Questions on Dragon Fitness Routine

Hi Paul,

I am starting with the Dragon fitness routine, but there are several things in the manual that are confusing me a bit. Many questions, sorry. Your help would be much appreciated.

1- What kind of warm up exercise are you referring to? Is there a general warm up exercise, or does it depend on the type of exertion we are about to perform? (For instance, if I choose sprinting as my main exercise to get my heart rate up, would the warm-up be a light jog?)

2- You say that the warm up should be done at the resting heart rate. How? Doesn't any kind of exercise increase the heart rate?

3- Should we try to breathe through the nose during the whole exertion period, or is it ok to breathe through the mouth when we feel we just need more oxygen?

4- In week 1, shouldn't day 2 and day 3 say "75% of Max HR" instead of 65%, as in the table?

5- I understand that for sprinting, I increase my intensity by running faster. If I choose an exercise like Hindu squats as the main exercise to increase my heart rate, how can I increase their intensity to get my heart rate up?

6- Similarly, how do I maintain my heart rate, at, say 75% when doing hindu squats? Is it done just by maintaining the same intensity?

7- Are there any good, accurate, heart rate monitors without chest straps that track the heart rate continuously, that you could recommend?

Thank you very much!

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Sep 08, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Heart Rate Monitors
by: Paul from Isometric-Training.com

QUESTION 7- Are there any good, accurate, heart rate monitors without chest straps that track the heart rate continuously, that you could recommend?

My Answer:

No. Go with the chest strap. If it doesn't have a chest strap it's a pulse monitor and they're useless. Again, taken from the FAQ -

The chest strap gives you a reading based on your actual heart rate as moitored by the chest strap picking up the rhythm of the heart. The touch version by contrast takes your approximate heart rate based on you stoppping to place your fingers on two pads connecting a circuit. It's not your actual heart rate but a pulse rate and not as accurate as we want. Further it interrupts your training for you to check it, and it's not continuous, hence I recommend reliable efficent chest strap models.
Sep 08, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Hindu Intensity
by: Paul from Isometric-Training.com

QUESTION 5 - I understand that for sprinting, I increase my intensity by running faster. If I choose an exercise like Hindu squats as the main exercise to increase my heart rate, how can I increase their intensity to get my heart rate up?

My Answer:

Go faster. It's that simple. Don't add weight and don't develop sloppy form. Many people starting out won't have the muscular strength or endurance to perform them correctly as part of the DFR.

The following is taken from the FAQ and my be useful -

Bodyweight exercises like hindu squats, lunges etc are deadly - and I use HS pretty much exclusively for the Dragon Snap Challenge workout I perform. But here's the thing - despite being very slim, with 8% body fat and a 28-30 inch waist, my thighs are 25.5 inches thick each. They can leg press over 2,800lbs. They are like steel. For me, I can perform the Dragon Snap Challenge WITHOUT straining the muscles of my legs. Sure they get warm and the SO fibres get a little tired, but they recover within 90 seconds. At my level performing 100 or so Hindu squats in a minute or 2 doesn't stress them.

However it is unlikely that will be your case for a while. With that in mind - it's probably NOT going to be a concern - There's no WAY you could be ready for the Dragon Snap, and I doubt your leg strength is enough to knock out 2000+ lbs, don’t get me wrong you will be there soon, but not now.

It's more likely you will as you say, your legs will exhaust before you lungs. In that case simply don't do them. You can alternate for instance, walk, sprint, skip, jog on the spot, jumping jacks, star jumps, burpees etc.

Ultimately your Dragon Fitness training should not significantly stress the muscles. Sure they'll get warm and SO fibres will fatigue, but walking to the shops does that. ;-) It's up to you to find your level and exercises that you can perform without muscular fatigue. Skipping and re-bounding are two of my favourites Very little muscle effort. Remember DFR = HEART RATE, DSR=PROGRESSIVE FIBER EXHAUSTION
Sep 08, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Heart Rate corrections
by: Paul from Isometric-Training.com

QUESTION 4- In week 1, shouldn't day 2 and day 3 say "75% of Max HR" instead of 65%, as in the table?

My Answer:

It should. That was a typo that has been corrected in later editions. I recommend you download the latest edition of PD. ;-)
Sep 08, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Breathing, Nose Vs Mouth
by: Paul from Isometric-Training.com

QUESTION 3- Should we try to breathe through the nose during the whole exertion period, or is it ok to breathe through the mouth when we feel we just need more oxygen?

My Answer:

Again this is touched on in the FAQ's when I discuss oxygen debts.

Ideally you should try to control and pace your breathing, keeping a steady rhythm in and out through the nose. When you reach the higher points in your exertion periods your body will force you, reflexively to breath, gasp, through the mouth in order to quickly take in more oxygen.

This is a good indicator of having reached the right point - as you have created an oxygen debt and are burning more than you can take it - meaning your burning sugar and require more oxygen to fuel the body. The very goal of doing these workouts.

Once you finish that exertion set try to regain control of steady breathing in and out through the nose.
Sep 08, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Warm Up heart Rarte
by: Paul from Isometric-Training.com

Question 2- You say that the warm up should be done at the resting heart rate. How? Doesn't any kind of exercise increase the heart rate?

My Answer: I don't think I said that at all. You are quite right that any type of movement will increase your heart rate. Sometimes people get confused between the different types. I review these in the FAQ section of Project Dragon, but briefly there are 4 types you want to pay attention to;

Resting heart rate - taken before you move first thing in the morning.

Recovery rate - the heart rate you need to get back to after an exertion period

Max Heart Rate - determined by age, the max heart rate you push yourself to.

% Heart rate - the specific goal of an exertion period.

In regards to warm up - that's clearly specified in the book and in the actual workout template sheets themselves - it's about 50% of your max heart rate.
Sep 08, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		On Warming Up
by: Paul from Isometric-Training.com

The Warm up portion of the DFR's are generally taken to be specific to that exercise. So for instance if you're sprinting, do a light jog, or brisk walk within the heart rate zone you should be.

If you're doing squats, or body weight calisthenics, then do some light reps of those, again keeping within the appropriate heart rate range.

If you're cycling, cycle, and so forth.

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