The “Farmers Carry” is NOT a particularly good ("mechanically efficient") fitness exercise
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ส.ค. 2024
- Watch our free masterclass Compound vs Isolation:
online.smarttr...
It’s very common for the fitness industry to recruit movements used in sports and strength exhibitions, and convert them into “fitness exercises”-but this is not always a good idea. The pursuit of fitness goals should, ideally speaking, include exercises that are highly efficient-producing the most benefit with the least wasted effort and the least risk of injury. The “Farmer Carry” is not in that category. This video explains why.
![ทางเดินชีวิต - ธีเดช ทองอภิชาติ x อ.ไข่ มาลีฮวนน่า [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1f3wcG16dd4/mqdefault.jpg)
Jeff Cavaliere wants to know your location
Yeah this has lost his mund
Greg Doucette would like to know Jeff *"Fake Weights"* Cavaliere's location.
fuck mr fake weights
@JeffCavaliere: "Brignole is killing your gains."
@@tongfoocheong8254 Jeff Cavaliere is like the Chairman Mao of killing gains.
Farmer's carry is actually a very good exercise. I do not recommend this video
He is only saying it is not the best movement for building any muscle.
@@richbrake9910 You have to eat in surplus to build muscle. And you definetely tear muscles while doing farmer's walk. So you are fucking wrong in all ways possible.
@Bjorfis The same with suitcase carries! Boy oh boy your obliques and QL burn like hell!
It's a good exercise for grip,strength and endurance. But not particularly good for muscle
Justin Y's Ghost it did a great job for my arms
The loaded carry is one of the most functional exercises out there. And relatively low-risk, compared to other major lifts. It hits your traps, back, forearms, core, legs... nearly everything. Not to mention it's the best for developing grip strength. Hell, it even gets your heart rate up. Various studies have proven the effectiveness of loaded carries, and the best trainers/coaches in the world tend to support it. Maybe this video is aimed at bodybuilders, more than anyone else. But if you're an athlete, or someone trying to build functional strength for everyday fitness- loaded carries are awesome! You gotta try them. They don't disappoint.
Facts I do jiujitsu and it’s only benefitted me
Mate that's the best comment I've read on farmers carry.. 👍
I've sifted through university studies and all sorts of literature....they all show that farmers walks are great exercises. This video and this guy seems to be the only one making a negative comment. Maybe he's doing it for clickbait, but his information is false.
My core and grip strength have become extremely strong. 455lbs walk for 100 M followed by a sprint. This dude in the video is clueless
@@CalculusVariations99 I've been doing a bit of farmers walks. After a few go-rounds I realized the only body part that felt exercised were my fingers. And I also thought that I'm only 5' 9.5" tall. I don't need to be any shorter. Why would I want to squish my spine? Anyway, so, all this guy said made perfect sense. Don't forget that the overall concept of weight training is what is the most efficient use of your time? Farmers walk may be ok. But you could be doing other things that get results much faster. All the physics he described make perfect sense.
Cliff Notes: Leave farmer's walks to actual farmers.
Farmer walks put some serious strength and size on my upper back and forearms. It is a good exercise.
Basically the whole body. I love farmers walks
Not if you are just walking around holding them at your side because those muscles are not being worked. The farmer's carry is almost as worthless as planks.
@@greendeane1 go ahead and tell that to any strongman on the planet. He will disagree. You will get strong grip and work almost all of your upper body muscle. Ever heard of time under tention?
Basic Planks are only useless when you don’t have a weak core. Any exercise is useless if it’s too easy for you but guys with 8 pack abs act like the basic plank is too easy for everybody
@@JohnnyBoj89 he’s a idiot doesn’t know what he’s talking about my forearms just started growing more after farmer walks and I could never get them to grow before they definitely work my back got bigger and shoulders too from the farmer walks
Brignole: the most effective exercise is when the body part is horizontal.
Me: Agree 100%. Lies down on the sofa.
:D :D :D Good one!
