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Did you know that the horse, generally regarded as one of the most robust animals on the planet, breathes almost exclusively through its nose? It is physically incapable of mouth breathing unless it suffers from an anatomical abnormality. [1][2][3]

Though I learned that tidbit after completing a majority of the research for this article, I think it is a testament that nature has designed mammals with an intent for optimal respiration through the nostrils.

The purpose of this piece is to investigate whether conscious nasal breathing during exercise, specifically that of the anaerobic type, might be beneficial over oronasal or mouth breathing in terms of performance and recovery.

Aerobic exertion relates to my findings as well.

Table of Contents

• The Meathead’s Explanation
• The Enthusiast’s Explanation
• The Know-It-All’s Explanation
• Practical Suggestions
• Concerns
• Related Topics
• References

The Meathead’s Explanation

Working out creates acidity. Acidity creates fatigue. Oxidation neutralizes acidity. Nasal breathing is better at oxidation than mouth breathing. Therefore nasal breathing should in theory reduce fatigue and speed recovery better than mouth breathing.

The Enthusiast’s Explanation

One of the penalties of kinetically induced metabolic excitation (i.e. exercise) is H⁺ and lactate production (the accumulation of which being more marked in the case of intense physical activity).

The buildup of these two byproducts creates acidity which the body wants to balance by raising its pH back up to normal levels. Acidity also inhibits glycolysis, the process by which most energy is generated under anaerobic conditions. These factors contribute to the feeling of fatigue.

The path of least resistance for restoring pH is through hyperventilation, which by definition is when the body expels more carbon dioxide (CO₂) than is produced. Hyperventilation typically occurs through the mouth (and not the nose).

However, a lower pH and higher concentration of CO₂ foster more willing delivery of oxygen throughout the body, as per the Bohr effect. Oxidation by definition offsets reduction (i.e. acidity), and also converts lactate back into pyruvate, a building block of energy production.

By nasal breathing, CO₂ is not dispelled as disparately and though airflow is constricted, limiting the rate at which oxygen can be assimilated into the bloodstream compared to mouth breathing, the oxygen that is inhaled is more efficiently distributed to fatigued tissues which should in theory improve athletic performance and recovery, with practice of the technique.

The Know-It-All’s Explanation

High intensity exercise, which often (but not always) recruits fast-twitch (aka type II) muscle fibers, stimulates glycolysis to synthesize ATP for energy in predominance over oxidative phosphorylation because glycolysis is able to produce ATP at a faster rate to fulfill acute energy demands, though oxidative phosphorylation is the preferential and more cost-efficient pathway of energy production within the body. [4][5][6]

Fermentation (i.e. reduction) of pyruvate to lactate oxidizes NADH back to NAD⁺ for reuse in glycolysis. (Pyruvate and NAHD themselves are products of glycolysis.) NAD⁺ is available in limitation, hence the need to regenerate it. [5][6]

Lactate is thus a byproduct of glycolysis. Hydrolysis of ATP generated by glycolysis releases H⁺ which accumulates in the muscle along with the lactate. [4][6][7]

Some of the H⁺ is buffered in the muscle and some diffuses into the blood in exchange for Na⁺ or along with lactate through monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs). This then decreases pH in the blood (because of the influx of H⁺ and plasma lactate, lowered HCO₃^– concentration, and thus increased amounts of CO₂ from H₂CO₃ dissociation) and as a consequence, the body wants to raise its pH back up to maintain homeostasis. [7] This acidity specifically inhibits phosphofructokinase, an enzyme that catalyzes a key regulatory step of glycolysis, and also impairs the utilization of glucose. [8][9][10][11][12][13] This is partly what causes fatigue and in a way shows the self-regulation of these mechanisms to protect the body from overexertion.

The path of least resistance for raising pH is by eliminating plasma CO₂, which is vaporized in the alveoli and exhaled by the lungs. [7][14] Its dismissal is hastened by hyperventilation, which happens primarily by breathing through the mouth.

This helps restore pH, though CO₂ is essentially displaced as lactate is produced, which is undesirable as lactate is not as synergetic with oxygen in the way carbon dioxide is through the Bohr effect. [14]

Another method by which pH can be leveled is consumption of the glycolytic byproducts, which is advantageous because this produces energy. The protons can be used in cellular respiration and the lactate can be oxidized back to pyruvate for use in metabolic processes as well. [9][15][16][17][18]

As a side note, I find the interconnection here rather elegant; the heart is able to utilize the built up plasma lactate for energy, which thus allows it to pump harder and increase blood flow to tissues that have a pressing need for oxygen. [19][20]

Mouth breathing is advantageous over nasal breathing in that it allows for increased airflow, which lets an individual reach higher levels of exercise intensity presumably because of the combination of higher oxygen consumption and lower carbon dioxide retention, both of which help balance acidity. [1][21][22][23][24] The cost of this is that it is inefficient when compared to nasal breathing due to the Bohr effect, which means energy is wasted to achieve similar results of oxidation and subsequently I would imagine fatigue sets in sooner as this is a stressful state of physiology. [21][25] If maintained, CO₂ concentrations will likely further deplete, making oxygen delivery even poorer, exacerbating the effect, suggesting this is a mechanism to be avoided when possible and used only for short durations.

Therefore nasal breathing is preferential for its energy efficiency which should in theory better promote oxidative metabolism of glycolytic byproducts, increase available ATP, and thus lessen fatigue and speed recovery from athletic endeavors.

Practical Suggestions

I believe there are a few simple takeaways to be gleaned from this science that can easily be applied to improve the efficacy of one’s training.

1. Consciously make an effort to breath through your nose at all times, as in 24/7, to develop mastery of the nasal breathing technique. [26]
2. During high intensity activity, allow yourself frequent breaks to fully regain control of your breathing and allow your heart rate to reset before continuing. Don’t keep pushing while you are winded.
3. Nasal strips can help improve airflow, which appears to be the limiting factor in the exercise intensity one can achieve solely through nose breathing. [1][27][28] (That limiting of intensity could be construed as a positive, however.) Nasal resistance does actually reduce on its own during exercise, too. [29][30]

Concerns

First and foremost, this is undoubtedly a simplified view of energetic processes and I do not claim to have that deep a grasp on the subject matter. There may be mistakes in my understanding and presentation above.

Secondly, I think there is ample evidence that shows mouth breathing allows for a higher respiratory rate than nose breathing. Whether the influx of oxygen or exhalation of carbon dioxide is the more relevant factor, I am not sure, but the increased flow rate of mouth breathing does allow exercise to reach a higher intensity.

However, unless you are a professional athlete and your livelihood hinges upon you sucking for air while putting your body through extreme stress, then do it when necessary, but for the rest of the population, if you are reaching the point where you must breathe through your mouth, I think that’s a sign you are training too hard.

What I am unclear about here though is exactly how oxygen is utilized when mouth breathing becomes a necessity at maximal intensity. It is delivered less efficiently, and I would assume certain metabolic processes take priority over others in terms of needing that oxygen. I am guessing oxidative phosphorylation is preferential over lactate consumption in this situation, which might help explain the lactate paradox. [9][14] This warrants further investigation.

Thirdly, by forcing nasal breathing during high intensity exercise, I have a feeling the body might be exposed to a more acute period of acidity as compared to mouth breathing because of the lower but more efficient ventilatory rate of nasal breathing. By mouth breathing, my hunch is that the body’s pH is restored more gradually as it is the less effective but more voluminous technique. There may be consequences associated with this, if my assumptions are correct.

Related Topics

Altitude

At high altitude, there is a belief that red blood cell production is stimulated to compensate for the relative scarcity of oxygen in the air, and that this is the primary cause for performance gains associated with altitude training. [31][32]

However, others postulate that the positive effects of altitude training are mostly due to other factors, such as an adaptation to a more economic utilization of oxygen. [33] This claim seems to be supported by the lactate paradox, which shows “reduced production of lactic acid at a given work rate at high altitude.” [14] Lactate levels should not be reduced if increased red blood cell mass was the predominant factor in performance increase because carbon dioxide plays such a role in oxygen delivery.

Building one’s tolerance of nasal breathing is probably comparable to physiological adaptations of high altitude.

Baking Soda

Sodium bicarbonate (i.e. baking soda) raises blood pH which helps buffer acidic buildup, delaying the onset of fatigue. [34] (Excessive acidity impairs energetic pathways.) [8][9][10][11][12][13]

It also increases PCO₂, allowing O₂ to be delivered more readily to fatigued muscles because of the Bohr effect, though the increase in pH may initially offset the increase in carbon dioxide concentration, limiting the phenomenon. [34]

Aerobic Exercise

As all this translates to aerobic exercise, the main principle still stands: nasal breathing improves the delivery of oxygen. Oxidative phosphorylation, the preferential metabolic pathway of the body, is more efficient than glycolysis and relies on O₂ availability. Thus, sufficiently supplying an increased demand for oxygen during low intensity activity is important as well.

