Get Shredded With This Farmer’s Walk Conditioning Workout
This Farmer’s Walk conditioning workout will give you plenty of bang for your buck. Farmer’s Walks allow you to simultaneously train multiple athletic attributes that are beneficial in virtually any sport.
RELATED: Why Every Athlete Should Do Farmer’s Walks
The exercise might seem ridiculously simple, but you are essentially training your body to carry heavy loads for long periods of time. This is why it has become a staple in the programming of most top strength coaches. You can build strength, improve conditioning, lose fat and correct posture all at once using this Farmers Walk conditioning workout.
This simple Farmer’s Walk conditioning circuit includes five variations of the exercise to work different parts of your body. Perform it once or twice per week as a finisher at the end of a workout.
RELATED: How to Perform the Farmer’s Walk with Dumbbells
Farmer’s Walk Conditioning Workout
Perform the exercises one after the other in a circuit. Do each move for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds between exercises. Repeat the circuit twice and switch sides on the second set if it’s a single-arm exercise.
You can go heavier for the variations that require two hands and adjust accordingly for the one-handed lifts with lighter loads. For two-handed lifts like the Farmer’s Walk, Rack Carry and Goblet Carry, carry a total of 30 percent of your body weight for beginners, 50 percent of your body weight for moderately advanced athletes, and your total body weight for extremely strong individuals.
Traditional Farmer’s Walk
This works your upper back, grip, core and legs. Of all the carry variations, this is the one where you are most likely to move the heaviest weight. This exercise can also serve as a posture corrective.
How to: Walk with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
RELATED: 7 Farmer’s Walk Variations for Improved Core Strength
Waiter’s Walk
This is usually the variation where you move the lightest weight, but it’s still a great challenge. This one is great for strengthening your obliques and shoulders. In addition, it improves balance and stabilization since you’re moving an uneven load.
How to: Walk holding a dumbbell overhead with one arm.
Double Rack Carry
This one spares your grip more than the other carries, but it challenges your core strength like nothing else. The anterior loaded weight forces your core and hip muscles to engage to fight against being pulled forward. Because the load is placed on your chest, it also creates a respiratory challenge, which improves your ability to breathe and work while fatigued.
How to: Walk with dumbbells in front of your shoulders in the same position you’d catch the weights in a Dumbbell Clean.
Suitcase Walk
This version targets your grip strength and core. Once again, because it is a unilateral loaded carry, it challenges your ability to balance and stabilize, something that carries over to all athletic movements.
How to: The same as a Farmer’s Walk, but with only one dumbbell.
Goblet Carry
This is an extremely simple move to learn and an excellent way to build overall upper-body strength, especially in your shoulders and arms. In addition to strong arms, you’ll get benefits similar to the Double Rack Carry, since this is also an anterior loaded carry.
How to: Walk while holding a dumbbell in the goblet position against your chest.
Distance/Time
These intervals are simple: Perform a carry for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds before doing another one.
Repeat this interval set twice, and switch hands on the second set.
- Farmer’s Walk: 30 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Waiter’s Walk: 30 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Double Rack Carry: 30 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Suitcase Walk: 30 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Goblet Carry: 30 seconds
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Get Shredded With This Farmer’s Walk Conditioning Workout
This Farmer’s Walk conditioning workout will give you plenty of bang for your buck. Farmer’s Walks allow you to simultaneously train multiple athletic attributes that are beneficial in virtually any sport.
RELATED: Why Every Athlete Should Do Farmer’s Walks
The exercise might seem ridiculously simple, but you are essentially training your body to carry heavy loads for long periods of time. This is why it has become a staple in the programming of most top strength coaches. You can build strength, improve conditioning, lose fat and correct posture all at once using this Farmers Walk conditioning workout.
This simple Farmer’s Walk conditioning circuit includes five variations of the exercise to work different parts of your body. Perform it once or twice per week as a finisher at the end of a workout.
RELATED: How to Perform the Farmer’s Walk with Dumbbells
Farmer’s Walk Conditioning Workout
Perform the exercises one after the other in a circuit. Do each move for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds between exercises. Repeat the circuit twice and switch sides on the second set if it’s a single-arm exercise.
You can go heavier for the variations that require two hands and adjust accordingly for the one-handed lifts with lighter loads. For two-handed lifts like the Farmer’s Walk, Rack Carry and Goblet Carry, carry a total of 30 percent of your body weight for beginners, 50 percent of your body weight for moderately advanced athletes, and your total body weight for extremely strong individuals.
Traditional Farmer’s Walk
This works your upper back, grip, core and legs. Of all the carry variations, this is the one where you are most likely to move the heaviest weight. This exercise can also serve as a posture corrective.
How to: Walk with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
RELATED: 7 Farmer’s Walk Variations for Improved Core Strength
Waiter’s Walk
This is usually the variation where you move the lightest weight, but it’s still a great challenge. This one is great for strengthening your obliques and shoulders. In addition, it improves balance and stabilization since you’re moving an uneven load.
How to: Walk holding a dumbbell overhead with one arm.
Double Rack Carry
This one spares your grip more than the other carries, but it challenges your core strength like nothing else. The anterior loaded weight forces your core and hip muscles to engage to fight against being pulled forward. Because the load is placed on your chest, it also creates a respiratory challenge, which improves your ability to breathe and work while fatigued.
How to: Walk with dumbbells in front of your shoulders in the same position you’d catch the weights in a Dumbbell Clean.
Suitcase Walk
This version targets your grip strength and core. Once again, because it is a unilateral loaded carry, it challenges your ability to balance and stabilize, something that carries over to all athletic movements.
How to: The same as a Farmer’s Walk, but with only one dumbbell.
Goblet Carry
This is an extremely simple move to learn and an excellent way to build overall upper-body strength, especially in your shoulders and arms. In addition to strong arms, you’ll get benefits similar to the Double Rack Carry, since this is also an anterior loaded carry.
How to: Walk while holding a dumbbell in the goblet position against your chest.
Distance/Time
These intervals are simple: Perform a carry for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds before doing another one.
Repeat this interval set twice, and switch hands on the second set.
- Farmer’s Walk: 30 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Waiter’s Walk: 30 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Double Rack Carry: 30 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Suitcase Walk: 30 seconds
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Goblet Carry: 30 seconds