Heavy backpack+running

[pvf94]

Good or bad idea...

Fill up a backpack that is very strapped to your body *chest straps and tight fitting*

Run a mile.

It is filled with pebbles. 25 pounds or so......what do ya think?

 

[Warboss Alex]

If you walk instead of run I'd thoroughly recommend it. Weighted backpack work is great cardio and builds a lot of stamina. Do after your leg and back workouts to enhance recovery.

 

[pvf94]

No. With pebbles especially No. No matter how "tight" it is, it will still have a bounce effect as your body expands/contracts with breathing.

The problem is the delay effect of a backpack. When your leg hits the ground in a running gait, the force of the pebbles hits you right afterwards. This is essentially like dropping 25lbs onto your knee joint every stride.

It's different from a fat person where an extra 25lbs moves in conjuction to the rest of their body so they don't feel it as much. If you can find a weight that doesn't bounce up and down then its fine. But a backpack is arthritic suicide.

Hold a couple of 10lbs dumbbells in your hands and do it. That'll give your upper arms a workout at the same time.

Add extra weight = Yes it's helpful

Backpack = No, its asking for trouble

Ideally the best setup is to be pulling something. Like have a weight behind you. It takes special gear, but its much better.

Good luck.

Thank's for the info budd

Ok the walking part sounds like a very good idea also.......it is something I can do while it is cold out.

****Warboss

So you think it would be safe AND beneficial to wear the heavy backpack and walk? I like to walk down train tracks for about 4 miles everyday.....would it be more beneficial to have the heavy backpack on?

 

[Warboss Alex]

Walking gives you same the benefits as running but without the recovery hit and possible muscle loss (plus it spares your joints).

 

[pvf94]

Is the heavy backpack going to be any dramatic gain? What will it actually do? It seems like it will just make me breath a touch heavier.

 

[Oxide]

Here is the easy way bro - grab two 30lbs dumbells and carry them as you walk on the treadmill.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Here is the easy way bro - grab two 30lbs dumbells and carry them as you walk on the treadmill.

that works too.

backpack walking isn't going to gain you any muscle but it will improve your stamina, recovery and body composition (it'll burn some fat) leading to better gym perfomance and strength gains.

 

[manuva]

We used to run for miles with up to 50kg on our backs, plus carrying rifle. It actually developed the strength and size of my upper back and traps noticeably. It is a fantastic means of building endurance and stamina.

If your pack fits well I don't believe its that bad on your joints.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

it's not adviseable. I used to do this daily (4-5 days/week) with between 30-100 pounds for 2-3 hours at a time running a relatively good pace (8-9 min/mile).

While it turns you into a maniac, it's not good on the knees.

I still do it a few times per month for maybe 8 miles but I have a definate way above average conditional base and am very keen at knowing when enough is enough.

IF you do want to do it I recommend doing it while running up steep hills only. This lessens the impact and increases the load.

I used to run to the peak of a mountian range and then follow the crest back down. The downhills on the crest are what messed my knees up. So if you go down hill just walk (what I started doing.)

And under no circumastances would I suggest doing this if you don't consider yourself in hardcore physical shape with atleast a year or two of solid training.

 

[pvf94]

it's not adviseable. I used to do this daily (4-5 days/week) with between 30-100 pounds for 2-3 hours at a time running a relatively good pace (8-9 min/mile).

While it turns you into a maniac, it's not good on the knees.

I still do it a few times per month for maybe 8 miles but I have a definate way above average conditional base and am very keen at knowing when enough is enough.

IF you do want to do it I recommend doing it while running up steep hills only. This lessens the impact and increases the load.

I used to run to the peak of a mountian range and then follow the crest back down. The downhills on the crest are what messed my knees up. So if you go down hill just walk (what I started doing.)

And under no circumastances would I suggest doing this if you don't consider yourself in hardcore physical shape with atleast a year or two of solid training.

I go out everyday on a set of train tracks that leads all around a wooded area, and I want to simply want to burn some extra calories.....its winter and Running kills me.....I dont have a gym to go to. So Im hoping that a heavy pack combined with my long walks will give me some sort of advantage over a simple walk.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

I go out everyday on a set of train tracks that leads all around a wooded area, and I want to simply want to burn some extra calories.....its winter and Running kills me.....I dont have a gym to go to. So Im hoping that a heavy pack combined with my long walks will give me some sort of advantage over a simple walk.

Yeah. that's fine. Walking with a weighted pack is great for the legs and does really increase muscle and endurance. I would still recommend hills just for the added intensity.

There have been times I put well over 250 miles per week with 120 pounds on for 2 weeks at a time and have never experienced any ill effects from it.

Other than having huge quads and calves that cannot burn out.

 

[pvf94]

Yeah. that's fine. Walking with a weighted pack is great for the legs and does really increase muscle and endurance. I would still recommend hills just for the added intensity.

There have been times I put well over 250 miles per week with 120 pounds on for 2 weeks at a time and have never experienced any ill effects from it.

Other than having huge quads and calves that cannot burn out.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Other than having huge quads and calves that cannot burn out.

I doubt you built significant muscle from this unless you had little to start with, in which case yes, it could induce hypertrophy. possibly you got leaner and you legs appeared bigger - in either case it doesn't really matter, GPP work is always good.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

I doubt you built significant muscle from this unless you had little to start with, in which case yes, it could induce hypertrophy. possibly you got leaner and you legs appeared bigger - in either case it doesn't really matter, GPP work is always good.

Trust me, my legs are tree trunks. Don't worry Warboss, I'm of the same philosophy as you on lowerbody and core training. I've never found a point I disagree with you on.

But...Even the years I couldn't lift consistantly (more than a couple of times per month) my legs always stayed huge, defined, and STRONG.

If you doubt the muscle building capabilty of weighted running/walking on severe terrain then I suggest you try it (okay, not YOU. It won't compare to your base.)

Even when I'd just do 1-2 hours uphill 4 times per week with a sandbag, which was the low end of my training spectrum, my legs were better than 99% of the guys in the gym. And I've never met anybody with better lower body endurance than myself. I see very few people with bigger calves (none at my gym) than myself. I genuinly attribute this to my weighted runs and heavy hill running (though it has been 1.5 years since I was doing this seriously, now it is all gym work.)

Of course I agree, if your just looking to build solid mass there are better ways to do it and the running my be counterproductive. I was training to be a machine. Not to bodybuild.

And definately now that my time is short and I live in the city I would much rather spend my time doing squats than running hills with a pack. Of course, with squats I reach my physical limits long before my mental limits. That's really the only reason I still keep weighted runs in my repitoire. I always need to test my limits.

 

[pvf94]

I tried it out today, its a hell of a lot different than just walking let me tell you =P

It was sort of uncomfortable though, maybe I shouldnt of just grabbed a bunch of thick rocks and threw them in a back pack.

Pebbles or sand would be a better alternative im thinking?

Im broke, and I dont know what I should use to "weight" the backpack

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

Im broke, and I dont know what I should use to "weight" the backpack

Sandbag.