Those interested in endurance exercise may want to read about lactate threshold and note how it relates to oxidation.

Temperature

Unmentioned here is that metabolic processes create heat. Thus when one exercises, extra energy is spent and body temperature rises. This typically is compensated for by the dissipation of heat through the skin to maintain a functional core temperature. [35] When one’s internal temperature becomes too high, performance suffers (and the risk of serious biological harm onsets). [36]

I have yet to delve deep into the literature on this subject matter, but as it relates to respiration, I think the goal is still ultimately to promote energy efficiency, and excessive heat retention should be viewed as the result of an obstruction, namely the temperature of the outside environment. [37]

It is unclear if there is an optimal ambient temperature for which to exercise, but marathon results show a progression of improved performance all the way down to 41 °F. [38] (Data presumably hasn’t been interpreted below that number.)

My guess would be that the lowest temperature one can tolerate without impediment of motor functioning is the best in terms of maximizing potential.

I am unsure about the relationship between respired air temperature and pulmonary gas exchange (it may again be influenced by the Bohr effect), but nasal breathing warms air better than mouth breathing, though tidal volume lessens with cold air. [39][40][41] Glycogenolysis is also reduced at lower temperatures, suggesting improved oxygenation. [42][43]

Alas, this is a topic for another day.

References

[1]: Hinchcliff KW, Kaneps AJ, Geor RJ. Equine Exercise Physiology, The Science of Exercise in the Athletic Horse. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2008:170.

“Horses maintain nasal breathing, normally, throughout exercise and rely on capacitance vessel constriction and contraction of upper airway dilating muscles to minimize airflow resistance.”

[2]: Holcombe SJ, Derksen FJ, Stick JA, Robinson NE. Effect of bilateral blockade of the pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve on soft palate function in horses. Am J Vet Res. 1998;59(4):504-8.

“DDSP [(dorsal displacement of the soft palate)] creates flow-limiting expiratory obstruction and may be caused by neuromuscular dysfunction involving the pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve. It may alter performance by causing expiratory obstruction and by altering breathing strategy in horses.”

[3]: Holcombe SJ. Neuromuscular Regulation of the Larynx and Nasopharynx in the Horse. Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the AAEP. 1998;44:28.

“Based on clinical observation, it has been suspected that horses might open-mouth breathe during episodes of dorsal displacement of the soft palate. Transoral breathing would be a unique feature of this syndrome because horses generally are obligate nasal breathers.”

[4]: Kravitz L. Lactate: Not Guilty as Charged. 2003. Available at: http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/lactate.html. Accessed November 25, 2013.

“Fast-twitch muscle fibers have fewer mitochondria (where cell respiration occurs as well as the uptake of protons) than slow-twitch, or aerobic endurance fibers. Thus, during high-intensity resistance training, because of the extensive use of the fast-twitch fibers (with few mitochondria and less uptake of protons) there is a greater accumulation of protons, causing acidosis.”

“Robergs et al. (2004) show through detailed chemical reactions that lactic acid is not produced in the body. Rather, lactate is the product of a side reaction in glycolysis.”

[5]: Busby R. The Role of Lactate Dehydrogenase in Glycolysis. 1999. Available at: http://www.chem.uwec.edu/webpapers_f99/pages/webpapers_f99/busbyrc/pages/background/background.htm. Accessed November 25, 2013.

“The utility of anaerobic glycolysis to a muscle cell when it needs large amounts of energy stems from the fact that the rate of ATP production from glycolysis is 100 times faster than from oxidative phosphorylation.”

“All cells have plenty of ADP and P_i because these are the hydrolysis products of ATP. However, the amounts of NAD⁺ are limited, and therefore NADH must be oxidized back to NAD⁺.”

[6]: Robergs RA, Ghiasvand F, Parker D. Biochemistry of exercise-induced metabolic acidosis. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2004;287(3):R502-16.

“Every time ATP is broken down to ADP and Pi, a proton is released. When the ATP demand of muscle contraction is met by mitochondrial respiration, there is no proton accumulation in the cell, as protons are used by the mitochondria for oxidative phosphorylation and to maintain the proton gradient in the intermembranous space. It is only when the exercise intensity increases beyond steady state that there is a need for greater reliance on ATP regeneration from glycolysis and the phosphagen system. The ATP that is supplied from these nonmitochondrial sources and is eventually used to fuel muscle contraction increases proton release and causes the acidosis of intense exercise. Lactate production increases under these cellular conditions to prevent pyruvate accumulation and supply the NAD⁺ needed for phase 2 of glycolysis.”

[7]: Péronnet F, Aguilaniu B. Lactic acid buffering, nonmetabolic CO₂ and exercise hyperventilation: a critical reappraisal. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 2006;150(1):4-18.

“Hydrolysis of ATP generated by glycolysis, rather than glycolysis per se, releases H⁺ in the muscle (Robergs et al., 2004).”

“A portion of the muscle H⁺ load is removed by metabolic and fixed physicochemical buffers, and by the reduction in muscle bicarbonate concentration, while another portion leaves the cell in exchange with Na⁺ or along with lactate through MCTs. Plasma lactate and H⁺ concentration thus increase. Although fixed physicochemical buffers in the blood (Cerretelli and Samaja, 2003) remove a portion of the H⁺ load, plasma pH decreases, reducing the concentration of bicarbonate in the blood, and the CO₂ released appears in the expired gas.”

[8]: Stine ZE, Dang CV. Stress eating and tuning out: Cancer cells re-wire metabolism to counter stress. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol. 2013;48(6):609-19.

“A fall in pH also inhibits phosphofructokinase activity. The inhibition of phosphofructokinase by H+ prevents excessive formation of lactic acid (Section 16.1.9) and a precipitous drop in blood pH (acidosis).”

[9]: Phypers B. Lactate physiology in health and disease. Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain. 2006;6(3):128-132.

“To support an increase in glycolysis, NAD+ from the conversion of pyruvate to lactate, is required. The activity of phosphofructokinase (PFK) is rate limiting.”

“Impairment of oxidative pathways during lactate production results in a net gain of H+ and acidosis occurs. (Oxidative phosphorylation during severe exercise prevents acidosis despite massive lactate production.)”

“Mitochondria-rich tissues such as skeletal and cardiac myocytes and proximal tubule cells remove the rest of the lactate by converting it to pyruvate.”

“With severe exercise, type II myocytes produce large amounts of lactate […] This provides some of the increased cardiac energy requirements (Fig. 4).”

[10]: Peak M, Al-habori M, Agius L. Regulation of glycogen synthesis and glycolysis by insulin, pH and cell volume. Interactions between swelling and alkalinization in mediating the effects of insulin. Biochem J. 1992;282 ( Pt 3):797-805.

“It is concluded that glycogen synthesis and glycolysis are both stimulated by cell swelling and inhibited by acidification, under certain conditions, but glycolysis is more sensitive to inhibition by acidification and glycogen synthesis to stimulation by swelling. Consequently, simultaneous swelling and acidification is associated with inhibition of glycolysis and stimulation of glycogen synthesis. Stimuli that cause swelling and alkalinization activate both glycogen synthesis and glycolysis, alkalinization being more important in control of glycolysis and swelling in control of glycogen synthesis. Both cell swelling and alkalinization are components of the mechanism by which insulin controls glycogen synthesis and glycolysis.”

[11]: Bevington A, Brown J, Pratt A, Messer J, Walls J. Impaired glycolysis and protein catabolism induced by acid in L6 rat muscle cells. Eur J Clin Invest. 1998;28(11):908-17.

“In skeletal muscle, metabolic acidosis stimulates protein degradation and oxidation of branched-chain amino acids. This could occur to compensate for impairment of glucose utilization induced by acid.”

[12]: Uchida K, Matuse R, Toyoda E, Okuda S, Tomita S. A new method of inhibiting glycolysis in blood samples. Clin Chim Acta. 1988;172(1):101-8.

“The maintenance of hydrogen ion concentration in blood samples at pH 5.3-5.9 immediately inhibits glycolysis. This effect is due to the inhibition of all glycolytic enzymes, as shown by measurement of various glycolytic intermediates.”

[13]: Rovetto MJ, Lamberton WF, Neely JR. Mechanisms of glycolytic inhibition in ischemic rat hearts. Circ Res. 1975;37(6):742-51.

“The major factors that accounted for the glycolytic inhibition in the ischemic heart compared with the anoxic heart appeared to be higher tissue levels of lactate and H+ in the ischemic tissue. […] It is concluded that accumulation of lactate represents a major factor in the inhibition of glycolysis that develops in ischemic hearts.”

[14]: Peat R. Altitude and Mortality. 2006. Available at: http://raypeat.com/articles/aging/altitude-mortality.shtml. Accessed November 25, 2013.

“Lactate paradox: The reduced production of lactic acid at a given work rate at high altitude. Muscle work efficiency may be 50% greater at high altitude. ATP wastage is decreased.”

