Sprint-8 Interval Updates

I've been using Sprint-8 intervals for years with my clients and friends to optimize fitness gains and weight loss.  The "Sprint-8" combines a 30 second "sprint" with a 90 second "rest" period which is then repeated 8 times for one workout.  There is a two-minute warm up and two-minute cool down.

The Sprint-8 interval protocol established by Phil Campbell has been the best protocol I've found for consistent weight-loss results.  The Sprint-8 intervals are extremely reliable and fairly easy to learn in terms of the mechanics of the intervals and how to do them.  Recently, a web follower and friend of mine attended a workshop in Indiana with Sprint-8 creator Phil Campbell/author of "Ready, Set, GO! Synergy Fitness."  My friend sent me the following updates from Phil's workshop which are now also included in the 2nd edition of Ready, Set, GO!  These updates should help us further optimize the efficiency of the Sprint-8 intervals—especially if you are over age 40 and trying to lose weight.  You can read the latest edition of Phil's book for more info, but here's the bottom line:

In Short…think quality NOT quantity.  We are not doing them hard enough!  You should not be doing more than 8 intervals—ever—just do them harder if you truly want to optimize the metabolic effects for weight loss.  The harder the interval, the more you increase HGH for the two hours after the workout—HGH "decreases" in people as they age, so this HGH is thought of as a "youth" hormone for anti-aging.  HGH occurs naturally in the body and can be optimized with proper training, but today many people take short cuts by getting HGH supplementation which are controversial.  You need to adjust your dietary intake to optimize the post-workout HGH production in the synergist window (Human Growth Hormone increase).  If you are middle age and needing to lose weight, avoid carbs two hours after Sprint-8 and ingest 25 grams of protein to maximize HGH production—this opposes the "standard" post-recovery recommendations to ingest a 4/1 carbohydrate/protein ratio. *(I would recommend "natural" protein powder because it is healthier—see protein link below.)  If you are younger and your objective is to refuel for ongoing hard workouts, then using the standard 4/1 carb-to-protein ratio is best.

More Details for Middle Age 40+ populations needing to lose weight with the Sprint-8 Intervals:

• Sprint hard enough so that by 15 seconds of the 30 second interval you are ready to quit—but don't!
• Limit sprint length to only 30 seconds.  Go harder—not longer.
• Limit total intervals to 8.  Use more intensity—not more volume.
• Do not eat a high-fat meal before Sprint-8.  Eating some "good" carbs to fuel before workout is fine.
• Take 2 grams of L-Glutamine 60-90 minutes before workout.  *I'm not a person that pushes supplements, but I'm reporting what Phil says will optimize HGH with the Sprint-8.  I have included a WebMD link on L-Glutamine, but basically this is used for muscle wasting in HIV/AIDS patients or cancer patients.  There are those that take it in excess as a supplement, but the 2 gram recommendation is well under the 40 grams per day limit cited by WebMD.  Ultimately, it is the user's choice, but I have provided the documentation so you can make an educated decision.  
• NO sugar or carbs for 2 hours after workout!!!  Ingesting carbs during post-workout with Sprint-8 will stop HGH production.  The idea is to "increase" HGH production and your metabolism—not decrease!
• Ingest 20-25 grams of protein soon after workout.  Most sources give a 30 minute to 2 hour window for post-workout recovery fueling.  I would say ingest the protein within a 30 minute window following the workout.
• Never perform Sprint-8 Intervals more than 2-3 times per week.  Think quality—not quantity!

In reality, you should NOT be able to do any other work of significance after your Sprint-8 workout is complete—you should be DONE.  If you feel like doing a bunch of other stuff—you have not done them hard enough!!!  Oh…for those of you not familiar with the Sprint-8 Interval Protocol…total time from start to finish including warm up and cool down is just 20 minutes!  Yes—you'll get more benefit in 20 minutes than the people next to you grinding out the 45-60 minute workout which likely is not doing much to optimize their metabolism or weight loss.  I've seen people lose 40-60 pounds on the Sprint-8 in well under 12 months.

