9-11-02, 3:24 pm

I suspect, from the *names* of the various exercises you are
showing, that you might be partially missing the point with these.

For example, it doesn't really make sense to talk of an "overhead
press" with a 1 or a 2 lb. weight!! For any of these exercises to be
useful, they must be done in the form of a high-speed *punch* or
"block". What makes these low weights effective is not the mass, but
the speed/accelerations--Newton's Laws. Smoothness/grace, in Heavyhands,
is actually at odds with the principles that make the method effective.

Schwartz, who wrote the book on this stuff, literally, even missed
the boat slightly, as his "pumping" is not all that effective either,
muscle-wise, if the weights are not substantially heavier or, again,
very rapidly pumped.

Done correctly, and safely [there is really quite a bit of
technique to correct/safe HeavyHands], there are very few exercise
strategies that can compete in terms of overall body development and
conditioning. Problem is, virtually no one does HH correctly.

I think it is a very nice and useful thing to have this material on a site.

Kris
-------------------------------------------------------------------

9-12-02 I reply...
I appreciate your taking time and your suggestions regarding the routine. I
think I know what you're talking about, but don't forget that the movement
of the hands with the exercises must be (for me, anyway) timed with the
stride in order not to lose count. I tried double time and couldn't manage it
when I started out with the 3-pounders. I'm up to the 5-pound dumbbells now
and being kind of a spidery guy, considering the overall feeling it gives me, I
think it's a good workout, though I realize there's always room for improvement.

-John
********************************************************

9-13-02 8:05 am

John--

If you do a search on my name and HH or Heavyhands, you should come up with
with a bevy of commentary on the subject. I am a diehard HH fan, and
know more about it than most people. I highly recommend the book by
Leonard Schwartz.

You mention two issues: cadence and counting. Cadence/stride
is indeed an issue, although the speed of the handstroke should not be
an issue in this regard. In fact, with very fast HH, it might be less
of an issue, although IIRC punching *opposite* the striding leg is
pretty important for stride and balance. Coordination is indeed a key
factor. Admittedly not an easy thing for most people to do. I was able
to do effective fast HH at full-bore running w/ no problem at all--other
than exhaustion! You can't keep that up for more than a minute!

That you are *counting* strokes/pumps, presumably as in
repetitions in a set of weights, indicates a contrary method to mine or
Schwartz's. We do our stuff rel. to time or run duration, not by
counting. In fact, it would be nearly impossible to count my HH
strokes, as they are so varied and numerous.

Regardless of the weight used, the *speed* of the
stroke/pump/punch, whatever you choose to call it, *must* be a
*maximum*, to derive the *full muscular benefit of HH*. Otherwise, I
would strongly recommend walking/running *without* weights, and just
doing a traditional weight/machine workout with more substantial
weights. I never *comfortably* used over 3 #, altho for a while I was
routinely using 4 #, and occasionally 5 #, over an 1/2-1 hr walk/run
(Tibbets Brook Park). The upper body effect was amazing!

Briefly, I did an experiment: no HH for a month, just vigorous
weightlifting. Then a pretty good session of HH @ 3 lb.; almost died
from DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) the next day. What does that
say? At the least it says that the HH effect on muscle is
*qualitatively different* than that of weights/machines. I didn't do the
reverse test.

What this says is that motor-neuron recruitment *itself* is
speed dependent, and therefore the two training methods are
neurologically distinct, which is a very interesting result. The
reverse test (trad'l weights after HH training) probably would not see
the same DOMS, unless very heavy weights were used--but then much
heavier weights than normal usually does induce DOMS, if enough sets are
done.

I haven't done HH or running in years, but I think I am about
to start. I have been developing this HoloBarre stuff for some time,
which in fact uses some HH principles, but with bodyweight/fractions
thereof. My HB actually incorporates free weights (I'm going to be
advocating HoloBarre-style Barbells for Old Ladies), which I also have
not done in years, and am just beginning again--a lot of fun. No, I
won't be doing infomercials, cuz infomercial viewers won't likely
understand my system... or be able to afford it!

My debut will, in fact, be in... Architectural Digest (!), as my
system actually becomes, in some measure, a part of the structure of
one's house, which is also what engenders the near-zero footprint.