“The idea of the “oxygen debt” produced by exercise or stress as being equivalent to the accumulation of lactic acid is far from accurate, but it’s true that activity increases the need for oxygen, and also increases the tendency to accumulate lactic acid, which can then be disposed of over an extended time, with the consumption of oxygen. This relationship between work and lactic acidemia and oxygen deficit led to the term “lactate paradox” to describe the lower production of lactic acid during maximal work at high altitude when people are adapted to the altiude. Carbon dioxide, retained through the Haldane effect, accounts for the lactate paradox, by inhibiting cellular excitation and sustaining oxidative metabolism to consume lactate efficiently.”

“The loss of carbon dioxide from the lungs in the presence of high oxygen pressure, the shift toward alkalosis, by the Bohr-Haldane effect increases the blood’s affinity for oxygen, and restricts its delivery to the tissues, but because of the abundance of oxygen in the lungs, the blood is almost completely saturated with oxygen.”

“At high altitude, the slight tendency toward carbon dioxide-retention acidosis decreases the blood’s affinity for oxygen, making it more available to the tissues. It happens that lactic acid also affects the blood’s oxygen affinity, though not as strongly as carbon dioxide. However, lactic acid doesn’t vaporize as the blood passes through the lungs, so its effect on the lungs’ ability to oxygenate the blood is the opposite of the easily exchangeable carbon dioxide’s. Besides dissociating oxygen from hemoglobin, lactate also displaces carbon dioxide from its (carbamino) binding sites on hemoglobin. If it does this in hemoglobin, it probably does it in many other places in the body.”

[15]: Brooks GA. The lactate shuttle during exercise and recovery. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1986;18(3):360-8.

“Most (75%+) of the lactate formed during sustained, steady-rate exercise is removed by oxidation during exercise, and only a minor fraction (approximately 20%) is converted to glucose.”

“Of the lactate which appears in blood, most of this will be removed and combusted by oxidative (muscle) fibers in the active bed and the heart.”

“However, as the muscle respiratory rate declines in recovery, lactate becomes the preferred substrate for hepatic gluconeogenesis. Practically all of the newly formed liver glucose will be released into the circulation to serve as a precursor for cardiac and skeletal muscle glycogen repletion. Liver glycogen depots will not be restored, and muscle glycogen will not be completely restored until refeeding.”

[16]: Brooks GA. Mammalian fuel utilization during sustained exercise. Comp Biochem Physiol B, Biochem Mol Biol. 1998;120(1):89-107.

“The concept of a ‘lactate shuttle’ is that during hard exercise, as well as other conditions of accelerated glycolysis, glycolytic flux in muscle involves lactate formation regardless of the state of oxygenation. Further, according to the lactate shuttle concept, lactate represents a major means of distributing carbohydrate potential energy for oxidation and gluconeogenesis. In humans and other mammals, the formation, distribution and disposal of lactate (not pyruvate) represent key steps in the regulation of intermediary metabolism during sustained exercise.”

[17]: Mazzeo RS, Brooks GA, Schoeller DA, Budinger TF. Disposal of blood [1-13C]lactate in humans during rest and exercise. J Appl Physiol. 1986;60(1):232-41.

“It was concluded that, in humans, 1) lactate disposal (turnover) rate is directly related to the metabolic rate, 2) oxidation is the major fate of lactate removal during exercise, and 3) blood lactate concentration is not an accurate indicator of lactate disposal and oxidation.”

[18]: Brooks GA. Cell-cell and intracellular lactate shuttles. J Physiol (Lond). 2009;587(Pt 23):5591-600.

“Lactate is actively oxidized at all times, especially during exercise when oxidation accounts for 70–75% of removal and gluconeogenesis for most of the remainder. Working skeletal muscle both produces and uses lactate as a fuel, with much of the lactate formed in glycolytic fibres being taken up and oxidized in adjacent oxidative fibres. Because it is more reduced that its keto-acid analogue, sequestration and oxidation of lactate to pyruvate affects cell redox state, both promoting energy flux and signalling cellular events.”

[19]: Prestwich KN. Removal of Lactic Acid — Oxidation and Gluconeogenesis. 2003. Available at: http://college.holycross.edu/faculty/kprestwi/exphys/lecture/ExPhysEx2Lect_pdf/ExPhys_03_M08_lac_remove.pdf. Accessed November 25, 2013.

“It is as if aerobic glycolysis started in the muscle and finished in the heart.”

[20]: Børsheim E, Bahr R. Effect of exercise intensity, duration and mode on post-exercise oxygen consumption. Sports Med. 2003;33(14):1037-60.

“In the recovery period after exercise there is an increase in oxygen uptake termed the ‘excess post-exercise oxygen consumption’ (EPOC), consisting of a rapid and a prolonged component.”

[21]: Morton AR, King K, Papalia S, Goodman C, Turley KR, Wilmore JH. Comparison of maximal oxygen consumption with oral and nasal breathing. Aust J Sci Med Sport. 1995;27(3):51-5.

“The percentage decrease in maximal ventilation with nose-only breathing compare to mouth and mouth plus nose breathing was three times the percentage decrease in maximal oxygen consumption. The pattern of nose-only breathing at maximal work showed a small reduction in tidal volume and large reduction in breathing frequency. Nasal breathing resulted in a reduction in FEO₂ and an increase in FECO₂. While breathing through the nose-only, all subjects could attain a work intensity great enough to produce an aerobic training effect (based on heart rate and percentage of VO₂ max).”

[22]: Niinimaa V, Cole P, Mintz S, Shephard RJ. The switching point from nasal to oronasal breathing. Respir Physiol. 1980;42(1):61-71.

“Twenty of the 30 subjects (normal augmenters) switched from nasal to oronasal breathing at submaximal exercise[…]”

[23]: Tanaka Y, Morikawa T, Honda Y. An assessment of nasal functions in control of breathing. J Appl Physiol. 1988;65(4):1520-4.

“Dead space and airway resistance were significantly greater during nose than during mouth breathing.”

“It is suggested that a loss of nasal functions, such as during nasal obstruction, may result in lowering of CO₂, fostering apneic spells during sleep.”

[24]: Tanaka Y, Honda Y. Nasal obstruction as a cause of reduced PCO₂ and disordered breathing during sleep. J Appl Physiol. 1989;67(3):970-2.

“End-tidal PCO₂ during nose-obstructed sleep was lower than that during nose-open sleep in all of the subjects.”

[25]: Hall RL. Energetics of nose and mouth breathing, body size, body composition, and nose volume in young adult males and females. Am J Hum Biol. 2005;17(3):321-30.

“Nose breathing was found to be more energetically efficient in most but not all subjects, but additional research is needed to explore this finding further.”

[26]: Thomas S. A., Phillips, V., Mock, C., Lock, M., Cox, G. and Baxter, J. (2009) The effects of nasal breathing on exercise tolerance. Liverpool conference centre: Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Annual Congress 2009, Liverpool conference centre, 16th and 17th October 2009.

“Nasal breathing was possible at 85% of maximum workload suggesting that people are capable of nose breathing at much higher intensities than they would normally chose to do, suggesting a potential for nose breathing training interventions even with normal healthy individuals.”

[27]: Geor RJ, Ommundson L, Fenton G, Pagan JD. Effects of an external nasal strip and frusemide on pulmonary haemorrhage in Thoroughbreds following high-intensity exercise. Equine Vet J. 2001;33(6):577-84.

“The external nasal strip appears to lower the metabolic cost of supramaximal exertion in horses.”

[28]: Tong TK, Fu FH, Chow BC. Nostril dilatation increases capacity to sustain moderate exercise under nasal breathing condition. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2001;41(4):470-8.

“Exercise time to exhaustion in NBFNS [(nasal breathing with fake nasal strip)] trial, which was 23.6+/-6.7% less than the CON [(oronasal breathing)] value, increased 31.9+/-12.3% under NBENDS [(nasal breathing with external nasal dilator strip)] condition. [….] Nasal breathing reduces the sustainability of moderate exercise measured under oronasal breathing condition. Nostril dilatation increases the capacity to sustain moderate exercise under nasal breathing condition.”

[29]: Olson LG, Strohl KP. The response of the nasal airway to exercise. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987;135(2):356-9.

“Exercise causes a fall in nasal resistance that may be due to sympathetic vasoconstriction in the nasal mucosa.”

[30]: Fregosi RF, Lansing RW. Neural drive to nasal dilator muscles: influence of exercise intensity and oronasal flow partitioning. J Appl Physiol. 1995;79(4):1330-7.

“The results suggest that during incremental exercise 1) changes in AN EMG activities are highly correlated with changes in nasal VI, 2) turbulent flow in the nose may be the stimulus for the switch to oronasal breathing so that total pulmonary resistance is minimized, and 3) the correlation between nasal airflow and neural drive to the AN muscles is probably mediated by mechanisms that monitor airway resistance.”

