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Powerwalking - Big Man Cardio Training
Powerwalking is not mall walking. It is focused, purposeful, measurable cardio training that lets big men, strength athletes, powerlifters, and out-of-shape lifters elevate the heart rate without jumping straight into high-impact running. Marty Gallagher’s point is simple: if the goal of cardio is to spike the heart rate, break a sweat, burn body fat, and get fit, walking with authority can get the job done.
Powerwalking - Spike the Heart Rate, Break Sweat, Burn Off Body Fat, Get Fit
A lot of guys are checking in with me while they are stuck at home. For a lot of my friends, exercise is buried deep in their DNA. When a strength athlete is deprived of the big weights, or any weights, their thoughts turn to alternative progressive resistance strategies and simplified cardio routines, such as powerwalking.
I have written extensively about the outstanding results incarcerated prisoners are making with the worst possible strength equipment or no equipment at all. Clever strength athletes will figure out strength training alternatives and substitutes.
To lift big weights, you need access to big weights. When deprived, necessity becomes the mother of invention: a lot of guys are turning to training that can be done without gym equipment or with a minimum of equipment.
Smart lifters with time on their hands are getting serious about cardiovascular exercise. A lot of lifters realize they need aerobic exercise — but they just never got around to doing it. These are times to take up things and activities that we have been putting off or are counter to our character. The appealing thing about cardiovascular exercise is that in a pinch all you need is your feet.
Why Big Men Should Start with Powerwalking
Many good lifters make the mistake of going from no cardio, or sporadic cardio, into doing too much of the wrong kind of cardio too quickly. I recommend all my big guy friends start with powerwalking: not jogging, not trotting and certainly not running — walking, walking with focus, purpose and concentration.
To turn walking into a valid form of exercise requires you treat it like exercise. Mainstream personal trainers mindlessly insist untrained or out-of-shape men, people with zero cardio capacity, commence cardio with jogging.
When the untrained, the out-of-shape and those with no running experience are suddenly forced to run on hard surfaces, tendons, ligaments, muscle insertion points and spinal discs are stressed to the breaking point. Running is a high-impact cardio exercise, particularly when those that don’t know how to run are forced to run. This is the very definition of fitness malpractice and completely unnecessary.
If the fundamental goal of cardiovascular exercise is to elevate the heart rate to a predetermined level for a protracted period, other less harmful methods are available. Heavy people — and apparently their personal trainers — are often unaware that they can generate a high heart rate simply by walking, walking with authority and purpose.
Powerwalking Is Different from Mall Walking
Powerwalking is technique and locomotion amplified by velocity, resulting in the goal of all cardio: the elevated heart rate. A big man can achieve 80% to 90% of his age-related heart rate maximum, 160-plus beats per minute, simply by walking at an accelerated pace and pumping the arms on every stride.
If a large untrained person can generate an elevated heart rate simply by walking, why would you force them to run? This is a rhetorical question: most personal trainers have no earthly idea what heart rate their clients are generating.
If you are serious about cardio exercise, wear a heart rate monitor during aerobic sessions. A heart rate monitor enables the trainee to see how hard the heart is working in relation to the work being done. A heart rate monitor enables the trainee to assign a numeric value to aerobic intensity.
With a heart rate monitor, the trainee can periodize, stair-step and move into greater degrees of fitness systematically and safely.
Heart Rate Tracking Makes Cardio Measurable
The good news is that there are many free fitness phone apps designed to capture heart rate. Connect the app to a chest strap and suddenly you have useful data: session duration, average heart rate, GPS route, changes in elevation, exertion and estimated calories burned. This is invaluable information and allows us to periodize and preplan cardio efforts.
The point is not to turn walking into a casual stroll with a gadget. The point is to make powerwalking measurable. If the heart rate is too low, walk faster, pump the arms harder, pick a hill, lengthen the session or increase frequency. If the heart rate is too high, back off, shorten the walk or reduce intensity. The data keeps the trainee honest.
A 10-Week Powerwalking Progression
| Week | Frequency | Duration | % of Age-Related HR Max | Calories Burned | Bodyweight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 3 x per week | 20 minutes | 60% | 250 | 233 |
| Week 2 | 4 x per week | 22 minutes | 62.5% | 270 | 231 |
| Week 3 | 5 x per week | 25 minutes | 65% | 300 | 229 |
| Week 4 | 6 x per week | 27 minutes | 67% | 330 | 227 |
| Week 5 | 6 x per week | 30 minutes | 67.5% | 370 | 225 |
| Week 6 | 6 x per week | 32 minutes | 70% | 420 | 223 |
| Week 7 | 6 x per week | 35 minutes | 72.5% | 470 | 221 |
| Week 8 | 6 x per week | 37 minutes | 75% | 510 | 219 |
| Week 9 | 6 x per week | 40 minutes | 77% | 550 | 217 |
| Week 10 | 6 x per week | 40 minutes | 80% | 600 | 215 |
If you are heavy or out of shape, it doesn’t take as much effort to generate an elevated heart rate. The goal of cardiovascular exercise is to elevate the heart rate to a predetermined level in a systematic fashion and maintain the elevated heart rate for the duration of the cardiovascular training session.
