In a world where danger lurks around every corner, the ability to run fast was a powerful indicator of whether you would live long enough to pass on your genes to the next generation. Whether it was dodging a charging beast to save your life or rushing forward to catch another beast for dinner, it was pure survival. The combination of simultaneous hormonal events and the resulting gene expression within the fast-twitch muscles allowed Grok to sprint a little faster the next time this happened.
Humans are the best walkers on the planet, but we are probably the worst sprinters. In the 100-meter dash, quadrupeds will outrun us. This does not diminish the importance of galloping in our repertoire. Primitive Blueprint Movement—Running remains one of the fundamental human movement patterns..
This is why “sometimes a sprint” is Primal Blueprint Law #5.
We may not be any better than other species, but sprinting is an essential part of being human. A set of nearly 20,000-year-old footprints discovered in Australia has revealed something surprising. After analyzing these prints, researchers determined that the person who left them was running in the mud at about 23 miles per hour (the equivalent of a modern Olympic sprinter).
Another clue comes from observing children. Notice how they instinctively sprint when they want to get somewhere. They are creatures of desire, and sprinting is the most basic way to achieve what they want in the shortest possible time. This instinctive behavior highlights the importance of running as not just a form of exercise, but as an essential human movement.
Our anatomy also speaks volumes. The glutes are one of the strongest muscles in the human body and are primarily responsible for explosive movements such as sprinting. This clearly indicates our natural tendency to sprint.
Previous injuries aside, we all need to sprint. That’s why it’s a staple of Primal fitness. It builds both anaerobic and aerobic capacity while promoting growth hormone secretion, fat mobilization and maximum power development. Simply put, if you want to build muscle mass and burn body fat, sprinting at least once a week is the way to achieve both.
Sprinting is not just about running fast. There is a methodology here.
Running always requires maximum effort. If you feel yourself slowing down, end the sprint.
Take only as much time as you need to recharge and recover between sprints. Remember: maximum effort.
If you have strong feet and have invested a lot of time in barefoot preparation, we recommend wearing barefoot shoes such as Feluvas, or walking barefoot if the ground allows.
Your session should not exceed 10 to 15 minutes. You may not be sprinting anymore. For most people, 4 to 8 sprints are enough.
Unless you are a sprinter, do this once a week at most. Every 7-10 days is sufficient for most people and provides sufficient recovery time.
Sprinting doesn’t have to be on a flat track either. There are many sprint alternatives.
beach sprint
hill sprint
stair machine
bicycle
rower
oval
rope pulldown
swimming
jump rope
berg climber
Perform intense anaerobic sprint bursts several times a week. This can be as simple as 6-8 (or more) short sprints on a hill, lawn or beach, or it can be repeated intense sessions on your bike (stationary, road or mountain bike). These short bursts also increase human growth hormone release (HGH is actually released in proportion to exercise intensity (not duration)).
And finally, sprint It’s relative. Sprinting for you may look very different than sprinting for a high school athlete. Sometimes sprinting is about maximizing effort in a safe way.
If you’re running 100m repeats on a track, this is perfect.
If you do 10-second sprints on a stationary bike with 90 seconds of rest in between, that’s perfect.
Sprints are achieved by exerting maximum effort in a manner consistent with the health of your tissues and joints, with sufficient rest and recovery between individual sprints.
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* This blog reflects my personal views and opinions and is not intended as medical advice, but I hope it will be informative and inspiring in your pursuit of a healthy and fulfilling life.