[31]: Levine BD, Stray-gundersen J. Point: positive effects of intermittent hypoxia (live high:train low) on exercise performance are mediated primarily by augmented red cell volume. J Appl Physiol. 2005;99(5):2053-5.

[32]: Chapman R, Levine BD. Altitude Training for the Marathon. Sports Medicine. 2007;37(4):392-395.

“While the results of many early studies on the use of altitude training for sea level performance enhancement have produced equivocal results, newer studies using the ‘live high, train low’ altitude training model have demonstrated significant improvements in red cell mass, maximal oxygen uptake, oxygen uptake at ventilatory threshold, and 3000m and 5000m race time.”

[33]: Gore CJ, Hopkins WG. Counterpoint: positive effects of intermittent hypoxia (live high:train low) on exercise performance are not mediated primarily by augmented red cell volume. J Appl Physiol. 2005;99(5):2055-7.

[34]: Singer RB, Deering RC, Clark JK. The acute effects in man of a rapid intravenous infusion of hypertonic sodium bicarbonate solution. II. Changes in respiration and output of carbon dioxide. J Clin Invest. 1956;35(2):245-53.

“During the infusion of sodium bicarbonate, arterial pH, arterial and alveolar PCO₂, total ventilation, and rate of elimination of CO₂ were significantly increased above control levels.”

“Following the infusion, the rate of CO₂ elimination returned to the control level, but arterial pH was still elevated despite a steady fall toward the control range.”

[35]: Maughan RJ. Temperature regulation during marathon competition. Br J Sports Med. 1984;18(4):257-60.

“During hard physical exercise, metabolic rate may rise 10 or 15-fold, and this rate of heat production may be sustained for several hours. For the exercising individual, therefore, cold exposure does not normally represent a serious challenge to the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, but the problems of heat loss when exercising at a high ambient temperature may be acute.”

“It is also important to remember that, although it is the core body temperature which is regulated, it is the temperature of the skin relative to that of the environment which determines whether heat is gained or lost.”

[36]: González-alonso J, Teller C, Andersen SL, Jensen FB, Hyldig T, Nielsen B. Influence of body temperature on the development of fatigue during prolonged exercise in the heat. J Appl Physiol. 1999;86(3):1032-9.

“These results demonstrate that high internal body temperature per se causes fatigue in trained subjects during prolonged exercise in uncompensable hot environments. Furthermore, time to exhaustion in hot environments is inversely related to the initial temperature and directly related to the rate of heat storage.”

[37]: El helou N, Tafflet M, Berthelot G, et al. Impact of environmental parameters on marathon running performance. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(5):e37407.

“Air temperature is the most important factor influencing marathon running performance for runners of all levels.”

[38]: Ely MR, Cheuvront SN, Roberts WO, Montain SJ. Impact of weather on marathon-running performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(3):487-93.

“There is a progressive slowing of marathon performance as the WBGT [(Wet Bulb Globe Temperature)] increases from 5 to 25 degrees C. This seems true for men and women of wide ranging abilities, but performance is more negatively affected for slower populations of runners.”

[39]: Paczesny D, Rapiejko P, Weremczuk J, Jachowicz R, Jurkiewicz D. [Air temperature measurements in nasal cavities and oral cavity]. Otolaryngol Pol. 2007;61(5):864-7.

“The air inspired through the nose and oral cavity is heated during respiration. For typical external conditions (T = 22 degrees C i RH = 50%) the nose heats inspired air 1,5 times better then oral cavity (short time range of measurement approximately 1 min.). Heat from expired air is recovered for both nasal cavities and oral cavity. Nasal cavities respiration ability for heat recovery from expired air is 3 times higher then oral cavity respiration.”

[40]: Burgess KR, Whitelaw WA. Effects of nasal cold receptors on pattern of breathing. J Appl Physiol. 1988;64(1):371-6.

“The results confirm the previous observation that cold air breathed through the nose inhibits ventilation in normal subjects and show that this is not related to an increase in flow resistance.”

[41]: Keck T, Lindemann J. Numerical simulation and nasal air-conditioning. GMS Curr Top Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2010;9:Doc08.

“Heating and humidification of the respiratory air are the main functions of the nasal airways in addition to cleansing and olfaction. Optimal nasal air conditioning is mandatory for an ideal pulmonary gas exchange in order to avoid desiccation and adhesion of the alveolar capillary bed.”

[42]: Febbraio MA, Snow RJ, Stathis CG, Hargreaves M, Carey MF. Blunting the rise in body temperature reduces muscle glycogenolysis during exercise in humans. Exp Physiol. 1996;81(4):685-93.

“These results suggest that glycogenolysis in contracting skeletal muscle is reduced during exercise when the rise in body core temperature is attenuated. These changes in carbohydrate metabolism appear to be influenced by alterations in muscle temperature and/or sympatho-adrenal activity.”

[43]: Febbraio MA, Snow RJ, Hargreaves M, Stathis CG, Martin IK, Carey MF. Muscle metabolism during exercise and heat stress in trained men: effect of acclimation. J Appl Physiol. 1994;76(2):589-97.

“Muscle glycogenolysis and percentage of type I muscle fibers showing glycogen depletion were greater (P < 0.05) in the PRE ACC [(40 degrees C and 20% relative humidity before acclimation)] than in the RTT [(20 degrees C and 20% relative humidity)] trial.”

Well, I’m about 10 weeks into my high intensity workout plan and thought now would be a good time to update on its effectiveness along with changes I’ve made to the routines.

What I Like

There are several aspects to this plan that I enjoy more than other fitness programs I’ve followed in the past.

1. No Numbers

I love that fact that most movements I perform don’t require judgemental, condescending equipment like weights or stopwatches to gauge my progress. From experience, I’ve found it unhealthy to become fixated on breaking previous feats of strength and agility.

While using numbers as motivators can be beneficial in furthering one’s fitness, more often than not they would cause me to overexert myself and risk damaging my body.

Last winter for example, one of my goals was to run a 20 minute 5K. I trained using a treadmill, increasing the machine’s speed by a tenth of a mile per hour every time I ran until I was able to survive 3.10685 miles at 9.6 mph for a time of 19 minutes and 26 seconds. Shortly thereafter I suffered from a 2-month bout of shin splints and have never since attempted another timed all-out 5K.

I’ve had similar issues lifting heavy weights. Especially as a dude, it’s easy to fall into that macho mindset where you need to pump more weight than you did the previous session, otherwise you’re getting weaker and inadequate. Basically, you get hurt trying to become stronger. (Oh, the irony.)

At this point, I don’t even count repetitions for most of the exercises I perform; I’m more concerned with doing “good” (i.e. short, controlled, fatiguing) sets.

2. Minimal Time Commitment

None of my routines take more than an hour, including warmup and cooldown. This is great since sometimes I have other stuff going on and can’t commit much more time than that to maintaining my physique.

In the past I would cram in upwards of 2 hours of gym work, which is fine and at times enjoyable when I want an extended escape from reality, but freeing up time is nice. I put less in and get more out these days.

3. Relatively Injury-Proof

I say “relatively” because any type of physical activity is going to put you at some risk of injury. Since I’ve started high intensity training I’ve had knee pain, which I deduced was from a specific movement I was performing (wall sits). That exercise has since been eliminated from my repertoire, and with it the knee discomfort.

I’ve also had minor strains in my hands from not properly easing my grip into towel pull-ups and my chest has felt kind of weird the past few days, though I’m not entirely sure what the cause of that latter ailment is. (I was sick with body aches one day recently, which may be a contributing factor.) I also tweaked my left hip at some point.

That said, I’m pretty frail yet have not been out of commission more than a few days for precautionary measures the past 2 months. I’m very happy about that.

4. Getting Results

Firstly, I feel soreness the day after most workouts, which tells me I’m successfully fatiguing my muscles. If I don’t feel soreness, then I assume the workout wasn’t challenging enough and my muscle fibers weren’t broken down to a point where they will overcompensate during their rebuilding phase.

In the past I noticed if I didn’t feel my workout the next day, I didn’t gain muscle; I merely maintained it.

Secondly, I have definitely put on muscle mass (at least on my upper body). I have gotten comments on my arms looking bigger and I’ve noticed my shirts fitting a bit tighter while still maintaining a visible six-pack, so I know my body fat percentage hasn’t climbed significantly, meaning I’ve put on some amount of muscle.

I don’t weigh myself too often as the scale will fluctuate greatly depending on various factors (fluid retention, what I’ve eaten that day or the day before, is my hair wet, etc.) and I don’t want to force eating habits upon myself just to hit a number (again, I try to go by feel), but I’m probably a shade under 170 lbs at around 5’11” tall. I’ve put on maybe 2 or 3 pounds since the end of June.

Ideally I want to weigh around 180 pounds I think, which’ll take me another year or so to reach, granted I consume adequate calories.

What I Don’t Like

While there is much to be appreciative of, there are some difficulties (or challenges, if you will) with the new training regime.

