To reply to a digest, insert the relevant message header; don't reply to the digest header ------------------------------------------------------------- At 05:06 PM 2/2/2005 -0500, you wrote: >Jim > 1) Intensity. Agreed, this is a vital aspect of paleo exercise. At >least for men. > >Wally > I believe it should be a mix, as in HIIT. When I bike I alternate >between easy and hard. Some weight training I do with heavy weights and >low reps, some with lighter weights and higher reps. I believe it's more >reflective of paleo-life. > >Perhaps. And less effective. >Jim> >I am a big believer in attempting to mimic our paleo past. As far as >exercise goes, we (at least the men) did intense exercise every few days >followed by periods of rest. And the harder we worked, the more our >bodies' responded to the intense effort. So intensity and irregularity >and to exhaustion are elements of paleo exercise. I'm not sure which of the above I am agreeing with... I think high intensity effort was there, but was it sought out, or avoided at all costs? High intensity efforts were called for in the hunt, inter-group conflict, and certain rituals. How often was that? I don't know, but it most certainly varied between groups and the physical and societal environments they found themselves in, and the time of year. I wonder if paleo-man, in an area flush with easily available food (think coastal environments), in a time of little conflict, would have done any high-intensity stuff? Maybe that's what the dancing and rituals were for. Beyond that, conservation of effort by dividing tasks and 'taking it easy' would seem to make sense. I guess it makes an argument in my mind for a fairly chaotic and random approach, though I don't think that is optimal for modern athletic performance. Tim ----------------------------------------------------------------- The FAQ for Evolutionary Fitness is at http://www.evfit.com/faq.htm