This is actually quite technical in terms of physical contraction, but it completely ignores the vast amount of other stimulus effects of the body, the effect of time under tension, spinal load etc...can have extreme effects in terms of strength, endurance, and general conditioning. My deadlift really benefitted from programming heavy farmer's walks into my training.
I don't think this guy understands the point of the exercise he is criticising
@@StuartDuncanAndHisGoogle exactly
After watching this video, I think it's safe to say, his advice should be avoided.
Yeah, but has anyone actually tried carrying a farmer?
Yeah....but it was a fireman carry 🤷♂️
Well, sorta. It was actually the farmer's daughter, and it was a flat out run more than a walk....😅
Two of 'em.
Ahhhhh!!! Good one! :D
It maybe not a good bodybuilding exercise but conditioning your grip strength while forcing your posture to stay neutral and busting endurance is a good functional exercise for sure
It build a mean upper back and traps too. This guy is way off imo.
Heck strongman athletes be doing this shit in competitions so this is a good workout
after doing this walk i feel my traps everytime.
One of the most underrated yet beneficial exercises.
For someone on roids who has the sole focus of being aesthetic (aka bodybuilder) this video is completely biased. Farmer carries are unbelievably effective for core stability and strength and also build crazy trap and forearm muscle.
Decent input, until you used the term "core stability".
That's a silly industry term used to Bosu balls & add frivolous modules to BS Personal Training Diplomas.
True dat
bruh. your core stabilizes all the time. no matter what. sitting down is effective for core stability.
@@joshuapeek9555 Go ahead and sit down, Couch Potato.
@@zombieapocalypse3837 what couch potato understands biomechanics and physics as it relates to the body? clown
From Harvard Health...Numerous studies have shown that weight-bearing exercise can help to slow bone loss, and several show it can even build bone.
When science fails you. I can guarantee you have never done a 6 week cycle of farmers walk yourself with any sort of intensity. It is probably one of the best trap, grip, oblique, and overall strength builder. it is far superior than probably any other trap exercise for growth as well. You don't need a study to know this.
I disagree that it's "one of the best" overall Strength builders.
Add 150 lbs to a novice's Deadlift & that would have way more of a positive carryover to their farmers walk strength than the other way round.
@@blackphoenix8932 I agree that overall the deadlift is a much higher priority. But I agree with the sentiment that this video is kinda silly
@@danthezulu7707 The point of the video is that farmers walks aren't very efficient & that there are better ways to train the associated musculature with targeted, dynamic/isotonic exercises that involve less axial loading & of the spine & that make less of an imposition on one's recuperative ability.
Which also allows one to perform more overall volume, obviously very advantageous as volume is generally considered one of the major drivers of hypertrophy.
Science doesnt fail here. Dougs reasoning fails here. Doug isnt science. He just tries to use science. The problem is that he creates straw men of the things he criticizes instead of creating steel men. Many times he only looks exercises from one angle and doesnt see other ways the exercise is beficial.
@@Mks25932 A 137 lb woman doing a 400 lbs farmers walk: th-cam.com/video/yH2jzIkIBeg/w-d-xo.html
Enough said.
Something is missing here. I have been doing farmer's walks 2X a week for 8 weeks, progressively loading every workout. And the results have been tremendous for my upper back and grip strength. And the cardio...after a twenty minute session I am wiped out. Therefore, this is very efficient for my training goals.
I am not convinced that walking with moderate weight is that risky to the spine. Do you also have a problem with hikers who wear heavy backpacks for hours on end? Do you see spinal fractures in that population?
The fact is, human beings have had to carry heavy objects for eons just to survive, such that we must have certain adaptions for maintaining spinal integrity during this activity.
Until I see hard data on injury rates for these kinds of carries, I will respectfully disagree with this analysis.
Awesome exercise. Keep going with it. Basic human trait to carry things. Way more natural than most gym exercises. Also lower risk than many compound lifts.
I've never heard of injuries from low to moderate weight carries.
Squats, overhead press and bench are the higher risk exercises.
Using farmer carry with high handles or picking up weights from a bench is very low risk. The walk itself is low risk.
