Farmer's Walk

[sdb]

Can someone find me a good description/video on this??

[/\/\ichael]

May I ask why are you wondering?

[b.spencer]

From Dave Draper's website:

Farmers Walk

The Farmer's Walk is a deceptively simple exercise that pays big benefits in grip strength and coordinated body effort. It is so named because it resembles a farmer carrying buckets of grain or feed in each hand while doing chores.

It may be done in one of two ways, depending upon what you want to achieve with the movement.

If training for pure strength, you will need to use two heavy dumbbells. By "heavy," I mean that the combined weight of the dumbbells should equal your bodyweight or slightly less to start. Deadlift these dumbbells or pick them out of the rack and simply walk with them, while holding them at arm's length at your sides. Walk with them until you have to set them down or they fall from your hands. Rest for a few moments, then pick them up and return. Your eventual goal would be to use bodyweight (or more) in each hand. The distances when using real heavy dumbbells will be short...sometimes as short as ten steps.

(Obviously, if you train in a commercial gym, you'll want to set the dumbbells down gently...lest your incur the wrath of the manager or owner.)

The other way of training the Farmer's Walk is to select medium weight dumbbells (40-60 lbs.) and simply walk for distance. This trains the grip endurance as well as the strength. If I may be so rude as to use myself for an example, I've done 3/10 of a mile with a pair of 40s, before they clawed their way out of my hands. This is best performed outside or on a track but you could walk the perimeter of the gym floor, accompanied by the amazed stares of "less serious" trainees.

Either way, the Farmer's Walk will vigorously work the grip and the trapezius, as well as having some fair systemic benefit. It is considered a "finishing" exercise...one that is done at the end of a workout. It taxes the grip too much to be placed in any other position during the workout and would limit your other exercises. Try this exercise for a while and you'll have a new appreciation of the strength of the farmer....

Most all of the Youtube vids show the pure strength version (strong man):
YouTube - DeFrancosTraining.com - 172 lb. farmers walk

Here's one using kettlebells using non-power weights for distance/time. Al least you can see both good form and bad form:
YouTube - UKKA Farmers Walks

[sdb]

Originally Posted by /\/\ichael

May I ask why are you wondering?

I saw it in M&F once and I've never really understood it.


thanks spencer. that's kinda what i thought it was mimicking.

[Malley]

Good stuff for grip, traps, and core. But deadlifts can take care of that for ya!

[EricT]

There are all sorts of cool things you can do with farmers walks.

What I got into doing lately was "off-sets". Once you get used to the farmer's walk you can change the stress on the core by holding one implement in the standard farmers walk position and another one overhead. Of course you switch hands to make things even.

Most will just use dumbells but you can use kettlegballs, sandbags, whatever. You don't have to use the same thing in each hand. And of course the weight overhead doesn't have to be as heavy as the weight held at hip level.

You can also hold on in a front loaded position...shoulder height. Or both in front loaded. Creativity is your only limit.

Of course you could sometimes load just one side and this would offset it as well. It all just depends if you primarily want to emphasize supporting grip or also emphasise core training effects. Not that just doing it the regular way doesn't train your core...but you know what I mean..

Just ideas to throw into the bunch.

[XiL3]

Originally Posted by Malley

Good stuff for grip, traps, and core. But deadlifts can take care of that for ya!

I wouldn't rely on deadlifts for grip though. Or sacrifice weight on deadlifts to help grip. I'd rather go heavier on deadlifts than limit myself to what I can hold raw DOH. Static Holds are a great easy way to improve grip.

[_Wolf_]

Originally Posted by Malley

Good stuff for grip, traps, and core. But deadlifts can take care of that for ya!

farmers walks help with grip problems on the deadlift.

[strawser9]

Originally Posted by _Wolf_

farmers walks help with grip problems on the deadlift.

straps and chalk also help with grip problems

and, for the record, so does actually DOING deadlifts.

[_Wolf_]

Originally Posted by strawser9

straps and chalk also help with grip problems

they don't help get your grip stronger. its just a way around the problem.

and, for the record, so does actually DOING deadlifts.

no one said otherwise.

[strawser9]

Originally Posted by XiL3

I wouldn't rely on deadlifts for grip though. Or sacrifice weight on deadlifts to help grip. I'd rather go heavier on deadlifts than limit myself to what I can hold raw DOH. Static Holds are a great easy way to improve grip.

Originally Posted by _Wolf_

they don't help get your grip stronger. its just a way around the problem.

[quote[and, for the record, so does actually DOING deadlifts.

no one said otherwise.

sounds like someone did to me...

[EricT]

Ummm...it looks like Wolf was responding to your statement about straps and chalk since he quoted it.

My number one way to keep up supporting grip on deads is simply using a pronated (double-overhand) grip for everything but the heaviest deads...basically everything that I can.

Some static holds thrown in at the end of a dead session are great.

Thick bar work whether with deads or with dead hangs help a lot. The way I accomplished this was to simply take an old bicycle intertube, cut it into a bar length pice and spit it down the middle. Then I can simply place it around the bar and temporarily secure it it in a couple of places with some tape (really optional since the rubber will stay on the bar just by gripping it). That widens the bar just enough. Jimmy Smith (dieselcrew) outlines getting a piece of pvc pipe and putting that on the bar.

Plate pinches are also great.

Farmers walk although they of course help with grip endurance really make you better at doing farmers walks rather than supporting deadlift grip. Simply becasue the weights are a bit light. Every little bit helps though.

[strawser9]

he responded to both parts of my post...

and that is the same way I do deads. double-overhand, until I get up to 405, then its over-under + straps!

[Malley]

If u cannot hold onto your weight then dont do it. Of course thats coming from my powerlifting background. Your only as strong as your weakest link. Grip work at the end of a workout is fine, but to do a farmers walk early is silly unless your main focus on the day is grip. I used to do grip work on off days all the time. If you can use chalk do so, but if you can get away from straps defnitly do!