Farmers Walk

[Justfine]

Tried a treadmill with 5kg plates for 15 mins alternating between farmers walk, side lateral raise and arm curls. Followed by 50m walks with heavier weights. Got a good burn.

 

Going to try drop down sets next workout.

 

 

[robblok]

Whatever works for you.. i got a whole topic in the fitness part about farmers walk. Did it again this morning went a lot less as normal as my calluses are a bit torn. I chalk my hands up tried with gloves but it just makes the bar thicker and makes it harder to hang on to the weights. 

 

Been doing it now almost 2 months every morning with 20 kg kettlebells, great improvement since using chalk.. but gloves are just not it. Tried to find some gloves that are real thin will see if that works.

 

I think farmers walks are prefect though i question your choice of doing it on a treadmill though it is probably ok with light weights like that.  Doing it now for 20 minutes each morning and i see some changes in the body.

 

I do think that chalk helped me to change where the weak point was. At first it was my hands and when using chalk it changed to my arms and shoulders. 

 

For me its a good thing to do much better then boring cardio. 

[robblok]

Has anyone a suggestion for gloves ? Most gloves i tried are great for lifting weights but not so good for my farmers walks as the grip on the kettlebells is big already and the gloves just add to the diameter making it harder. I am hoping that these cheap semi gloves will help 200-300 bt not expensive. My normal padded gloves are just too hard though I might have to use them again as torn calluses are painful. This morning i just went through the discomfort but I can't see myself doing that every time.

[Justfine]

Try gardening gloves. Some are thin.

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Try gardening gloves. Some are thin.

Real good suggestion thanks.

[Justfine]

I bought a pack of 5 for about 10 bucks but they are thin with coating to help grip.

 

I got blisters from rowing bare handed so will use them for that as well.

[robblok]

2 hours ago, Justfine said:

I bought a pack of 5 for about 10 bucks but they are thin with coating to help grip.

 

I got blisters from rowing bare handed so will use them for that as well.

I don't often use gloves but with rowing (rowing machine) I did and now with the farmers walk i tried for weeks without. It went ok until now, it was bound to happen. Where did you get the gloves.. 10 bucks then probably not in Thailand ?. I will look in Thaiwatsadu and homepro. 

 

I still think farmers walk is great.. I am even thinking that my traps and shoulders have grown a bit (cant be sure could be other exercises too). 

[Justfine]

https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19524420/flexed-arm-carry/

 

I like this method. Like carrying furniture as he says.

[robblok]

9 minutes ago, Justfine said:

https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19524420/flexed-arm-carry/

 

I like this method. Like carrying furniture as he says.

Not my thing, i like to do them heavy and get my whole body in on it. The weights you would be using for biceps would not accomplish this. I don't do much biceps works, got 45 cm biceps already. That is 17.7 inch on a reasonably lean body that is not bad.

 

I don't say don't do them.. just depends what you like to train. 

Edited May 7, 2018 by robblok

[Justfine]

Just tried it. The reverse hold is hard. The hammer hold is easy. Im going to do lots of reverse holds as it seems the top of my forearms arent strong.

[robblok]

35 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Just tried it. The reverse hold is hard. The hammer hold is easy. Im going to do lots of reverse holds as it seems the top of my forearms arent strong.

 

It would probably improve your grip and forearms it looks effective for that. Its a form of Isometric training and you can get stronger with it even get more muscle mass. I have never really trained my forearms separate (some people do). I assumed they would be trained when I did deadlifts and other exercises. Now with the farmers walk I feel my forearms too. 

 

What are your goals ? 

 

[Justfine]

Increase overall strength, especially in weaker areas whilst sheding fat.

[robblok]

1 hour ago, Justfine said:

Increase overall strength, especially in weaker areas whilst sheding fat.

I would say burning fat would go better with normal farmers walk with heavier weights. The more weight you use the more you burn but you can't do that with that version. For burning fat its best to incorporate heavy weights (not to heavy so you can't make distance) and incorporate the big muscles like legs and so on. With heavier weights you will put more stress on your legs and other big muscles and burning more.  (still the amount burned with any exercise is never that much)

 

However your other goal increasing in weaker area's works for sure with that version. 

 

I might have found a solution for my problem (not sure will see tomorrow). I went to super sports and got some badminton wrap and wrapped the kettlebell handles with it. I am hoping its softer on my hands than the iron. 

[Justfine]

Im doing deadlifts same day as farmers walk. Think I will do normal walks with heavier weights then hammer then bicep curl walks then reverse holds. So a mix. The forearms should be burning after.

[poanoi]

there is these bands you swirl around your wrists and then around the piston

on the weight so as to take the load off the fingers,

but i think if your fingers and forearms are already strained to max

then dont load any more, i busted my left forearm and went out of business just like that, i needed 2 hands just to drink water for several months, driving bike  was a chore

Edited May 8, 2018 by poanoi

[robblok]

2 hours ago, Justfine said:

Im doing deadlifts same day as farmers walk. Think I will do normal walks with heavier weights then hammer then bicep curl walks then reverse holds. So a mix. The forearms should be burning after.