Kris
-------------------------------------------------------------------

9-15-02 10:31 am, I reply

Sounds like your system is for someone who's more committed to fitness than
I am. I like the rush of power I get from it as well as the improved
appearance and everything else, but I work in a school as a technology
facilitator and attend night school for a masters degree, and I live in a
smallish condo. I'm way too busy and otherwise limited right now to be
stepping up the pace on my exercise routine.

-John
******************************************************

9-17-02

Well, the fact that two very different approaches to HH apparently give
results speaks to the fundamental validity of HH. I know I was looking
like a Superman! The name of the game is experimentation, and throwing a
few punches, etc. will take but a few seconds. Just make sure not to
lock/hyperextend the elbow--practice, in fact, keeping the elbow about
10-15 deg. short of the full 180 deg. extension. It all becomes
addicting after a while. Just remember that in this case, speed is
proportional to muscular development. Also, you don't have to run/walk
with HH: Standing in one spot gives a hell of a workout. Then, you can
up the weight, as well as the speed. Music helps a lot--too much,
sometimes!

Best,

Kris
-------------------------------------------------------------------

10-9-02

Someone else emailed me about HH, and DID count reps: 4500 reps,
he claimed, in about 30-45 min!! Dats a lot of reps, even with piddling
3#!

Note that 3# is piddling only if moved slowly. Moved quickly, it
can in fact be massive. I will do calculations in a week or two to show
you the difference.

Also, a word of advice to newbies: If embarking on "fast" HH, learn
how to NOT lock your elbow, and start off GRADUALLY. The DOMS incurred
from prematurely fast HH can be absolutely incapacitating! Esp. for
people coming out of sedentary life styles. This type of person should
probably not arrive at full-tilt heavyhands until after at least a month
of progressive hand velocity. And preferably with some ancillary
calisthenics or other resistive training. As good as HH is, no exercise
is *totally* complete unto itself.

Best,
----------------------
Kristofer Hogg, ms, rd
HoloBarre Rehab/Fitness/Stretching Systems, Yonkers, NY
-------------------------------------------------------------------

9-16-02

My name is J. Syrell Anderson I have a degree in fitness and nutrition. I am
also a cert. personal trainer. I have a few quick questions for you if you
dont mind. The first one is totally off the subject but who is your web site
host? I am looking for a good one but I dont know were to start. Second, what
is the goal that you are trying to accomplish with walking with weights? Is it
for endurance, or mainly for fat loss?

Thank You,
J. Syrell Anderson Fitness Advisor
-----------------------------
9-17-02, I reply

Hello, J. I use [Freeservers.com]. You can host a web site for free with
them. I set one up for my condominium association. The drawbacks are that
they put a banner at the top of every page and you only get about 7 mb (which
is fine for mostly-text sites like the condominium association one.) Still,
it’s only ONE banner, it’s always the same size and in the same place (so you
can just leave the right amount of space for it, for example), and there are
no pop-ups associated with using the site yet. You can see what it looks like
at [http://grandville.4t.com].

My site with freeservers that has these Walking with Weights pages can be up
to 50 mb in size and costs me $60 per annum. I started with it just to have a
site that I could use to show off my latest stuff to friends and family, but I
later came up with the idea to make the walking with weights site and tacked
it in there as well.

My goal is to live the healthy, long life. Exercise has always been a part of
that equation for me. I like fitting into my pants instead of buying new ones
every time I go up a size, but strength, endurance, and overall feeling of
well-being are what I’m into.
-----------------------------
9-17-02
Thanks a lot for answering my questions. I actully raced walked with weights
this morning. I bet my arms will be sore in the morning!
Thanks Again

J. Syrell Anderson Fitness Advisor

Wednesday, March 5, 2003 7:11 PM

Much enjoyed your website. I have been doing Heavyhands for some years (basically
identical to your "Walking with Weights"), but having moved from the Deep South to
Western Washington state, I found that regular walking OUTDOORS during the "wet
season" to be virtually impossible. I needed something I could do INDOORS that was as
good or better, and I found it. You could call it "Stepping with Weights". I bought a "no-
hands" step machine (specifically the "Wellness Machine" from X-izer Industries), and
developed a routine of doing Heavyhands moves while stepping. I do 45-60 minutes at a
rate of about 86 steps/minute (4000+ "moves" in an hour), with some combination of 3-,
5-, or 7-pound weights ("cycling" the intensity up and down by changing weights but
keeping the pace constant).