Mode & Mechanics:  For the general population, there are only two modes I recommend—the elliptical trainer or Concept2 Rowing Machine...a high-quality stationary bike like a Spinner or equivalent can also work but not as well as the first two in my opinion. Treadmills won't work because they will take too much time to adjust for each interval—there is NO TIME to adjust anything—you have go GO when it is time to GO!  You "could" do these running on a track, but most people are not fit enough to do this without getting hurt or straining their hamstrings.  Other machines like stair climbers, etc. are also NOT a good choice because of the time required to adjust them for higher speed and intensity during each interval.  We run the elliptical trainers in manual with NO resistance—we use "speed" to increase heart rate—not resistance.  A Spinning bike will need a slight amount of constant resistance, but again, use SPEED to increase your heart rate rather than heavy resistance.  I have done something close to the Sprint-8 using stairs or hill repeats outside, but again, most people are not fit enough to do this off the machine. The e-trainer and rower will do a great job for you, so get started!

Exercise Induced Asthma (EIA):  Doing really hard sprints or exercise efforts with minimal warm up can cause some EIA for some individuals--and if not actual EIA, other breathing difficulties.  One of my friends that uses the Sprint-8 has EIA.  He must do a longer warm up and cool down to allow the lung tissues to function more normally, so if you have EIA, please consider adjusting the pre and post workout recommendations. The longer warm up and cool down (until HR drops under 120 for my friend) should help you avoid the EIA that can be trigger by sudden sprints without much warm up. Remember--the regular warm up and cool down for the Sprint-8 is only 2:00 for each.

Safety:  If you can't sprint for 30 seconds without killing yourself—then don't!  I've had many people start the Sprint-8 intervals with minimal fitness—just modify.  Do what you can do safely.  If you can only go hard for 5 seconds, then go hard for 5 seconds, and do your best for the remaining 25 to hang on.  But remember—you'll never optimize the HGH production and metabolic effects by going easy or at a moderate pace or by only going hard for a few seconds.  To get the most out of the protocol, you need to go HARD for the full 30 seconds.  For most, this will become quite a challenging goal—just to work hard for 30 seconds straight without giving up.  The 90 second "rest" period is also critical because it has to be a quality "rest" heart rate i.e. not under 65% of your heart rate range—see my Sprint-8 handout or Ready, Set, GO! for more information…Enjoy!

Related Links & Information:

Read my "Interval Training" Web Section complete with Sprint-8 summaries:

http://www.ronjones.org/Weblinks/EPOC&Intervals.html 

Ready, Set, GO! Synergy Fitness (by Phil Campbell creator of Sprint-8 interval protocol):

http://www.readysetgofitness.com 

WebMD Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Link: Do NOT take HGH Supplements!!!  Raise them naturally with the correct exercise intensity.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/human-growth-hormone-hgh

WebMD L-Glutamine Link:

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-878-L-Glutamine+GLUTAMINE.aspx?activeIngredientId=878&activeIngredientName=L-Glutamine+(GLUTAMINE)&source=2

"Natural" Protein Powder Handout: (The Lean Berets)

http://www.theleanberets.com/Handouts/ProteinPower.pdf 

In Sweat!

Ron Jones, MS

Corporate Wellcoach

Santa Clarita-SoCal

www.RonJones.org

Exercise & Weight LOSS?

Exercise and weight loss has been in the news a lot lately. There was a study cited a few weeks ago the media picked up which basically said that exercise does not have a significant effect on weight loss. This created a lot of controversy within the exercise community, and once again, a lot of confusion with the general public. Exercise DOES have "some" benefits for weight loss but more for weight "maintenance." Allow me to summarize.

