Are you curious about Jim Wendler walrus training?

Do you wonder how Jim uses the “walrus” training template to build muscle mass and strength?

Then you’ve come to the right place.

In this comprehensive guide, I will show you how to use the Jim Wendler walrus program to take your training to the next level!

Introduction

• Part 1: What Is Walrus Training?
• Part 2: Beginner Walrus Training
• Part 3: Advanced Walrus Training
• Part 4: Walrus Training Benefits

Jim Wendler is one of the most popular coaches in the fitness industry.

He is most famous for training with Louie Simmons at the Westside Barbell powerlifting club, and of course, for inventing the 5/3/1 training program.

Jim says that his 5/3/1 system is “the simplest and most effective way to build raw strength,” and based on his results, he might be right!

Thousands of lifters all over the world have hit personal records in the squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press using his simple but effective training program.

Jim Wendler Stats

• Date Of Birth: February 13th, 1975
• Height: 5 Feet 10 Inches
• Weight: 240 Pounds
• Body Fat: About 15 Percent

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What Is Walrus Training?

Walrus Training is Jim Wendler’s new program where you perform full body workouts while wearing a weighted vest.

Jim likes to perform circuits routines with exercises like bodyweight squats, pull ups, push ups, and lunges. He says that Walrus Training allows him to continue training hard in the gym, despite being an older lifter with several injuries. 

“I jokingly call this WALRUS training because it is the fat, gross cousin of the Navy SEAL.”

But before we talk more about Walrus Training, let’s quickly discuss Jim’s lifting background.

Jim Wendler is an unbelievably strong athlete. He has squatted more than 1,000 pounds in an official powerlifting competition, and more recently he has deadlift more than 700 pounds raw in the gym. 

Unfortunately, Jim Wendler has suffered some injuries as he has gotten older.

For example, Jim Wendler was involved in a motorcycle accident, which left him with a significant amount of back pain.

“After my back surgery, I needed a way of rehabbing my back and challenging myself physically.

Since I couldn’t use a barbell, I began using a weighted vest. I set some standards and started working towards them.”

Jim Wendler can no longer perform the basic barbell exercises like the squat and deadlift, as they put too much pressure on his lower back.

Of course, Jim has been training for several decades, and he wasn’t about to let a few injuries stop him from training hard in the gym! Instead, Jim invented his famous Walrus Training program.

Here is Jim describing his new program:

“Note: it’s called WALRUS Training  because it is the fat, gross cousin to the Navy Seals.

I also refer to it as being a Suburban Commando. No lawn too big to mow!”

Jim says that Walrus Training works perfectly for him, despite his long list of injuries.

He is jacked and tan, he has superior conditioning and mobility, and he can do almost any physical activity he wants with zero pain.

It was hard for Jim to give up the barbell exercises like the squat and bench press. However, Jim says that transitioning to Walrus Training is one of the best decisions he has made.

Beginner Walrus Training

Jim Wendler says it takes time to get used to Walrus Training. After all, most people have never trained with a weighted vest before!

Let’s start by looking at Jim Wendler’s training split. Check it out:

Jim Wendler’s Walrus Training Split

• Day 1: Walrus Training
• Day 2: Conditioning
• Day 3: Walrus Training
• Day 4: Conditioning
• Day 5: Walrus Training
• Day 6: Walrus Training
• Day 7: Conditioning

This is Jim’s standard Walrus Training schedule. He says that he likes to do weighted vest workouts about 3-4 days per week, with conditioning work on his off days.

For conditioning work, Jim likes to do things like hill sprints, prowler pushes, sled pulls, and so on.

You can read more about Jim’s favorite conditioning workouts at the following article:

• Jim Wendler Conditioning Workouts | The Ultimate Guide!

So how does Jim structure his Walrus Training workouts?

Jim says that he normally performs 6 total exercises per workout. He does 3 compound movements using a weighted vest, followed by 3 isolation exercises. For example:

Walrus Training Workout Template

• Exercise #1-3: Compound Movement
• Exercise #4-6: Isolation Movement

Jim says that the compound movements are the most important. These are the ones where you really want to push yourself.

The isolation exercises can be simple things like bicep curls, triceps extensions, leg curls, shoulder raises, and so on.

Here is the exact Walrus Training workout that Jim performs most of the time. Check it out:

Walrus Training Workout #1

• Exercise #1: Squats, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #2: Push ups, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #3: Chin ups / pull ups, 10 sets of high reps

**Perform 2-3 isolation exercises after the first 3 movements.

Jim says that you should use a weighted vest that is about 10% of your body weight. Jim uses a 25 pound weighted vest for these exercises. However, most people are better off using a 15-20 pound weighted vest! 

Jim says that he performs these exercises in a circuit.

He performs 1 set of squats, 1 set of push ups, 1 set of chin ups / pull ups, then a 2nd set of squats, and so on. Jim usually performs about 10 sets for each exercise.