The HUGE difference of this approach over simply walking Heavyhands is the much
greater involvement of the trunk muscles. Balancing on the stepper involves much more
effort than balancing while walking, with a MASSIVE gain on all of the trunk stabilizing
muscles (abs, lower back, etc.) It is like taking a blowtorch to your abdomen—forget
about crunches--this will get you a "six-pack" abdomen quicker than anything else. Add
to that the complete elimination of "lower back pain" due to similar involvement of
THOSE muscles.

Your advice to ramp up the weights very slowly is right on target. I developed a nice
case of tendonitis by trying to ramp up too fast. Fortunately, it went away on dropping
down in weight and ramping up over a longer time.

-Duane
---------------------------------
At 05:54 AM 03/08/2003 -0800:

Thanks for the feedback. I had some email conversations with Kris, the guy who is
promoting Heavyhands exercise. I can see the value of that method and its potential
advantage over my system. The way I do it is really a light workout compared to what
you guys are into.

-John
---------------------------------
Friday, March 7, 2003 6:27 AM

When I started out, I was doing light workouts (2 and 3 pound weights, times of half an
hour), but just by VERY gradually working up over the last year, I've reached the current
workout intensity. But the amazing thing is that THE WORKOUT DOESN'T FEEL
ANY MORE INTENSE. To my senses, the 5 pound weights feel about like the 2
pounders did back then.

I've about maxed out on increasing time (can't really spare more than an hour a day for
exercise) so the only avenue for further increase is to continue to add weight. I hope to
get up to using 10 pounders by about this time next year.

-Duane
---------------------------------
At 09:44 AM 03/09/2003 -0800:

The difference in my overall sense of well-being is major, also. I really feel like I'm
doing something special for myself. For instance, I work in a school as a technology
facilitator. My desk is in the outer part of the nurse's office. Each day, the germs of the
school march past me, often their hosts ask to use my phone. I have no worries. This
year I had one virus. It lasted all day on Super Bowl Sunday (jeesh!) No colds, even
though I go out every morning, practically no matter what the weather.

- John
---------------------------------
Saturday, March 8, 2003 2:51 PM

Now THAT is interesting. I notice a similar effect. For the last few years, I had been
plagued by multiple virus/cold attacks--seemed like one about every month or so during
the late fall, winter and early spring. This year, my resistance seems much enhanced--I've
only had two "bouts" with colds, and neither of those lasted as long as previously. The
only real change I have made is the increased Heavyhands workout.

- Duane

On 7/22/03 7:54 AM:

I stumbled across your excellent site, enjoyed your movies, and appreciate your sharing
your workout ideas with all of us on the web. I am an old Heavyhander who has
incorporated a pump and walk routine (very similar to yours) with a rope skipping/static
exercise routine from Ed Jackowski's 2 books, "Hold It! You're Exercising Wrong"
and "Escape Your Shape." Have you gotten into skipping rope? I have to agree with
Jackowski that no other exercise has such dramatic results while seeming to benefit
the whole body. I love doing it but know that it's not everyone's cup of tea. Also I enjoy
a change of pace and doing other workouts from Leo Schwartz's Heavyhands books.
All with light weights as it's easy to overdo it and end up with strain injuries.

I plan to incorporate more exercise routines with my class this coming school year.
Thanks again for all the work on your site and your advocacy for fitness.

-John Vassar

------------------------------------------
Right. My only change of pace is to ramp up the weights each summer. I just
started yesterday with the 6 pounders. I have recently realized the possible benefits
of heavyhands over my method, and I plan to look into it, I guess when I retire
in about a year, I will get to heavyhands. Trouble is, I'm always looking
into stuff. I recently bought myself a telescope the better to study the stars
and planets, etc., that I've been gazing at all these years on my morning walks.
Skipping rope is something I tried for about 20 minutes once, in the 70s. It seemed
like fun, but I lacked coordination, I think, and that was that.

- John Thomas

Wednesday, September 10, 2003 8:17 AM

I've been doing Heavyhands since its inception, and still use my original Heavyhands weights, the three and five pound screw-on type. I learned about Heavyhands from a co-worker in the early 1980's when I lived in NYC. He was quite a fit fellow in his late forties at the time.
However, Heavyhands theory was nothing new to me. My father, who was born in 1903, had a series of little booklets from that era called "Farmer Burns School of Wrestling and Physical Culture." (If you punch in that title on Google, you can locate them! It was fun to see them again after all these years.) In those booklets, which were yellowed and falling apart by the time I discovered them, Burns talked about a diet with lots of veggies and using light-weight dumb bells, and if you look at the series of exercises in the booklets, they have a theory similar but not exactly like Dr. Leonard Schwartz's of Heavyhands fame. Burns was was not into "bulking up." Being a pudgy but not fat kid at the age of fifteen and discovering girls, I used the Burn's theory to lose weight swiftly. I was amazed at its effectiveness.

