ULTIMATE STRENGTH WORKOUT “FARMER’S WALK”

                                                

A GREAT TEST OF STRENGTH AND ATHLETICISM

One simple and easy exercise you can do is called the farmer's walk. It's a staple of Strongman competitions - usually involving stuff like anvils or gigantic "torpedoes" festooned with 45-pound weight plates. It's also a staple of strongman training, and it could be part of yours.

Why do the Farmer's Walk?

- Easy to do it right; it requires a fairly low movement IQ. Can you walk? If yes, then you can farmers walk.

- Grip strength; if your forearms are not burning by the end then pick a heavier weight or go for a longer walk.

- Upper Back; it gets fried.

- Trunk Strength

How to do it?

                                                                                  

 The basic version is simple - grab two heavy objects and walk for distance, speed, or time. What those objects are doesn't matter too much. Dumbbells work pretty well, but heavy ones get difficult as the weights tend to restrict the range of motion of your steps. Barbells can be awkward to load. Non-traditional weights can be extremely specific - try buckets full of sand or water, loaded suitcases (which often come with ergonomic handles), or whatever. I've done farmer's walks pinch-gripping compact car tires (for training) and 18L containers of kerosene (to get the kerosene home from the store). If the weights are uneven or mismatched, try walking halfway to your goal and then quickly setting them down and switching - it's usually easier to turn around, grab them and then turn back around with them than to swap them on the ground.

Just whatever you pick up, make it heavy. This isn't "heavy hands" race-walking. You want something you can't just casually swing back and forth. The goal is to carry a heavy object, so something weighty that can stand being dropped or set down roughly is ideal.

Walk until you can't hold the weights anymore, then drop them or place them on the ground. That's pretty much it. You can squat down, pick them back up, and walk more, which is fine when you're going for distance or just want extra work. Or if you're "farmer's walk training" is actually "bringing home heavy things from the store" and you can't just leave them on the sidewalk.

Why do I want to do these? Because this is as functional and basic an exercise as you can get. You're picking up heavy objects and getting them from one place to another. That's what functional training is all about - moving furniture, toting groceries, carrying stuff.

As for muscles, they'll work your shoulders and upper back (as you struggle to keep the weight up), your forearms and grip (as you try to hold on as long as possible), your gluteals and your legs (as you walk, probably with short strides, under a heavy load). Your abdominals and lower back will have to stabilize you, and so will your hips. Pretty much the only part of your body that won't work too hard are your upper arms and chest, but they're not wholly excluded, they just don't do too much in the basic version of the farmer's walk.

There are a variety of ways to perform or set up this event. Variables include the weight used per hand, the distance that must be traveled and the route. As far as the weight goes, you may see weights used from 180 lbs per hand to 330 pounds per hand, depending on the level of the athlete that is being tested. When it comes to distance, this is related to the weight. If the weight is on the lighter end of the above mentioned, the distance will be farther. For example, the weight may be 220 pounds per hand, while the distance is 125-250 feet. The weight may not seem like much, but after that distance the hand and forearm grip tires quickly.

As for the route, often times the distance traveled includes turns. It may be a 90-degree turn or 180-degree turn. The athlete may have to go 200 feet total - 100 ft. down, turn around and go back to the start line. This turn is a very difficult thing to deal with then you have your body's momentum and 400-plus pounds going as well. Any combination of the above variables may be used. One competition used 330 pounds per hand and each athlete had to first lift the weight (remember that's a 660-pound deadlift) and then they would go as far as possible. Some may go 5 feet, some 50-plus feet! Other times, when smaller or newer athletes are involved, the weight will be around 200 pounds and the distance 100-150 feet without a turn.

Another issue that is involved is setting the weight down. When the grip and upper back tires, an athlete may drop the weights and rest for a few moments then proceed on. Some competitions allow unlimited drops and some only allow one or two. When time is involved, each time that the weights are dropped, more time goes by. Therefore, a good grip and proper practice and technique are crucial for success.

THE IMPLEMENTS

There is one popular source for strongman equipment. Mastiff Strength Equipment (www.mastiffstrength.com) is a great source of outstanding quality products. However if money is an issue, this may not be a viable option for you. To get the training benefit of grip, back and leg strength as well as agility by practicing the farmers carry event or to improve you technique for a future competition, you must practice. If you cannot afford the equipment, I've come up with a reasonably priced option. This is a more life-like option that replicates the feel of a farmer's carry implement - better than a set of dumbbells anyway.

You'll need:

1. 12+ feet of nylon webbing or steel cable

2. 2 pieces of pipe (6' X 1 3/4") (they call them "nipples" in the plumbing dept)

3. 2 pieces of pipe (6' X 1 1/4")

Cut the length of webbing or cable into two pieces. Tie the ends together so you have a loop/circle. Pinch one part of the loop together and thread it through the pipe so it looks like an "8" with the pipe in the middle of the "8".

Once you have each loop hanging out of the pipe at each end and the knot or connection point inside the pipe, loop each loop around each end of the dumbbell you want to use. In the picture below, a 100-pound dumbbell is being used. The great part about this is that you can remove it after you're done training and take it with you. You can also go to lighter or heavier dumbbells in the same workout with relative ease. To make the change easier, put large hooks on each loop so you can easily attach and detach the apparatus to a dumbbell or barbell.

Here you can see the nylon webbing (like a seatbelt) used with 100-pounders.

                                                                                   

Here an athlete is dong shrugs with the apparatus attached to dumbbells. This trains the traps and grip as well as gives the person the "feel" of the farmers walk.