How to Perform the Farmer's Walk
The Farmer's Walk is a popular strongman event in which participants carry massive dumbbells at their sides while strutting their stuff. In competition, the Farmer's Walk is done with dumbbells that weigh almost as much as the participants themselves--often as much as 250 lbs. The Farmer's Walk requires significant back and core strength, however, which should be developed beforehand through a healthy combination of deadlifts, shrugs, squats and other exercises.
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Instructions
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Place each weight on the ground on either side of you, and safely and slowly deadlift them into position at your sides.
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Start walking. You can walk around the perimeter of the room, or from one set point in the room and back--although ideally, you can measure out a 100 to 300 ft. course beforehand. Keep your arms hanging straight down at your sides, and your back as straight as possible.
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Hold on to the weights firmly. While the actual weight of the dumbbells may look like the most challenging part of this exercise, the Farmer's Walk can only be performed with adequate grip strength. Pay attention to your grip throughout the exercise, as it will weaken very quickly. If you have trouble keeping your grip for more than 10 to 20 seconds at a time, reduce the amount of weight for your Farmer's Walk and try again.
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A few moments before failure, stop walking. Keeping your back and arms straight, bend your knees and slowly lower the weights to the ground. Try not to simply drop the weights to the ground, as this can pose some obvious risks to both your feet and the weights themselves. Rest for a few minutes, and pick up the weights as before to return to the starting point.
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Increase the difficulty of the exercise with increased weight and turns. Turns are often an integral part of the Farmer's Walk, particularly in competitions. Intersperse your workout with various turns of ninety or one hundred and eighty degrees. Learning how to handle the momentum of your weights while in motion is essential to both your training and safety.
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Tips & Warnings
Always consult with a personal trainer before embarking on any new exercise regimen.
Because the Farmer's Walk can seriously tax your grip strength, perform it at the end of your exercise regimen.
