Peripheral Heart Action Training

Want to transform your body? Go grab a pair of dumbbells and set aside some time to complete just three workouts a week

PHA training involves pairing upper body and lower body movements, back to back, forcing your heart to work double time to pump blood back and forth, from top to bottom. This method of increasing blood flow and circulation by rapidly shifting between different muscle groups results in huge benefits, such as:

• Increased strength and performance through extended, localised, rest periods

• Improved cardiovascular conditioning

• Increased calorie burn and enhanced metabolic rate

• Improved muscular endurance

• Enhanced circulation

How Peripheral Heart Action Training Works

Each workout will be separated into two or three, ten minute blocks, with each block containing an upper body and lower body movement. Your goal is to perform as many high quality rounds of each pairing as possible before the ten minute mark. Make a note of the total reps you managed for each movement.

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DAY ONE

After a thorough warm-up, grab your dumbbells, set a countdown timer for 10 minutes and get to work on your first ‘block’, working your way through as many high quality rounds as possible. Rest as necessary to keep your form on point, but push yourself hard if you want to see results. At the end of each round, make a note of how many reps you performed for each movement. Rest for 3-4 minutes before moving into blocks 2 and 3 respectively.

Block 1 (10 minutes) :

Clean your dumbbells onto your shoulders, palms facing in. Take a breath and create tension in your core. (A) Dip at the knees and use your legs to help (B) press your dumbbells overhead. Lower with a controlled tempo to your shoulders and repeat. If your weights feel a little too light, don’t use any drive from the legs and focus on a strict press from the shoulders.

Stand tall with dumbbells at your sides (A), this time take a step backwards with one leg, bending the at the knee until the back knee gently touches the ground (B). Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the opposite leg. Alternate back and forth, aiming for 20-30 total reps, counting both legs.

Block 2 (10 minutes) :

Stand tall with your dumbbells at your sides, hinge forward until your torso is almost parallel to the ground and allow the dumbbells to hang just below your knees (A). Maintaining a flat back, row both dumbbells towards your hips (B), squeeze your shoulder blades together and lower under control to the start before repeating.

Clean your dumbbells onto the front of your shoulders (A). From here, drop into a front squat, by pushing your hips back and bending at the knees until your thighs pass parallel to the ground (B), before driving back up explosively. Keep those dumbbells secured high, with a strong, upright torso throughout.

Block 3 (10 minutes) :

Assume a long arm plank position, with your core tight and, hands below your shoulders stacked on top of your dumbbells (A), bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor (B). Keep your elbows close to your body as you push back up explosively.

Standing tall with your chest up (A), sink your hips back, bending your knees to drop your thighs until you reach a deep squat (B). Drive back up explosively and repeat. Keep a controlled tempo and tight form, but don’t dawdle. These may be simple, but they shouldn’t be easy.