1. Requires Focus

Much concentration is needed to complete my routines because…

1. I place an emphasis on short, controlled, fatiguing sets
2. I only perform between three and twelve total sets during each routine, and…
3. I consider the first set of each exercise to be most crucial.

Thus, it’s important to do whatever is necessary to psyche myself up to expend max energy with every movement. Pre-workout caffeine (in the form of coffee) has been helpful as of late. A bottle of wildflower honey to glug on between sets has also given me a boost.

In short, the quality of the reps (and sets) trumps the quantity and it takes more mental fortitude than you’d think to make your body do what you want.

2. Takes Practice

It’s quite different performing movements like dips and push-ups slowly rather than quickly. I spent years doing those exercises at a “normal” cadence and so it took me about 4-6 weeks to train my muscles to move with more intent. This is not to say that I’m under full control of my form yet, but I am starting to develop some level of mastery.

The Updated Plan

After putting into practice what were primarily postulates, I’ve made some adjustment to nearly every exercise in my original plan and cut many out for new ones.

Upper Body Workout

All three of my original upper body exercises are still part of this routine which I perform on a weekly basis.

1. Towel Pull-Ups

I do pretty much the same progression described here, positioning the towels out wide and graduating them inward after each set, but I now simply hang during the first two sets to burn out my arms. I would do pull-ups from the get-go, but I felt shoulder pain at times when my grip was too wide.

Another modification I’m toying with is lowering to my tippy-toes when my arms alone can no longer support my body and doing some limited range raising and lowering to get that little extra bit of fatigue out of each set.

2. Dips

My dips now are dialed in whereas previously they were still in the experimentation phase. Here’s the new and improved protocol:

I use parallel bars and perform the first set with a full range of motion until my arms are zapped. I then lower into the negative of the dip and hold until I can take no more. This is a pretty standard technique.

For the second set, I raise and lower as normal, but I let my feet touch the ground during the lower half of the dip to bear a portion of my weight. This allows me to fatigue my arms further than I normally would be able to.

And finally, the last set is performed such that my feet are as always touching the ground (thus the range of movement is limited). Again, this lets me push myself more than I could under normal circumstances.

Out of all the exercises I perform, I would say this dip sequence is the most effective. It’s brutally good.

3. Push-Ups

I’ve actually stuck with the exact same form I detailed earlier. It’s been effective (plus I’m always too exhausted after the pull-ups and dips to dabble with any new techniques).

Lower Body Workout

As mentioned, wall sits were not working for me. For whatever reason I suffered from noticeable knee pain in the days following their completion. I also did not enjoy goblet squats; I found them boring and was not convinced of their effectiveness.

I instead now pick one of the following per “lower body” session and typically do two out of the three four once per week (meaning I work my legs about twice every seven days).

1A. Hill Sprints

This is the hill I sprint up then walk down. (Hat tip to my friend Matt for the link.) It’s a 22.5% grade, tenth of a mile stretch of hell which has caused more predigested OJ and coffee to spackle the asphalt than I’d like to admit.

In all I aim for three consecutive sprints/walks topped off with an intentful walk up and down.

1B. Track Sprints

Shout out to my high school gym teacher Mrs. Trumbo for teaching me these. All that’s involved is sprinting the straights and walking the turns (and cursing out Trumbo) at your local public school track. I’m still experimenting with how far of a distance is optimal, but somewhere between a half and full mile seems adequate.

I’ll forewarn that it’s especially important to be properly warmed up before attempting flat ground sprints. I’ve felt significant soreness the days after attempting these, not just in muscles but tendons as well, like my achilles, and could easily see myself suffering a tweak without precaution.

1C. Biking

While it’s warm out (70°+ F), I’ll bike the rolling roads of Willistown behind my parent’s house. If I’m making a concerted effort to hit my legs, I’ll do a difficult route of hills which takes me about half an hour to complete. I don’t really bike to develop my leg muscles though. It’s more of an enjoyment activity and I often just cruise around to enjoy the scenery.

1D. Jump Rope – Added 10/15/2013

With the weather cooling, I recently experimented with adapting my jump rope routine to mimic track sprints, and the results have been encouraging, albeit after only 1 session. My calves and quads got hit pretty hard, which I feel like are the opposite muscles targeted by the track sprints (they seem to work my hamstrings more), so I am tentatively optimistic that this might be a good one-two punch of exercises for my legs.

My technique for jumping rope is to do as many double-unders as possible until I miss a skip, then rest for a few moments until I feel ready to ready to do the doubles again; repeat for 8 total sets.

For reference, I can do double-unders for about 30 seconds to 1 minute before I trip up. If you’re a newbie to jumping rope, try simply skipping faster until you feel comfortable going for the doubles. The key is to increase the intensity enough so that your body makes you stop after about a minute.

Abdominal Workout

Like the upper body workout, this routine is performed about once per week and each of the three movements is rattled off in succession. Adjustments to this sequence have been made since my initial write-up.

1. Hanging Leg Raises

My form has remained true to that which is described here, though my ability to hang has improved and I’m able to do more controlled movements now. Previously my arms would burn out before my abs, but that bottleneck has diminished over time.

2. L-Sits to Knee Tucks

I’ve since ditched the rings and dumbbell (but sometimes use ankle weights) and stick to parallel bars for my L-sits. I also now transition into tucking my knees toward my chest as my L breaks down to extend the burn a little longer. Repeat for a total of three sets.

Rings and a dumbbell currently make it too difficult for me to hold form and target my abs properly. Perhaps I will incorporate them back in at some point.

3. Hanging Chair

For lack of a better term, I’m calling this recent innovation the “hanging chair.” I hang from a bar, as I would for the hanging leg raises, but only raise my knees upward enough that I feel tension in my abs. I then hold that position as long as possible and drop. It almost looks like I’m sitting in an invisible chair as I hang, though my knees settle below the plane of my waist.

I repeat this for three sets, sometimes with ankle weights to make the hold slightly more difficult.

Supplemental Exercises

I partake in all the same recreational activities mentioned before, though I’ve been less diligent about stretching, and I started dabbling with Foundation Training as recommended by Michael Allen Smith. I’ve had some annoyances with my lower back and hips from years of scrappy tennis playing, so I thought I’d give the program a shot.

I’ve made it through both the basic and moderate workouts, and thankfully I do think my lower back has gotten stronger. It feels less fragile than when I started the training. I will say though that the routines themselves are not that fun. For the most part you are required to hold different uncomfortable positions during the 20 to 30 minute workouts, which I find to be a chore. I never really want to do them.

What I will most likely end up doing is picking a few of the movements from the training that I find most effective and piecing together my own, shorter routine.

I’ve also given 3 Minutes to a Pain-Free Life a go, but the mere 3 minute time investment hasn’t returned any noticeable dividends. I have not kept up with it on a daily basis, however.

Conclusion

It continually amazes me how often I think I’ve found the perfect workout regimen or diet plan, then only a few months later I’m latched onto some other hot new trend or theory. Time will tell whether or not this fitness protocol sticks, but objectively the results have been promising. I’ve gained muscle and suffered from only minor injuries; there isn’t really much more I could ask for than that.

I’ll continue to document my progress and share another write-up if I make any other significant changes to my routine in the future.

In my quest to increase my physical fitness (i.e. look good without a shirt on), I’ve dabbled with various diets and exercise regiments over the years. Today, I’ll be discussing a new training routine I’m experimenting with and intend to document for effectiveness.

My Fitness Background

I started working out for the first time freshman year of college after noticing my buddy Conor eccentrically doing calisthenics by himself in our dormitory common area from time to time as his daily training session for the crew (rowing) team. I never knew how to work out, and desperately wanted to drop my scrawny physique, so I joined in with him one fateful evening and learned all about the wonderful world of sofa dips, bunny hops, and prison squats.

Using these newfound movements along with other bodyweight movements gathered from online tutorials I pieced together a routine I would perform in retrospect way too frequently in efforts to get a six-pack. I’ve kept up with mostly bodyweight exercises spliced with various forms of cardio (running, biking, jumping rope) throughout the years.

I have used machines when a gym has been readily available to me and more recently free weights to augment the force of gravity.

My goals behind increasing my fitness levels have been threefold; to become better at sports (tennis), to have an able body (for daily life), and to increase my aesthetic appeal (sup, ladies).

At the present moment, I am taking much more precaution to be smart with my workouts and minimize my risk of injury. Thus, I’ve eschewed any heavy lifting (squats, dead lifts, presses) at the recommendation of Michael Allen Smith. I have seen results from those lifts, but I realize at a only quarter-century old that I’m young and without perfect technique (which I do not possess and would not be able to maintain) I put myself in danger of slowly and abruptly hurting myself. Bodyweight exercises have been pretty gentle to my joints for the most part, so I’m going back to them… with a bit of a twist.

A New Theory

I stumbled across MAS’s article on high intensity training (HIT) a couple weeks ago and was very much intrigued by the notion.