Compare Powerwalking to Other Cardio Tools
Strap up and see where you are. A heart rate monitor enables the cross-comparison of cardio activities. How does 20 minutes of jumping rope compare to 20 minutes of powerwalking or riding on a stationary bike? Once you are hooked up, you will be able to quantify aerobic effort and cross-compare different types of exercise using the impact on heart rate as the determining factor.
This matters for strength athletes because many lifters avoid cardio for years, then jump into a mode that beats them up. Powerwalking gives them a smarter entry point. It is available, scalable, and measurable. Hills, arm swing, pace, duration, and frequency can all be adjusted without needing a complicated setup.
Big men: make powerwalking your entry-level cardio. Periodize it and use the heart rate monitor to get fit while cooped up. Why not? No more excuses.
Equipment Notes for Powerwalking and Big Man Cardio
Powerwalking does not require much equipment. That is part of its genius. Good shoes, a safe route, and a way to measure heart rate can be enough to begin. For indoor options or cross-comparison work, cardio tools such as exercise bikes, fan bikes, rowers, treadmills and stair climbers can be useful, but none of them eliminate the need for effort and tracking.
For home gyms, garage gyms, tactical training spaces, firehouse gyms, commercial facilities and school weight rooms, cardio equipment can supplement outdoor powerwalking when weather, safety, time or terrain become limiting factors. The guiding principle is still the same: elevate the heart rate, log the data, progress gradually and stay consistent.
Safety Note for Powerwalking and Cardio Training
Powerwalking is lower impact than running, but it still needs intelligent progression. Large, detrained, injured or medically limited trainees should scale pace, duration, hills and frequency to current ability. Stop for sharp pain, unusual symptoms or dizziness, and seek qualified guidance when appropriate. This article is educational and should not be treated as personalized medical, rehabilitation or programming advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is powerwalking?
Powerwalking is purposeful walking performed with speed, focus, arm drive and enough intensity to elevate the heart rate. It is different from casual strolling or mall walking because it is treated like a measurable cardio workout.
Why is powerwalking good for big men?
Powerwalking can elevate the heart rate without the joint stress of sudden jogging or running. For larger or out-of-shape trainees, it offers a practical entry point into cardio training while still allowing measurable progress.
Is powerwalking better than jogging for beginners?
For many heavier, detrained or inexperienced trainees, powerwalking is a smarter starting point than jogging. Jogging on hard surfaces can create unnecessary impact stress, while powerwalking can still raise the heart rate when performed with intent.
Should I use a heart rate monitor while powerwalking?
Yes, if you want objective feedback. A heart rate monitor lets you see how hard the heart is working, compare different cardio modes, and periodize your walking sessions instead of guessing.
How often should a beginner powerwalk?
A beginner can start with a few weekly sessions and gradually increase frequency, duration and intensity. Marty Gallagher’s example begins with three 20-minute sessions per week and builds over ten weeks.
Can powerwalking help with fat loss?
Powerwalking can support fat loss when paired with consistent training, appropriate nutrition and progressive increases in effort. The walking itself is only one part of the larger plan, but it can be a useful and sustainable cardio tool.
About the Author: Marty Gallagher
As an athlete Marty Gallagher is a national and world champion in Olympic lifting and powerlifting. He was a world champion team coach in 1991 and coached Black's Gym to five national team titles. He's also coached some of the strongest men on the planet including Kirk Karwoski when he completed his world record 1,003 lb. squat. Today he teaches the US Secret Service and Tier 1 Spec Ops on how to maximize their strength in minimal time. As a writer since 1978 he’s written for Powerlifting USA, Milo, Flex Magazine, Muscle & Fitness, Prime Fitness, Washington Post, Dragon Door and now IRON COMPANY. He’s also the author of numerous books including Purposeful Primitive, Strong Medicine, Ed Coan’s book “Coan, The Man, the Myth, the Method" and numerous others. Read the Marty Gallagher biography here.
Marty Gallagher is a champion strength athlete, coach, author, and RAW Podcast host known for powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and serious strength training.
