I was back reading Art Devany's Eassy this morning. I happened upon the Power Walking section (see below). This reminded me of the SANDBAG MILE buzz I initiated back in 2004.
The SANDBAG MILE method is simple. The goal is to progress to a mile carry with 100% of bodyweight sandbag in 15 minutes. Each time you put the bag down on the ground you receive a 15 second penalty.
I can recall only a few who have successfully accomplished this challenge. I would make this a 12 week target. Use sub bodyweight loads and get the time interval. Assuming you can shoulder your bag, you can perform repeats at the target pace. With other training during the week about 2 workouts with the sand is all I can recommend. Remember it's the process that counts!
Our ancestors walked a lot carrying heavy weight in order to move camp and bring back as much of the kill as they could. Power walking, laden with real weight on the order of 35 to 100 pounds, is an effective modern version of what our ances-
tors did. Power walking with back pack or scuba diving weights around the waist dramatically increases the intensity and effectiveness of walking. And it is about as effective as jogging for aerobic capacity, without the pounding and damage. It
is what women among hunter-gatherers do when they gather. For example, Kung San women typically carry an infant on a seven-mile trip foraging for plant foods and return with a 35-pound load. They only do this 2 or 3 times a week for they
live in a kind of natural affluence where food is readily available. Males among hunter-gatherers do not carry the large game our ancestors did and are not a good model of power walking for modern males. Consider this instead as a model. A historical source reports that 5 Indian braves drove 5 bison into a pit. After they killed these 2000-pound bison, they pulled them out of a pit more than 10 feet deep, lined them up and skinned and butchered them. Then, they carried as much as they could back to camp to get others to return for the rest. I think that is a wonderful model of fitness, combining speed, power, strength, stamina and courage. You can be sure this successful hunt was followed by plenty of rest and play and feasting. This model is what I seek to emulate.
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6 comments:
Great post Rut. Interesting that you post this, I've been doing some 400 and 800's w/ a 120lb bag lately for warm ups and post workout gut check. Rock salt in a seabag is the material. I want to get up to a mile before May.
Coach - will you try to make the seminar DeVany is talking about on his site?
I thought it was 15min? 12Min is FAST!
hester--good catch. Fat fingers. It is 15 minutes.
Coach Rut,
So is the standard "Bodyweight in a bag"?
Guess what I'm asking is can the load be dispersed between a 50lb weight vest and a bag?
Thanks.
In Strength,
Jerry
Jerry- The original RUTMAN SANDBAG MILE was to carry the entire load in a bag. The weightvest + a bag of some weight is another option. The advantage with a carry of this nature is that the weightvest distributes the load more evenly and more naturally.
As and example, I've mowed my lawn with an 80lb vest and it typically takes around an hour. I could never carry an eighty pound bag for an hour without putting it on the ground.
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