Farmers walks

[chubbman]

I'm thinking of adding farmers walks to my workouts, just wanted some thoughts opinions on the exercise. Do you do them? How often? So on and so forth

 

[MMA Maine-iac]

IMO these should be a staple in any program. Alan Thrall and Brian Alsruhe have some good information about them.

Alan suggests doing them 3x per week, using 60% of your bodyweight per arm, and walking for 100m, resting then repeating 3-5 times. This is what I do.

They are one of the most beneficial lifts I can think of, and they don't get the attention they deserve.

 

[Shinta]

All fundamental conditioning such as Farmers walk needs to be done, just make sure there is enough weight to pressure your upper body and that you are essential flexing every muscles you got. My suggestion would be to time yourself and essential try to increase how long you can hold them, once you reach a certain target then increase the weight and time it all over again.

 

[Urban]

You could do them instead of deadlifts

 

[chubbman]

You could do them instead of deadlifts

by instead of, do you mean along side?

 

[gspieler]

Good exercise, but not a necessity, unless your compete in Strongman or something similar.

 

[Urban]

by instead of, do you mean along side?

No. Farmers walk is a pretty intense exercise if you're doing it with similar weights to deadrifts (which is what I reccomend). You're basically lifting your deadlift 1 rep max and walking with it until you cant, or something similar. This is a huge amount of volume and strain on muscles derectly involved in dead and for somebody with any other athletic endeavor (like fighting) I'm not sure your training needs both dead and farmers walks at the same time. You could be doing speed deadlifts and using farmers walks to add some volume I guess, but I think if you're doing 95 to 115% of your deadlift max on farmers walks (a pretty normal range) you could cycle out deadlifts for a while. Either that or go lighter on the walks.

I think 200'walk with 95% of your deadlift max is totally doable. Maybe for sets, which means you're looking at some big volume.

 

[Flash_Monsta]

I've started to do them. 30kg dumbbells over 550m (up and back down my street), incline going up, decline going back for conditioning. It's taken me between 18-14 minutes depends on how I'm feeling.
I'll add weight over time for some progression.

 

[Saint Of The K]

No. Farmers walk is a pretty intense exercise if you're doing it with similar weights to deadrifts (which is what I reccomend). You're basically lifting your deadlift 1 rep max and walking with it until you cant, or something similar. This is a huge amount of volume and strain on muscles derectly involved in dead and for somebody with any other athletic endeavor (like fighting) I'm not sure your training needs both dead and farmers walks at the same time. You could be doing speed deadlifts and using farmers walks to add some volume I guess, but I think if you're doing 95 to 115% of your deadlift max on farmers walks (a pretty normal range) you could cycle out deadlifts for a while. Either that or go lighter on the walks.

I think 200'walk with 95% of your deadlift max is totally doable. Maybe for sets, which means you're looking at some big volume.

I don't see how you could do 115% of your DL max on FW. I mean, walking with more than you can lift? I don't think I could lift dumbells with half my DL max in each hand.

 

[bushman505]

I do them with a trap bar.

I like to use wraps for them and I usually try to do like anywhere from 50-100m at a time and repeat it several times.

 

[TrueBias]

Ill ask a newbie question.

Does a person ever do them with straps? Or is this removing the purpose of them entirely?

 

[gspieler]

Ill ask a newbie question.

Does a person ever do them with straps? Or is this removing the purpose of them entirely?

Of course some do. It's a full-body exercise; works a lot more than your grip.

 

[bushman505]

Ill ask a newbie question.

Does a person ever do them with straps? Or is this removing the purpose of them entirely?

I do. The handles on my trap bar are smaller than a standard barbell and the knurling is really aggressive, they really test my hands up, using straps saves my hands and let's me do longer walks.

 

[Saint Of The K]

Are you guys starting with dumbells on a bench or something? Or are you "squatting down" to grip them and then start walking? I could maybe squat those, provided my grip doesn't give in, but I'm not rowing them from the station, that's for sure. I guess the set-up is pretty important in that case.

 

[Urban]

I don't see how you could do 115% of your DL max on FW. I mean, walking with more than you can lift? I don't think I could lift dumbells with half my DL max in each hand.

I was talking about using farmers walk handles. Dumbells change things quite a bit.

 

[Grrrr]

I do them. Gym I go to doesn't have fw handles so I use kettle bells. I used the 44kg set today. Brutal on my traps and forearms.

 

[Phlog]

Necro, obligatory for the banned

I've started farmers walking with my trap bar, doing 3 sets of 30 steps with 187kg, getting used to it. Probably a little risky turning at half way, I have my trap bar on a few planks so it's not too low and I go up me drive and back, maybe I should put some planks at the other end and put it down half way.

I've been using straps because my grip tops out at about 170.

I want to work on my grip, I'm thinking that I will do some grip specific work at the end of the session rather than inhibiting my lifts like the walk. Its either that or lower the weight and increase the volume and maybe finish with heavier strapped sets.

Don't know if anyone has any thoughts they'd like to share.

King exercise imo!

 

[JimRussel]

Necro, obligatory for the banned

I've started farmers walking with my trap bar, doing 3 sets of 30 steps with 187kg, getting used to it. Probably a little risky turning at half way, I have my trap bar on a few planks so it's not too low and I go up me drive and back, maybe I should put some planks at the other end and put it down half way.

I've been using straps because my grip tops out at about 170.

I want to work on my grip, I'm thinking that I will do some grip specific work at the end of the session rather than inhibiting my lifts like the walk. Its either that or lower the weight and increase the volume and maybe finish with heavier strapped sets.

Don't know if anyone has any thoughts they'd like to share.

King exercise imo!

I would definitely start doing the walks without straps. If your grip gets fried and you’re not done yet, then add straps, but I think that would be the best way to start building your grip.

Also, if you deadlift, holding your last rep of your last heavy set for as long as possible is a good way to work on your grip.

 

[JimRussel]

Don't know if anyone has any thoughts they'd like to share.

Instead of editing this in, I’ll just add it so you see the notification: You could also do holds with your trap bar. You don’t even have to walk. Deadlift something heavy and then hold it for as long as you can. Then do that a few more times.

 

[Zarate]

I am doing them twice a week in the end of my workout for 5 x 1 Minute and than holding till failure with Dumbbells (50 kg each hand - no heavier db avaible). 1 - 2 minute rest between sets.