The Farmer's Walk is a great basic exercise. Exercise farmer's walk What weights pull the farmer's walk

    Today we will tell you about the crossfit exercise Farmer's walk.

    The benefits and harms of exercise

    What can be said about the benefits of the farmer's walk exercise? The muscles of the legs and the press work in a balanced way, the load is evenly distributed between the muscles of the press, thighs, legs and feet. At the same time, all of the above muscle groups work in a single "bundle", mutually complementing and reinforcing each other. After a farmer's walk, an ordinary walk will seem indescribably light to you - the weight of your own body will no longer be felt, at least by half.



    But where there are pluses, there are also minuses. The downside is the risk of injury in the lumbar spine. During walking, the articulation between the pelvis and the spine is actively working, in the vertebrae lumbar the spine is in rotation. This type of mutual movement of the vertebrae is not very useful and is limited by the powerful ligamentous apparatus of the spine. Taking weights in our hands, we repeatedly increase the load on this ligamentous apparatus and increase the risk of injury. The way out is to avoid the farmer's walk during the first years of active CrossFit training until you get a powerful core, or use a weightlifting belt. The first option is preferable, since the belt in any case will remove some of the load from the muscles abdominals, especially from oblique, and from the extensor of the spine.

    Exercise technique

    There are several options for the farmer's walk exercise, namely with dumbbells, kettlebells, or other weights.

    With dumbbells

    We take weights from the floor.

    • The loin is bent, fixed.
    • The shoulder blades are brought together.
    • Hands at the seams.

    Without bending the lower back, we bend the knees and hip joints, we take dumbbells in our hands. When using dumbbells of considerable weight, knitting can be used - this will allow you to go a long distance, but will remove the load from flexor muscles fingers. Another option for “facilitating” the hand is a closed “overlap” grip, when the dumbbell rests on the bar. thumb, the rest cover it and rigidly fix it to the projectile.

    And so, the burden is in the hands, the shoulder blades are brought together, the back is straight. Knees slightly bent, feet shoulder-width apart. We take the first step - the heel is placed on an imaginary line passing from the toe. Thus, the steps are short. Even a small distance you are unlikely to go too fast, thereby providing sufficient time for the muscles to be under load. A short step is also taken in order to reduce the range of motion in the lumbar vertebrae and in hip joint- the most vulnerable, for compression loads. The body is kept even throughout the farmer's walk, the shoulders are brought forward a little, the trapezius muscle, as it were, spreads out along the upper shoulder girdle.

    In the technique described above, the main load falls on the muscles of the belt lower limb. The back, trapezium and arms perform only static work, with the main load falling just on the flexors of the fingers. In order to more seriously load the "farmer's walk" of the muscles of the upper shoulder girdle There are the following exercises.

    With kettlebells

    Initial position:

    • Legs shoulder width apart. The back is straight, a deflection is fixed in the lower back.
    • If you have a strong grip and forearm muscles or want to strengthen them, hold the kettlebells by the handles.
    • If you do not have enough strength to hold them in this way, use the following option: the arms are bent at the elbows, the wrists are tucked under the handles of the weights, the weights themselves rest on the elbows. Elbows pressed to chest, brought forward.

    © kltobias - stock.adobe.com


    A more difficult modification of the farmer's walk is this option: the starting position is the same, but the weights are on the shoulders, held by the fingers of the hands, the arms are bent at the elbows, the elbows are spread apart.

    Farmer's walk up the stairs

    To increase the overall intensity of the exercise, as well as increase the load on the muscles of the legs and abdominals, the farmer's walk can be performed on the stairs. The weight is held in straightened arms, arms along the body, elbows are straightened. The back is straight, the shoulders are slightly rolled forward, the upper portion of the trapezoid is tense. We take a step one step up, transfer the weight of the body to the supporting leg, set the working leg to the upper step, with the combined effort of the quadriceps and biceps of the thigh, we unbend the leg at the knee and hip joint. We put both feet on one step, we take the next step with the supporting foot.

farmer's walk - this is walking with a barbell, raz-vi-va-yu-shaya muscles of the co-ra , leg muscles, long back muscles, tra-pe-qi-e-visual muscle, si-lu hwa-ta , shoulders and, in particular, ben-nose-ti, yago-dich muscles. It is in this way that a farmer's walk can enter, as in husband-with-coy plan tre-ni-ro-wok , as well as in female-with-cue . But it should be, in a way, that this, although basic, is a sub-exercise. It is not time-vi-va-yu-shche. They can't for-me-thread sta-no-wu cha-gu or squats . But a farmer's walk can make them half a thread. Furthermore, this exercise can be used as time-min-ki or a method of pre-va-ri-tel-no-go muscle fatigue. In general, the range of its application is very wide!

