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I wanted to check in with the users on this forum and ask a bit about powerwalking. I know that Steve Reeves, one of the top bodybuilders of the mid-20th century, was a huge advocate of the fitness benefits of powerwalking and felt it was close to being the ultimate exercise. Reeves even dedicated an entire chapter in one of his books to powerwalking and used it as his primary cardio work during the later decades of his life.
Do we have any powerwalkers here? How effective do you find it to be for cardio and overall fitness? Am I simplifying powerwalking in thinking that it is just walking at as quick of a pace as possible without jogging and running and while taking as long of a stride as is possible?
Get yourself a 20lbs vest and put it on and go walk fast and you got yourself some serious powerwalking When you get proficient at that upgrade to a 40lbs vest
Get yourself a 20lbs vest and put it on and go walk fast and you got yourself some serious powerwalking When you get proficient at that upgrade to a 40lbs vest
I wouldnt recommend that for anybody other than an elite athlete, or a fire-fighter--who DO train this way for practice in carrying rescuees from fires. Or any casual athlete older than their late 20s.
Reason? Too hard on your joints. Especially your lower back, knees, and hips. The risk of injury or exacerbating gradual degenerative orthopedic erosion is just not worth the payoff. You'd be better of just doing your regular jogging or power walking, unencumbered, and then spend a couple days in the gym doing resistance (weight) training. You could do leg curls and presses to get the leg muscles built up and then core exercises for the body. Which is all that the weight vest thing is gonna give you anyway, but at a higher price.
We have to be careful in dispensing fitness and exercise ideas on an open forum where there are all manners of levels of fitness and ages. Getting injured while training is the worst thing that can happen; much better to err on the side of caution. or to do a little less than one should rather than over-doing it.
I wouldnt recommend that for anybody other than an elite athlete, or a fire-fighter--who DO train this way for practice in carrying rescuees from fires. Or any casual athlete older than their late 20s.
Reason? Too hard on your joints. Especially your lower back, knees, and hips. The risk of injury or exacerbating gradual degenerative orthopedic erosion is just not worth the payoff. You'd be better of just doing your regular jogging or power walking, unencumbered, and then spend a couple days in the gym doing resistance (weight) training. You could do leg curls and presses to get the leg muscles built up and then core exercises for the body. Which is all that the weight vest thing is gonna give you anyway, but at a higher price.
We have to be careful in dispensing fitness and exercise ideas on an open forum where there are all manners of levels of fitness and ages. Getting injured while training is the worst thing that can happen; much better to err on the side of caution. or to do a little less than one should rather than over-doing it.
Well I guess you might be right. Maybe I let my inner neandrenthal get the best of me. It is just that I am 45 myself and train much harder today than I did when I was 20. I have a 20 pound vest that I love to wear at work and to move around and to train and am planning to get the 40 pound one as soon as I can afford it. Well I will take my advise back OP please disregard my suggestion to buy a weighted vest. This fellow poster has knocked some sense into me.
Well no, not exactly. I use an HRM, so I know for a fact that I don't. I will burn maybe 250 calories for a 3 mile walk, but around 320 for a 3 mile run. It's close, but certainly not the same.
Hmm..Sports scientists such as myself have known for years that the rule of thumb of burning the same amount of cals (actually kcals) per mile from power walking vs. jogging is accurate, and true.) So you need to re-check your stats on your HRM or the other variable involved. Like is the course the same? Or do you do it on a treadmill? Elevation? Settings on the HRM? Whatever.
Or you could just research this yourself and see what I say is true. Either way. This is what I DO, lady. I train athletes.
Remember that what you call a walk should be brisk, and for three miles you should be able to do it in about 50% longer in time than you do when you run it. Thus, if you can run a 10-minute mile you should be walking it in about 15 mins. Any slower pace for walking is not considered fitness walking. It still of course is better than doing nothing, but should not be considered an aspect of your cardio or aerobic regimen.
Please...stop trying to justify the ridiculous notion that a less exertive type exercise is as good for fitness as one that requires more exertion – e.g. power walking vs. running.
It’s not a worthless exercise but it’s simply not as demanding as running. Yes, it’s easier on the joints so there are good things about it. But let’s dispense with the ridiculousness.