Only a risk if going very heavy which you don't need to do. Leave that to strongmen.
In the 50 to 120kg range carries are great.
If using sandbags you can add in throws and other things like rows, bear hugs.
Completely agree. It sounds like a bunch of made-up shit, especially that it is bad for your spine. Farmer's walks if done properly, is probably as or even more effective than Deadlifts for building strength and muscle.
Everyone in the military who is there for years has back problems because of the backpack lifting (15kg~ average) . SO YES, I DO SEE SPINAL FRACTURES lol
@@Golden2Talon shitty leadership breaking their subordinates down with ruck runs & needlessly long hikes is not the same as lifting something heavy
@@andrewlindgren2650 the commentators above talking about light backpack carrying. military is that 90% of the time. it will lead to back pain. so yeah, its not about lifting but more about carrying something for hours
I definitely can say that this man has never tried them. When they are heavy, you have hard time balancing (left/right) when walking, your forearms are getting stronger and you are working your core. I just don’t agree with him
Yes it can build your resistance for when you do grab dumbbells off racks too! Unlimited stuff really. Like if you can farmer walk 100 in each hand obviously picking up weights will feel easier for Biceps curls.
Farmer walk is a natural activity for human been on daily basis. Almost every day we carry stuffs and groceries beside our bodies and walk.
True, and many people get injured in the day to day activities because of all the off balance lifting.
@@richbrake9910 thats because they are either weak or using bad technique. Carries build strength and force you to use good technique. The idiots getting injured aren't doing farmers carries.
dont correlate an exercise to life. exercising is unnatural in every way possible.
@ exercise equipment is manufactured to be used as efficiently as possible for a very specific thing. its completely arbitrary. so no im not. exercise for a goal and stop saying its "functional" and mimics "life"
@@joshuapeek9555 I get what your saying and you are correct, but humans used to carry, push, pull and what not like everyday, so yeah exercise is kind of a part of life that we abandoned due to our modern life.
Just because it’s not efficient doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s functional and will build full body strength and improve your cns
Delete this video. You have no clue what you're on about.
My fav TH-cam comment of the month! 😂
@@djrmonix I hate people spreading disinformation. Humans have been lifting and carrying stuff since we were In caves.
We're designed for it for frick sake.
@@KrisVic91 We really aren't.
Our spines are still in an evolutionary phase of transition from being quadrupeds.
Hence why 80% of the population suffer from lower back pain in their lifetime.
It's also why women suffer agony during childbirth, newborn babies skulls aren't fully formed & humans have a much greater predisposition to shoulder impingement than our primate cousins.
@@blackphoenix8932 No
@@KrisVic91 Religious?
Ummmm, idk about the science but I know how my body responds to heavy weighted carries and they work great for upper back and traps. I don't do it with some bullshit kettle bell but rather 135 lbs in each hand. I think anyone who has actually incorporated these into their routine will agree that they are very effective at doing what they are meant too.
heh. I have 68 and 80 kg kettlebells. You can go bigger.
You can do it with a kettlebell at that weight. Dumbells are boring.
Well said. Maybe stick to as close to traditional Farmers Carry is more safe. I know they like doing some variation for rehab.
Maybe you asume everyone is using 4kg kettlebells like in the photo. They do make kettle bells 50kg+
"We wouldn't call this an exercise," says Doug at one point. Yes we would: it's the dead hang, ultimately a test of grip strength/ stamina. As for the farmer's walk being bad for your back, yeah if you were to walk for hours loaded-up (like the military do), or you had the weight up high as-with barbell walking lunges perhaps. But doing 1-or-2 minute sets of FW, even when very heavily-loaded, seems unlikely to damage the spine, especially if the person has already built-up their core/ back muscles and worked up to the weight being carried.
Plenty of university studies out there and they all point to Farmer's Walks being an amazing functional exercise. I'm unable to find ANY other sources on the planet that have anything negative to say about Farmer's Walk. Just this one dude.