True, you need to do the farmer's walk correctly! On the other hand, to one degree or another, each of us is familiar with this exercise. Just because everyone at least once in their life has come to wear pa-ke-you from ma-ga-zi-na. In fact, this is an exercise-not-practice-ti-ches-ki ident-tich-but tas-ka-ing packages from ma-ga-zi-on home. But there is a nuance! Firstly, the farmer’s pro-guzzle should be taken slowly, secondly, you need to walk a little lazily-ki-mi step-ka-mi and, thirdly, you should step through the heel . And you can do exercises, both with pants-ga-mi, and with gan-te-la-mi or weights. Although if your gym has a double barbell, then it’s better to use it. It is pre-appointed-on-che-on, including, specifically for you-half-not-a walk of the farmer.

Twin bar


farmer's walk


To take the shells in your hands, you need to put them on the floor, and then walk up to them and do a half-thread of “hundred-no-throw-gu”. After that, keeping your back straight and not turning your head to the sides, you should take a few steps forward. Any weight can be taken. The greater the weight, the higher the intensity. But taking more weight than you can walk with someone for 15 seconds in a row is pointless. Try, as a time-min-ki, to pick up such a weight with which you can walk for 40–120 seconds. And as a sub-exercise, the weight with which you can complete a farmer's walk for 15–40 seconds. And in the case, if you walk with a barbell for 15–40 seconds, it may be purposeful to use

Learn how strength athletes develop total strength and lay the foundation for maximum performance. muscle growth with the development of ultimate functionality.

The content of the article:

The topic of this article is the farmer's walk exercise. From it you can learn about the technique of performing the movement and get acquainted with various nuances. This exercise with an unusual name is familiar to most women, although they most often do not know about it. It so happened that it is women who most often visit stores, and when they carry two bags of groceries, it is here that there is a similarity with the exercise we are considering today.

Benefits of Farmer's Walk Exercise


We note right away that the farmer's walk exercise is basic, as it involves a large number of muscles. Accordingly, the body's response will be complex. The thigh is actively involved in the work, knee-joint, ankle, thoracic and lumbar spine, as well as the collarbone and shoulder blades.

Here are the main benefits of this movement:

  • Increases endurance.
  • Leg muscles develop.
  • The indicator of the strength of the muscles of the cortex increases and the muscular corset of the spinal column is strengthened.
  • The secretion of somatotropin is accelerated.
  • The amount of energy consumed increases.
  • Coordination develops.
  • Can be done everywhere.

How is the farmer's walk exercise performed correctly?


This is a fairly simple exercise from a technical point of view, but it has some features. To perform the exercise, a barbell equipped with handles is most often used. At the same time, you can use kettlebells or dumbbells. Stand between the shells and, straining the muscles of the press, while keeping a straight back, take them in your hands. By pushing your body up with your heels, you are in the starting position.

With short but quick steps, move in a straight line, using correct breathing. The distance for one walker is most often from 25 to 50 meters. Having reached the finish line of this distance, it is necessary to lower sports equipment to the ground. Then turn around and do it all over again in the opposite direction. In one lesson, you should perform from 5 to 10 such walks, without pausing between them.

Tips for Athletes on the Farmer's Walk


Dropping down for sports equipment, you need to perform a movement similar to a squat. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the back remains straight. Use the weight of the weights, which is determined by the formula - your body weight / 4.

For example, you weigh 80 kilos, then the weight of each projectile should be 20 kilograms. Don't use wide strides, but try to mince at a moderate pace. It is also necessary to ensure that the shoulders are not rounded, and the head is always directed forward. Probably, at first the farmer's walk exercise will be quite difficult for you, and in this case, you can perform from 2 to 4 "walks" lasting 30 seconds. Gradually, you will need to increase the number of sets and increase the weight of the shells.

In the study of this exercise, scientists have found that this is one of the best complex movements that can evenly load big number muscles. As a result, you not only increase physical parameters but also use more energy. Also note that the Farmer's Walk exercise is competitive in the Strongmen discipline.

This movement can be called safe. The only exception is if the athlete has scoliosis or weak back muscles. In this case, you first need to focus on strengthening the muscular frame of the spinal column, and only after that you can begin to perform this movement.

Also remember that when using a lot of weight, you will be pulled forward, which will cause rounding of the back and shoulders. This can cause injury and you need to choose the right weight. We have already discussed how to do this above.


It must be admitted that most builders ignore this exercise or have not heard of it at all. They are sure that the farmer's walk exercise is completely useless and will not be able to bring the desired result. This is a serious misconception, because if you follow all the technical nuances, you can effectively work out a large number of leg muscles and, as a result, achieve a strong hormonal response of the body.

This movement engages the muscles of the legs, back, and shoulder girdle in a way that no other exercise can do. All this will lead to a powerful release of the male hormone. If you take long steps, then this can cause a strong overload of the joints and tendons. As a result, injury is possible.

If you lower your head down, then reduce the load on the trapezium, but on the opposite side of the spinal column, increase it. Look straight ahead and don't lower your head.

Mikhail Koklyaev in the following video performs the farmer's walk exercise:

In bodybuilding, there are a large number of exercises that are aimed at developing certain muscle groups. Basic exercises are mandatory and will help prepare the body for more complex movements. One of them is the Farmer's Walk exercise.

Target muscle group

This exercise is aimed at developing the muscles of the forearms, since the retention of projectiles is carried out by these muscles. In fact, the farmer's walk is a basic full-body exercise.

