Love this post man. Have at it brother
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thanks for responding. I´m speechless because this is stuff I looked for years. Thank you very much. If you don´t mind I would appreciate if you reach out to me. I have a few more questions and need solid advice and or coaching, not for free obviously and I don´t want bother all the other guys on the forum. jan.korn86@yahoo.com
thank you very much. I appreciate you
Ask away.
What I’ve said covers it all really. Just re-read.
And it’s not me - Jim Wendler came up with the walrus challenge. I just believe highly in this style of training and have built the discipline to get it done without thought. It still follows the motto of Stretch. Lift. Sprint.
These exercises have been around for centuries if not millennia across the globe, from Romans to Indian heavyweight wrestlers. Chin ups. Push ups. Dips. Lunges. All bodyweight exercises. Just with added weight.
For me, the simplest way is most effective.
Complex, over-analyzed, micromanaging routines or ideas have never appealed to me.
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Thank you very much for responding again and thank you very much for trying to help, without payment, even if I’m an askhole and overcomplicate everything. It’s not my intention to pi… you off or to bother you, trust me!
I want to figure this out myself but I would appreciate a basic structure or template like Jim lays out in the forever book, but to be honest, I like your „program“ more than Jim’s template from the book because I think it’s „easier“ for me and my current situation.
Ok let’s go. I want to start from absolute scratch. What are your recommendations and advice?
How should I start? How many sets/rounds? five!? How do you started back then, how many sets/rounds and reps for each exercise?
Did you really do the same exercises and exactly the two workouts for 3 and now 4 years, never any other lower body or upper body exercises? The exact same routines?
When should I add weight? I re-read your posts and if I’m correct you always used the same weight in the vest and you just increased the weight when you were able to finish the workout in 20 minutes? So you never increased reps or weight even if you did the same workout with the same intensity (weight) numerous times?
when do you started with the kettlebell/dumbbell squats? after you reached the 40kg weight vest?
Did you always do the three exercises in a circle or first a superset pull push and then leg exercises?
which weight vest do you recommend and which one do you have?
Thank you very much
I appreciate you
Don’t want to step on OPs shoes here but you’re definitely over thinking things
Pick a basic PPL
Pick a rep target for all 3
Have at it
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If you read your post, you ask a question, then answer it with the information from my earlier posts. You are answering your own questions.
So the only answers are:
I started with just bodyweight
And
I have a mirafit vest.
Other than that. Just reread my posts.
Thanks.
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I am also on Jim Wendler’s private forum where he is currently very into this type of training, and I do this training extensively. My own training on this keeps evolving, but here is the basic:
(30# vest)
2 miles Airdyne
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
2 miles Airdyne
(done as 10 rounds of 10 - 20 - 30 pull ups/pushups/squats)
But, I do a lot of variations. Yesterday I did this:
5 rounds of:
(with 30# vest)
1 mile Airdyne
20 push ups
10 inverted ring rows
30 squats
10 ring dips
10 pull ups
10 TB DL (185 lbs)
So, I do incorporate KBs and even trap bars into this training. Eventually, doing only pull ups, push ups, and squats will bore you to death and your progress will stall as you adapt.\
Best exercises for Walrus work IMO (besides pull ups, push ups, squats): KB presses, dips, inverted rows, TB DL’s, KB snatches, KB (or DB) SLDL’s.
Don’t be afraid of putting a single 531 lift in front of this work, then using Walrus work as your supplement/assistance work.
Jim likes to divide his training up in at least two sessions, so would do half of the workouts above, saving the other half for later in the day.
Wear your vest when you ride your airdyne. Get in 4-5 miles each training session with this. Jim (and I copied him) often do this throughout the entire session. So, ride 1 mile, do 1/5 of your workout, and repeat for a total of 5 times.
You can do this type of training every day, if you want to. It won’t beat you up like barbell work, and is a great “just do it” type of training that will cover all your bases.
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hello antiquity,
thank you very much for responding and thanks for trying to help me out. Like I said to the other guy, its not my intention to bother someone with asking all these questions, but it was the first time here on this forum that I saw this template or read about it and I never payed attention to the template in the book. Therefore I´m absolutely not familiar with this style of training.
This WALRUS stuff is exactly what I need and it fits perfectly into my sceduele
What I really dont understand is, that all the routines from you and from the other guys are vastly different compared to the template in the Forever book!? Why? I don´t want to layout the full template from the book the template calls for 125 reps squats, MAXIMUM!?
Why are you doing up to 300 squats for example? I don´t get it? sorry! Don´t get me wrong, I just want to understand why all of you it different as the book and Jim recommend it!? Or is this completely freestyle and you can do whatever you want?
