Farmer's Carry Experience

[dmarbell]

Rather than resurrect a dead thread, I started this one. I found @Chuckman 's thread about tire flips and farmer carries with the tractor tire. I just started a couple days ago with dumbbells, and yesterday did carries with 32.5 lb in each hand. I did 8x 40 seconds or so. My plan is to up the duration, down and then up my driveway, which is about 90-100 feet and a pretty steep incline from the street.

Keep in mind I am 69 years old, with one hip and one knee replaced. I need to build a base without hurting myself. Does anybody have any long-term experience with farmer's carries they can share to encourage me?

 

[Supermatch]

It's pretty safe with dumbbells. Its the longer implements like farmers carry handles at 4+ feet long that it becomes a bit dangerous due to the propensity for the handles to either dip and dig into the ground, or carry momentum when turning. Keep in mind as weights go up you will begin to feel soreness in your shoulders and traps. If you want to keep going but your grip is failing, you can use a pair of barbell wrist straps to continue training.

 

[Chuckman]

Excellent full-body functional exercise! Keep your shoulders back and chest out, normal strides. Going up/down inclines, pay attention to your posture.

Also to blast the core, do a couple sessions with just one DB, and engage your core to stand erect, avoid the temptation to compensate by leaning to the side in which you do not have the DB.

 

[smm72]

Great all around exercise, i have bad lower back, bad knees and shoulder problems. These don’t hurt. I do laps in my yard. Do what chuckman says ref posture etc.

 

[9outof10mms]

I’ll mix in a medicine ball carry while walking fast or jogging. It’s just awkward enough to be a pain in the ass and enough weight to make it not easy.

But I need to do more of these farmer walks with better form. Easy to get lazy with them. Not like the guy was pretending, but just enough to not get the full benefit from it.

 

[RR]

I do mine with 35 and 55lb kettlebells or a 50lb sandbag. Alternating the sandbag from hand to hand and shoulder to shoulder. Great functional exercise.

 

[Chuckman]

I’ll mix in a medicine ball carry while walking fast or jogging. It’s just awkward enough to be a pain in the ass and enough weight to make it not easy.

But I need to do more of these farmer walks with better form. Easy to get lazy with them. Not like the guy was pretending, but just enough to not get the full benefit from it.

Sandbags are great because the weight shifts requiring your muscles to compensate and switch fiber loading.

I do mine with 35 and 55lb kettlebells or a 50lb sandbag. Alternating the sandbag from hand to hand and shoulder to shoulder. Great functional exercise.

Yes for sandbags.

Edited to add, Brute Force Training (Brute Force Gear) has a free sandbag WOD that they email every evening around 9 pm. They are all fresh and different and many of them are absolute killers.

 

[dmarbell]

I tried to up the game a little on Friday by going down and then up my driveway, about 110 feet each way. The slope change, based on a free digital altimeter app, is 12 feet over the 110, down first. After the first down and up with 32.5 lbs, I decided to drop back to a 22.5 lb dumbell in each hand for the remaining trips. I did 8x110 in all. I intend to do another set today after a rest day yesterday. The last thing I want to have happen is to go at it too hard and hurt something and have to quit. I'm figuring every other day, slowly adding some weight, and six months might give me a good base.

I have a friend who will be 72 in May, fitness nut, who spends a few months in Puerto Rico. He has a steep slope he hikes up and back, and decided to pick up a couple of rocks he estimated at 20 lbs each. He swears his grip strength improves over those months grasping those rocks. For now, I'm happy with making sure I grip the bar and not just let it hang in my fingers.

 

[Chuckman]

I tried to up the game a little on Friday by going down and then up my driveway, about 110 feet each way. The slope change, based on a free digital altimeter app, is 12 feet over the 110, down first. After the first down and up with 32.5 lbs, I decided to drop back to a 22.5 lb dumbell in each hand for the remaining trips. I did 8x110 in all. I intend to do another set today after a rest day yesterday. The last thing I want to have happen is to go at it too hard and hurt something and have to quit. I'm figuring every other day, slowly adding some weight, and six months might give me a good base.

I have a friend who will be 72 in May, fitness nut, who spends a few months in Puerto Rico. He has a steep slope he hikes up and back, and decided to pick up a couple of rocks he estimated at 20 lbs each. He swears his grip strength improves over those months grasping those rocks. For now, I'm happy with making sure I grip the bar and not just let it hang in my fingers.

Carrying heavy stuff, especially with awkward mechanics of grip, is foundational to functional strength. This is the stuff that makes your day-to-day life better and overall healthier.

 

[Dirtydirtysouf]

Make sure you do some suitcase carries (1 side at a time) mixed in also

 

[9outof10mms]

Carrying heavy stuff, especially with awkward mechanics of grip, is foundational to functional strength. This is the stuff that makes your day-to-day life better and overall healthier.

It’s how Clint got fit for fighting. Moving around small block Chevys and such.

 

[dmarbell]

I skipped Sunday, but just did the carry today. I did 5x220 ft with 22.5 pound dumbbells. First set, 30 second rest at the bottom, second set 10 second rest. Next 3, I just went down and then back up for a 220 ft lap. I have to say, at the top of the laps, my arms were burning a bit and my hands were getting tired.

I have one adjustable kettlebell that goes to 40 lb. I thought about adding another one and it would take me to 80 lb. total. Then if needed, I can add more plates to the dumbbells. I might also be digging up some rocks from the yard for changing it up some.

One advantage I see for the kettlebells is the height of the handle. The dumbbell deadlift takes me low enough that all the pressure is on my lower back. That's not a problem at 22.5 lbs., but will get worse as the weight goes up.