During its execution, in addition to the forearms, other muscles also act:

  • Buttocks, thigh muscles, as well as lower legs. Due to the fact that during this exercise, the athlete moves with extra weight, leg muscles experience additional physical stress, so they also develop.
  • Press and lower back. These small muscle groups act as stabilizers. And during the Farmer's Walk exercise, walking is carried out with weights, which requires additional stabilization and coordination, which leads to the development of the core.
  • Traps and shoulders. The retention of projectiles occurs not only due to the forearms, but also due to the muscles of the trapezium and shoulders. The greater the weight of the burden, the better you can pump the muscles.

Execution rules

Proper technique for the Farmer's Walk exercise will provide the most benefit. You must carefully read the rules so that when you go to Gym pump muscles as efficiently as possible. Consider the technique:

  • It is necessary to choose the right weight of the shells with which the exercise will be performed. Weight is calculated as follows: 60% of own body weight. That is, if an athlete weighs 80 kg, then the optimal weight of the shells will be 48 kg.

  • Now you need to choose with which equipment the Farmer's Walk exercise will be performed. It can be very different: from dumbbells to barbells.

It should be noted that when moving with barbells in the hands, the forearms will be more thoroughly pumped, as the stabilizer muscles will be used to balance long shells. You can also use weights.

  • The selected equipment of the required weight should be placed near each other at a distance slightly more than the width of the human body.
  • You need to stand between the shells and grab them tightly with your hands. For convenience and greater efficiency, you can use chalk or sports magnesia so that the burden does not slip off your hands.
  • Holding the handles, you need to move forward in small steps. You can predetermine the distance to be covered. It is even better to move around until you feel a burning sensation in the muscles.

  • After completing the exercise “Farmer’s Walk”, you need to put weights on and rest for 2-3 minutes.
  • There is also another technique. Having taken shells, you can simply stand still, if it is not desirable to load your legs. Here, the load purposefully goes to the muscles of the hands and the cortex.

Exercise area

This exercise for all muscle groups is suitable for any person who monitors his body shape. As already mentioned, the "Farmer's Walk" perfectly pumps almost all muscles, which means that it correctly forms an athletic body.

This movement is very popular in bodybuilding and weightlifting. Athletes separately pump the muscles of the forearms so that when performing other exercises, they concentrate on the target muscle, and not on holding the projectile.

So, for example, deadlift requires a strong grip, as you have to lift heavy weights. However, this exercise is not intended to increase grip strength, but pumps other muscle groups. And to work out individual muscles, you need strong forearms to hold the projectile for a long time.

For classes with own weight The Farmer's Walk exercise is also great. For example, when pulling up on the crossbar leading role the forearms play, as they hold the whole body in a hanging position. When pumping the back and biceps, a strong grip is required to keep the body on the bar all the time while target muscle groups are working.

The essence of the name

When pronouncing the name of the exercise, a person involved in agriculture immediately appears. And this is no coincidence, because even an ordinary person living in a village can perform this exercise. As you know, housework requires a lot of effort, such as carrying buckets of water. This activity is similar to the exercise "Farmer's Walk" according to the description. If you hold buckets of water in your hands, the muscles of the forearms work no less than when holding kettlebells or dumbbells of the same weight. That is why a farmer can pump his hands just by doing housework.

Pros of classes

Based on the above information, we can derive the main advantages of the exercise:

  1. The Farmer's Walk is basic exercise, which will pump the forearms and facilitate the implementation of other movements.
  2. As weights, you can use kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells in gym. At home, buckets of water or other cargo are perfect. Ordinary bottles filled with water, where there are handles, can also be an alternative.
  3. Exercise for all muscle groups. When holding projectiles, the forearms act. During walking, the main work is done by the muscles of the legs. Stabilize the body of the abdominal and lower back muscles. Thus, you can pump the overall strength of the body.
  4. Stimulation of muscle growth and fat burning. During work with additional weight, testosterone is produced, which has an anabolic effect on muscles, and also helps to remove fat. The Farmer's Walk is no exception, so this exercise can be safely used to gain muscle mass.
  5. Increased endurance. This exercise helps not only to increase the strength of the forearms, but also to pump the ligaments, which entails an increase in overall endurance.

Contraindications

Though this exercise brings invaluable benefits, there are a number of contraindications in which this exercise should be avoided:

  1. Shoulder injury. This item can include sprains, shoulder injuries and other problems. As already mentioned, the Farmer's Walk exercise includes the shoulders, so if this part of the body is damaged, this exercise is not recommended.
  2. Problems with the vestibular apparatus. Although weight retention is static exercise, walking is dynamic, so the Farmer's Walk is not recommended for people with poor coordination.
  3. Heart problems. In principle, it is not recommended to go in for sports for people with cardiovascular diseases. Physical exercise primarily affect the heart muscle, so they should be excluded so as not to harm the main organ.

Complex classes

For achievement best result You can use this exercise in combination with other movements aimed at working out other muscle groups. This will help improve the stamina of the body, as well as provide an additional load on the body. An example leg workout might look like this:

  1. Barbell Squats – 3 sets of 10 reps.
  2. Deadlift – 2 sets of 8 reps.
  3. Leg Press - 3 sets of 12 reps.
  4. Farmer's walk - 2 sets of 60 seconds.

