I would suggest short duration, moderate to high intensity workouts.  What I envision is 10-15 minute mini-workouts.  This may work best if you have a home gym, because you can work out, then return to your daily activities.

I worked out while I was losing on a low carb, paleo diet a few years back with good success, but the relative unavailability of glucose to fuel the anaerobic lifts will limit you somewhat.  That's why I would suggest figuring out what exercises you want to do for the week, and then radically split it up.  Do one, then stop.  Do another high intensity set or group of sets later in the day; then stop.  That way, the relative lack of glucose will not limit your workout as much.

This method is probably more paleo than traditional 1 - 1 1/2 hour workouts 3-6 times a week.  Typical high intensity paleo activity was typically of short duration (with some exceptions, like hauling the mammoth carcass back to camp).

Art DeVany has some good pre-release exercise information from his upcoming book, Evolutionary Fitness.  If you've seen his pictures, I don't think you want to be any bigger than he is!  As I recall, he suggests about 3 sets per exercise divided by very short breaks (5-20 seconds) and never going to complete failure.  If you can't find this online, let me know and I'll see if I can dredge it up.

My advice is based on the assumption that your paleo is fairly low carb.  Another way around the relative lack of glucose issue is to keep your intake of paleo, low-glycemic carbs at a moderate level and it should be less of an issue.  Alternatively, you may want to strategically time your carb intake (cyclical ketogenic diet).

Congratulations on your decision to get into the gym.  If you (like me) haven't been in the gym for awhile, you will definitely see quick gains and your diet will not be a barrier at all.  Maybe this will inspire me to do the same!

John

-----Original Message-----
From: michael raiti <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sat, 19 Nov 2005 05:59:04 -0800
Subject: Re: Ketosis and exercise/and grain


>
> For weight lifters, I have to ask, what is the
> point? If you want to
> build giant muscles, don't expect the paleo diet to
> help.

The point of weight lifting for me isn't to build big
muscles as an ends to itself.  It seems from
everything that I've come across that man in paleo
times was very active and burned a lot of calories.  I
think that to be successful in the environment in
which he lived that he would have had to be able to
maintain a fairly high level of physical activity,
which would have included strenuous activity, and his
body would have responded by growing.
My concern is to be able to sustain an exercise
program without losing weight.  My expectation is
gradual increases in strength as my body adapts to the
stress of the workouts.


> more balanced exercise program seems the way to go.
> A little jogging,
> some dance, a game of tennis and all that, rather
> than concentration on
> one aspect, muscle growth.

Probably the sedentary aspect of most of my daily life
is the reason that I have an interest in weight
lifting.  It is an outlet for me - physical, mentally
and emotionally.  I think my wife would especially
agree with the "emotionally" part.

Mike





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