In the past i would do squats and deadlifts on the same day.. it taxed my lower back too much. I separated them. Farmers walks should have less impact on the lower back and should be safe. I do them on the same day too but with a few hours of rest in between. (4 or so). 

[robblok]

40 minutes ago, poanoi said:

there is these bands you swirl around your wrists and then around the piston

on the weight so as to take the load off the fingers,

but i think if your fingers and forearms are already strained to max

then dont load any more, i busted my left forearm and went out of business just like that, i needed 2 hands just to drink water for several months, driving bike  was a chore

I know what you mean i got those they are called straps i use them on heavy deadlifts. But I don't want to use them during farmers walks as I want to improve my lower arms. It is advised to use these straps if you go real heavy with farmers walks.

[Justfine]

Im not going to try real heavy. Too risky. There are some beasts on youtube doing crazy stuff. They can have it.

[robblok]

40 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Im not going to try real heavy. Too risky. There are some beasts on youtube doing crazy stuff. They can have it.

I think real heavy is relative, I don't think its that risky but I won't go as heavy as those guys as I go for distance. 

 

This morning i felt like crap.. the walks suffered (still did the distance just took me longer). Caloric restrictions certainly don't help for strength gain, but needed for losing fat. 

 

I think the badminton grips did help a bit but its hard to say because of the bad workout. 

[Justfine]

https://www.verywellfit.com/cardio-and-weights-in-the-same-workout-session-3498555

 

Interesting. Up to 40 mins of cardio pre weights is beneficial.

 

 

[robblok]

1 hour ago, Justfine said:

https://www.verywellfit.com/cardio-and-weights-in-the-same-workout-session-3498555

 

Interesting. Up to 40 mins of cardio pre weights is beneficial.

 

 

Interesting indeed, would have been even better if they had a strength only group too. Id love to see the differences because after 40 minutes of cardio I won't be as strong in the gym as i normally would be. 

 

I have split the cardio up from the weight training. Not really because of any idea but just convenience. I can do cardio fasted.. but strength training i surely can't do fasted. 

 

I admit in the past I always did strength training first then cardio.. if I ever have to combine it again i know what the better order is.

 

Keep them coming i like articles like that.

[robblok]

You should google nutrient partitioning, some people say that its why some people can lose fat fast and gain muscle fast. I think its real interesting to read about not so sure how much we can actually change this. Bodybuilders use metformin to do that (not all as they think it inhibits muscle growth too opinions are divided). A natural alternative to it is berberine, i used it in the past (but made the mistake how i used it.. it has to be taken with a carb meal and is supposed then to promote the nutrients to go in muscle instead of fat cells). Not sure if this truly works or not. That is the problem many studies but how can you really know 

[Justfine]

Im fit enough to row more than 60 mins non stop so was thinking split things up but now im thinking 40 mins rowing followed by weights 3 times a week. Other days just walking.

 

I only lift medium level weights so should be fine.

[robblok]

53 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Im fit enough to row more than 60 mins non stop so was thinking split things up but now im thinking 40 mins rowing followed by weights 3 times a week. Other days just walking.

 

I only lift medium level weights so should be fine.

Yes I am sure you would be fine, for me rowing in combination with heavy dead-lifts and squats (even on other days) were the problems. It was mainly my lower back that would give out. I have since scaled down my dead-lifts to a maximum of one time a week. 

 

I am sure I can row 60 minutes non stop.. done it in the past just went crazy. Tropo, he is the rowing king he beats me hands down in power and speed. I think part of my problem is that i rowed too much (almost every day). I often take cardio to extreme because i used it for fat loss and if you do it just a few times a week.. it just does not go fast enough   Its my impatient nature. 

[robblok]

As for the farmers walks, according to the GF they have increased the size of my trapezium muscle. That is possible as it was never really trained separate (at least not recently) and the farmers walks are a new form of training for me.  This was something I did not expect as i thought i could not get much bigger anymore. I guess certain lagging muscles could still get bigger. 

[Justfine]

Was wondering if I should go 75 to 90 mins rowing sessions but think thats too much and would get bored.

[robblok]

2 hours ago, Justfine said:

Was wondering if I should go 75 to 90 mins rowing sessions but think thats too much and would get bored.

Only you can decide, for me I tend to overdo things (cardio not weightlifting)  and then give up after a few months. That is why now I am looking for cardio that I can do longer even if its not the best. The best gets beaten by something you can do consistently for a longer period. I liked rowing but doing it too much put me off it. I might start doing it again if my weight loss stalls (will still do the farmers walk but will add rowing sessions at night or maybe in the weekend). 

 

Problem with doing stuff too much is if you really get bored and you quit for good. Exercise should be sustainable I never had much problems doing weight lifting been doing that consistently for 7 years  now, cardio is an other story for me. 

 

Anyway i would not do 75-90 minute sessions yet. The way I read it (could be wrong) is that you just started low carb december and are still losing weight. There might be a time that you hit a plateau.. at that time an increase in activity can break it but if you have already maxed yourself out (not physically but with boredom) its a problem. Best to keep a bit of a reserve for when you need it.

Edited May 8, 2018 by robblok

[Justfine]

Yeah that makes sense. I could do the odd long session to break up the routine and get thru a plateau.