Conclusion

The article examined the main techniques for performing, advantages, as well as contraindications. It turned out that the exercise "Farmer's Walk" develops.

In conclusion, it should be said that training should be carried out without fanaticism. It is necessary to choose the right load so as not to harm your health, because it is the most important thing!

It has its own characteristics and brings very obvious advantages compared to other sets of exercises:

  • The athlete becomes more resilient;
  • Leg muscles develop very well and acquire strength and mass;
  • The muscular corset becomes more developed;
  • The deltoid muscles of the shoulder region from the top are perfectly increased;
  • Grip strength becomes more developed;
  • Growth hormone gets stimulated;
  • Such an exercise makes it possible to overcome the plateau in training;
  • Calorie consumption becomes very high;
  • Coordination develops to the maximum;
  • Training is relevant to perform at home.

INCREASING THE NUMBER OF GRIP EXERCISES

And finally, the grip training program for advanced athletes differs from the initial program in that experienced dinosaurs do two, three, or even four different grip exercises in each workout. For beginners who are just starting to train the grip, this volume will be excessive. But an experienced grip master cannot do without such a volume. Why? Because it is necessary to use all the muscles of the fingers, palms, wrists and forearms. Experienced athletes need to combine specialized grip exercises (such as one or two finger deadlifts) with basic exercises (such as thick bar deadlifts or thick bar power holds) that develop the forearms as a whole.

In practice, you will do one type of deadlift, one specialized exercise for the fingers or wrists, one type of elbow curl (regular curls, curls reverse grip or hammer) and one more exercise of your choice. You can do every workout different exercises. The idea is to develop maximum strength in each finger, including the thumbs, in the wrists and along the entire length of the forearms, so that you are strong in all movements where the hand is used - in elbow curls, in power holds, in leverage exercises and every other exercise you will ever need to do for the forearms, wrists and grip.

Imagine how many different movements you can make with your fingers - up, down, left, right, clockwise, counterclockwise. Now try to move your wrists in the same way - left, right, up, down, clockwise, counterclockwise. What about thumbs? See how they move - up, down, left, right, clockwise, counterclockwise. And the forearms? See what different provisions You can hold them while doing biceps curls - in supinated, pronated positions, you can bend them like "crow's feet", or you can hold them with your thumbs up. For grip training, you can use handles with a variety of diameters. You can use a pinch grip to lift weights attached to a coin or pen that are 7.5 cm in diameter or smaller. In any grip exercise, you can do singles, reps or timed holds. Exercises for the forearms, wrists, hands and fingers are truly innumerable. Even if you include three or four exercises in each workout, you will NOT overtrain.

Arthur Jones once remarked (I'm paraphrasing him a little here, but the meaning is this) that "we cannot imagine how strong our hands and fingers can be if we develop the muscles of the hands, fingers and forearms to the limit." These words should be remembered by every dinosaur. Your goal as a dinosaur is very simple: for several years, diligently train your arms, forearms, wrists, increase the strength of all muscle groups to the limit - and you will become the owner of such a grip that will lead to awe of any of your acquaintances. Turn your hands into steel tongs. Let your grip be like a vise. Let the strength of your hands, forearms, wrists and fingers refute all ideas about human capabilities.

I am not inventing anything new. I discover the forgotten.
~August Rodin

When there is nothing to do, why live?
~Sir Winston Churchill

ATHLETE.RU 1999-2019

How to do the Crazy Walk exercise

In principle, the exercise "Crazy Gait" can be performed even while sitting. Don't stress too much, do what you can!

Some people

  • hands are always cold
  • others have constipation
  • or regular dizziness
  • weakness in the legs
  • some do not sleep soundly
  • or experience a feeling of tightness in the chest, lack of air ...

There are a lot of symptoms that can be described ... Now we will master in a simple way how to get rid of these troubles. The method is rather unusual, but interesting.

Here's what we're going to do: first, let's pretend to be completely powerless, exhausted, as if we got up in the middle of the night. We have not yet fully woken up, we are half asleep, we have not eaten anything for two days, and even our legs are tied, in a bag.

If you managed to imagine and portray it, consider that you have already mastered the exercise by 80%.

Now we start running in the bag. (Just don't actually tie your legs, just imagine that there is a bag on your legs.) The legs are very difficult to move, they are heavy and do not obey us. We raise the leg a little, and again heavily lower it to the ground.

You want to stop and take a breath, but others push you from behind, force you to drag yourself forward through force. The whole body shakes with each heavy step, trembles involuntarily. Hands dangle limply along the body, or you can connect them behind your back, but the palms are absolutely powerless.

Focus all attention on the front of the feet. You need to imagine how hard it is for you to move your legs, like you have to pull them out of concrete.

Remember the main key moment exercises: no need to strain the muscles in fact, you only need to strain your imagination.

Imagine that iron weights are dragging along the ground, behind your feet, weights, not your feet, like a hammer pierce the ground. The most appropriate comparison for the legs is that they are in a state of free-falling body.