@@CalculusVariations99 I can't honestly think of anything more functional than move heavy object A to location B.
You need 50, 60 more examples of perpendicularity. Also, you're missing the point of carries.
Yeah that was what I was thinking a couple mins into it but I was like "well maybe he'll go somewhere else with this talk."
Agreed that I think he's missing the point. Just because the moment arm is zero for the carry doesn't make it useless. No you're not going to build huge pecs or quads with it, but again, not the point. The danger of spinal compression is there, but if you do it with good form and don't start out with way more weight than you can handle, it's relatively safe. How many exercises can be dangerous if you're using bad form or too much weight? How about almost all of them?
If guys like Jeff Cavaliere and the guys from Mind Pump, among many others, say the farmer's carry is a great beneficial exercise, I'll have to take their word for it.
hes not, people selling carries as muscle builders are. missed the point
@@joshuapeek9555 Your never going to convince anyone, Couch Potato.
@@zombieapocalypse3837 theres no need for convincing. facts are facts.
Eddie Hall and Big Z both train and recommend this exercise.
So sorry, but I'm likely to take two of the strongest men in the worlds recommendations over yours.
"strongest". this conversation is about building muscle.
@@joshuapeek9555 Even building muscle, Nothing will blow up forearms traps and be a more functional overall movement more than carrying heavy shit for distances. It's just an attribute that can be enjoyed by those who seek strength or better muscle definition.
@@raulgillette5589 that is incorrect. in this example, there are superior exercises for MUSCLE for the forearms and traps. functional for what? its not functional for building muscle. if its for enjoyment, thats a different discussion.
@@joshuapeek9555 Functional as in taking a damn injured horse on your back and walking with it for 2 miles down the street to your local vet. That's functionality, using things that can assist your wife when carrying a very heavy amount of groceries into the house. I believe you can have both a Strength and a Hypertrophy workout but for Strength nothing builds up Strength more than farmers walks. Every strongman swears by it.
@@raulgillette5589 correlating in the gym movements to life activities is a fallacy. horses and groceries are not designed to be carried efficiently. effectively, possibly. but gym equipment is designed for humans to use efficiently.
Strength is relative. If i stand on one leg for 10 seconds one day and the next time i do it for 11 seconds, i got stronger. so stop speaking as if strength is a one size fits all. its not.
and you realize they swear by it because its an actual event in the sport right? thats like me saying, shooting free throws is better than swinging a bat, every NBA player swears by it.
you are not professional enough to say that, it made me grow the traps and the forearm like no other exercise, apart there are studies that validate it, please inform yourself better.
It made you grow the trapezius? How do you know the traps came from farmer's carry? What else were you doing ?
@@richbrake9910 because for traps and back the only thing I do are rack pulls - pull ups and especially farmer walk carrying more of my own weight and I have been doing that for 2 years and my posture has improved and the stretching of my trapezoids and forearms have exploded like never before
@@marriot5185 yes great exercise. Only idiots on here don't like it. They have never done it!
@@marriot5185 I can see how it works the traps from opposite loading; however, I feel there are better movements for traps. I'm not saying you did not build traps from them.
@@richbrake9910 farmer walk burn the fk out my traps especially when I don't go heavy but for longer distance
I feel like this guy is just going off of what he thinks
The most overlooked benefit of this exercise is, it strengthens your bones, ie skeleton. Something you need to keep strong as you age to prevent bone loss and osteoarthritis etc. Obviously the right diet and lifestyle in conjuction with moderate consumption of alcohol are all factors ..But in my opinion, irrespective of anything else, farmers is a great exercise.. get at it.. cheers
We actually use Farmer's Carry to train people in the moving business. Picking up a 200 lb. dresser, with 2 people, means they're carrying 100 lbs. each assuming they're the same height and have the same wingspan, 50 lbs. on each hand. You HAVE to hold it for sometimes minutes at a time. Believe me, it works.
It fits your particular goal. Doesn't mean it "works" optimally for building muscle, vs. other resistance/weight training.