Ever since I started doing resistance exercise, my only objectives have either been to hit a certain number of reps, or pump out reps until fatigue sets in and another repetition isn’t possible.

Over time I’ve become more and more convinced that performing (three) sets until fatigue or failure with low repetitions (in the 6-ish range) is key for gaining muscle mass and strength. But I never really considered any different ways in which one could reach exhaustion while keeping repetitions to a minimum. My only thoughts (and conventional wisdom) were to use weights to increase the opposing load. Throw more plates on the barbell your maximum number of repetitions will naturally be decreased.

An alternative to this is increasing tension. For example, wide-grip chin-ups are much more difficult to perform than standard shoulder-width chin-ups. No extra weight has been added (the load is still the same), but the angle between the grip points and your dangling body is greater, thus requiring more work to pull your body upward.

See this PDF for a simple mathematical explanation. Let’s say you weigh 75 kg (about 165 lbs). By placing your chin-up grip at shoulder width, a 0° (or 180°) angle between your hands and shoulders, each arm is bearing a tension of 367.5 N. Slide your grip out 15° and the tension on each arm becomes 380.5 N. At 30°, the force becomes 424.4 N, and at 45° it escalates to 519.7 N. As you can see, the tension quickly increases as you widen your group.

At a 45° angle, this would be the equivalent of doing a standard shoulder-width chin-up with 31 kg or 68.3 lbs of weight strapped to you. And the beautiful thing is as you gain mass, the difficulty will naturally increase as well.

This same theory can be applied for push-ups and dips as well. Push-up tension can be controlled by planting your hands varying distances apart, or with elevated feet. Dip tension can be controlled using two moveable sawhorses as anchors rather than dip bars which are usually unadjustable.

A final way to increase the intensity of a movement is to perform it slowly. It’s much more difficult to perform 1 pull-up for 1 minute than to perform 1 pull-up for 1 second. Try it if you are skeptical, or watch this video. The load is being more evenly applied to all moments of the movement, rather than predominantly at the top and bottom.

With these two realization in hand, that increasing tension and controlling movement are tools that essentially mimic the intensity of heavier loads, yet can be performed with more reckless abandon and less risk of injury, I theorized a new workout plan.

The Plan

Before I delve into the nitty-gritty, I think it’s important to mention that a commonality you may notice throughout this plan is that I prefer to do the most challenging movements first, then transition into the easier ones. My rationale behind this goes back to the idea that heavy lifts lead to the biggest gains. My goal here is to build strength and put on muscle, hence I want to be able to perform each movement, especially the difficult ones, as intensely as possible.

Another thing to note is that I only target one section of my body each time I exercise. I have tried doing all-around body workouts but have found it more effective to focus on one muscle group at a time, and I will only do each workout about once a week with rare days of successive resistance training.

(Cardio on the other hand I’ll throw in whenever I feel like it. Fatigued muscles need time to recover though.)

In the name of HIT, all movements are performed slowly unless otherwise noted.

Upper Body Workout

I perform these three exercises in succession about once a week (whenever I feel I have sufficiently absorbed the previous session).

1. Towel Pull-Ups

I begin with towel pull-ups which I picked up from this guy. It’s taken a couple months of practice to get my grip strength where it needs to be, but I’m glad I’ve stuck with it. Towel pull-ups work your grip, wrists, and forearms much more than normal pull-ups or chin-ups, which improves the efficiency of the movement (in my opinion). More muscles are worked and all are worked more intensely (the instability of the towel adds a degree of difficulty).

I use a set of monkey bars and first position two towels as far apart to the point where I can at least hang for a few seconds (but I am incapable of doing a pull-up). I’m mainly trying to start engaging and burning out my arms. I then drop once I can hang no longer, catch my breath, maybe take a sip of water or slurp of honey, move one of the towels inward one rung, then start again, this time going for as many controlled pull-ups as possible (which might only be like two or three). Once again, I hang as long as possible (after I become too fatigued to perform another repetition), then drop.

I repeat this, moving the towels closer and closer together until I am left gripping 1 towel with both hands. When on 1 towel, I alternate sticking my head to the left and right of the bar on ascension.

That whole progression is done once, then I am on to the next movement: dips.

Note: If you are a newbie, I’d practice doing regular chin-ups or pull-ups first, then work your way to the towel. When beginning with the towel, it’s probably smart to just grab and hold on as long as possible. Don’t even worry about doing the pull-up motion; you need to improve your grip strength first.

2. Dips

I’m still experimenting with dips to find the right chain of difficulty (the towel pull-up sequence has felt quite effective thus far), but here is what I will likely try the next time I work my upper body.

Similarly to the towel pull-ups, I’ll position two sawhorses as far apart but to the point where I can safely do controlled dips, hold as long as possible once I hit the bottom of the movement and am too fatigued to force myself back up, then drop. Catch my breath, move the sawhorses slightly closer together, and repeat.

On the last go, when the sawhorses can no longer be moved closer together, I will let my feet touch the ground to bear some of my weight, allowing myself to do a few bonus reps.

Previously I had tried a series of ring dips to bar dips to bar dips with my feet touching the ground, and also a weird progression of sawhorse dips where I had them spread apart and worked each arm separately, but I wasn’t all that happy with either of those experiments.

The only issue is that the sawhorses I have aren’t that tall, so I have to be careful to keep my feet from touching the ground, which takes away my concentration from the important parts of the movement. I have parallel bars at my disposal which are higher off the ground and remove the problem of height, but they can’t be adjusted further apart (which I am doing to increase tension).

Weighted dips would be another option (and might be safer than the widened dips).

3. Push-Ups

I conclude my upper body workout with the old standby, push-ups. I actually refrained from performing push-ups for a number of years due to an elbow injury. I can do them safely for the most part now, but do need to be careful with my positioning.

Anyway, I start by elevating my feet on a bench and performing as many slow, controlled push-ups as I can (which is only a few after doing the pull-ups and dips). I hold at the bottom of the push-up once I cannot go up again, then collapse.

I catch my breath, position my feet ground-level this time, and repeat. Finally, I then do a set with my knees on the ground (i.e. non-male push-ups), duplicating the same aforementioned technique.

This has been a challenging movement to perform at the end of the workout and has always given me a good burn. Still, I may experiment with hand positioning in the future (as I have been keeping my hands in a fixed position).

Lower Body Workout

To be honest, I’m still tinkering with the following movements to see what works best for me. I haven’t yet found a combination of exercises and techniques that I feel are all safe and sufficiently challenge my leg muscles.

I target my legs on average every 7 days.

1. Hill Sprints

I find a steep hill (preferably grass and about a tenth of a mile long), sprint up, and walk down. I repeat the up and down part until I’m too exhausted.

This is one of my favorite exercises because it’s safe and challenging. There really isn’t much more to say about hill sprints; just be sure to walk down!

2. Wall Sits

This movement was recently added to my repertoire after reading MAS’s low risk alternatives to the squat. I’ve only done it a few times now, and though it has yielded a strong burn mid-exercise, I haven’t felt much soreness post-exercise (which I associate with muscle growth) and coincidentally have experienced some knee pain in the days afterwards. I am not sure if the discomfort can be attributed to this or another movement performed during those same workout routines.

Anyway, what I have been doing is sitting with my back flat against a wall and my knees at a 90° angle while holding a pair of dumbbells by my side. I try to keep the weight toward my heels and hold the position as long as I can.

Once I burn out, I catch my breath, then switch to a pair of dumbbells that are about half the weight of the previous ones. Again, I hold until failure. Finally, I repeat with no dumbbells.

The first time I attempted wall sits I used no added weight and it took forever to feel anything in my legs. It got to the point where it become tortuous to wait so long to feel anything, so that’s why I added weights. I want all my sets to be fairly quick.

What I will likely try next time is sitting at different angles and sticking with the heavier dumbbells the entire time. Instead of sitting at 90° the whole time, I’ll start off at 60°, then initialize at 75°, then 90°, 105°, and finally 120°.

(Can someone send me a protractor?)

3. Goblet Squats

I’ve experimented with these in similar manner to the wall sits (by starting off holding a dumbbell and transitioning to no dumbbell by the third set), but results have been iffy. I have been performing them under a very controlled and deliberate manner, as described here.

I will say there have been times when I have felt some real tension in my legs, but it is hard to pinpoint the moments when I feel the burn. Much of the movement feels wasted to me. What I may do is try limiting the range of motion. A wider stance and heavier dumbbells (throughout) might help as well.

Abdominal Workout

I specifically target my abs in efforts of maintaining a six-pack. Many sources will tell you that getting visible abs is all about maintaining a low body fat percentage, but I feel it’s also important to pump up your abdominal muscles as well if you want them to show with any gusto.

Like the other two workouts, I target my abs about once per week.