Also, how you do progress on the Walrus template with the weighted vest and kettlebells or dumbbells? double progression or when do you add stes, reps, weight etc.?
Always 5 rounds/sets of every exercise?
Thanks, I appreciate the help and sorry for my dumb questions but like I said, I want to understand all this stuff and start as soon as possible.
Well, you’re right in that in the Forever book it was used to supplement barbell-based training. Recently, Jim has an article (Weight Vest Training - Better Than Average) where he outlined doing this type of training as a standalone way to train. Essentially, it’s doing “The Murph” but with airdyne instead of running, and breaking up the reps into a couple of sessions.
So, if doing it as a standalone with no barbell work, you may ultimately choose to up the reps to the full amounts (100, 200, 300) but that is by no means required. Doing the basic WALRUS as outlined in Forever (5 rounds of 10 push ups, 5 pull ups, and 125 squats) will still get you in shape.
Like every type of training, you eventually want to change things up for both motivation and continued results. Adding reps is one way, but swapping in different Walrus-friendly alternatives (dips, inverted rows, TB DL) is another way.
“Why are you doing up to 300 squats for example? I don´t get it? sorry! Don´t get me wrong, I just want to understand why all of you it different as the book and Jim recommend it!? Or is this completely freestyle and you can do whatever you want?”
Start with 5x50. Add more if you want over time.
“Also, how you do progress on the Walrus template with the weighted vest and kettlebells or dumbbells? double progression or when do you add stes, reps, weight etc.?”
Add vest weight if you want to when you can do the Walrus in 20 mins or less.
“Always 5 rounds/sets of every exercise?”
Start with 5 rounds. Add more if you want over time.
You need to make your training your own eventually. Only you know what you need to make progress and keep moving forward. No one else can work it out or do it for you. Spend time doing. Then make changes that you want, for you. No one else’s opinions will matter then.
now we´re talking! Thank you very much for responding again and sorry that I was wasting your time and asking dumb questions. I was not aware and I didn´t know that it is a standalone template or training program. I thought it is a fixed set in stone template like almost all of Jim´s templates like in all of his books. Thats why I was confused about aaronru´s posts etc. and thats why I asked all the questions about sets and reps…
Ok, when I understand the whole concept, I can do whatever I want!?
I try to do as much research as possible regarding the WALRUS training style but I think I´ll start with a basic “template” like aaronru:
Workout A:
5 rounds of:
push-ups
pull-ups
bodyweight squat
Workout B
5 rounds of:
dips
inverted rows
bulgarian split squats
thoughts?! Recommendations!? Suggestions?
As far as warm-ups I will do the classic Agile 8, this should be enough?
@aaronru @antiquity
Just because I´m interested in and yes, now I know there is no correct answer and it always depends, but
@antiquity
-how many workouts are you doing per week when using WALRUS as a standalone template without barbells?
@antiquity @aaronru
-how do you personally decide how high you go with volume/reps, especially on bodyweight squats and single leg exercises?
@antiquity @aaronru
-so you really dont have any progression model when and how to add reps or weight, you both go just by feel? Or do you have little goals, for example 100 reps with 20 pound kettlebell, then increase the weight and start with 50 reps again until 100 reps with 22.5 pound kettlebell etc!? or something similar?
Any other recommendations, tipps or suggestions?
Thanks
Sure. I typically do some body weight-only reps, and ride the airdyne, too.
If that’s all I’m doing for both conditioning and strength, ideally 6. You could do all 7 if you want.
I think of the basic, “full” workout as:
2 miles Airdyne
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 squats
Airdyne
So, if it’s a standalone workout that’s what I aim for. I will make the following substitutions:
100 inverted rows in place of 100 pull ups
100 dips in place of 200 push ups.
100 KB presses (22 kg) in place of 200 push ups
100 SLDL (22 kg bells) in place of 300 squats
50 - 100 TB DL (weight varies with reps) in place of 300 squats
But, I might do only half of the above if I’m doing something else that day (conditioning, sports, barbell work). I also might mix and match. As Jim says, if I find myself getting too “clever” with my approach, I just go back to the standard workout.
I think this type of training is a bit different. Most people will not be able to put on a weight vest and do the standard workout right off the bat, unless they are already pretty strong and conditioned. So, initially you would focus on building yourself up to the standard workout. You can accomplish this by using just bodyweight initially, or using a vest and gradually increasing reps each week.
Once you can do this workout, then it becomes a consistent approach. Occasionally, test yourself. See how long it takes you to do it. But don’t turn your daily training into testing.