When introduced to Heavyhands in my early thirties, I found it fit right into my life, as it could be done anywhere and at anytime. Inside it can be done walking/marching/jogging in place. When inside, I usually put on two pound ankle weights as well. Outside where I can stride, I leave the ankle weights at home. I have learned from others and through experience that walking with ankle weights is not good for knees!
Heavyhands is a great energizer. When finished with Heavyhands, one feels fit and refreshed, not beaten and dogged out - though it definitely can be performed as intensely as you want it to be depending upon how you feel at the time. In my fifties now, I have adjusted my exercise from my early thirties. Like you, I do it to feel good and to fit into my clothes. It is also a great workout for the stomach, especially the overhead exercise or any exercise that raises the weights above the shoulders. The Pilates theory of CORE workout is included with the use of Heavyhands.

I have learned "Lack of Time" is usually the greatest excuse people use to not exercise. All I have to do it pick up those little weights, go for a walk or step in place while in silence or listening to music or the radio. Having Lake Michigan only a few blocks away isn't bad either! I exercise to TIME not DISTANCE. I am not ruled by REPS or CIRCUITS. If I set the goal to half an hour, an hour or for forty-five minutes I am done. Simple. I prefer more time for reading! Speaking of which, I recently discovered a neat book at the library called "The Walker's Literary Companion."

Though I have always combined different types of exercise for variety, everything always has come back to Heavyhands (or Farmer Burns!) theory of the workout: Moving four limbs and combining strength and aerobics in the same workout. It is a HIGHLY EFFICIENT use of TIME and it makes working out fun. And all you have to be able to do is walk or walk in place! It can be done at any age.
For variety, in our basement we have some free weights (dumb bells) a treadmill, an old but efficient exercycle and a Total Gym - the inexpensive one that can be bought at the store. I also can use Heavyhands on the exercycle. And I use Heavyhands theory on the Total Gym.

When I travel I pack some exercise bands with a door anchor to loop them through, which I also adapt to the Heavyhands theory. The fun thing about this type of exercise is it stimulates the imagination. Reading the comments you and others have posted on your site are examples of how people each adapt it to their own needs and desired achievements!

Because I have bad knees, I wised up years ago and do not run anymore. Glucosamine Sulfate I highly recommend. It has been terrific. By not running, one eliminates the pounding on the knee. Yet the added hand weights, though light, are good for the thigh muscles. I walk with the three pound weights and step in place with the three or five pound weights. Heavy weights are NOT needed to keep toned and fit. Unbelievably, one and two pounders are enough, as long as you keep the hands moving. A friend of mine and his wife have two pound glove weights that are very nice.

One other neat little thing I do during my walk. At intermittent times I walk adding alternating toe-raisers for my calves. While doing this I alternate the overhead exercise to keep the rhythm of walking. Toe-raisers are so boring when done in place, but keeping a slight forward motion fools me into thinking I am getting somewhere! And of course, let's not fool anyone, diet (notice I did not say dieting) is the key. You literally are what you eat and drink. And if you take in too many calories by eating too much, and do not burn it off...

Nice to see your site. It gave me some more ideas. I enjoy the comments from others and learned from them, and wanted to share mine.
I'll leave you with a quote from the author, Bernard Malamud, from one of his books, The Tenants. "Walking keeps a thin man in shape."

John Lordan
Chicago

------------------------------------------

July 3, 2006 00:13:26 EDT

Still doing the heavyhands/walking with weights. Sometimes I use four pounders and on a rare occasion five, but usually three pounders and sometimes two pounders. Each has their advantages for a particular day/mood. Since last time I wrote, I’ve converted several people along the lake front in Chicago and got them “pumping” as well. One lady was using soup cans, which is fine, but her son finally went out and bought her some light weights for Christmas!

I am still the same weight, fit into my pants, just a few years older. Have a very conservatively cut suit I bought ten years ago and still fits. I find myself still finding variations and I will stop and do variations in place to break up the routine. Keeps it fun. Walking still 40 minutes and even a half hour is good, and I combine with tummy and leg exercises along the way (adding to the time) or when I get home. I have also started using the balance/stability ball at home using heavyhands theory. Improvisation. Lots of fun. And also use the weights with the ball doing sit-ups on the ball. Always looking for new things.

