Comments on: Primal Blueprint Workout Plan: The Basics

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:52:14 +0000

30 seconds @100% intensity (strength or speed) and 2:00 off is HIIT.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:40:02 +0000

Cool, thanks. And this is an HIIT workout right?

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:40:53 +0000

I do a burpee, clean the BB, push press it, then immediately go back down and repeat the entire process. I usually repeat this about 4-6 times per round depending on fatigue. You can go light and do it quickly or go heavy which is what I do. If you go heavy you will get a great core workout.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:34:59 +0000

Awesome, thanks for the explanation. Do you just do one burpee per round, or multiple burpees before you do the clean/press for 30 seconds?

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:51:31 +0000

Barbell. You’re not an idiot I should have written that.

I do a burpee with my hands on the barbell minus the push up. I then clean and push press 135lbs as many times as possible for 30 seconds. Rest 2:00 and repeat 8 times. One of the best full body workouts.

This workout is hard to do mentally (at least for me) because people usually don’t like to go to the ground, then get up, then go to the ground… But once you “dive in” it becomes easier.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:36:19 +0000

Thanks again for the above help, Steve. Really useful.

At the risk of sounding like an idiot, what does “BB” mean? (eg, a BB burpee)

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:35:45 +0000

The idea behind HIIT is the 20 to 30 seconds that you go at 100% intensity. I have done both tabata and the “sprint 8″ or whatever it is called. You cannot go 100% in rounds 2-8 of tabata but it will still set off HGH. The idea behind sprint 8 is that you recover in between bouts of 100% intensity. In my opinion, as long as you are truly at 100% intensity, the sprint 8 approach is better.

“Sprint 8″ – Sprint, jump rope, cycle, etc – 30 sec 100% rest 2:00

Here are my top workout picks (in order) for stimulating HGH:
Deadlift, Clean, Snatch, Bent row – 5×5 max weight
Bench press, Squat, Lunge, Military press – 5×5 max weight
Sprint, 30/2:00, 8 rounds
BB Burpee, Clean, Push Press, 30/2:00, 8 rounds
Sledge hammer, 30/2:00, 8 rounds
Heavy bag, 30/2:00, 8 rounds
Cycle, 30/2:00, 8 rounds
Jump rope, 30/2:00, 8 rounds

I am going off of my own estimation of muscle gain and fat loss.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:02:26 +0000

Thanks, Steve. It also seems that a key difference between HIIT and “lift heavy” is the use of actual heavy weights.

So, while I may be lifting things that are heavy in an HIIT workout (such as my body, a sledgehammer, etc.) it’s different from a “lift heavy” workout because it’s not dedicated to heavy barbell exercises in repeated sets. It’s more about intensity and endurance than lifting very heavy things.

Is that a good way to think about it?

Thanks again!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:55:42 +0000

Also, for an HIIT workout, let’s say I do Tabata intervals w/ pushups. Do I then need to add other exercises w/ Tabata intervals to make it count?

E.g., does 4 mins of tabata intervals (hard as I can) on pushups mean I’m done? Or for it to count, do I then need to do another 4 mins of tabata intervals on squats, and so forth?

It seems the key difference between whatever I do on HIIT day and my other days is that the HIIT workout must have a) all-out intensity the whole time, b) little or no rest.

Can anyone clarify for me, please?

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:49:17 +0000

Lifting heavy weights sets off your endocrine system. This can be useful for burning fat but may make you feel lethargic for a few days. HIIT workouts can give you a lot of the benefits of weight training but seem to give you energy + fat loss.

Example: If I do workout A (below) I am energized and burn x amount of fat. If I do workout B I am lethargic for a few days but burn x+1 amount of fat.

Workout A
Sledgehammer (tabata) then,
20x sledgehammer + 20 KB swings (20 min)

Workout B
BB Burpee, Clean, Push Press (20 sec on/2 min rest, 8 rounds) then
5×5 Deadlift
5×5 Clean
5×5 Snatch
5×5 Bent row
2 min rest between sets