1. Hanging Leg Raises

I’ve been doing a variation of these for several months now that has been pretty good to me. I hang from a bar, grab a dumbbell with my feet, then raise my knees up towards my chest, touch my left knee to my right elbow, lower my legs, then raise them again and touch my right knee to my left elbow. Repeat ad nauseam, dropping the weight as needed mid-set, for three sets.

This worked pretty well doing herky-jerky movements, but I’ve noticed an issue trying to slow down the movement: my arms tire out before my abs.

I’m not sure if there is a fix to this other than keeping at it and seeing if my arms get used to hanging that long. Also, I can try to schedule my ab workouts midway between my upper body workouts so my arms are fresher and don’t fatigue so quickly.

Otherwise I may skip the HIT protocol for these. I think hanging leg raises are great and I want to keep doing them.

2. L-Sits

Typically I hold myself up with either rings or parallel bars and again secure a dumbbell with my feet to provide extra resistance. I try to maintain an L (or some semblance of one) for as long as possible, three times (with breaks in-between).

This has worked to some success, though I need to experiment with pulling my knees to my chest and freezing them there. Essentially I am looking for static abdominal holds.

Other than those two exercises, that’s all I do ab-wise. I used to do rollouts with an EZ curl bar (and then an ab wheel once I bought one), but I feel rollout devices are kind of dangerous as the movement can put a lot of strain on your body. Variations of hanging leg raises are where it’s at in my opinion. I don’t like crunches because they are too easy (it’s like comparing light jogging to sprinting).

Supplementary Exercises

My primary goal right now is to put on muscle, which requires special attention as an ectomorph. However, I do other activities such as jumping rope, biking, running, playing tennis, and trampolining when I feel like it.

Stretching is also important to me; after a strenuous workout (especially one that involves cardio) I make sure to do a full body stretch, which takes about 20 minutes. Pre-workout I only do warmup movements (no static stretches), but afterwards I feel stretching is great to increase flexibility and prevent future injuries.

Conclusion

I have no idea how long I will continue with this regiment or whether it will even be effective, but the logic behind it all excites me and I will definitely give it a fair shake. As long as I listen to my body and make tweaks to the blueprint along the way, the experiment should be successful.

If this article inspired you to try any of the exercises I listed, please be careful and alert for signs of pain. If you’re hurting, aside from muscle soreness, you’re doing something wrong.

And finally, remember: what works for me might not work for you.

I’ve been experimenting with food and diet since when with maternal guidance I became an herbivore at age 10, and thus with my limited but passable decade-plus of experience I’ve decided to periodically post “What I’m Eatin'” to keep track of where I’ve been and where I’m heading (as a dietary roadmap of sorts).

As this is the first entry of what will hopefully be a longstanding series, I’ll go into full detail behind my culinary choices.

Note: I claim to know nothing about nutrition; all I have are personal experiences and I recommend nothing to no one. Always be honest with how you feel and monitor objective benchmarks of health.

The Staple Foods

These are the foods I eat pretty much every day without fail, partly because I tend to believe they are nutritious, but mostly because they are cheap and easy (i.e. bachelor chow).

Orange Juice

I’ve been guzzling down about a half gallon of OJ per day for a couple years now. I had been on a high fruit diet consisting mostly of bananas and dates, then found dates to be too expensive (not to mention caustic to my teeth) and banana quality to be widely varying in Pennsylvania, so I turned to orange juice when I realized the taste would always be fairly consistent from carton to carton and its price point was favorable for a recent college graduate.

Fresh squeezed is best if oranges are ripe, local, and in season, otherwise I stick with organic pasteurized (no pulp). Lately I’ve been tossing in a teaspoon of pickling salt, which is more pure than table salt, to test a higher sodium intake on myself.

OJ is drank mostly for the simple carbohydrates and because it’s also got vitamins and minerals.

Protip: I used to drink water with lemon upon waking, but the acidity in the lemon combined with the acidity of the OJ I would consume shortly thereafter was a bad combo. Nixing the lemon relieved any indigestion.

Eggs

Organic pasture eggs scrambled in refined coconut oil helped break my recent year long rendezvous with veganism and have been a mainstay in my diet ever since. I typically start my day with 4 scrambled eggs, seasoned to my liking, washed down with OJ. I’ll also throw back a raw egg or two after a workout, totaling an average of about 5 eggs per day.

I have found pasture eggs to be far superior in quality to any other type of eggs (organic or not) and will bite the bullet to pay a premium on them. I buy local if possible to support local farms while also paying nearly half of what the pasture eggs at a local retailer would cost.

Eggs are good for a bunch of different vitamins and some minerals. I tend not to worry about the cholesterol.

Milk

For years I considered dairy to be the devil, but the work of Ray Peat convinced me to give it a second chance. This is somewhat of a new addition to my diet, but I’ve been drinking anywhere from a quart to a half gallon of grass fed organic milk per day, drowned in molasses for taste (hat tip Matt Stone).

I’ve mostly been drinking lightly pasteurized cow milk, since it’s most accessible and cheapest for me, but I do have me some raw goat when I can ahold of it. I feel the goat milk is more potent (when raw), but either will do.

Drinking milk has been an easy way to get extra calories in my belly. I’ve preferred whole milk over 2% or skim almost solely for the extra energy, as I’m trying to put on some weight. The taste is also slightly preferable.

Honey

It’s quick carbs. Lately I’ve kept a squeeze bottle on hand whenever I work out to slurp on between sets (hat tip Raw Brahs), or throughout the day. Again, I make an effort to purchase fresh, local, and organic if my budget permits.

A ballpark estimate of my honey consumption might be 2-4 tablespoons a day.

Carrots

Honestly, I’m not sure how effective I find carrots to be, but there are people out there who swear by the Ray Peat raw carrot salad. (And there appears to be scientific evidence to back it up.)

I’m lazy, so I just peel and eat one carrot, omitting the salad-ification process, on more days than not. Five-pound bags of organic carrots are cheap, stay fresh in the fridge a while, and taste ok, so I eat ’em.

A low maintenance food with possibly high benefit, if there is one.

Gelatin

My go-to bedtime drink is an anti-stress elixir consisting of 4 tablespoons of this gelatin, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, and 1 cup of hot water. Especially after a tough workout, I can feel the warm liquid pulsate throughout my muscles and deliver the much needed and easily assimilated macronutrients.

Ok… maybe that’s not how the body works, but the drink does have an endothermic and calming effect. Two cups before bed and I sleep like a rock.

Molasses

I use molasses as a sweetener and calorie booster for my milk. It’s essentially a refined sugar, but is also a surprisingly dense source of several minerals.

The sweet sludge has been included in my daily repertoire for only a couple weeks now, so only time will tell if it sticks around. The taste might wear on me and my digestive tract seems to have a minor amount of difficulty fully digesting it. (Infer from that what you will.)

In the Rotation

These are foods I don’t eat every day, but do often consume at least on a weekly basis.

Oysters

I treat these filter feeders more as a supplement than a food. They are calorically sparse but loaded with a couple hard-to-get minerals, specifically copper and zinc.

I typically eat the canned ones a couple times a week, though I may pony up and get fresh ones more often, as I question the quality of prepackaged shellfish.

Popcorn

I am honestly a bit wary of corn because of the whole GMO conspiracy, but I enjoy popcorn every now and then as a snack. I buy kernels and pop them myself on the stove in refined coconut oil then top the puffed maize with salt, paprika, and coconut butter.

Chocolate Chips

I’ve heard that chocolate is a good source of magnesium, and that people are often magnesium deficient, so I consume a small amount of this “health food” on most days.

To be frank, I’m mostly eating chocolate chips to boost my caloric intake at this point and am not concerned about my magnesium levels, so I may eliminate them for a more nutritious food and instead have them as a treat on rarer occasion.

Up and Comers

I haven’t extensively experimented with these foods yet, but I may do so in the near future.

Apple Sauce

I have been on the eye for another cheap and quick source of fruit calories to go along with orange juice, and I think this might be it. I feel it’s better to get your carbs from fruit rather than honey or refined sugars, which are for the most part devoid of vitamins and minerals. The latter are fine though, in my opinion, for topping off your glycogen stores.

I purchased one jar of organic apple sauce last week and ate it as though I had the munchies, even though it didn’t taste that amazing, so I think I might be on to something.

Brown Sugar

Immediately after I polished off that apple sauce all I could think was how incredible it would have been with a dusting of brown sugar. I also recently stumbled across the idea of adding brown sugar and egg yolk to milk, which I’m jonesing to try in lieu of molasses (hat tip Cliff McCrary).

Needless to say, I’ll be picking up a box brown sugar next time I shop for groceries.

Liver

I was graciously donned with a frozen lamb liver, gratis, at the farmer’s market last week. I’ve known for a while that liver is loaded with vitamins and minerals, but it’s such a foreign food to me at the moment and I’m sheepish about touching it.

On Sunday night I hacked off a few small chunks and attempted to swallow them without chewing, to mask the taste, nearly resulting in an untimely death of asphyxiation. Yesterday I chewed with a chaser of molasses milk, which was much less of an adventure.

