Heavy walkouts -- a little dangerous?

[Fluidic Kimbo]

Before I squat my 1 rep max every weekend, I do a few heavy walkouts with 110% the weight of my 1 rep max.

So two days ago I was preparing to do a 100kg squat, and so I did a few heavy walkouts with 110kg. Previously my heavy walkouts were very simple and short, I'd take two or three steps backward, wait a second, then walk back in and re-rack it. Well in the past 2 or 3 weeks, I've been walking backward as far as I can, then walking back in (but not racking it), then walking back out again, then walking back in, maybe 3 times before I rack it again.

So anyway two days ago, I had already done two heavy walkouts, and I was taking a rest before my third one. On my third one, I walked backward, then walked back in, then walked back out again, and then I felt a tweak in my upper back and I was worried I might not get it back in to rack it, but fortunately I did. I didn't do myself any serious damage but my back is still sore now two days later.

110kg pushing down on my shoulders and spine is quite a lot for my 70kg frame. Are heavy walkouts relatively safe, or should I keep them short and only do one or two?

[Nerveblock67]

You should be cycling poundages and exercises, but you are insistent upon doing heavy singles with your 100kg weight every week. This is going to get to you, whether you are doing walk outs or not. BTW, this is what pretty much everyone said when you asked about doing heavy singles every week, but you ignored that advice. Consider the tweak in your upper back to be nature's way of saying "you should be listening to the people trying to help you".

I would DEFINITELY not be doing walkouts for an extended period of time, nor would I execute them in the manner that you are. Get the weight on your back, walk it out, then re-rack it. That's all. Do them for 3 weeks or so and then rotate them out. If you want to do loaded carries (which is kind of what you are doing), grab a couple of dumbbells and farmers walk to your heart's content.

Agreed. Remember you're going OVER your max. You're putting your body under a load that by its nature is dangerous and then walking backward with it which is not the most natural movement. They're a good movement to incorporate but definitely have diminishing returns when cycling them like you are. Just do them normally.

[Cuz]

Progressive overload is needed. I believe in doing heavy negatives, if u cant press it the negative is still beneficial. This is how I went from benching 135 to 405 under 4 years

[scotty51312]

I agree with cuz.. instead of doing walkouts with that 110% set the rack bars to catch the bar close to the bottom of your squat with that 110%
Don't even think about lifting that weight, think about setting it on the bars as slowly and as controlled as possible. Pull the weights off. put the bar up put the weights back on and repeat 2 or 3 times every leg day. Just my .02

[Fluidic Kimbo]

I agree with cuz.. instead of doing walkouts with that 110% set the rack bars to catch the bar close to the bottom of your squat with that 110%
Don't even think about lifting that weight, think about setting it on the bars as slowly and as controlled as possible. Pull the weights off. put the bar up put the weights back on and repeat 2 or 3 times every leg day. Just my .02

This actually makes sense. I might load the bar to 102.5kg and just bring it down slowly and rest it on the safety bars. This is a lot safer than walking backwards and forwards with a weight that feels like it's gonna pop my back out.

I have actually squatted 102.5kg successfully before, but for the time being I just wanna get very very very comfortable squatting 100kg. So from now on instead of heavy walkouts I'll just lower down slowly with 102.5 - 105 kg.

[Fluidic Kimbo]

My back's still sore so I didn't do any deadlifts or squats last week. I might not do any deadlifts or squats this week either.

[Narkissos]

Heavy anything is potentially dangerous.
We walk a dangerous line each time we step into the gym.
It really doesn't take much to tip the scale.

That said, there's benefit to what you're doing... provided that you programme it sensibly.

Do you do loaded carries otherwise?