• Over the years, I have worked with many of you on weight loss. I have always emphasized "eating behaviors" over exercise in terms of weight loss. If you have read my Top 10 list for permanent weight loss, you know that exercise is way down on the list. Why? Because if you are not eating properly, your workouts will never be enough to lose significant weight. For the record, dietary experts say that THE most important thing we can do to lose weight as a nation is to just EAT LESS. They don't even emphasize what we are eating as much as that we are just eating too much of it. Start here if you need to lose weight--eat less of whatever it is you're currently eating. Sure--eating better and exercising will help, but the MOST important step is to eat less.
• Can exercise help you lose weight? Yes. But only if you use the right programming, intensity, etc. However, please note the above on how your eating relates. Studies show that an adult working "hard" for 60 minutes of exercise will burn around 600 calories per hour. But guess what? Most adults in America are not in good enough shape to exercise hard for 60 minutes straight! Many cannot even exercise easy for 60 minutes in a row--some not even five! In reality, the amount of metabolic work many adults can produce per hour will be far under 600 calories of burn. Have you looked at the calorie content of a couple of cookies, fancy cup of coffee, bag of chips, or sodas lately? What about a restaurant meal that can be in excess of 5,000 calories? If you're only burning 250 calories (an hour of slow walking) and eating too much or poor choices like the junk food like above, you're still going to gain weight! Again, eat LESS as a primary strategy, then better, then have "quality" exercise on a daily basis.
• On exercise quality vs. weight loss, there has been a trend developing for a couple of years downplaying the role of cardio exercise and cardio equipment. I've been watching it and evaluating, and now I am also coaching people away from endless cardio that is not very productive. Most of the people I have known over the past decade that use cardio machines day in and day out don't change from year to year. They don't lose weight, and they don't increase much fitness--nor do they fix injuries or joint dysfunctions hacking away on cardio machines. Think about the "quality" of your cardio. Will it have enough metabolic effect to enable you to actually LOSE weight if this is your goal? Will the cardio activity enhance your health and safety in terms of joint function and whole-body balance? Probably not. Here are a couple of related points. If you do cardio machines, pick a protocol that will actually produce weight loss and metabolic enhancement. If you have joint issues or need to balance your body better, get off the cardio equipment for a while and into something that can correct these imbalances so that when you go back to your cardio, you will have great quality with improved safety--which basically means you'll be able to lose more weight faster. If you just want to do cardio at a slow to moderate pace, this is fine, but be realistic--it's not going to help you lose weight or even get you that much more fit.
• Cardio Weight Loss Protocols? There are many different plans or protocols out there. The only one that I have seen actually work with dozens of my own clients are the Sprint-8 Intervals (by Phil Campbell-Ready, Set, GO!). I also use other intervals, but the Sprint-8s are the easiest to adapt to multiple populations and body types. We have a few tricks to using the Sprint-8. We have used speed to accelerate the heart rate and preferred the elliptical trainer with NO resistance because we can transition quickly in and out of the intervals. Stair steppers, treadmills, and some other cardio equipment types will not allow the quick transitions required for this workout. My suggestion is that if you move well enough to move FAST with an interval, that you look at the Sprint-8. Some of my colleagues make fun of the elliptical trainers, but I have seen them help more people than hurt, so I'll stick with them when used properly.
• If you don't move well enough to move fast, then fix what is broken or dysfunctional. My optimal tools for doing this are merely using body weight or the Russian Kettlebell. If you can't move your body well, you don't have any business using equipment to further load a bad movement pattern or joint that is not working properly. Kettlebells are very corrective when used with the RKC "Hard Style" protocols--they truly fix people better than any other fitness tool I have ever seen (but don't use them unless you know what you are doing). There are other methods of course--sometimes clinical help is required with surgery, physical therapy, or at times medications; however, most of the problems I see with people and their movements can be fixed on site with no or minimal equipment. Tip of the day by physical therapist and sport rehab expert Gray Cook, "Don't layer fitness on top of dysfunction!" What does Cook mean? You can get more fit if you go hard enough, but it won't necessarily make you move better. Eventually, you'll just get fit enough to hurt yourself--not good!
• Summary! If you need to lose weight--first and foremost EAT LESS. If you want exercise to help you lose weight--do something metabolically efficient. If you do not move well enough to do the "faster" movements required with intervals or ballistic kettlebell exercises, etc., then emphasize correcting your imbalances and improving your joint function so that you can do the metabolically efficient workouts that will torch the most amount of fat off your frame in the least amount of time.
  

I love fitness and exercise! Daily exercise is awesome with dozens of great health benefits--just not the "best method" to take off significant weight when compared to how much you are eating.
References:
http://www.ronjones.org/Handouts/WeightLossTips.pdf (RJ's 'Top Ten' Weight Loss Tips)
http://www.ronjones.org/Weblinks/EPOC&Intervals.html (Intervals & Sprint-8 Protocol)
http://www.ronjones.org/Coach&Train/BodyXerciseLibrary/Kettlebells/index.htm (Kettlebells)
http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=ACSM_News_Releases&CONTENTID=13178&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm (American College of Sports Medicine response to exercise and weight loss myths)

In health,
Coach RJ