The taste could have been way worse, and I’ll eventually try to cook it (like a normal person would).

Sourdough Bread

I avoid gluten for the most part, but I’ve heard that if one is to consume bread, sourdough is the safest since its fermentation process neutralizes a lot of the precarious protein. I kneed to may experiment with it at some point.

Just for Fun

I wouldn’t consider these foods to be mainstays, but I do eat them a couple times or more a month.

Ripe, In-Season Fruit

I am a sucker for good fruit. Mangoes and figs are particularly excellent when ripe. I also enjoy fresh cantaloupe and seeded watermelon.

Junk Food

I do indulge in culinary delights such as margherita pizza, salmon-avocado sushi, and spicy blue corn chips when I have the hankering for them.

On the Chopping Block

These are foods I am currently eating, but may soon eliminate from my diet.

Cheese

Milk is less expensive and cumbersome to consume. Also I’m pretty sure I’m allergic to parmigiano reggiano, which is supposed to be one of the cleanest and safest cheeses to consume, leaving me with mozzarella as one the few cheeses I find palatable in notable quantities that doesn’t cause a histaminic response.

(I’ve never been big on cheese, aside from that of the jocular variety.)

Recently Eliminated

Coffee

Dr. Peat is a proponent of caffeinated coffee, and initially I seemed to enjoy it without negative recourse, but I eventually started to develop what I believe was heartburn in due time.

I am not sure if there is a flaw with the way I prepared it (with generous amount of sugar and gelatin) or with what I consumed it with (cheese), but I do not envision myself drinking much coffee in the foreseeable future. I feel fine without it.

White Rice

I had been consuming a meal of rice and salsa in place of the milk I am now drinking, but I found over time I lost my taste for the rice. It became a chore not only to cook it, but to eat it as well.

I feel rice is a decent caloric source, only I prefer simpler sugars now. They’re easier to prepare and eat in sufficient quantities to meet the energetic demands for my goal of putting on and sustaining muscle mass.

One concession I will make though is that days after I’ve consumed large quantities of rice I’ve had several great cardio sessions.

Supplements

Vitamin E

This is one of the few vitamins I’m consistently lacking in, aside from late February or early March when I’m annihilating a case of ripe mangoes.

Vitamin K

The other vitamin I don’t seem to get adequately from my diet is K. Currently I am supplementing with a pill, but will switch to the liquid form once I run out of my current supply and apply it to my skin, rather than ingesting it.

Vitamin D

During the winter months vitamin D is more of a concern to me, as there is less sunlight and I am outside much less. I don’t really get a ton of it from my diet aside from that which is in eggs.

Vitamin A

I will likely stop vitamin A supplementation if I start eating liver somewhat regularly. It may not even be necessary anyway with adequate amounts of milk and eggs.

Epsom Salt + Baking Soda Bath

This combination is incredible for sore muscles, or relaxing in general. I toss a pound of each into a hot bath and stew for about 15-20 minutes. The magnesium in the epsom salt absorbs through your skin, causing the anti-stress response.

Eggshell Calcium

I usually take 1/4 teaspoon once or twice a day (hat tip Danny Roddy). Considering all the eggs I go through anyway, it seems like a no brainer to grind up a batch every now an then.

Anecdotally, I may have cured a case of shin splints I was suffering from last year by supplementing with eggshell calcium.

Aspirin

Peat and Roddy advocate aspirin, so I’ve been taking either one or two 325 mg tablets per day. I haven’t noticed any negative effects (even without dissolving), but do feel ever so slightly mellowed when I take it. I see no reason to stop supplementation.

Coconut Oil

This is not necessarily a supplement, but I’ve found it beneficial for my skin. I plan to apply it more regularly during the summer months.

Conclusion

I don’t claim to be in amazing shape or have a deep scientific understanding of nutrition, but I have felt good lately, which is what prompted me to write this entry. I know diet is only a small part of well-being, but it is important.

For reference, I am about 5’11”, 165 pounds, fairly active, and this is my most recent photo:

https://twitter.com/AdamCapriola/status/337674823297822721

Holden Caufield was right – we’re all phonies. Whether you realize it or not, you probably lie. A lot.

According to studies of self-presentation, we typically act in ways that we want ourselves to be perceived by others, and not necessarily in accordance with the reality of our being. This type of behavior helps us get what we want, and through positive reinforcement, manipulation becomes very mainstream.

For example, maybe you have an upcoming job interview, and you’ve been out of work for a while, so to improve your outward disposition you get a slick haircut, splurge on new dress clothes, practice your best behavior, and do everything else in your power to trick the interviewer into thinking you’re the man (or woman) for the job.

When I describe it this way, it seems quite underhanded. Conniving, even. But it works.

Now, your typical day-to-day manipulation is not malicious by any means. A white lie never hurt anyone, right?

But I think in the long run repeated societal-deception can have a negative effect on our psyche. There becomes a disconnect between who we are and who we present to society. I think this can cause mental distress. (“Who am I?”)

I know I often catch myself saying one thing aloud, then instantaneously thinking in my head “Why did I say that? That’s not true!”

Overall I think it’s best to be as honest as possible, both with ourselves and with others. It takes practice to break away from bad habits and expose ourselves to backlash from our peers, but I have a lot of respect for those that are truthful and able to tell it like it is.

The next time you’re put in a tight spot and feel pressured to put on a show, try not to give the standard rigmarole, and instead, spit the truth. It might just work.

I was purposely ambiguous with this tweet about a week ago, to allow my pornbots followers to interpret it as they will, but want to elaborate because I think it makes for interesting discussion.

At face value, I am generally happier the less I know about the world. I purposely avoid as much news and media as I can because I often find myself distracted and dragged down by much of what goes down on planet earth these days.

When I’m able to tune out the white noise and instead hone in on what has the most meaning to me, I feel significantly more upbeat about life.

But another and more profound way to interpet my statement is this:

The less I think about what I know, the happier I am.

So this isn’t to say I don’t enjoy knowing or learning or trying new things. I do. I’m not a complete hermit.

But what it comes down to is putting myself in favorable positions to hit the ever so sweet state of flow.

In essence, I’m looking for opportunities to be so immersed in what I’m doing, that the activity and my actions become one. There becomes a lack of conscious thought during high level tasks, and it’s quite a blissful feeling.

For example, I like to ride my bicycle. Down really steep hills. Really fast. No hands.

This isn’t exactly a simple activity… a lot could go wrong. Maybe a rogue squirrel decides to camp out in my path. Maybe a car honks and spooks me. Maybe a gnat meets its untimely demise in my eye, temporarily impeding my vision.

If anything causes me to lose balance, I could fall and suffer some serious road rash (or worse injury). So this activity does require a certain knowledge about riding 2-wheeled vehicles down a steep incline.

The thing is I can’t really be thinking about balance and coordination as gravity is pulling me down the hill. If I were to be actively gauging my speed, angle, and trajectory, I’d be more likely to crash.

It’s almost a requirement for my conscious brain to shut off in order to perform this activity. It’s an experience more than anything.

And that’s the point I’m trying to make here. When I’m able to hit that sweet spot between challenge and skill, and I’m able to stop thinking so much, that’s when I feel the best.

I have a problem. I only enjoy learning on a topical level. That is to say I only find things interesting when they have some immediate relevance to my everyday life. Once the subject matter begins to unravel beyond its most fundamental threads and then reveals a whole other interworking of cogs and connections, I’m out.

I first realized this while taking inorganic chemistry with Dr. Graham. When we got to molecular orbital theory (and molecular orbital diagrams in particular, not too dissimilar from the one pictured above, but more complex) I remember intently staring at the whiteboard full of dashes and lines and arrows and greek symbols and mental anguish and then suddenly yanking my brain back out from that “Suck Kut” of higher learning to come to the momentous epiphany that…

… I was sitting in an uncomfortable desk indoors. It was nice outside. I wanted to be outside. And an understanding of molecular orbitals wasn’t going to help me in the future unless I became a chemist.

(I didn’t want to become a chemist.)

That deep knowledge of electron interactions wasn’t going to expand my reality. It was going to create a new reality. An alternate reality. One, to me, that seemed so far disjointed from how I wanted to live my life. And that’s when I realized I didn’t really care to learn anything beyond what can have a direct impact on the way I think or act.

I have appreciation for the complexity of science and other subjects, but often see a lack of application. Maybe my professors never effectively parlayed the “real world” importance of their syllabi, or perhaps I am too close-minded.

On the surface this doesn’t seem like much of an issue. I have the values of a caveman. Whatever. However it’s also important to note that most well-paying professions are highly specialized. It’s the people who spend thousands of hours studying one niche subject that usually make the most money.

This leaves me a little worried about my future. What if I never find something that sparks my interest enough that I fall head-over-heels trying to learn as much about it as I can?

It’s a scary thought.