Farmer' Walks (Loaded Carries) Part 4

Before adding any of these exercises to your loaded carries, you should be able to perform them with the proper technique. 

What can you do once you are comfortable with the basic forms of Farmer's Walks or Loaded Carries?

How about combining them with other exercises like squats, lunges, hip hinges, overhead presses, etc? This will give you a level on conditioning in a very short time that usually would take a lot longer. This is a form of interval training.

Nick has a great article describing a variety of Farmer's Walks

This video is from his Performance U channel on youtube.

Last time I talked about how you can increase the intensity of Farmer's Walks simply by carrying the weights at higher levels. (on the upper chest, shoulders or overhead) The higher, the tougher:

Use about half the weight you can use overhead while walking;

A: Begin walking with the weights held at hip height

 

B. Walk for 10 - 20 seconds

C. Stop walking

D. Perform a strength training exercise for 8 - 12 reps (Ex, Squats)



E. Walk another 10 - 20 seconds.

F. Stop and perform a different strength training exercise. (Ex. Overhead Presses)



G. Repeat this sequence for a predetermined amount of time (2 - 4 minutes) Pick a different strength exercise each time you stop walking.

Two Legged Straight Legged Deadlift

One Legged Straight Legged Deadlift

Reverse Lunges

 
H. Rest for 2 - 4 minutes.

I. Repeat entire sequence 2 - 4 times.

The only limit you have is your imagination.

Farmer's Walks (Loaded Carries) Part 3

I just had to add this pic.

In the two previous blog post I have covered the basics of Farmer's Walks or Loaded Carries.

Today I am going to cover how to add more variety to these exercises.

Uneven Farmer's Walks

One of the simplest ways to add more challenges is to carry different weights in each hand. The key to this is being able to keep the pelvis level while doing it.


It is recommended that the difference in the weights be no more than 15 pounds. So if you have 15 pounds in one hand, carry no more than 30 in the other.


Another way to add variety would be to only have a weight in one hand.

Notice how they un-level their pelvises/shoulders are? They should be using lighter weights.

With each of these examples, be sure to repeat the walks/carries with the weights in the opposite hand.

As mentioned in my previous blog post, to make it more challenging, the higher the weights, the tougher. Carry one weight overhead while carrying the other at hip height.

Once this gets easy, add a weight vest.

In this example the weights can be the same for both arms. Repeat with the arm positions being reversed.

The key to all these is to be sure to use good posture throughout the movement. If you can't hold your posture correctly, you are using too much weight. Master the movement before using more weight.

Next week I will talk about other ways to add variety to these carries.

Farmer's Walks (Loaded Carries) Part Two

To paraphrase one of my mentors Mike Boyle: I have stolen every great idea that I have.
What do I mean by this: There are not too many new ideas on how to train clients.The key is being able to find the right information. As a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association I get to read information from many great trainers from all over the world.

Why should I "reinvent the wheel" when other trainers have already discovered what works when training clients? The greatest ideas are usually also the simplest. Farmer's Walks or Loaded Carries fall under this idea.

I recommend having someone qualified show you how to perform these before trying them on your own. The easiest way to get injured whenever exercising is to use improper form/technique.

Basic Farmer's Walks

I covered the basic concept behind Farmer's Walks or Loaded Carries last time. Today I am going to go into more detail on the simplest of many varieties of these great exercises.

I have been doing a lot of reading of Dan John's training philosophies. He is the one who has convinced me to learn more about using Farmer's Walks for my own conditioning as well as most of my clients.  

How can you add variety to your loaded carries?

There are 3 main variations to them: The basic concept is the higher the weights are held, the more difficult it is to walk with them in your hands.

Variation 1: Weights in your hands by your hips. Image taken from Nick Tumminello article

Nick is also an expert on Farmer's Walks

This is the easiest way to begin. Hold a weight by your sides and begin walking.
Like I said last week, be sure to hold the correct posture while walking.

Variation 2: Weights held in front of your shoulders/upper chest/upper back. You can use anything you can think of: Weights, Sand Bags, Loaded Back Packs, The Family Pet.





Variation 3: Weights held over head. This will really challenge your posture. Be sure to start with a very conservative weight. Stop before getting fatigued.You never want to risk dropping the weight from overhead.







Next week I will talk about other variations to these movements. You are only limited by your imagination.

Farmer's Walks.

Farmer's Walks using Dumbbells

 Some times the solution to a problem can be very simple. (Simple doesn't always mean easy)

A great example of this is picking out exercises to get stronger. There are so many exercises out there that it is confusing picking which ones to use to. Today's blog post is about something that worked hundreds of years ago, and will still work for you today. (Walk while carrying something heavy)

If you have ever watched a strong man competition, you have probably seen Farmer's Walks.

Lately I have been reading and watching a lot about Farmer's Walks. You can also call them loaded carries, suit case carries or what ever name works for you. There are many variations, but today I will only cover the basic movement.

Why should you consider adding Farmer's Walks to your strength building routine?
  

