconception about your energy systems concerns the dreaded “fat burning” zone. Many people are of the belief that if you stay well within your aerobic or fat burning zone, your body will burn fat instead of sugar. If you spped up and move out of the aerobic zone into the anaerobic, you will instantly stop burning fat. Not true.

These systems do NOT turn on and off. They are always on. Depending upon your demand for energy, one system may dominate over the other, but they are all working to provide energy for movement.

The ATP-PC system is most efficient for short bursts of activity. The Aerobic system is designed for longer duration, lower intensity activities. The Anaerobic sits in between these two systems. It is best designed for explosive activities of relatively short duration.

Basketball is an anaerobic sport as it alternates short duration, high intensity sprints with periods of lower intensity movements around the basket. These lower intensity activities allow the anaerobic system to recharge. This sport would improve the functioning of the anaerobic system at the expense of the development of the aerobic system. The same could be said for hockey and football.

An excellent illustration of different sports & how they rely on different energy systems can be seen here.

A more complete explanation of Energy System Fitness can be found here.

A how-to on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can be found here.

Overall Health

Overall health refers to your mental health, emotional health, body composition & lifestyle. While outside of the scope of this post, these aspects of physical fitness will affect you on a systemic level.

The most physically fit athlete in the world will not be able to perform if his anxiety prevents him boarding a plane to fly to the Olympics in China. A lifestyle choice like smoking will have an negative effect on a triathlete’s performance. And it’s highly unlikely that you will be able to maximize your physical fitness carrying around 20 extra pounds of body-fat.

In future posts, I will be delving deeper into the 5 components of physical fitness along with suggesting exercises and training programs designed to maximize your potential.

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