Last year I was in NYC for work for three months for work and had a great time along Riverside Drive with a great view of the mythic Hudson River from 93rd Street at the Statue of Joan of Arc to 72nd Street to the Statue of Eleanor Roosevelt and back again.  Two pretty dynamic women who influenced the world! Gave me inspiration!!! New York is such a great walking city. Stairs everywhere. Love it. Lived there for many years. Favorite place in all the world. One of my dearest friends who lives two blocks away from me is 80 and he has never driven a car! Always has walked. On the rare occasion, his wife will drive. On leave in WWII, he walked from Midtown to Coney Island and back. Two years ago, his doctor said, “Larry, you are the healthiest 78 year old I have ever seen.

Reminds me of my sister’s godmother and her husband. They both walked all their lives. Years ago, one day in the freezing weather in my hometown of Joliet, Illinois, I saw Emily walking along on the hardened snowpack of the street bending with the wind in her long wool overcoat. I stopped and asked her if she needed a ride. He eyes were watery from the cold and wind, but cheerily replied, “No, John. I’m just out on my daily promenade!” She was in her 80’s. Her husband lived to be 100. Always walked to work. Later, he was in a nursing home for several years, but almost to the day he died, he would still take a walk around the floors of the home!

Of course, my mother–in-law is 88. And I just took her to the doctor, and he said, “You know, you are a very young 88.” John, she never did any exercise in her life! Hated the thought of physical exertion in any way shape or form. Used to vacuum in her high heels. So, there you go. But, her strength is, she never gained weight. Good Irish stock.

I could die tomorrow – anyone can - but when I went to get a stress test prior to a minor operation two years ago, the cardiologist said, “Do you hate cardiologists?” (I knock on wood when I write that.) When I go. Let it be upright and walking!

As a 92 year old man we called “Old John” at the now gone McBurney YMCA in New York on 23rd Street said to me years ago, when I asked his secret of longevity, “Keep moving. A running river never freezes. No matter how much it hurts. No matter how long it takes, keep moving.” He was still leading an exercise class at 92!

Keep walking. Keep the site alive! Hope all is well.

Best, John Lordan

------------------------------------------

July 13, 2006

John, I'm up to 5 pounds (heavyhands) and 8 pounds (heavier weights-other routine). I'm still about the same weight, too, though my girlfriend told me, "You're getting stronger," a few months ago. I sometimes stop folks out walking and try to show them how weights would improve their workout, and I occasionally see others walking with weights on their own.

My father never gained any weight, but he was gone at age 72, though he drank and smoked to the end. But he never exercised himself. I promised myself to do better- to last longer.

Always good to hear from you. Keep in touch.

- John Thomas

Tuesday, November 18, 2003

I have been heavyhanding since about 1984, from my mid-thirties. One of the things that drew me to it was that Dr Schwartz wasn't some twenty something gym-bunny, having started in his late 40s and still going strong in his 70s the last time I looked. During that time, I have kept at it fairly consistently, varying my approach depending on goals, and as experience has suggested. Most of the points mentioned by others match my own experience. Definitely be conservative at first with weight and intensity, while muscles, tendons, and circulation adapt. Vary moves so muscle groups can recover. I can still get an intense workout with 3-pounders, say running or fast walking with a variety of movements - it's a matter of speed and movement choice. These days, my workouts are mainly outdoors, although for some years I worked mainly indoors. My present routines are based on a favourite core, but I often try new ideas to work specific muscle groups(e.g. for skiing), or just for a change.

About ten minutes of warm-up is best for me, rehearsing the moves I will use in the workout at lower pace. By the end of this I am at my workout level. At the other end (after 30-40 minutes), I do ten minutes of active cool-down, reversing the warm-up. Using this approach I virtually never suffer DOMS, even after intense workouts with high poundage (e.g. 30 minutes with 9 pounds at 90+% max heart rate). Sudden efforts from rest trigger a fight or flight‚ demand for blood from large internal organs like liver and kidneys. Progressive warm-up allows changes in circulatory demand to happen steadily, with less cumulative wear and tear on internal organs and cold muscles. The cool-down helps the heart to recover easily towards its pre-workout rate. I am not a medical professional, and what I have described is simply what works for me.

