What is the meaning of the farmer's walk? How to do this exercise correctly? Should I include it in my training program? You will find answers to these questions in this article.
Among professional athletes The farmer's walk is one of the basic exercises, but among beginners it is little known. This effective method working out the main muscle groups and increasing their strength endurance, in addition, this method is used to improve the functioning and strengthen joints and ligaments.
Key points
The Farmer's Walk can be performed by both men and women. One of the main advantages of such training is the ability to carry it out anywhere with any auxiliary items. That is, if you do not go to the gym, but work out at home, then the "farmer's walk" will be one of the exercises suitable for such conditions. In addition, if you do not have special weight-bearing equipment, then heavy bags, eggplants with water, etc. can serve as an analogue.
Depending on the weight of the auxiliary items that you will use during training, and your parameters, an appropriate distance is selected that the athlete needs to walk. As a rule, the length of the distance ranges from 100 to 200 meters, but sometimes professional athletes overcome up to a kilometer.
Another advantage of this exercise is the symmetrical pumping of muscles, because every athlete wants to have a proportionally developed body. Choose weight and distance either with a trainer or based on your physical indicators.
Muscles that are involved
By using the farmer's walk in your workouts, you'll be working multiple muscle groups at once. In this complex exercise, pumped:
- Shin.
- Quadriceps.
- Back of the thigh.
- Deltoid muscles.
- Press.
- Shoulder girdle.
- The loin and muscles of the spine.
So, with the help of a farmer's walk, you will not only improve your body, but also form an even posture and bring your workouts to a more professional level.
note that this exercise also favorably affects the following aspects:
- Improved coordination of movements.
- Development of grip strength and endurance.
- The ability to increase calorie consumption.
This means that the farmer's walk can be carried out by both novice athletes and professional athletes of any age category and any gender.
Execution technique
Please note that it is important to perform the exercise technically correctly, otherwise, you will not achieve the desired result. Initially, prepare everything you need for training. First, decide which farmer's walk method is best for you: a long mileage with a small load or a short distance with a heavy load. Secondly, choose a comfortable weight for yourself, it can be dumbbells, weights or household items of the same weight. Clear the area for walking before class.
As for the sequence of actions, follow the instructions below:
- Put the weighting equipment on the floor and stand between it.
- Controlling your posture, take the weights while inhaling (while lifting them, keep your back straight and bring your shoulder blades together).
- Slowly move along the distance, gradually accelerating. Do not forget to pay attention to the position of the shoulder blades, which must be constantly brought together. If you can't push too hard shoulder joints, it is recommended to slightly raise the shoulders.
To perform this exercise, the muscles of the forearm must be well pumped, since they play the main role in the implementation of this workout, so preparation is required.
Making the workout harder
Professional athletes can complicate the task by moving not in a straight line, but on a hill or stairs. On the steps, the technique for performing the exercise remains the same. Please note that for each step it is necessary to transfer the body weight to the supporting leg, and then put the second leg on the same step. Such training increases the load on the muscles of the legs and abs.
Another more intense exercise is moving with kettlebells on the shoulders, which must be held with the fingers of the hands. In this case, the arms should be bent at the elbows in a divorced position.
Key Points to Pay Attention to
In order not to injure the spine and get the most out of the exercise, follow these rules:
- When lifting weights, do a squat with a straight back (do not take the projectile from the top position, as you injure the spinal region);
- Take small steps;
- To select the correct dumbbell size, use the formula: divide your body weight by 4 (the resulting number will be the required inventory weight for your workout);
- Start with three sets of half a minute;
- Use a corset or belt to reduce spinal movement;
- During the exercise, keep your head straight, look in front of you, do not take your shoulders forward.
Please note that the farmer's walk is not only effective exercise for uniform pumping of muscles and increasing the strength and endurance of the athlete, and great way burning a large amount of subcutaneous fat.
To whom this exercise is contraindicated
It is not recommended to include a farmer's walk in the training program for those who have weak muscles back or scoliosis. In addition, this exercise is contraindicated for beginners using a lot of weight, since the athlete, in this case, will be prone to injury to the shoulder joint.
Summing up, we can say that the farmer's walk is a complex exercise that is more suitable for people involved in sports for a long time. For beginners, it is recommended to perform this exercise only under the supervision of a trainer who will give the installation of the correct execution technique.
