Farmer's Walk
Pick up two heavy objects and walk a set distance with them. Longer distance with lighter objects, and shorter distance with heavier ones. It is important that you hold the weights with your lats, this means not allowing the weights to lean against your thighs as you walk. The farmer's walk is usually regarded as a self-limiting exercise, in the simplest term, it meant an exercise that is limited by factors that would prevent you from seriously injuring yourself. In the case of the farmer's walk, your grip would give way and stop you from continuing, before your back or shoulder does so.
Equipment
In the video, I used 3 different pieces of equipment, weight plates, dumbbells and jerrycans. You can use dedicated farmer's walk bars, trap bars, barbells, sandbags and more. Generally the weight on both sides are the same. You can however carry different weights on either side in an uneven farmer's walk, this will push your oblique (side abs) a little harder.
Location and Surface
Walking on different surfaces give you a different challenge each time. Start with moving on flat, even and hard surfaces, like concrete floor, gym floor or playing court. Move on to moving on uneven surfaces, up and down stairs, and even natural slopes. If you are training for a Spartan race, your aim is to be able to move on any type of surface under a load. In the races I did so far, I only came across the farmer's walk in Australia. But the farmer's walk would prove to be a valuable training tool for sandbag carry, bucket brigade and the atlas carry.
Grip Type
You will be training two types of grip with the farmer's walk, the support grip and the pinch grip.
The support grip is the grip strength in holding an object between your fingers and the palm of your hand. The pinch grip is the grip strength in holding an object between the fingers and the thumb. The type of grip you utilized is dependent more on you than on the equipment. Weight plates are definitely better for pinch grip, and dumbbells for support grip, but you can still grab a weight plate with support grip and pinch a dumbbell.
The Benefit
The farmer's walk does not divide your body into upper or lower. The farmer's walk punish your body as a whole, making it an effective whole body exercise. The farmer's walk is great for training your grip, and mixing up different type of equipment with different grip type would ensure you train every aspect of grip strength. The farmer's walk is a great core workout, every step you take, your core works hard to ensure that your body remain straight and strong, moving on uneven surfaces or with uneven weights give you a harder workout.
Regression and Progression
One simple rule to follow with carry exercises like the farmer's walk. Longer distances with lighter weights, shorter distances with heavier weights. Make slow progression by starting with walking on a flat and even surface, once you get the hang of it, challenge yourself by walking up and down stairs, or on natural surfaces and slopes.
Lin Yimian, CSCS, SGX
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