Another note is that this type of training is great as a way to stay strong and conditioned and feel good (not beat up from barbell work). It’s also just a nice break from traditional barbell/strength work that many of us have been doing for years and years. But, it’s not “better” than combining barbell work with conditioning, just different. It depends on your goals and motivation.
are you kidding me? no, seriously!? You are doing 6 to 7 workouts a week and in every workout 100, 200 or 300 squats WITH a weighted vest? Really? And you are not beat up or drained?
Sorry again for asking, I never did more than 50 bodyweight squats if at all, just traditional barbell work but hundreds of squats every damn day? is this not “junk” volume or just “wasted” effort?
Don´t get me wrong, I really like the idea and I´m fired up and can´t wait to try this WALRUS stuff and I´m looking for guidelines as you can notice but is this really possible or doable, so much work almost everyday? What about recovery?
@aaronru
you never did more than two workouts in all the 2.5 years? But you also did so much volume, especially for squats!? thats insane, really, never heard or read about this style of training and so much volume…
thanks guys for explaining all this stuff. I´m ready for it, but not 6 to 7 times per week
Well, that is what you work up to, not start out with. Start with 3x-a-week and go for whatever numbers work for you: 25 pull ups, 50 push ups, 75 squats as an example. Just bodyweight. Then add reps and/or a vest. Divide the work up into two sessions a day to get more volume. Lots of options.
and I always thought that so much volume is unnecessary wear and tear on the joints etc. and now it seems like all of you go balls out… I´ll give this a try for sure!!!
thanks for your help, I appreciate this…
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Body weight training is so much less fatiguing than weight training, it can be done Way more often for way more volume. Not only that, but it needs to! Barbell training is more “efficient” because it takes less work to equal the same response in strength and hypertrophy. Wendler actually posts about these concepts in his captions on Instagram. If you want more insight into the psychology of this kind of training, you should check out his IG because this is how he’s training right now.
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Exactly. Today I did a crap ton of reps of weight vest calisthenics. I felt way more refreshed and not beat up compared to doing a heavy barbell workout. Sure, you need to adapt to the volume and effort, but once you do you’ll feel awesome and fresh all day long.
For the moves you use for Walrus-style training, these are compound that are more natural moves, so wear and tear is not something I’ve been concerned with. The load is relatively light, too, so there’s not a lot of stress on the joints.
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People work heavy manual labor, 6-7 days a week, for hours and hours, and for years on end. The body adapts to workloads, and a nice snug weight vest with movements that you become technically skilled at isn’t nearly as hard on the body as lugging around cinderblocks or other jobs like that. Work up to higher reps, eat lots of food, sleep well, and you will be able to handle some pretty gnarly stuff.
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I think any form of resistance can be made hard or easy on the body.
I definitely don’t get the aches and pains in lower back from heavy deadlifts any more. But that’s because I don’t barbell deadlift.
However, if you’re loading a vest to over 50% bodyweight, or a sandbag up to bodyweight, or have just a log that’s up to bodyweight, and you perform compound moves out to “failure” then, with my experience so far, the idea of barbell and dumbbell being more efficient for hypertrophy and strength is slowly being proven wrong.
You can’t say 5x20 reps with a heavy log, sandbag or weight vest is not as efficient or effective for strength or size unless you spend time with hundred percent faith in the method.
I think one needs to give the other methods or ideas a try for a long enough time to make their judgements.
It comes back to thinking about the past. Or people in the world with limited equipment. If that’s all they can make do with, they can make progress in strength or hypertrophy depending on how bad they want to.
As long as it’s progressive - more weight, more reps, slow negatives, less rest time etcetcetc. Whatever means you believe in.
Again , it all comes to your buy in and mind set. If you limit yourself in your mind, you will get less results with said tool.
If you believe you will get jacked, gain muscle and get strong with just a weight vest, you will.
If you think that you can’t gain hypertrophy without a barbell or dumbbells, then you won’t.
I’m experiencing that it’s all about your mindset and limits you put on yourself.
I have recently got a sandbag and may spend years on this too. It loads up to 80kg, just under my bodyweight.
I plan on progressively adding weight and reps. It’s not barbell or dumbbells, but if I believe I’ll get huge and strong with it, then why wouldn’t I?
Bodyweight training as a stand alone isn’t what was originally posted.
My walrus routine involved
Agile 8 or warm ups
Jumps and throws
A heavy weight vest Circuits - Time limit of 30 mins
Heavy conditioning including sprints or heavy carries
This for me has produced better results than my barbell training, and I’m over a decade into training so it’s not a beginner effect.
I was limited to a heavy vest and something heavy to carry. And got the job done mobility, conditioning, strength and hypertrophy wise, for me.
It was all about my belief, discipline, consistency. At no time did I doubt or think selling my barbell would leave me with less results.