I also concur with the comments on speed and intensity. Chasing maximum work rate, steady pace distributed top and bottom will achieve the highest sustainable levels. But significant increases in muscle strength and tone come from power and intensity (mass x acceleration = momentum). One way to get both is Tabata intervals‚ (for a discussion, see Clarence Bass' website), which research shows achieve maximal gains in both aerobic and anaerobic capacity simultaneously. After warm-up at steady pace, do between six and eight 20-second intervals at maximum intensity, separated by ten-second rests. If four or five minutes like this sounds easy, try it and you will rapidly be disabused! The last two intervals should be very hard to complete. I use a range of moves, speeds and weights (e.g. pump and run with 5 pounders) for hi-intensity, and walking for the rests. After the interval work, I switch to steady state for the rest of the workout, depending on how much fat I need to burn! Other versions use 40- and 60-second high-intensity phases, with 20- and 30-second rest phases. Needless to say, consult your doctor before attempting any of this!

Overall, my poundages range from 3 to 22 depending on goals. Outdoors, I vary between 3 and 11 pounds, usually with the bulk at 5 lbs. As Dr Schwartz suggests, higher work-rates are often achieved with lower poundage, but long and short-lever medleys can keep work-rate high at any manageable hand-weight. I have always been cautious about increasing weights, and this has kept me virtually injury-free over almost 20 years. When attempting higher weights outdoors, bear in mind that the weight you set out with is the one you'll still be dragging at the finish! At heavier poundages, upper body power and intensity can be very high, particularly using short intervals, while working legs with semi-duck‚ and other variants (e.g. power-walk‚ which uses hamstrings as the main leg propellant).

Indoors, I use many classic Schwartz moves, depending on goals. Dipping (semi-squats) is good for ski conditioning, building power in the thighs. Walk or run in place with a range of long and short lever upper body moves are also good. What about those 22 pounders? Well, bench stepping is an indoor staple, height from eight to twelve inches, varying speed, range of movement and poundage. Spotting a shiny 10 kilo dumbbell one day, I thought ...? Starting slowly to accustom to the weight, within a month I could step 12 inches at level two‚ for five steady minutes, then five minutes of Tabata intervals at level 3, jogging in place for the rest phase. Working up to this stage, I went heavy as long as I could, and then switched to lighter weights. Even 11-pounders feel light after this! I think of this as heavyhand kettlebells, and it has produced worthwhile gains in strength and power.

By the way, I found the comments on step-machines interesting, as I have had similar experience with bench stepping, especially when arms go high and fast (level 3 or higher). Stepping 12 inches with 10 kilos high overhead presents a noticeable challenge to stabilising muscles! The usual disclaimers apply, but I have had no ill effects, and the power and intensity achieved is very high. Go intelligently and progressively and it is surprising how fast you progress. It's not this movement or this workout that matter, but progressing and staying injury and illness free over the long term.

It's good to hear that others are discovering the benefits of walking with weights. And I would add, the older you are the better it gets, and - go carefully out there!

David Nyman
York, England

Hi!

I am a personal trainer, and I just read your website. After reading it [while going 'wow'], I realized this is just the thing for a couple of elderly clients I work with. So the purpose of this email is to ask for your permission to use your system and reference your method. If I were to use it in any written form, i would credit you, formally, of course!

I can't afford to buy a license from your copywritten work, as I am poor also, as I am trying to make a living out of this type of work. You are welcome to visit my website, www.run2far.com

Sincerely,
Marie-J G.

February 12, 2005

Found your site on the Internet and thought I'd throw you a few thoughts about Heavyhands.

I'm an avid heavyhandser, though I probably go much higher than most people. The walk around my block is just a tad more than a mile. In the summer/fall/spring when it's warm outside, I usually do 2-3 miles while pumping weights. I alternate between 5's and 8's and 10-pounders. On occasion, for a change of pace, I'll do a half lap with 12's or 15's but these are really tough. I like to do level 2 or level 3 arm pumping, but mix it up with double ski poling - a favorite, flapping my arms at my sides and a variety of other moves. It took me a number of years to get up to weights this heavy. I did 3's then 5's for a long time, then 8's, then 10's. I have dumbbells from 1-10 pounds so there are days I'll take out 6's or 7's.

I love going light because you can do all kinds of things- boxing, swimming motions - the crawl and breast stroking motions work pretty well. With boxing you can do upper cuts, jabs, or the tai bo move where you do punch to opposite corners, across your body. Great for your abs.