This exercise will help to relax the whole body, blood and energy will flow freely to the feet. Reached the Kidney channel on the feet, which will help to quickly replenish the energy level in the kidneys.

The channels of the Liver and Spleen pass along the front of the feet, in addition, there are reflex zones of almost all internal organs. So the exercise stimulates all the internal organs.

Positive effect of exercise

The exercise works in much the same way as the “Golden Rooster stands on one leg” exercise, but it also helps to get rid of swelling. This exercise combines movement and relaxation, it is beneficial for both the body and the spirit. “In motion, there is peace, as if the wind shakes the willows; in peace, there is movement, as if the moon illuminates the floating clouds.”

Consistency of imagination and all movements of the body - effective method nourish the heart and treat the root of disease. Walk 500 meters in the morning with such a gait that it will take no more than 10 minutes, but your mood and well-being will change for the better, and your feet will stop freezing, isn’t this an incentive to try?

I offer only a sketch, when you begin to perform the exercise, you yourself will feel what the essence of the method is, feel its effect on yourself. The more we believe in ourselves, the more creative impulses and insights we have. I am sure that in every person there is the ability for intuitive insights, only we often think that this is from the realm of fantasy.

But when others give us an example, they seem to light the way for us, we begin to appreciate these insights and try to follow them. In fact, this exercise can be performed even while sitting. Or lying down ... You should not strain too much at all, the main thing is to imagine everything in your head.

Zheng Fuzhui " best doctor- you yourself

Benefits of Exercise Farmer's Walk

In its structure, this fitness element is basic, multi-joint, since in the process of execution it involves several joints and muscle groups at once. The load falls on the muscles and joints of the legs, lower back, back and chest of the athlete, and the shoulder blades and collarbones are also included in the work. Due to the large coverage of muscle groups, the exercise helps:

  • develop endurance;
  • strengthen and increase in volume muscles;
  • increase the strength of the athlete;
  • form a strong muscular corset;
  • stimulate the production of somatotropic hormone (growth hormone);
  • consume more energy (speeds up metabolism);
  • improve coordination of movements and the vestibular apparatus.

The main advantage of the exercise is its accessibility: it can be performed in any conditions. In the gym, special dumbbells and barbells are used; at home, you can adapt improvised items as weights.

Grab and drag What is a farmer's walk and why everyone needs it

Farmer's walk, she's a "hellish walk", she's "took and drag." This exercise is able to develop the muscles of the whole body and make a person devilishly strong.

"KV" has compiled a guide to the "farm walk" - a forgotten movement, which today triumphantly returned to fitness.

What is a farmer's walk

A farmer's walk is an exercise in which an athlete walks with weights in their hands for time or distance. Strongmen and CrossFitters perform the farmer's walk with barbells that have special handles. Often athletes do it with a trap reef, a car tire, or with a special platform that you can stand inside. But the value of the "farmer's walk" is that any weights can be used as a load. Weights, dumbbells, barbells will do, and if they are not there, then good option there may be buckets, canisters, or large containers of sand or water. Everything that is heavy and that can be carried in the hands is suitable for a "farmer's walk".

What effect will the "farmer's walk" give?

Brooks Kubik, US champion bench presser and strength trainer, called the farmer's walk one of the most effective exercises invented by man. "His regular execution makes a person massive and devilishly strong,” Kubik wrote.

Carrying weights in the arms develops the muscles of the upper and lower body at the same time. A large load falls on the muscles of the shoulder girdle, the muscles of the cortex (trunk), lower legs, buttocks and thighs.

Farmer's Walk stimulates increased production of testosterone in the body - this provides an incentive for muscle growth. It increases grip strength, so it is often included in the training program by armlifters and specialists in functional training. It gives you strong lower back muscles that can be used to increase weight in squats and deadlifts. “In other words, if you want to look like a real animal, then the farmer's walk is the exercise for you,” summarizes Brooks Kubik.

If the farmer's walk is so effective, why was it forgotten for so long?

Late 20th and early 21st centuries in strength training called the era of isolation. At this time, fashion came into training programs who focused on working out the muscles isolated exercises with medium weights and a large number of repetitions. These techniques became popular thanks to professional bodybuilders who "pierced" the muscles with supersets and targeted loading, almost without using basic exercises.

However, there is an opinion that this style of training is ineffective for natural athletes. For muscle growth, they need a progression of weights and multi-joint exercises, which involve several muscle groups at once. The farmer's walk is one of them. At first, strongmen began to use it in their training. And later, crossfitters took over: they included the "farmer's walk" in the circuit training. So this exercise became popular again.

How to do the farmer's walk

The key point of the exercise is taking the projectile from the floor. Technologically, it resembles deadlift: you need to strain your back, make a slight deflection in the lower back. When taking the projectile, take the pelvis back. Rise with the projectile like this: until the projectile is at the level of the knees, the legs are unbent, further (but not earlier !!!) the torso is straightened. Do not round your back, do not slouch your shoulders, do not lower your head. When walking, try to bring the shoulder blades together as much as possible.