He tries to keep the reps high, or around 10-20 reps per set. However, that completely depends on how strong you are on each exercise.

The exact number of reps that you perform per exercise is not super important. Instead, Jim says the important thing is to push yourself, while stopping well short of failure on each set. Jim says that you can get really creative with your Walrus Training workouts.

Your goal should be to find many different ways to perform each exercise.

“Be creative. One thing that I’ve done is bring my push-up handles with me to the stairs I train on. 

I perform 10 push-ups at the bottom of the stairs, run up and then do 20 squats.  Repeat until you reach your goal. 

Don’t be limited!  Years ago, I added in 50 jump ropes into every round of the circuit.”

Jim says he performs this first workout most of the time. It is a very simple but effective way to design a Walrus Training workout.

Of course, he also has many other workouts that he likes to rotate through. Check it out:

Walrus Training Workout #2

• Exercise #1: Squat, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #2: Dips, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #3: KB/DB Rows, 10 sets of high reps

**Perform 2-3 isolation exercises after the first 3 movements.

Walrus Training Workout #3

• Exercise #1: KB Snatch, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #2: Push-ups, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #3: Chin-ups/Pull-ups, 10 sets of high reps

**Perform 2-3 isolation exercises after the first 3 movements.

Walrus Training Workout #4

• Exercise #1: Squat, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #2: KB Snatch, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #3: Dips, 10 sets of high reps

**Perform 2-3 isolation exercises after the first 3 movements.

Walrus Training Workout #5

• Exercise #1: Squat, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #2: KB Snatch, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #3: Chin-ups/Pull-ups, 10 sets of high reps

**Perform 2-3 isolation exercises after the first 3 movements.

Walrus Training Workout #6

• Exercise #1: Squat, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #2: KB Snatch, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #3: Push-ups, 10 sets of high reps

**Perform 2-3 isolation exercises after the first 3 movements.

Walrus Training Workout #7

• Exercise #1: Squat, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #2: Push-ups, 10 sets of high reps
• Exercise #3: KB/DB Rows, 10 sets of high reps

**Perform 2-3 isolation exercises after the first 3 movements.

Jim says that you can perform any one of these Walrus workouts during the week.

In contrast to his 5/3/1 program, Jim says that you don’t really need to plan your workouts out in advance, or plan out how you are going to make long-term strength gains.

Walrus Training isn’t about building maximum strength – it’s about achieving superior conditioning and working around injuries, while keeping a decent baseline level of size and strength.

Advanced Walrus Training

Jim Wendler says he has experimented with more advanced Walrus Training workouts as he gained more experience with weighted vest training.

One of his favorite strategies is to increase his training frequency. For example, he says that he worked up to performing 2 Walrus Training workouts per day! Check it out:

Jim Wendler’s Advanced Walrus Training Split

Day #1

• Morning: Walrus Training
• Evening: Walrus Training

Day #2

• Morning: Walrus Training
• Evening: Walrus Training

Day #3

• Morning: Walrus Training
• Evening: Walrus Training

Day #4

• Morning: Walrus Training
• Evening: Walrus Training

Day #5

• Morning: Walrus Training
• Evening: Walrus Training

Day #6

• Morning: Walrus Training
• Evening: Walrus Training

Day #7

• Morning: Walrus Training
• Evening: Walrus Training

This is an insane training schedule! After all, Jim is performing 2-a-day workouts 7 days per week!

It took him a very long time to work up to this kind of high-frequency training split. However, this is Jim’s favorite way to train now that he has improved his conditioning level.

Here is an example of how Jim organizes his advanced Walrus Training weighted vest workouts. Check it out:

Jim Wendler Advanced Walrus Training Workout

• Exercise #1: AirDyne bike sprint, 1 mile
• Exercise #2: Squats, 150-200 reps
• Exercise #3: Push ups, 100 reps
• Exercise #4: Chin ups, 50 reps
• Exercise #5: AirDyne bike sprint, 1 mile

**Perform all exercises with a 20 pound weighted vest.

For these high-frequency workouts Jim doesn’t perform any extra isolation work at the end. Instead, he sticks to his simple compound movements, plus whatever conditioning work he decides to perform.

Jim says that you can accumulate an INSANE amount of weekly or monthly training volume when you train this way. For example, here are some numbers that Jim Wendler hit between May 2021 and August 2021. Check it out:

Jim Wendler’s Insane Training Volume

• Squats: 34,000 Reps
• Push-ups: 22,600 Reps
• Chin-ups / Pull-ups: 11,300 Reps

Keep in mind that these numbers were performed while wearing a weighted vest! Talk about incredible!

Walrus Training Testing

Jim Wendler says he normally trains while wearing a 20-25 pound weighted vest.