From a bodybuilding standpoint no it’s not the most beneficial but it is a functional movement especially if you add a lift and carry to the movement. That would assist in activities of daily living.
Rob Torres, Doug doesn’t do a deadlift either. He is a bodybuilder, not a health builder and prefers 50 reps cable squats ...
Stuart McGill recommends overhead carries, and says: "McGill's study found that the lats were substantially worked in the farmer's walk and suitcase carry."
Berd Tim From a biomechanic standpoint I can’t see at all how the lats are significantly worked with a farmers walk. The line of resistance is vertical. The lats do not function in that manner.
The muscles I see significantly in play are hand/wrist intrinsic and extrinsic muscles, the shoulder girdle muscles such as upper traps and rotator cuff muscles all “isometrically” for protection.
Again this is not a hypertrophy exercise in the world of bodybuilding. This is a isometric exercise and in bodybuilding one looking for more of an isotonic movement for eccentric and concentric loading. This is more of a strong man movement or in recent years has been caught on by local gym members doing it because it’s become popular.
@@Iceman-xe7jo I believe this exercise is good for posterior chain. If that's the correct terminology. This " dr " is only looking at the exercise in one dimension
HealthJeeps &Guns No it’s not. The line of pull is vertical. If you were looking for a posterior chain the resistance needs to be opposite to the line of movement. Example would be attached to a pulley like a resisted walkout.
Farmers carry is good for posterior chain strength. You're looking at this in only one dimension.
Suitcase carry is even better but more of an advanced version
The loading of any muscle requires that its operating lever encounter an opposing resistance. That only occurs when that operating lever enters into an angle that is (various degrees) of perpendicular with the direction of resistance. For example -- in the video -- I show how my biceps and triceps are both NOT LOADED, when my forearm (i.e., which is the operating lever of the biceps and the triceps) is vertical. The "posterior chain muscles" (i.e., the erector spinae, gluteus, adductors and hamstrings) would be loaded IF (and only if) the torso bends forward, thereby entering into various degrees of perpendicular with gravity. Since the Farmers Carry positions the torso mostly vertically (i.e., parallel with gravity, instead of perpendicular to gravity), the posterior chain muscles are not loaded. I suspect you were told (or read) that the Farmers Carry was "good for the posterior chain muscles", and you simply believed it -- not knowing that certain mechanical / physics requirements must be met in order for a muscle to actually be loaded. This is the purpose of my videos, and of my book -- to explain what those mechanical principles are, so that you don't have to blindly believe (trust) any statement that is made. Instead, you can accurately evaluate the veracity of any statement (regarding resistance exercise), involving exercise mechanics, once you understand the physics (biomechanics) involved in that endeavor.
@@dpbrig1 so what you are saying is a skeleton will stand upright by itself cause there is no load on it? No of course it would collapse, simply walking forward puts us at an angle ( slightly) so it would be putting stress on muscles.
Farmers walk does put stress on your muscles. If it didnt we would be able to strap weight to our bodies and carry unlimited loads.
@@TypicalGuy84 - It's a matter of percentages of load, as I say in the video. A a lever (limb, torso, etc.) receives zero load (if it's perfectly vertical), or a very small percentage of the load (if it's slightly tilted from the vertical position), or the greatest percentage of the load (if it's entirely horizontal / perpendicular with gravity). A diminished percentage of load is typically compensated for by adding more weight, but it's not efficient. A muscle is equally loaded, whether it gets 20% of 100 pounds (when the operating lever is 20 degrees from vertical), or it gets 100% of 20 pounds (when the operating lever is completely horizontal). The difference is skeletal strain. It's most efficient to load a muscle with the least amount of skeletal strain (i.e., spine risk), using levers (limbs) that are more horizontal.