And that 220-your age, please. So amateurish.
I can appreciate the reasons why and fact that there is a body of people out there trying to get people to believe the non commonsense notion that less exertion is as good as more exertion. But it’s simply not true. Walk away, I think it’s great. But don’t fool yourself and espouse asinine theories.
Please...stop trying to justify the ridiculous notion that a less exertive type exercise is as good for fitness as one that requires more exertion – e.g. power walking vs. running.
It’s not a worthless exercise but it’s simply not as demanding as running. Yes, it’s easier on the joints so there are good things about it. But let’s dispense with the ridiculousness.
And that 220-your age, please. So amateurish.
I can appreciate the reasons why and fact that there is a body of people out there trying to get people to believe the non commonsense notion that less exertion is as good as more exertion. But it’s simply not true. Walk away, I think it’s great. But don’t fool yourself and espouse asinine theories.
And what is asinine about the 220 formula for finding a target heart-rate? This formula has been around for years and has prove a good yardstick. Maybe you can tell me what's wrong with using it as a basic tool for determining optimal exertion levels? As far as a less exertive exercise being as good as a higher intensity one. You must remember that not everybody out there is capable of engaging in high intensity work-outs. Thus, a lower impact regimen is more beneficial for them than one that could cause injury, which puts them back to square one. Now, of course an elite athlete is NOT going to benefit from doing less, but last time I checked this thread was not pertaining to elites.
I'll be waiting with bated breath (LOL) for your critique of the 220 rule. Also I'm curious of your epxerience and edu in Sports Science? What do you do for fitness? Just curious.
Hmm..Sports scientists such as myself have known for years that the rule of thumb of burning the same amount of cals (actually kcals) per mile from power walking vs. jogging is accurate, and true.) So you need to re-check your stats on your HRM or the other variable involved. Like is the course the same? Or do you do it on a treadmill? Elevation? Settings on the HRM? Whatever.
Or you could just research this yourself and see what I say is true. Either way. This is what I DO, lady. I train athletes.
Remember that what you call a walk should be brisk, and for three miles you should be able to do it in about 50% longer in time than you do when you run it. Thus, if you can run a 10-minute mile you should be walking it in about 15 mins. Any slower pace for walking is not considered fitness walking. It still of course is better than doing nothing, but should not be considered an aspect of your cardio or aerobic regimen.
Sorry, I missed that you were talking about powerwalking, rather than just walking. My mistake. I've never powerwalked, so I can't comment on that. But for walking, definitely isn't the same number of calories as running. You can use the "general rule of thumb" of 100 calories per mile, (I always did, it's close enough, really) but if you want accuracy, use an HRM. You'll burn more, running. That was all my point was.
And I'm a runner for over 30 years - I know what a run or a walk is.
Know what cracks me up? Self-professed fitness "experts" who can't tell the difference between power walking and racewalking.
I have never claimed to be a fitness expert, only someone that runs and works out, for a whole lotta years. I had no idea that racewalking was even a thing.
So thanks for that info - NOW that video makes sense. I knew I had never seen anyone powerwalk like that!!!
Well I guess you might be right. Maybe I let my inner neandrenthal get the best of me. It is just that I am 45 myself and train much harder today than I did when I was 20. I have a 20 pound vest that I love to wear at work and to move around and to train and am planning to get the 40 pound one as soon as I can afford it. Well I will take my advise back OP please disregard my suggestion to buy a weighted vest. This fellow poster has knocked some sense into me.
I admire your fitness level and your motivation, bro. You're only a few years older than me. Don't let me stop you from doing what you want, but I just ask you to reconsider the 40-pounder. Do more time with the 20 pounder! LOL. Baseball shot my knees about five years ago so what you're doing is going to be out of the question for me. Oh, I still job but not with any weights. We got a kid here, our starting catcher, who I saw the other day on the stair climber with a 50-lb vest on. He said he did 100 flights!
Uh...but he IS 22 years old! LOL.
Keep on keepin' on, man. Just respect your joints, you're not gonna get any more and they still have to last you for another 50 years! The neanderthal MIND is good as long as it remembers we have middle-aged homo sapien bodies!
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When you get proficient at that upgrade to a 40lbs vest