1. They are easy to learn. If you can walk, you can learn how to Walk like a Farmer.
2. They build strength in your entire body. (Head to Toes, Heart, Muscles and Bones)
3. They teach you how to use proper posture while moving.
4. They can help you lose weight
5. The strength you build carries over when doing activities such as: cutting the grass, walking up and down stairs, carrying  groceries in from the car, etc.       

I'm sure there are many other benefits to Farmer's Walks.

How should you begin using Farmer's Walks?

1. Begin with a Dynamic mobility warm up to prepare your body for this challenge.
2. Be sure you know how to hold the proper posture before adding any weight to your movements.              

Great Posture

Lousy Upper Back Posture

If you look at enough pictures of Farmer's Walks, you are going to see a lot of bad posture. If you can't keep your head and shoulders in the correct spots, you shouldn't be holding weights in your hands while walking.

     3. Begin using very light weights (5 to 10 pounds in each hand)
     4. Walk for 30 to 90 seconds or until your grip gives out. The length and speed of your steps is dependent on what you can control. As the weights get heavier, the length of your strides will become smaller and the speed you are walking will slow down.  
     5. Recover for 30 - 90 seconds depending on the intensity of your walk. 
     6. Repeat this from 3 - 6 times. 
     7. Be sure to keep a slight bend (don't lock out your knees) as you walk. This will protect your knees.
      8. Be sure to master the movement before increasing the intensity. Any time you add a new exercise, error on the side of caution. The easiest way to get injured is to have your body do something it isn't prepared for. (Too Much, Too Soon.)

I recommend only performing Farmer's Walks twice per week. They can be done after a regular strength training session for more of a cardio conditioning drill. You can work on using the same weight for longer periods to build endurance, use heavier weights for more strength or any combination of the two. An Ex. Once per week use them more for strength and once per week use them more for endurance. 


There are many ways to add more challenges to Farmer's Walks. In my next post, I will discuss how to add more challenges (where you carry the weights can make a big difference) to you Farmer's Walks when you are ready for that.

Recovery (the most important part of your exercise program)

There is a ton of information on the net about workouts. What exercises are best for what? How long should you exercise? What is the best way to lose body fat? Etc.

What most of this information is lacking is the most important part of any exercise program. How should you recover from your workouts. Make this one of your resolutions this year, and you will end the year in better shape than you though possible.

What the ratio should look like when you are younger:

Work - Rest - Recover  - Adapt    

What the ratio should look like when you are older:

Work - Rest - Recover - Adapt

There are 3 main types of exercisers. Those that do too little (the most common type (the couch potato) who have the recovery portion mastered), those that do too much (self driven types who don't focus enough on recovery and are over-training) and those that know how to properly recover. (The least common type) 


My first job in the Fitness Field (at the age of 27) was at Wettterau Incorporated's Employee Fitness Center.
 

They had converted a warehouse into a multipurpose area with a 1/11 of a mile track, 2 basketball courts with one used primarily as a volleyball court, a tennis court in the center, a weight room, a exercise class room and an aerobic machine area. 

On any given day I might play basketball, volleyball, tennis and/or teach an exercise class. After work I would usually spend some time in the weight room. This is what began my development as the perfect example of over-training.

Overtraining can put you on the road to no where.

It was a lot of fun, and an easy way to stay in shape. I didn't realize at the time that I would pay for this years later. It would also be much harder to keep up that routine at my current age of 50. Why? The older we get, the longer it takes to recover from workouts.

I would hear older athletes talk about it. Up until the age of 45 I didn't think this applied to me. What a difference a few years make. Time (and overtraining) have convinced me that the most important part of any exercise program is how your body recovers and adapts to the stress you expose it to.

In the fall of 2011 I began to realize that something needed to change. My legs were no longer recovering between workouts like they should. My knees would hurt any time I tried to squat. It took a few months to figure out that the main cause of this pain was a set of very tight hip flexor muscles.

Spending so much time in the hip flexed position on my road bike combined with too much time seated were the main reasons for the pain.

Now I do a lot of this!

and This!

And Rumble Rolling

I have been a NSCA Certified Personal Trainer since 1996.  While studying for the certification exam, very little of the information focused on how to make sure clients recover properly between workouts. Foam rolling was something very few people knew about. Now their are classes that consist on nothing but foam rolling. If you haven't tried it, foam rolling can do wonderful things when in comes to recovering from a tough workout.

I always begin each sessions with my clients talking about how they are recovering from their workouts. If they are still a little sore from a previous workout, we better make sure to take it easier this time.  Recovery is always more important than work. You can always add to the amount of work you are doing if you are recovering properly. Your body will stop adapting (which is when it is stronger) without enough recovery.

Hidden-signs-of-overtraining from Dr. Mercola's web site

How many of theses signs are you over-driven types showing?

A few years ago I had a client named Elmo. One of his favorite comments was "we better not overdue". It took me a few years to realize that Elmo was right.

If you are having trouble getting stronger, maybe you don't need to push yourself harder, maybe you need to rest more. Always focus on how you are recovering and adapting from your workouts. It is the most important part of your routine.