@@TypicalGuy84 - My book ("The Physics of Fitness") is endorsed by 12 PhD professors, from the following fields: exercise science, physics, neurobiology and paleontology (evolutionary biology), plus 3 orthopedic surgeons. I am also now co-authoring a university textbook in biomechanics with a Phd professor of exercise. My publisher (who has published over 100 other fitness books, from different authors) said my book is the most revolutionary book about fitness that he's ever seen. My comments about biomechanics are well-reviewed and endorsed. They are not random. You would do well to keep an open mind, and look for the logic and truth in what I'm saying, rather than getting defensive and dismissing anything that is different that what you previously believed to be true.
I would agree 100% with what's said in this video if he was talking about deadlifts with a trapbar. but the thing is you are walking, which means that every single muscle in your leg is working and also the balancing of the weights makes you work the whole core as well as the lats and chest
I'm sure every single muscle is working. Doug is saying the farmer's carry is not the best exercise for any muscle in the body. This is the point and you should agree 100%.
@@richbrake9910 you are targetting calves and traps in the best way biomechanically speaking. we don't "shrug" outside of the gym, the traps are muscles that are just meant to be loaded isometrically you can't expect to grow your traps just by shrugging. then we have the calves which are meant for walking, you can't expect to grow your calves efficiently seated in a machine doing calf raises. you need to take those big boys for a walk with extra weight that's why fat people have huge calves. you could better overload trap and calves with a yoke carry but you wouldn't get any grip work done and also no lats and chest activation you would get a strong lower back though. that's the beauty of compound exercices you get to target muscles in different ways depending on how you're feeling, if you went rock climbing the previous day don't do farmers walks since your grip will be fatigued, if you did a bunch of deadlifts the previous day then go for farmers walks so that you don't go as hard on your lower back.
and one more thing this guy kept saying that the calves are loaded "isometrically" instead of "concentrically" I guess he doesn't know what isometrically means or he just don't see any plantar flexion happening while walking
could u elaborate on the hexbar deadlifts part?
@@Joao42 sure!!!! farmers walks and trap bars deadlifts are pretty similar, the only difference is that in a farmer walk you lift the weight once and then keep walking (main face of the exercise) and also the trapbar keeps your shoulders in a fixed position. so when the guy talk about the perpendicularity of the weight blah blah blah, it might apply more to a trap bar deadlift at least on the calves regard because there is not as much plantar flexion and therefore little contraction on the calves muscles so let say the calves would be loaded "almost isometrically" so the guy would be "almost right". now if you want to target your core, quats, traps and grip then trap bar deadlift is hands down the best exercise
There are many variations that work different muscles. Bear Hug carry great for biceps, back and forearms as well as legs. The suitcase carry builds up forearm strength, traps and legs.
This "expert" is waffling on about biceps/triceps.
Poorly done biased video.
I dont rate myself as an expert but one of the benefits i see of this exercise is that you are having to stabilize an object in an unstable setting. also probably good for activating bone growth in the legs
Just the constant strain on your back and traps make it a good exercise as well. This guy is full of shite
I think you are missing 3 key points about the farmers carry. First every time you take a step that is going to contribute tension. Second, it's widest ranging application is grip development. You are taking a weight that your grip strength is challenged where everything else can go forever. The farmers carry is frequently implemented as a deadlift accessory when grip strength is a limiting factor.
Number 3, When the traps are in that eccentric position under tension, with every step contributing more tension it is a recipe for muscle damage, and thus a powerful tool for trap hypertrophy. A shrug would be exponentially better for strength, but a farmers carry is known for putting more meat on the traps in less time.
"Eccentric position" is almost an oxymoronic term, in that an eccentric muscular contraction involves movement.
Like an "Explosive Isometric" exercise.
I think you probably meant stretched position.
Would you say that the grip strength you get from farmers carry improves ability to do pull ups when one is very poor at pull ups?
My physical therapist had me do farmers carries after I suffered a detached clavicle. I am stronger and in far better shape now than I was before my accident. The best exercise I have ever done!
Passive hangs are an exercise, if you do body weight or gymnastics you will have to get used to the passive hold. Its great for shoulder health but your not trying to load it, it helps bridge the gab for passive to active hang.
Love farmers walks / zercher holds, isometric pushups got me through quarantine and kept/even gained arm size.
