“Farmer’s Walk” is an effective exercise that can be practiced in regular life

Did you know that walking out of the store with heavy bags is exercise? No? Then we tell you more about the “farmer’s walk”, its peculiarities and, of course, share the secrets of performing it.

“Farmer’s walk” – an exercise in which you need to overcome the distance with a weight in your hands. You may also meet the name “hell walk” or “grab and pull”. At first glance, the technique seems very simple, but this is far from true. There are many subtleties.

Fitness trainer, co-founder and ambassador of FitStars online home workout platform

“The Farmer’s Walk develops strength and endurance, improves balance and coordination, and helps you burn extra calories.”

Why do this exercise?

“Farmer’s Walk” evenly engages almost all muscle groups – muscles of legs, hips, back, abs, arms. All of them are included in the training at the same time, strengthening and complementing each other’s work. And the main benefit is the development of strength and endurance. In addition, regular performance contributes to:

• calorie burning;
• grip strengthening;
• strengthening of the trunk stabilizer muscles, i.e. the cortex;
• strengthening the trapezius muscles of the back;
• improve balance and coordination.

How to perform?

The main advantage of the “farmer’s walk” – it can be done anywhere, under any conditions. The exercise is performed solely with weights, as which use any object that is convenient to hold on straight arms at the bottom. This can be both sports equipment – dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, and improvised means – canisters with water and so on.

In the standard training program of modern fitness, the exercise “farmer’s walk” is rarely included. As a rule, it is actively used by athletes engaged in crossfit, or those who participate in strength competitions. Nevertheless, everyone, without realizing it, performs this exercise when walking home or to the car with heavy bags from the store.

Tehnika

From the outside, it may seem that the “farmer’s walk” is easy and no special attention to proper technique is required. But, as with any other exercise, to avoid the risk of injury, it is important to learn and follow it.

Before you start training, decide on the weight of the weight. At the initial stage, it should not exceed a quarter of your own weight. That is, if you weigh 60 kg, the total weight of the equipment will be 15 kg.

Lifting the weight

The beginning of the exercise is very similar to the deadlift.

• Starting position: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight.
• Bend your legs in the knee joint, take the pelvis back.
• With straight arms take the weight in both hands.
• As you exhale, straighten to the starting position – first straighten your legs, then straighten your torso.

Weight movement

As soon as the weight is in your hands, do not hurry to immediately make steps. First you need to prepare your body for the load.

• Tense your buttocks and abs. Bring your shoulder blades together.
• Take a small step from heel to toe and shift your weight to the supporting leg. This will help the muscles in your legs and buttocks to engage better.
• Keep a moderate pace and increase it towards the end of the workout.
• Avoid sudden movements and jerks.

You can increase the load in several ways:

• by increasing the weight of the weights evenly as you progress;
• throwing the equipment over your shoulders or holding it over your shoulders;
• moving on stairs or with obstacles.

Common mistakes

1. Leaning forward or rounding your back during the movement. This puts strain on the lumbar and shoulder joints. Watch your body position: keep your back straight, legs slightly bent at the knee joints, arms along your body slightly bent at the elbows.
2. Improper weight of the projectile. Too much weight will lead to overstretching of the back muscles.
3. Violation of coordination of movement and balance. It takes time to strengthen the muscle corset, arms and legs – increase the load gradually to get used to it and “pump” your strength and endurance.
4. Improper foot placement. Avoid excessive strain in the lumbar region, ankle and knee injuries by setting your feet correctly – heel down first, then the whole foot.
5. Improper weight distribution. Always shift your weight to the supporting leg and try to keep it centered.
6. Tilting or tilting your head. Monitor and remember the correct position of the body and head.
7. Incorrect weight to distance ratio. The greater the distance, the lower the weight should be.

Kontrindikācijas

You should refuse to perform the exercise if there are disorders of the musculoskeletal system – spine, joints, legs; heart disease, respiratory system disorders, as well as during the postoperative period or pregnancy. Do not perform the exercise if the muscle corset is still too weak, that is, at the initial stages of training.

Exercise correctly and beneficially, add the “farmer’s walk” to the list of exercises and walk confidently towards a healthy and beautiful body.