Intervention by Dan John, (16) What’s the order of learning?, Notes

Pattern - The farmer walk quickly teaches patterning: (1) Hair on top of head reaches to zenith. (2) The eyes look just over cheekbones (3) Walk the line: teaches posture with a quiet upper body. Include just this one walk in training and you can have a long and happy career. A two times bodyweight (bodyweight in each hand) farmer walk is a high standard for strength. For high school: 85 lbs per hand is a good standard.

• Next step. Bear hug walks teach pressurized breathing

Grind - Load up a push with car or sled pushes.

Symmetry - The waiter walk and suitcase carry expose symmetry issues.

Dynamic - Practice hill sprints. Sprints are the equivalent of an explosive one leg squat. Focus on quality reps. Maintain a low volume. If all you include in training are farmer’s walks and hill sprints you are doing well.

Implements: Whatever you have will work.

How much and how often? Don’t go too far and don’t do much, just get a sense of things. ‘Down and Back.’ Do some type of loaded carry three times a week.

One day a week do everything: a person who has mastered patterning, grinding, symmetry and ballistics could have a great workout doing just ‘down and backs’’ of the following:

• suitcase walk

• farmer walk

• suitcase walk with weighted backpack

• farmer walk with weighted backpack

• sled pull

• sled pull with bag (bear hug carry)

• sled pull with weighted backpack

• sled pull with weighted backpack and farmer walk