Second important point- maintaining balance. When walking with weights, avoid swinging and distorting the body. This is fraught with injury. Keep your torso muscles tense. Step is medium.

The farmer's walk can be done by walking in a straight line. Or you can bypass obstacles with weights, make turns and zigzags. When turning, avoid tilting the body to the sides.

How to Incorporate the Farmer's Walk into Training

A variation on the use of the "farmer's walk" in circuit training might look like this: do 5 rounds of 10 dumbbell presses, 12 box jumps (or in place with knee raises), 12 leg raises, and dumbbell farmer walks 15 meters back and forth. You can also combine the farmer's walk with any other exercise.

If you're a bodybuilder doing standard sets, do the farmer's walk at the end of a leg, back, or shoulder workout—after squats, deadlifts, or shrugs. At each workout, increase the weight of the dumbbells or the distance you need to walk with them - this is how the "farmer's walk", an exercise of the strongmen of the past, will be most effective.

Attention! Before starting training, consult your doctor!

Source: www.sovsport.ru

Farmer's walk – FixBody sport, bodybuilding, fitness, workout, crossfit, motivation

From the point of view of biomechanics, we have a cyclic movement. Strongmen call it locomotor. It is worth noting that the local load evenly develops all the muscles involved in walking, namely: the gluteus, quadriceps, biceps femoris, core muscles, abs, back extensors, latissimus dorsi, trapezius muscles, adductors scapulae, serratus posterior, and of course - forearms. So it turns out that the “farmer” is one of the best basic exercises, which can be compared in effectiveness with squats or deadlifts.

We, bodybuilders, are not particularly interested in the standards of "strongs", we just want to get real benefits from this, it would seem, simple exercise. In bodybuilding, instead of standard shells, ordinary dumbbells are used. As a result, we get the simplest movement - a farmer's walk with two dumbbells.

Execution technique

Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart. Give your back a natural curve. Hold the dumbbells with your hands down. Try to grab the handles as hard as possible so that the forearms get the load from the first seconds of the movement. Straighten your shoulders and lift your chest up. Look straight ahead. Slightly bring the shoulder blades together and with powerful dynamic efforts begin to perform small uniform steps. Try to add pace as you cover the distance.

Preselect the longest trajectory your gym can afford. One of the key roles is played by breathing. If the weight of the dumbbells is large, which it should be, then breathing will be quite difficult. Here it is necessary to borrow the technique from the Strongmen. They are taught to “walk” with weights, small inhalations and exhalations, which are performed every two steps.

Many athletes do not take this exercise into account. It seems to them that the farmer's walk does not give the same result. It is safe to say that such thinking is wrong. Proper execution movements with a really heavy working weight for you will force the body to include all the muscles of the body. It is worth noting that in nature there are no similar movements that can equally load the shoulder girdle, back muscles and legs. Such a large range of working groups forces the body to spend and produce record number testosterone, which means a farmer's walk can give you muscle mass all over your body.

Separately, I would like to note the stepping technique. Never use a wide step, as this will noticeably overload the tendons and joints of the legs. After all, in fact, during a wide step, you transfer all the weight to one limb, and this is quite traumatic. That is why it is recommended to perform many small, but quick steps.

In addition to all of the above, it is necessary to specify the position of the head. During the exercise, you will probably want to lower your chin to your chest. The fact is that this is how the body tries to relieve the trapezius muscles from the load. In addition, as soon as you touch your chest with your chin, your back will immediately round out, and all the incoming load will become unnatural. Such an exercise will eventually cause either osteochondrosis or spondyloarthrosis. We recommend that you master the movement with a light weight. Watch your reflection in the mirror. Make sure that your back does not round or lean forward when walking, only then move on to large working weights.

A little trick is the dumbbell grip. In heavy sets, grab them from the back edge so that the shells lean forward. This will facilitate the execution technique with the help of inertia.

Farmers walk

Today we will tell you about the crossfit exercise Farmer's walk.

The benefits and harms of exercise

What can be said about the benefits of the farmer's walk exercise? The muscles of the legs and the press work in a balanced way, the load is evenly distributed between the muscles of the press, thighs, legs and feet. At the same time, all of the listed muscle groups work in a single "bundle", mutually complementing and reinforcing each other. After a farmer's walk, an ordinary walk will seem indescribably light to you - the weight of your own body will no longer be felt, at least by half.

But where there are pluses, there are also minuses. The downside is the risk of injury in the lumbar spine. During walking, the articulation between the pelvis and the spine is actively working, rotational movement occurs in the vertebrae of the lumbar spine. This type of mutual movement of the vertebrae is not very useful and is limited by the powerful ligamentous apparatus of the spine. Taking weights in our hands, we repeatedly increase the load on this ligamentous apparatus and increase the risk of injury. The way out is to avoid the farmer's walk during the first years of active CrossFit training until you get a powerful core, or use a weightlifting belt. The first option is preferable, since the belt in any case will remove some of the load from the abdominal muscles, especially from the obliques, and from the extensor of the spine.

Exercise technique

There are several options for the farmer's walk exercise, namely with dumbbells, kettlebells, or other weights.

