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.