This is easily heavy enough for the high-volume conditioning workouts that he likes to perform. However, he likes to perform some “testing” or “challenge” workouts about twice per year to evaluate his progress.

Here are some of the more extreme testing workouts that Jim has performed in the past. Check it out:

Walrus Training Challenge Workout #1

• Exercise #1: Dumbbell Squat: 100lbs x 50 total reps
• Exercise #2: Push-ups (or Dips): 50 total reps
• Exercise #3: Chin ups / pull ups: 25 total reps

**Perform all exercises while wearing an 88 pound weighted vest.

****You have a 30 minute time limit to perform all exercises.

Walrus Training Challenge Workout #2

• Exercise #1: Squat: 250 total reps
• Exercise #2: Push-ups (or Dips): 50 total reps
• Exercise #3: Chin ups / pull ups: 25 total reps

**Perform all exercises while wearing an 88 pound weighted vest.

****You have a 30 minute time limit to perform all exercises.

Walrus Training Challenge Workout #3

• Exercise #1: Kettlebell snatch: 106 pounds x 50 total reps / arm
• Exercise #2: Push-ups (or Dips): 50 total reps
• Exercise #3: Chin ups / pull ups: 25 total reps

**Perform all exercises while wearing a 25 pound weighted vest.

****You have a 30 minute time limit to perform all exercises.

Walrus Training Challenge Workout #4

• Exercise #1: Walking lunges: 50 total reps / leg
• Exercise #2: Push-ups (or Dips): 50 total reps
• Exercise #3: Chin ups / pull ups: 25 total reps

**Perform all exercises while wearing a 25 pound weighted vest.

****You have a 30 minute time limit to perform all exercises.

As you can see, these workouts are FAR more intense than Jim Wendler’s usual Walrus Training workouts.

For most of these workouts he actually uses an 88 pound weighted vest.

Using a weighted vest this heavy is unnecessary for his regular workouts, as Jim is no longer training for max strength like he used to. However, he likes to occasionally use the heavier weighted vest to see what he’s really made of!

Note: for many exercises like the dumbbell squat, Jim is using a 100 pound dumbbell in addition to his weighted vest! As you can see, Jim is still extremely strong, despite the fact that he only performs weighted vest workouts.

Walrus Training Benefits

Jim Wendler says Walrus Training has many benefits over his original 5/3/1 training program.

He believes that 5/3/1 is still the best way to build maximal strength, and is a better choice for competitive athletes. However, if these are not your primary goals, then Walrus Training may be a good option for you.

Walrus Training Benefits

• Benefit #1: Flexible training schedule
• Benefit #2: Reduced joint pain
• Benefit #3: Improved functional strength
• Benefit #4: Lower back friendly
• Benefit #5: Great for older lifters

Let’s take a closer look at each of these benefits.

Benefit #1: Flexible Training Schedule

Jim says one of the biggest benefits of Walrus Training is the flexible training schedule.

You can train anywhere from 2-7 days per week. It all depends on how much time you have, your recovery ability, and how hard you want to push yourself.

It also doesn’t matter too much which workouts you perform on which days. You are always performing full body workouts with a weighted vest, so you can pick and choose which of Jim’s 7 sample workouts that you want to perform each day.

Benefit #2: Reduced Joint Pain

Jim says sense starting his Walrus program, he has virtually zero joint pain. His knees, back, and shoulders all feel better than they have in a long time.

This is great news, as one of the primary reasons Jim started performing weighted vest workouts in the first place is he had too much back pain to perform barbell squats and deadlifts.

Benefit #3: Improved Functional Strength

Jim says his overall functional strength has improved sense starting his weighted vest workouts. He has a much easier time running and performing bodyweight exercises like squats, push ups, and pull ups.

If your main goals are to have good conditioning and functional strength, while maintaining an OK level of muscle mass, then Jim’s weighted vest workouts are a good choice.

Benefit #4: Lower Back Friendly

Jim says that his Walrus Training workouts put very little stress on your lower back.

Unlike barbell squats, where you have significant compressive forces on your lumber spine, bodyweight squats put very little stress on your lower back.

This makes Walrus Training a great choice for anyone who cannot perform heavy barbell exercises due to lower back pain.

Benefit #5: Great For Older Lifters

Jim says that Walrus Training can be a good choice for older lifters who are past their prime.

If you are just trying to maintain a decent level of size and conditioning, without having to kill yourself in the gym, then Walrus Training can be a decent choice.

Conclusion | Jim Wendler Walrus Training!

Jim Wendler is one of the world’s smartest strength coaches, and it’s easy to see why.

He has a gift for designing simple but effective workout programs that work for people with a variety of goals. His Walrus Training program is a perfect example of this!

If you are looking for a challenging bodyweight program using weighted vests and full body workouts, then you have to give Jim Wendler’s Walrus Training program a shot.

It may be just what you need to take your training to the next level!