With dumbbells

We take weights from the floor.

  • The loin is bent, fixed;
  • The shoulder blades are flattened;
  • Hands at the seams.

Without bending the lower back, we bend the knees and hip joints, we take dumbbells in our hands. When using dumbbells of considerable weight, knitting can be used - this will allow you to go a long distance, but will relieve the load on the flexor muscles of the fingers. Another option for “facilitating” the hand is a closed “overlap” grip, when the thumb rests on the dumbbell bar, the rest cover it and firmly fix it to the projectile.

And so, the burden is in the hands, the shoulder blades are brought together, the back is straight. Knees slightly bent, feet shoulder-width apart. We take the first step - the heel is placed on an imaginary line passing from the toe. Thus, the steps are short. Even a small distance you are unlikely to go too fast, thereby providing sufficient time for the muscles to be under load. A short step is also taken in order to reduce the range of motion in the lumbar vertebrae and in the hip joint - the most vulnerable to compression loads. The body is kept even throughout the farmer's walk, the shoulders are brought forward a little, the trapezius muscle, as it were, spreads out along the upper shoulder girdle.

With kettlebells

Initial position:

  • Feet shoulder width apart;
  • The back is straight;
  • A deflection is fixed in the lower back;
  • The arms are bent at the elbows, the wrists are tucked under the arms of the weights;
  • The weights themselves rest on the elbows;
  • The elbows are pressed to the chest, brought forward.

A more difficult modification of the farmer's walk is this option: the starting position is the same, but the weights are on the shoulders, held by the fingers of the hands, the arms are bent at the elbows, the elbows are spread apart.

Farmer's walk up the stairs

To increase the overall intensity of the exercise, as well as increase the load on the muscles of the legs and abdominals, the farmer's walk can be performed on the stairs. The weight is held in straightened arms, arms along the body, elbows are straightened. The back is straight, the shoulders are slightly rolled forward, the upper portion of the trapezoid is tense. We take a step one step up, transfer the weight of the body to the supporting leg, set the working leg to the upper step, with the combined effort of the quadriceps and biceps of the thigh, we unbend the leg at the knee and hip joint. We put both feet on one step, we take the next step with the supporting foot.

You can take each step to the next step, but this will limit the time the muscles are under load and create greater mobility in the lumbosacral joint.

complexes

This is interesting: Dumbbell swings to the sides: an exercise for the development of the shoulder girdle, techniques and recommendations for performing swings with dumbbells to the sides

Execution technique

The exercise is quite simple, but despite this, when performing it, there are some features that must be fully performed in order to achieve positive results.

Most often, when performing this training, it is recommended to use a special barbell that has a handle.

But this is not so important, so dumbbells and kettlebells are suitable in this case. The shells are placed at a small distance from each other and are located between them.

The back should be straight.
Tighten your abdominal muscles and take a sitting position in order to take the shells in your hands.
Then rise to a standing position, as if you are pushing yourself. Fix this position. You have to look straight ahead. This will be the starting position.
It is necessary to move forward very quickly and with short steps, while the shells should be on straight arms. The trajectory of movement should be in a clear straight line. Breathing during movement should be correct and even. After passing about fifty meters, the shells are located on the floor or the ground, turn around and come back. You need to go back and forth about ten times without being distracted by respite.

As mentioned earlier, you can use various kinds of weighting agents when performing this exercise.

These include:

  1. Giri;
  2. Dumbbells;
  3. Barrels;
  4. Bags with products;
  5. Fittings;
  6. Logs and all other weights that are at hand in the amount of two pieces.

Benefits and contraindications

The farmer's walk exercise is the movement of heavy projectiles from one place to another.

Therefore, the farmer's walk is used by strongmen - athletes participating in power extreme sports. The exercise also has other advantages that bodybuilders and crossfitters will appreciate:

  • Strengthening the grip. The farmer's walk has a positive effect on the development of the muscles of the forearms and the power of the hands, which is useful in other strength elements, such as deadlifts.
  • Working out the central part of the body. The muscles of the cortex are involved in all movements of the athlete, helping him to overcome heavy weights. If you want to progress in basic exercises - do the farmer's walk.
  • Muscle growth. Long-term force impact during "farm" walking promotes hypertrophy of muscle fibers. An increased hormonal background helps to restore muscles, add mass and volume to them.
  • Improved body balance. When performing the exercise, small muscles responsible for stabilization and coordination work. This develops the athlete's mobility and sense of balance.
  • Increase endurance. Exercise helps to strengthen not only the muscles, but also the ligamentous apparatus of the legs, arms, and back. The athlete becomes less susceptible to power loads.

You should also be wary of "farm walking" when:

  • shoulder sprain;
  • disruption of the vestibular apparatus;
  • serious diseases of the cardiovascular system.

CONTINUE TO USE THE BASIC EXERCISES

Let's go over the previous points again. And we'll start with my urgent request to continue to include basic grip exercises in your training - even if you are already an experienced athlete. You will ask why? Because with the help of basic exercises you build real strength and power, and various specialized exercises (for example, lifting weights with your fingers, working with a lever, etc.) help to finally shape your forearms and hands. If you completely stop doing basic exercises, you will have problems with further increase in the strength and size of the forearms, fingers and wrists. So, keep doing the "base" in your workouts, but once you feel proficient enough, start adding more specialized exercises to your program.

