Peripheral Heart Action

Better Aligned by Outwork Sports Performance

210 W Thomas St. Hammond, La 70401

Nowadays, there are a numerous of ways to train in the gym. You have trainers/instructors for anything from Cross-fit to Pilates. Furthermore, the commercialization of the fitness industry has left many people seeking answers in terms on how they should actually take care of their bodies. You also have to consider in factors like work and multiple other obligations that could effect someone's overall approach on their fitness journey. In this article, we are going to discuss one of our favorite ways to train. We are also going to discuss how to incorporate this regimen into your already busy routine. Peripheral Heart Action is the future of training here at Outwork. Its fun. It's challenging. It's time efficient!

What exactly is Peripheral Heart Action?

PHA can sometimes be mistaken for traditional HIIT training. Peripheral Heart Action is predominately a cardio-based workout similar to HIIT, just without training cardio in the conventional sense. The idea is to alternate between upper and lower body resistance exercises so that the heart rate stays up. Essentially, it is a full body workout that rests your upper extremities while the lower extremities produce force and vice versa. The real catalyst of PHA training is rest time. There is no rest in between exercises in order to simulate the cardiovascular effect. This type of training is perfect for somebody who might have low blood pressure and struggles with training at high intensities.

PHA Guidelines

Now, lets discuss how to incorporate this training into your daily regimen. PHA training naturally isn't an extended feat. The sessions are usually pretty quick. If you are thinking about trying PHA training, we would recommend you start out with about 6-8 exercises and 2-3 sets. Choose 3 upper body exercises and 3 lower body exercises. Preferably, start with some movements that you are already comfortable with. Sequentially, you are going to perform each exercise, alternating from upper body lower body, within a circuit with no rest. Once the circuit is complete, try to keep rest time anywhere from 1-2 minutes before you start the next set. And finally, we suggest that you perform these exercises at a moderate (60%-70%) intensity.

Benefits of PHA

Hopefully, we have you feeling good about out PHA training next time you are at the gym, but if you need a little more of a push then here are some of the main benefits of PHA training compared to HIIT training.

Table by Len Kravits of University of New Mexico. A study of the effects and adaptations of HIIT training compared to PHA training. (2015)

Conclusion

PHA is an alternate way to train cardio-vascular and hypertrophy all in one time efficient workout. PHA is measured by VO2 Max which often describes a person's overall aerobic capacity. So try this workout if you are someone that needs help getting back in shape without running or jogging.