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Some of my best friends in college were my power lifting and weightlifting buddies. It is easy to remember many great memories. However, there is one day specifically that always seems to rise to the surface. We all agreed that night that our bodies hadn’t been destroyed enough during our prior workout. Therefore, we decided we would hit the library’s stairwell to perform some fireman carries. Undoubtedly you would be surprised just how heavy a 225-pound man feels when you have him draped over you shoulders when you are transporting him up a total of seven flights of stairs! We had no idea the wisdom we had beyond our years. However, we did have the strength to be able to provide it. (Of course, I can’t say that our enthusiasm was shared by campus security!)
If you happen to be a strongman whose only priority is to lift heavy things from the ground, but you haven’t ever tried some unconventional methods of attempting to achieve serious strength, then I highly recommend that you continue to read.
Our bodies, as you well know, are capable of being able to perform incredible feats. However, solely relying on bench presses, deadlifts, squats and other kinds of standard movements for filling your regimen up isn’t sufficient. If you put yourself in the position requiring use of your shoulders, legs, low back, forearms and hands in strange new ways, that can only help with your favourite lifts. We aren’t suggesting you go over to your local library. However, we are encouraging you to use different challenges to test yourself with.
A Difficult Walk
The farmer’s walk is an example of the kind that isn’t practiced as often as it should be. The suitcase method is the most common kind, where you just walk as far as possible carrying a heavy amount of weight like you were carrying heavy suitcases. The exercise appears fairly basic to casual observers. However, if you have ever attempted to carry dumbbells from one side of the gym over to the other, you’ll know that there is lots that goes on. If you haven’t tried it, then you have missed out on one of the most effective exercises for improving your strength. Here is the reason why:
- Grasp for Strength. With each step you take, the farmer’s walk tests your forearms and hands in unique ways. It is not only difficult holding heavy weight from the standing position, also with each step taken there is a slight up-and-down kind of movement that severely tests your grip strength.
- Your biceps, shoulders, upper traps and low back are also targeted. All the way from your low back up to your upper trapezoids, shoulder girdles and biceps tendons as well, very few muscles are kept out of the loop with the farmer’s walk. In order to control the weight that is at your sides uses angles and muscles that are not frequently used in standard workouts.
- Don’t forget about your core. From your obliques to your innermost transverse abdominis, your complete core will be severely tested. We are aware of the fact that the entire concept of “core” training might seem a bit girlish, however the fact is, the world’s strongest cores are those of strength athletes who experiment with these kinds of unconventional tactics in addition to mastering squats and deadlifts.
- Don’t forget about your legs. Your legs are the entire foundation upon which all of this work is performed. However, don’t ever doubt that your glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves are recruited and fully engaged.
Tools Of A Farmer
We highly recommend that you get as creative as you would like (safely, of course). Dumbbells are obviously the most accessible of all the tools. However, if there is a trap bar at your gym, you can definitely step inside of it and then do your walking. That is all you really need to have: a bit of space and some heavy weight. If you don’t have any dumbbells but do your training at home, purchase some 50-gallon water jugs. You can reuse them filled with sand or water. One thing that is great about water jugs is you can make use of the drop-set mentality on every walk. When you start to fail, some of the contents can be dumped out and then you can continue. Your distance traveled over time before you fail will continue to increase, which will be an indication of an increase in stamina and strength. A very serious endurance effect is included with the farmer’s walk.
You may want to get some chalk as well. We aren’t recommending that pulling straps be used on the farmers walk. However, your hands will have a tendency to get sweaty (particularly if you do your training outdoors). Chalk will help with maintaining a tight grip.
You may also be wondering the amount of weight you should carry. That’s a very good question. Simply put, the answer is to carry as much weight as you can. You will soon notice that not much weight needs to be carried before you start to to destroy you low back, traps and hands, so experiment with the amount of weight. On the first coupe of trials you will be able to gauge the weight you choose for performing dumbbell shrugs and then take it from there. Try doing the farmer’s walk just once a week so that you have complete recovery and rest time following every weighted walk, preferably following any exercise requiring a strong grip to be maintained.
How To Perform The Farmers Walk
Try one of the following weighted walking exercises for the distances and sets that are recommended.
- Overhead Weighted Walk: Hold a dumbbell, weight plate, water jug or sandbag straight overhead. Then walk from point A over to point B and then back again.
- Jug or Keg Walks: Bear hug either a water jug or keg (a tree stump will also work) and walk the distance that has been designated. Squeeze the object to your chest tightly.
- Walk Workout Exercise: Farmer’s Walk Distance Is Set at 30 steps (30 steps forward and then 30 steps back)
If you are unable to make the entire distance, stop and drop the weight carefully. (Make sure to bend your knees; you don’t want to risk your back getting injured by bending over). Before you continue to walk again, rest for as short a time as possible. However, keep in mind that you will be picking the weight up from a dead stop, and then practically deadlifting into the standin
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