One of universal exercises, which can be done even with kettlebells, even with dumbbells, even with a sandbag or anything else, is called farmer's walk. Its fundamental difference from other exercises with weights is a constant presence in motion.
It is believed that movement under load (and the farmer's walk is one option) develops useful, applied strength of the whole body and improves overall physical condition.
Squats, bench presses, deadlifts make you stronger, but at the same time, this is not all that is needed to achieve athleticism. In addition to strength, there is also coordination and, if I may say so, "awareness of one's body." Walking a farmer helps to develop not only strength, but also these qualities.
To be honest, I haven't tried this exercise yet. I include it periodically in training, but in order to be imbued with full program, I don’t have enough free space (I work out at home) - so that I can just go forward, and not make a turn in a circle through a step. 50 meters would be a straight track.
So, before moving on to the practical part, we list the advantages of the exercise:
Endurance
Work on the muscles of the core
Joint strengthening
Strengthening the grip
The ability to use a larger kettlebell in training (which you can’t use in other exercises yet)
Features of a farmer's walk with kettlebells
Unlike other implements with which the farmer's walk is performed, weights are more variable in their position in space. The basic version of the farmer's walk is performed with weights (or one) in lowered hands.
Farmer's Walk - Basic Option
Take 2 kettlebells heavy enough for you. You must be able to support correct position bodies with them. Do a suitcase deadlift, chest up, and start walking forward (or in circles if the room is small). As the movement progresses, breathing quickens, the heart works harder, and the grip weakens. At the end, there will be 2 thoughts “if only not to unclench your fingers” and “to master a couple more steps”. This is not only a training of the body, but also of mental concentration.
Walking a farmer with one kettlebell, although it seems easier, requires more muscle engagement in order to maintain correct posture and walk in a straight line.
| Farmer's walk with "weights on his chest" This option, unlike the usual farmer's walk, gives a respite to the grip. The kettlebells will tend to push your torso forward, and your hips and muscles will need to work on maintaining stability. If you do with 2 kettlebells, then the exercise becomes more difficult, because. the weights will press on the diaphragm, which will make breathing shorter and more interrupted, muscle fatigue may come faster and you will have to strain hard to complete the distance. |
| Walking a farmer with a kettlebell over his head A method for strengthening the shoulder joints and improving the endurance of the surrounding muscles. Raise 1 or 2 kettlebells to your chest, then press them over your head and step forward. Changing the direction of movement will give an additional impetus to the work of the core muscles. By the way, compared to dumbbells in the same position, kettlebells are safer, because. the weight is partially supported by the forearm. Because of this, the grip is trained less, but more efforts are made to stabilize the body due to the outstretched arm above the head. |
| Farmer's walk with a kettlebell upside down Strengthened work on the muscles of the forearm and the press. When the kettlebells are upside down, you may not get as much stress on the heart as in other variations (because you will move more slowly), but there are other advantages. Another potentially dangerous feature of this position is that it is easier for the kettlebell to fall out of the hand when the grip is loosened. Therefore, it is better to practice in those places where you do not feel sorry for the floor. Weights can be placed both in the arms bent at the elbows and straightened up. |
Photos from
To diversify workouts and make them universal for the gym and outside it allows with a sonorous name - a farmer's walk. With its help, you can achieve a significant improvement in strength indicators while developing endurance. This exercise involves different groups muscles, so it can be used to strengthen muscle corset and maintain body tone.
With all the advantages of the exercise, before including it in training, you need to analyze its features and think about whether it is right for you or not. Therefore, in the article we will carefully consider which muscles work in a farmer's walk, and master correct technique doing the exercise. And also find out how useful such training is and whether it has contraindications.
How useful is exercise?
The farmer's walk is a core strength exercise. By including it in your workouts and doing it regularly, you can talk about creating a natural muscle corset that supports the spine. As a result, here and beautiful posture, and the possibility to withdraw training process to a more professional level.
In continuation of the conversation about the exercise, the farmer's walk, the benefits of which are undeniable, it should be noted that with the correct execution technique, it involves various muscle groups:
- muscles of the legs (thighs, lower legs and feet) and arms;
- abdominal muscles (we recommend basic ones);
- shoulder girdle.