From now on I won’t be carrying anything , I’ll get other people to do it .
Hahaha
Doug Brignole has tunnel vision. I suspect he doesn't have the mental fortitude to endure the extreme discomfort that arises from taking a Farmers' Walk to physical failure.
Tunnel vision sure, but doubt he lacks mental fortitude. He has gotten into great shape.
Exactly...it’s a great exercise.
He's the only one criticizing it. I can't find ANYONE else with his criticisms. Read through multiple university studies and they all say it's great. This guy is the ONLY guy with a negative opinion of them.
Cant stop, wont stop the farmer carry
As im older this exercise ie carrying an army kit bag with sand in and sealed at one end,i carry it in front of me as if im hugging it,is brilliant,i do a certain distance carrying it,then 10 chin ups and 20 press ups,i do this every other day.Farmer walks are great ive done pressups and chin ups all my adult life,when i included farmers i noticed the benefits after a month.If i had to do only one exercise it would be farmers
From a limited perspective, as I am not up with all the science on this exercise, I have neverthelesss trained as an engineer and do functional training and weights. I can see the reasoning behind the video, and strictly speaking it is correct. What I feel and think has been missed is the fact that a lot of unusually heavy weight can therefore be carried with this lift, as he said, due to the vertical position, but what he failed to say were these two things. Firstly, the carrier is attempting to move forward, and this momentum now strains and impels the body to retain its vertical position whereby it can keep hold of the heavy weight, thus greatly working many connective muscles, particularly in the posterior chain and abdominals, which are fighting hard to keep the posture in its safe position, for as he said, potentially it is a high risk lift. And you could add small degrees of difficulty in respect of this aspect by raising your calves more as you walk, or moving in non-linear directions. Secondly, there is a corresponding reactive ground force that is necessary to hold this weight up, and as you can use an enormous amount of weight, this forces the feet, hips, shoulders, fingers and many other small structures to recoil and handle this unusually large weight, especially when it is carried over some distance. And it is in handling the reactive ground force with this really large weight, along with the small lateral movements you make, which makes this such a demanding exercise, and prepares a really solid base for handling other rigorous demands in the gym, such as the deadlift and squat, which will be more specific in their muscular needs.
I have only just started using it, but I sense that this exercise is great for developing the correct alignment and strength of the posture, shoulders, feet and hips, thus developing an increased ability to safety perform all other exercises, so long as it is done sensibly, and within the limits of the lifter, so that weights and movement patterns are introduced progressively. Thus, even after using it several times and only feeling its initial benefits, I feel that this exercise could be the most important exercise for not only power and weight lifters, but other athletes too, especially runners, due to the incredible improvements in the ability to counter the extremely high reactive forces, and the improvements in core and postural alignment, which would benefit one's breathing technique too. I am now keenly looking at different ways in which I can apply this wonderful, functional exercise, despite the fact it looks the least functional exercise of all, due to its limited motion and vertical nature, but as I have said, I can see its benefits being quite incredulous, so let's see?
I forgot to add, that there is also a need to strengthen the knee as you walk, to counter the weight, which will be greatly beneficial, so long as you don't overstride, albeit in a limited range of motion, which is really good for building a base from which you can then move onto a greater range of movement as in squats or deadlifts, which is especially useful if like me, as a former footballer and manual worker, your knees are a bit of a mess.
It's a waste of time compared to other muscle building methods. My god. It's so obvious.
First 6 minutes of video - yes I am aware that gravity exists ffs
🤣
No shit, 10 minutes of garbage, get to the fucking point.
This guy needs to do Farmers Walk he small asf
for real
😂😂
Good food for thought. A lot of videos about why this is a good exercises and this is the only disagreement video I've found. Interesting points.
I suggest that you can do "farmers carry" if you are a farmer. Perhaps because of this you will become a better farmer.
Ha ha ha ha 😂
This guy is a bodybuilder...
I never pay much attention to those girls.
Heavy Farmer carries put on mass like crazy, pinch your shoulder blades together, engage your core and carry.