LIFTING WEIGHTS WITH ONE OR TWO FINGERS

Lifting weights with one or two fingers is an indispensable tool in developing maximum strength in the hands. There are two the best way doing this exercise. The first is a deadlift using a different grip - one hand with the palm to the body, the other - with the palm away from the body. Use only your index fingers, or only your middle fingers, or both. You can use a standard neck, 5cm or 6.3cm. If you have very large hands and powerful fingers, you might want to try the 7.5cm bar - although only people with truly gigantic hands can use such a heavy bar.

Lifting weights with one or two fingers is a very hard and brutal exercise. Making it HURTS!!! The entire load is concentrated on two fingers and pain can be very strong. That's why you need to go through all basic program exercise before doing finger raises. This exercise is so difficult that it should be done no more than once every ten days or every two weeks. If you put too much stress on your fingers, then you can be sure that you will earn yourself a sprain, and this injury will set you back at least two months.

By regularly including one or two finger raises in your workouts, you will one day realize that you can already hold quite a significant weight in this way. I like to do 6.3cm barbell curls using my index and middle fingers, and I reached 136kg on this exercise. My training partner, Bruce Bullock, who naturally has huge hands and long, powerful fingers, lifts the same amount.

Lifting with one or two fingers is very important exercise also because it involves some tendons in the work and muscle fibers, which are practically not affected by most other exercises. You will notice that lifting with one or two fingers will give you a very deep study forearm muscles

This happens because muscle fibers are involved that cannot be used by any other exercises.

Earlier I said that there are two ways to lift the barbell with one or two fingers. The most common method I have already described above, but there is another method that I highly recommend to all dinosaurs. Firm "" sells the most useful little thing called "" (Eagle Loops). They are heavy duty straps made from nylon webbing. At one end they are attached to the neck, at the other end there are four loops - one for each finger, not counting the thumb. You can train four fingers at the same time, three, two or only one - at your discretion. I like to do two-finger deadlifts with "EAGLE LOOPS" using the index and middle fingers on each hand. This is an incredibly painful exercise, but it will turn your fingers into pincers in shortest time. you can use BIG weight in this exercise, Bruce Bullock and I do a two-finger deadlift with a weight of 205 kg using "EAGLE LOOPS". Another useful application of "EAGLE LOOPS" is various exercises on the bar. Try finger pull-ups - this is a great exercise that will turn your hands into steel hooks. Again, you can train all fingers at once, or train them in any combination. The EAGLE LOOPS is a GREAT device for developing barbaric finger strength. It must be present in any basement hall where dinosaurs train.

Instructions for use

In total, there are four variations of farm walks, and there are about seven basic movements.

1. Weight between legs

Holding weights between the legs creates a special emphasis on the gluteal muscles.

duck walk

Take weights in your hands, bend over a little and, placing them between your legs in lowered hands, stomp forward. Keep your legs slightly bent, do not round your lower back. If there are no weights, hold a large dumbbell with both hands by the disc, placing it vertically. The weight should be at the level of the knees, not higher.

Important: do not look down! If you lower your eyes during the exercises that develop your balance, you will ruin everything. Looking down gives you a false sense of stability and puts more stress on your lower back and knees, shifting your center of gravity forward.

So look strictly in front of you at some distant stationary object.

2. Weight on the sides

So you can carry the heaviest shells. Because these exercises give unrealistic strength gains.

farm walk

Pick up dumbbells, kettlebells or even two barbells and go ahead. Keep your abdominal muscles in tension and slightly bend your knees. If the dumbbells in your gym are light, use a trap bar with barbell discs.

Walking with a suitcase

Take a heavy dumbbell in one hand and, trying to keep the body upright, go forward. Walk an equal distance for the right and left hands.

3. Weight in front of you

The advantage of this variation is the additional load on the biceps and the entire back chain of muscles.

Zercher Walk

Place the barbell on the elbows and, holding the projectile as close to you as possible, gently move forward. If holding the bar is uncomfortable for you, wrap the bar with a towel.

Bear hug

Hug and hold the sandbag upright. Instead, you can take a heavy disk from the bar or just a stone. As a last resort, hold the dumbbell vertically at your chest under the upper disk - as during squats with a dumbbell.

4. Weight above yourself

Holding the weight above the head loads the entire core and improves the stability of the shoulder joints.

army walk

Grab a sandbag or a barbell and lift it over the top of your head like you would when doing a bench press. Keep your arms straight, legs slightly bent, lower back straight. You can also hold two dumbbells above you.

Inverted kettlebell

Take a weight, turn it upside down. Keep your forearm vertical and keep the angle between your shoulder and forearm straight.

How to choose a load?

How many pounds and how far you carry can determine what exactly you develop with such a workout. Theoretically, "walking" can develop both strength and hypertrophy with endurance. Use these simple formulas to vary your own workouts:

Projectile weight*Distance, m

*% of your own weight

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