It is also important to note that the distribution of the load on these muscle groups occurs evenly. All muscles work, strengthening, complementing each other. After completing the exercise, ordinary walking, even for long distances at a sports pace, will seem like easy entertainment to you.
In addition, walking with weights allows you to:
- Develop endurance, grip strength and muscle corset.
- Enlarge deltoid muscles.
- Effectively develop coordination of movements.
- Increase calorie expenditure and budge if you hit a training plateau.
- Perform the exercise in any conditions, if there are improvised means that can replace dumbbells and kettlebells.
Who should not do the farmer's walk?
Contraindications to performing a farmer's walk are:
- Lack of common sense and overestimation of one's own capabilities. No need to immediately grab the kettlebell with a lot of weight and try to pass long distance. In this exercise, it is important to gradually increase the weight of the weight and adhere to the technique (more on that later).
- Exercise is contraindicated for those who have a weak back, scoliosis and other posture disorders. In this case, it is recommended to practice walking only after a strong muscular frame has been formed.
- Performing the exercise is contraindicated in the stage of exacerbation of any chronic diseases.
- Like any workout, the exercise should not be practiced during acute respiratory infections and when the body is weakened. Mastering the farmer's walk is best postponed until complete recovery.
What muscles are working?
The farmer's walk with dumbbells is one of the basic exercises that includes different muscle groups. When performed correctly, it evenly develops the muscular corset and gives a noticeable load throughout the body.
Muscle hypertrophy when working with large weights allows you to achieve an athletic physique, balance the proportions of the upper and lower parts of the body. What muscles work in the farmer's walk exercise can be found in the table.
Execution technique
Proper technique for doing the Kettlebell Farmer's Walk is the key to a safe and productive workout.
How is the exercise performed?
Preparatory stage
- Determine how the exercise will be performed. With a small weight for a long distance or with a large burden, but for a short distance.
- It is necessary to prepare the burden with which the exercise will be performed. The farmer's walk is equally effective with barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells. The recommended load weight depends on physical indicators athlete pursued during the training goals and length of the distance.
- Clear/prepare the passageway from obstacles and obstructions.
The workout itself
Step 1. We stand between the weights, which we first lay out in line with the feet. The farmer's walk can be done with two dumbbells or any other weight with the same weight in each hand.
Step 2 We take the projectile in hand, while watching the posture. Keep your back straight while lifting weights. Performing a squat, we bend a little and bring the shoulder blades together, raise our head and lift the weight while inhaling.
Step 3 We move along the distance in small steps, gradually increasing the pace. We make sure that during the farmer's walk with dumbbells or other weights, the shoulder blades are fixed and in their original position. Slightly raised shoulders allow to reduce the load on the shoulder joints.
When doing the farmer's walk, pay attention to the following key points:
- Flattened shoulder blades during the entire load;
- The head looks straight, the chin is raised;
- All movements (from lifting weights to walking) are smooth and springy.
The main mistake during a farmer's walk is rounded shoulders and back. The reason for this may be a weak muscular corset and an incorrectly selected working weight. Performing an exercise with a violation of technique can cause injuries to the spine and shoulder joints.
When including weighted walking in your training program, always be careful about the choice of sports equipment and their weight, follow the correct technique for performing the exercise and take your time. Don't forget that any power training directly affects the functioning of the ligamentous apparatus, and this is fraught with injury. You can remove part of the load from the muscles of the press and the extensor of the spine with the help of a weightlifting belt. At the same time, careful observance of the technique of performing the exercise is not canceled.
(2
ratings, average: 5,00
out of 5)
This training is more familiar to the representatives of the weaker sex, this is due to the fact that it is women who most often go for food and return home with bags in both hands. That is, the principle of the exercise is something like this.
This type of training is very popular among experienced athletes, as it helps to work out the main muscle groups, helps to increase strength indicators, and has a great effect on improving the quality of ligaments and joints.
Training can be called optimally universal, it can be used without restrictions in their training by representatives of both sexes. It is also convenient in that it is very comfortable to perform it anywhere and for this you do not need to have special conditions and devices.
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. It will be 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:
- Giri;
- Barrels;
- Bags with products;
- Fittings;
- Logs and all other weights that are at hand in the amount of two pieces.
