Primal Primer 13 (Fitness)
Anaerobic activity was a natural and essential part of the daily lives of past sapiens. While much of the focus on their physical activity is often endurance and aerobic (long distance walking, jogging, or rucking), anaerobic activities were crucial for survival and integrated into various aspects of acute life sustaining activities rooted in hunting and combat. Anaerobic being defined as high intensity movement relying on energy sources within the muscle rather than from oxygen, which is not sustainable for longer than 2-3 minutes on average.
Hunting & Combat
Short Bursts of Intense Effort – Hunting large game often requires short bursts of intense physical activity such as sprinting, leaping, or wrestling animal.
Throwing Weapons – The use of spears, rocks, or arrows requires anaerobic energy. The force and speed needed to effectively use these weapons in hunting and combat engages fast twitch muscle fibers, which are primarily powered by anaerobic systems.
Combat & Defense – Defending or assaulting predators or rivals involves anaerobic action. Fighting, evading, and use of weapons in close quarters are physically demanding, relying heavily on anaerobic power.
Gathering & Tool Use
Lifting & Carrying – Gathering food and materials often requires short, intense bursts of lifting, carrying, or breaking objects; primarily engaging anaerobic energy systems.
Tool Making – The process of making tools from stone, wood, or bone can be anaerobically demanding, especially when requiring repetitive full effort strikes with a hammer or stone.
Escape & Evasion
Fleeing Predators – In the face of immediate danger from predators, rapid anaerobic responses like sprinting to safety were critical for surviving potential attack.
Climbing – If escape involves climbing tree or steep incline, demands are significant and anaerobic; relying on quick and forceful movement to propel against gradient.
What & Why Of Anaerobic
Anaerobic exercise taps into a compartmental gear of metabolism where energy is utilized without oxygen and primarily through glycolysis. The lack of oxygen is due to needs of immediacy and activity being greater than the body’s ability to fuel (limits of the cardio respiratory system). Anaerobic is characterized as short burst intense and powerful movement.
The ability to sprint, or exert max effort activity for short and repeated duration contains the potential of saving your life or others. Not limited to emergency, emerging evidence indicates that the ability to recruit type 2 fast twitch muscles (the engine behind anaerobic activity) into later age is a key indicator of longevity.
Tabata Protocol
The Tabata protocol is one of the most effective and efficient methods for training anaerobic capacity; a legendary protocol eliciting optimal adaptations of high intensity energetic systems for improving maximal anaerobic power. There are many high intensity protocols training top end work, but Tabata method concomitantly signals adaptations to the aerobic system while focusing on anaerobic compartments. Tabata is the true super hero protocol.
~Cave Implementation~
Tabata Protocol – Near maximal intensity (>80%). 8 rounds; 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest between sets; 4 minutes total. Download any Tabata app making this training timer turnkey. Periodize anaerobic training 2x per week (no clinical difference in 4x per week Vs. 2x per week). This modality can be extended to sprints, biking, body weight movements (I.E. burpees) or weights (I.E. Cleans).
The Ability To Sprint, Or Exert Max Effort Activity For Short & Repeated Duration Contains the Potential of Saving Your Life Or Others.
