First Walrus session is in the books and I love it. I never looked for it because I didn’t know that this style of training exist but this is exactly what I need for me, my previous health conditions and my lifestyle!
Thank you so much @aaronru for opening this thread and for sharing all this. Also thank you very much to @antiquity Guys you can’t imagine what you did. It may sound exaggerated to all of you but like I said, regarding health I went to hell and back in the past and the last thing I want is to do beat my body down!!! Maybe one reason why I´m very doubtful and an askhole…
This walrus stuff is perfect for me and I can’t wait to continue, make progress and I’m excited about the journey!
Like I also said, I don´t want to piss anyone off but I like to get and exchange ideas in and for every aspect of life and I like to chat.
My main “goals” are always health, longevity and performance not aesthetics at all BUT for my size 6.2 and barely 160 pounds I´m very skinny after my disease.
I don´t give a shit about my upper body but what I want more than anything else are tight jeans and decent legs. I know that this style of training don´t transform my legs in to mr olympia jay cutler wheels but I try to build a no matter what, I need more leg size!
@aaronru and @antiquity and all the other guys here:
What are your recommendations regarding volume, sets, reps and weight selection (KB,DB or vest) for building primarily “tree trunk legs” 
I read in one of Jims Walrus Articles that his upper body got a lot bigger but his legs not. What are your experience?
Thank you guys. I appreciate every tipp, suggestions etc.
I would never question the efficacy of body weight movements for muscle growth, I love them! I’m just saying that if I were only doing body weight training, I would certainly up the volume and frequency from how I currently train. I am simply saying you can’t get the same benefit from body weight squat with a 100 pound vest as you would with a 300 pound Barbell on your back in one set of 10, you need to repeat that effort continuously to match that level of muscular fatigue/inroad. That being said, I’m pretty sure you could get to the same level of jackedness with loaded body weight exercises as you can with free weights, so long as you’re pushing it as hard as you can and progressing over time and eating to support the growth.
3 Likes
I love this! I do what I can do become the best version of myself with this training. You helped a lot, REALLY A LOT! Thank you
1 Like
just found this video:
I will try this WALRUS stuff and see for myself if its more wear and tear or not!
Thank you very much for responding
2 Likes
Walrus training will build some lean tissue but it isn’t going to turn you into some freaky mass mutated monster.
It will get you conditioned as fuck and put you through the wringer which in turn can be used to help increase the hypertrophy potential through other more efficient endeavours
5 Likes
This is very true. You will look fit, strong, and conditioned more like a fighter or track athlete and not a bodybuilder or the like.
Yes! These go great with Walrus-style style training. Especially if you want…
(although if you want tight jeans, just buy smaller ones 
). I’d also note that this is the rare thread where (IMO) the advice and feedback is all solid AND the one looking for information (@KornJan ) is actually receptive and not just looking for validation of their own preconceived ideas.
3 Likes
man, that would be awesome to look “dangerous” like a fighter or even a track athlete with thick and juicy legs and glutes, because right now I looke like Iggy Pop or Lemmy in their best years. I need to put on weight and get in shape and with all your help and this style of training it´s possible to achieve these goals!
I appreciate you and like I said, if you have more suggestions, tipps etc. please share them and I´ll give it a try!
3 Likes
How do I become a walrus?
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.
1 Like
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:
- quad dominant exercise
- pull
- hip-hinge or hamstring-dominant exercise
- push
- 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:
- single leg squats
- ring pullups
- kettlebell swings
- kettlebell overhead press
- 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
- dips
- reverse lunges
- weighted inverted ring rows
Circuit 2 of 3 to 5 sets
- curls
- ab exercise
- tricep extensions
4 Likes
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.
1 Like
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.
