Results After 2.5 Years WALRUS Training

How do I become a walrus?

Be an average American

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Thank you for your write up!

My history is much like yours with a reoccurring lower back pain when using externa loads.

Few weeks back I started WALRUS as per in his blog posts about it. I also have Forever.

As a family man, its Nice to hear that you did steady progress by doing it twice a week.

Im not as strong as the studs around here but Ive found a decent Starting level and reckon that I will get stronger If I keep showing up! So far completing the sessions in 25-30 min with no weight vest. Eventully looking to shave of time slowly but surley and add a weight vest when it can be done under 20 min for several workouts.

One question. Do you guys follow Wendler’s suggestion of doing a short Circuit after the WALRUS to bring up lagging parts? Like curls, Ab-wheel and band pull aparts?

I train WALRUSish (best description I can use) and include exercises like that in my circuits.

Well done Raubtier, keep it up.

It’s funny you mention some extra work, as this week I’m trying out adding some resistance band work for cuff area and upper back.

As Jim mentioned, an extra few sets or minutes of some pump work isn’t the be all and end all, but could provide some balance to certain areas.

I stretch and perform movements like hip lifts, hip circles, back extensions etc and tons of other mobility / yoga etc upon waking and before bed for 5-10 mins anyway, so I guess that’s my ‘balance’ work. I don’t include any of that as part of my ‘training’ so don’t really bat an eyelid to it.

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Interesting - so things like bicep curls as part of the circuit? Mind sharing what one of those circuits look like?

Here’s what a WALRUSish session looks like fir me. I have been very into circuit training for the last few years. The way I see it, WALRUS training is simply weighted or unweighted calisthenic, dumbbell, and kettlebell exercises in circuit fashion (rounds).

My session template looks like this:

  1. quad dominant exercise
  2. pull
  3. hip-hinge or hamstring-dominant exercise
  4. push
  5. abdominal exercise

I do two warmup rounds and 3-5 main rounds of 6-10 reps with 30 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between rounds.

Today I did:

  1. single leg squats
  2. ring pullups
  3. kettlebell swings
  4. kettlebell overhead press
  5. bar rollouts

If I were more interested in isolation exercises (which I’ve incorporated more in the past), I’d do 3 or 4 exercises of the above for circuits and then go onto 2 or 3 circuits isolation and/or ab exercises.

So an example session would be:
Circuit 1 of 3 to 5 sets

  1. dips
  2. reverse lunges
  3. weighted inverted ring rows

Circuit 2 of 3 to 5 sets

  1. curls
  2. ab exercise
  3. tricep extensions
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Thank you!

I dont have a set plan for my mobility yet, but I have done Agile 8 and Limber 11 in the past so I do them now, prior to lifting and on off days.

Once again thank you for starting this thread!

Do you guys do your walrus training in the same order?

Like for the generic rounds is it:
Exercise one -5 chin-ups
Exercise two - 10 push-ups
Exercise three - 15 squats

Or do you vary it ?

Yes Agile 8 has been a daily thing for me since De Francos original WS4SB came about on the internet.

I’m guessing 15 years ago? Probably longer.

It has certainly improved / maintained decent levels of flexibility and mobility for me.

Yes my order is pull, push, legs. Don’t think it matters much though.

I like this set up for 10 rounds:
20 push ups
5 pull ups
30 squats
5 pull ups

The push ups and squats are fine to add some volume to while keeping the reps crisp, but the pull ups are (IMO) better tackled as sets of 5. The above also gets it done in 10 rounds, which is mentally better for me.

I like Jim’s approach of adding a 1 mile Airdyne ride, then doing two rounds of the above, and repeat a total of 5 times. So you get in 5 miles of Airdyne, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, and 300 squats all while wearing a 30# (or 20#) vest. I did this a whole lot while training for the Murph. And guess what? I crushed the Murph in 31:25, and never ran a mile in the weight vest until the day off the event.

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I also really like this approach:
5 rounds of (wearing a weight vest):
1 mile Airdyne
10 dips
10 inverted rows
10 SLDL with KB’s
20 push ups
5 pull ups
30 squats
5 pull ups

Sounds like a lot when you write it out, but starting each round with the Airdyne and having “only” 5 rounds makes it fun and tolerable. I also use double KB presses for the dips sometimes.

Essentially, it’s half a Murph (50 pull ups, 100 push ups, 150 squats) with the rest of the volume in dips, rows, and SLDL’s.

Thanks … These give me somewhere to start and some where to grow into

A friend of mine who I recommended Walrus circuits to interpreted it in an interesting way - Vince Gironda 8x8 program.

Especially if completing Walrus circuits in EMOM style.

He set up weighted vest sets, EMOM ( very little rest) like this:

Dip 8x8
Inverted Row 8x8
Pike pushup 8x8
Split squats 8x8
Vest good morning 8x8

Wearing a 65lb vest and using bodybuilding / Gironda style, muscle concentration, 2 second negative sets.

He states it took max 40 mins, did wonders as an upper body workout, and is very similar to what Gironda really aimed to achieve.

He had a lower body session too using just weighted vest/ body weight and stability ball.

Completing them twice a week each for a 4 day bodybuilding split (Upper/Lower/Off/Repeat) and stated he had amazing results for those interested in weighted vest mass building / bodybuilding.

Food for thought.

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Btw, these weren’t circuits.

All 8 sets for vest dips were done first before moving on to next body part / exercise.

A very different approach style and goal mind set to the Walrus program, but an interesting take.

Im following the “Isaac Hayes template”, made famous by Tom Furman. For me, in my current situation it looks like this

Day 1
WALRUS, jumps

Day 2
Easy conditioning (30 min)

Day 3
Mobility. Often a 30-60 min yoga session

Day 4
Repeat

So far my WALRUS is done unweighted. Last session was

5 Dips
4 Pull-ups
10/10 Bulgarian Split Squats
X 10 rounds

Slowly addong reps and lowering sets. Love this!

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Has anyone transitioned back to barbell trading after following the Walrus program for an extended time - how did it go? Did you lose much strength on the barbell lifts?

Yep. Recently did just that. Kept strength levels just fine.

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Bumping this one year later.

Anyone still doing WLRUS?