If you can find the original Schwartz book, there is a great ab exercise that he uses. Lie on your back on floor or on a bench. Legs stretched out below, arms stretched out above. Fold your knees up and bring them to your chest. At the same time - making sure that your dumbbell carrying hands go to the outside of your knees - bring your arms down, crossing your knees on the outside.

Schwartz says he eventually worked up to 15 minutes straight on this one. And the more weight you use, the harder it is. I've gotten to six minutes, no more. A wimp compared to Schwartz.

In the winter, I either climb stairs while pumping heavy hands, which is really hard and may put most people's hearts into the red zone – or use a cinder block to go up and down while pumping weights. I use an old towel to keep the block from roughing up the carpet. Lately I've started using a heart monitor to make sure I don't go way overboard. I used to lift weights but don't belong to a gym so just do my heavyhands. Sometimes I'll do pullups or pushups -  the pullups especially are challenging.

I'm 50, and have been doing heavyhands for the last 10 years or so steadily. I've lost about 50 pounds of fat since starting and gained a good twenty pounds of muscle. I'm six feet tall and weigh about 212.

Have heard rumors that Schwartz is coming out with a new book. I loved the original, but it's really hard to find nowadays. The Walking book is good, but I'm a geek, I guess. I loved all the tables.

Nothing burns calories like Heavyhands. Like your site. Keep at it.

John Tracy
Andover, MN

April 7, 2005

Really enjoyed your site and commentary.  Thanks for taking the time to do it.

1)  I did a bit of HH walking last summer and just started again when the weather improved.  I'm up to 3 miles at just under 60 min.  What is a good pace . . . 3 MPH, 3.5 MPH . . . faster?

2)  I noticed that one of your responses talked about walking for TIME and not DISTANCE.  In running, I would say a 40 minute run is about the minimum you should do 3-4 times a week to stay fit.  Does the same apply to HH?

3)  I'm a bit confused about the discussion with the gentleman who advocates "speed."   Is he recommending that you punch while using HH?  I tried a "punching" session and it is a heck of a workout . . . but I'm not sure that the average person needs the stress.   Again, comparing it to running, this sounds like doing repeated sessions of all sprint work   (100 meters, 440s, etc).  Some sprint work is good once or even twice a week but too much can be damaging and can even make you less fit for longer runs.  What are your thoughts on moderate versus rapid HH?

John W.

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My reply:

A good pace would depend on your own state of cardiovascular health. I like to go fast enough to keep out of breath.

For details on workout program, I direct you to the source, Dr. Schwartz.

Kris Hogg advocates punching. So does Dr. Schwartz. Haven't tried it myself. Nor have I tried sprinting. I quicken my pace to adjust my breathing rate. To advise others to try something that could kill them doesn't seem apropos, though I am glad to see you are experimenting. I guess that's the most important thing to do with hh and exercise in general.

Regarding length of workout, I walk for about an hour, usually. I have several courses I use. The more I walk, the better I feel, but I have other things to do in a normal day. If you're looking for a guide for yourself, experiment. I don't know what else to say about it.

We walk to a 7-11 near us, get a cup of coffee to share, and just head back the same way we came. I'm curious: do you caffeine yourself up before or during your walk?

John T.

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On Apr 8, 2005, at 11:17 AM, John Wintels replied:

No . . . no caffeine . . . but I will try that.

I work out of the home trading the commodity markets.   My usual workout goes something like this:  I unwind myself from my computer chair at around 3:00 . .. stumble into the living room and fall asleep in my TV chair for about an hour.  Then I stumble into the workout room and lift weights and row on a Concept 2 Rower. 

I added HH back in March but the three mile walk (around 60 min) seems to tear up my feet and ankles . . . lots of pain the next day.  I did a 40 min walk last night (2 miles) and am OK today.

So . . . I think 2 miles 4-5 times a week is better than 3 miles three times a week . . . at least right now.

The reason I asked you the question relates to running.  I've always heard that the first 40 minutes is when you burn the sugar and then anything after is when you burn fat.  Just wondering if the same thing applied to HH.

Actually though, it's a non-issue right now since I'm having trouble doing more than 40 minutes!  I gained a lot of weight since I retired from the Army . . . not used to all this good living and good food!

Regards, John W.

Copyright 2002, last updated April 24, 2009
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