How safe is exercise
The safety of this training can be regarded as fifty-fifty. That is, if the athlete suffers from back diseases or has an injury, then the exercise should be abandoned until the health problem is resolved. It is also worth training according to this principle for those who already have a good and stable muscle frame. It follows that this exercise is still relevant for an athlete who has been practicing for more than a day.
It is very important to remember that the weight must be chosen adequate and not try to lift more than you are supposed to. If the athlete goes too far with weights, then when performing the exercise, a roll will be obtained. Which will lead to incorrect posture in which the shoulders and back will be rounded. This can lead to nasty injuries, which will knock you out of training in general for a certain time.
Therefore, include this exercise in training complex worth only experienced athletes with good physical training and there should be no experiments with large weights.
How effective is the exercise
According to many studies of the competent authorities in bodybuilding, this training can be called one of the best in complex exercises. It is very effective in helping to work out many muscle groups.
Walking also provides an opportunity to improve the strength and endurance of the athlete and is very effective for burning calories. This training is considered competitive, but it is also optimal for simple bodybuilding classes.
What muscles work
When performing this exercise, a large complex of muscles works. Many parts of the body are involved in the work and the following parts:
- Hip and knee, which work on extension;
- Ankle, which helps the foot to bend;
- Scapula and clavicle, spine, fingers.
If we consider the picture that is provided on the work of the muscles, then on it you can see that almost all parts of the body are involved in the work when performing the farmer's walk exercise. And this suggests that training can bring optimal benefits to the athlete.
Advantages
It has its own characteristics and brings very obvious advantages compared to other sets of exercises:
- The athlete becomes more resilient;
- They 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;
- receives stimulation;
- 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.
Nuances
- Weight must be chosen individually. This is done as follows: divide your weight by four, and the resulting amount will be your working weight.
- When performing the exercise, the steps should be medium, no need to take large steps.
- The head should not be lowered down, and the back and shoulders are strongly discouraged from rounding.
- If the beginning is difficult, then it is worth starting with a small number of passes for a minimum amount of time.
Farmer's walk: video
Conclusion
Summing up, we can highlight the following points:
- The exercise is not intended for beginners, you must first prepare your body for such work by strengthening the muscle corset;
- Steps should not be large and mincing;
- Weight should not be taken more than an adequate norm;
Get better and stronger with
Read other blog articles.
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 different exercises for each workout. 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 positions you can hold them in when 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 "The best doctor is 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 large quantity 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 ever invented. “Its regular performance 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. Big load on the muscles shoulder girdle, 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, which is why it is often included in the training program by armlifters and functional training specialists. She gives strong muscles lower back, thanks to which you can increase the 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?
The end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries in strength training is called the "era of isolation". At this time, fashion came into training programs who focused on working out the muscles isolated exercises with average weights and in large numbers repetitions. These techniques became popular thanks to professional bodybuilders who "pierced" the muscles with supersets and targeted load, 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 that 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 a 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 benefit from such a seemingly 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 vehicle can afford. Gym. 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 the 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 - weight own body will cease to 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 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 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 ensuring sufficient time for the muscles to be under load. A short step is also taken in order to reduce the range of motion in 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.
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;
- Elbows pressed to 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:
- Giri;
- Dumbbells;
- Barrels;
- Bags with products;
- Fittings;
- 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 others. power elements, for example, in the deadlift.
- 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 big 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 workouts - even if you already 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 index fingers or only the middle fingers or both of these fingers. you can use standard neck, 5 cm or 6.3 cm. If you have very large brushes and powerful fingers, You can try the 7.5 cm bar - although only people with truly giant hands can use such a bar with a lot of weight.
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 the entire basic exercise program before you take on 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 lifts in your workouts, you will one day realize that you can already hold quite a significant amount of 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.
Raising with one or two fingers is a very important exercise also because it involves some tendons and muscle fibers, which are practically not affected by most other exercises. You will notice that one or two finger raises will give you a very deep feeling of working the muscles of the forearms.
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". Other useful application"EAGLE LOOP" is various exercises on the crossbar. Try finger pull-ups great exercise 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
There are four variations in total. farm walks, and the main movements can be counted about seven.
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 additional load on the biceps and the entire posterior 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 overhead works 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 the forearm vertical, and keep the angle between the 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
You will be interested
