This is a guest post from Larentay Walker of LarentayWalker.com. Larentay is a personal trainer who also writes about masculinity and developing oneself. In this article Larentay is going to talk about how to workout with rocks and more importantly why you should and what the benefits of it are. I already know Johnny will like this article, enjoy!
The majority of men avoid strength training outside the gym like it’s forbidden. They think the only way to increase their strength is going to the gym.
I’m not against weight training with balanced objects to improve your health and strength. I’m big fan of it, it’s better than doing nothing and it introduced me to the world of strength training.
However, there are other alternatives to get strong and cultivate a different type of strength…known as real world strength.
Without a doubt as I get older, I believe a man should train to have that strength, toughness and durability for real life task and dangerous scenarios.
Unfortunately, that majority of men have forgotten over time due to societal programming. That you can you test your true strength and become stronger outside of the gym with rugged, irregular hard unbalanced heavy objects from the earth…called rocks.
These things don’t deceive you in how strong you are. You made be able to deadlift 400lbs for 4 – 10 reps, bench 250lbs plus but grab a imbalanced odd shaped rock that weights 170lbs – 200lbs to deadlift or bench press and tell me how many reps you can do…that’s if you can do it.
So why train with rocks, that’s a very good question. Why should you invest your energy into doing something “unconventional”? Good question.
Besides being fun as hell and having little kids wanting to workout with you…the nature of working with rocks forces your muscles to work harder due to:
- Your body having to stabilize and brace itself but it’s 2x – 4x more difficult. Since it’s not uniform in size, shape and density. You won’t get that from handling a barbell.
- Carrying, pushing, pressing and pulling a odd object is a strength skill that has to be cultivated with rocks and odd objects. In the beginning, your body will not be used it to it. However, the more you work on expressing this new stimulus of strength. It becomes easier to do over time, of course you’re going to have to make it harder.
- You develop Anaconda strength: the ability to squeeze the hell out of something when you bear hug something.
- You develop Arrow strength: the ability to keep your body straight under tension when exerting yourself.
- You develop Armor strength: your hands and skin aren’t use to a rough rock being pressed against it. Especially if you do it shirtless. It’s going to scratch your skin, dig uncomfortable in your body, and it’s going to hurt at times. However, over time from the friction and pressure…your body adapts to where your less likely to feel pain and get scuffed up. Therefore toughening your hide.
- It prepares you for some real life scenarios such as everyday task and emergencies as mentioned above.
- It replicates real world manual labor, its build that “old school strength”, and it’s the way men have used their bodies for millions of years before the rise of the gym culture.
- It allows you to be primal and uncivilized…it keeps the savage alive inside you
The Fun Part…How To Do It
It’s very simple…find yourself a few rocks or multiple rocks. That are light to heavy for you strength from the mountains, at a lake, at a river, countryside, concrete slabs from a construction site.
By having a variety of weights, you can use them to perform a variety of exercises instead of a few. Again with a variety of rocks, you replicate movements such as bench pressing, launching the rocks from your chest, military pressing, front squats, rowing it, curling it etc…creativity is the magical key to getting the most out of working out with rocks.
Good ways to measure your improvement with rocks is counting how many reps you could, how far you carried it, how long you can isometrically hold and so on after 2 weeks, a month and so on compared to when you first started doing it.
Of course it’s important to use good technique such as not rounding your back, leaning excessively on your sides, or arching your excessively for example.
Furthermore, how you’re wanting to workout with rocks is up to you. At minimum at least once a week. Depending on my work schedule and whatever I got going on. I’ll usually do it 2-3 times a week.
So, if you want to do it more than that…that’s fine just be smart on how you train. Know when to go hard and when to back off by listening to your body.
To add on to this. In the beginning just do a few exercises, to get familiar with this type of training. Such as rock rows, rock front squats, and rock bear hug carries. These were the main exercises I did when I started.
As you get a little more experience, you can start adding on and getting more creative with your rock training such as carrying it for long distances, carrying, carrying on your shoulders, carrying it against your sides like a baby etc.
So without further do, I’m going to show you five exercises so you can start working out with rock asap.
Rock Rows
This exactly like barbell rows…but with a rock. Bend over,and hip hinge to start rowing the rock against your stomach or chest. Make sure to squeeze the rock intensely, not only will strengthen your grip more,but it will help you get more reps than if your weren’t doing it.
Rock Bear Hug Carries
Same Execution as rock rows, however as coming back up. Use that momentum to heave the rock to your chest to wrap your arms tightly around it. Or you can squat down with rock, pull it onto your knees. Wrap your arms around it tightly, then stand up with it. You want to be squeezing it like a Anaconda squeezing it’s prey. Visualize that image in your head.
Knee Stand Up Rock Squats
As I mentioned before with the two previous exercises, this has the same set up. However, your going to pull the rock in your knees being off in a deep squat position. Depending on your level of flexibility, you might be deep as I am in the video.
So once the rock is on your knees, you’re going wrap your arms around tightly and then stand up, drop the rock and rinse and repeat. Be careful not to smash you feet.
Rock Deadlifts
This is exactly like doing a deadlift with a barbell but more challenging due to odd form of the rock. Depending on the size of the rock. You’re going to have to adjust your leg stance and grip. As, I mentioned above on Rock Rows, you’re going to have to grip the rock as hard as possible to help you with picking it up.
Rock Shoulder Carries
Very simple, you’re going to pick it up from a squat position and then heave it to your shoulders. Pick a distance of how far you’re going to carry or go as far as you can. Make sure to alternate between both shoulders
Finis
There are many ways to workout with rocks just like balanced weights to increase your real world strength and feel primal as fuc. All you got to do is be creative. Such as combining all them into a gauntlet, do a set of rock deadlifts and then jump rope, or a set of rock rows and then some push ups for example.
The fun, the strength, the conditioning you can gain from this type of training is unlimitless. The only thing that can limit you is your mind.
I guarantee if you do this type of training once – three times a week. You will see a difference in your conditioning and strength and especially in the gym.
Who knows…this might end up being your preferred method of working out.
– Larentay Walker