Anyone who says there useless is litterally a mouth breather who doesn't know anything about fitness
"The Loaded carry does more to expand athletic qualities than any other thing I've attempted in my career as a coach and an athlete. And I do not say that lightly." - Dan John
What does a guy who is top notch athlete that has trained top notch athletes know if he hasn’t read this guys 50 dollar ebook?
Oh….wait….. a helluva lot.
Wouldn’t read this guys book if I was given it for free.
Farmers walk is the best exercise for amateurs and fitness enthusiasts
While scientifically you may be correct, you are just plain wrong overall about loaded carries. I've been doing them for years and they get the credit for great forearms and traps because I do no direct work for those two body parts. And carrying heavy weights a distance builds mental toughness as well as turning on your cns. You seem to know so much, but by being a detractor of farmer's carries you're doing a disservice to anyone naive enough to listen to your advice. I would say mechanical inefficiency can make you stronger and I have my own empirical evidence that proves it.
It is very good for strength training, not necessarily body building.
Maybe you forget that the Farmers Walk is a loaded gait pattern. Therefore there is always a shift from one foot to the other. There you got your lever: between the base of support (your foot contacting the ground) and the weight on the opposite side. Beside of that there is always a reactive muscle contraction because of the compression force. According to your argumentation you should be able to hold any weight in your hands no matter what the weight because there is no lever. That's just not correct. Your spine has to be able to compensate not only for shearing but also for compression forces. According to your argumentation nearly no complex movement would be mechanically efficient: the bench press is not mechanically efficient for the pecs, the squat is not for the glutes and the deadlift is not for the back. The question is always: for whom and what is the goal?
Old man strength isn't the same as body building life goes on and stuff has to get done !
Just came across this... I don't know what this guy's talking about, the farmer's walk is a full body exercise that brings great results, particularly when it comes to aging.
It is a 2019 video, no? Maybe he has updated is thinking by now?
I like the Farmer's carry/walk. I feel my upper body muscles engaged as I do the workout. Plus it challenges my grip strength for one thing and more. I believe this is a very beneficial workout for mountain climbers as it focuses so much on the grip. That's what I believe, and of course if we tried, I'm certain we would find so many bad things in all heavy lifting workouts.
I stopped watching at 5:30... Does he EVER get to his point???
In a very meandering overstuffed way
So, I've been going through university studies on the farmers walk, and they all point to this being an actually great exercise.
The farmers lift may be an effective lifting alternative to the deadlift, to generating more anterior-propulsive and vertical force with less stress to the lumbar spine due to the more vertical trunk position.
doug doesnt approve of deadlifts either so it's little use to compare the two.
This dude doesn't seem to understand anatomy nor the exercise he is criticising, and the physics he points to is irrelevant. I'm quite annoyed about how much of my time has been wasted with this stupid video
@@StuartDuncanAndHisGoogle I can't find ANY other people or videos criticizing the farmer's walk at all. Just this one guy.
Super set farmers carry with face pull and see it your selves .. 🙏
Farmer grip is actually a very good exercise for grip ,strength and endurance. But not particularly good for muscle building.
Farmer's Carry helped me absolutely with forearms and grip. Going heavy. Lots of stimulus in a lot of areas.
Farmers walks also help with your core strength
People are underestimating the farmers walks still which is funny to me
This is a trash take on a great exercise
He obviously hasn't worked on a farm or done construction work , it's a real life type of strength that's usually hours a day doing this repeatedly , so no it's not normally gym but real life situations type of conditioning
You were a great teacher. R.I.P Sir!!!!
I believe what Doug is conveying is simple, that is to first evaluate the form and movement of the exercise and try to determine how it may negatively put stress on your joints and spine. It may go well externally for a long while but the thing we don’t see is the stress and deterioration factor that will show up years later in your older age. And we all have seen, heard and know older people with joint and back discomforts. Research body builders, power lifters even sports athletes that have aged....they all have one thing in common, their bodies are hurting and not the same as they were in the younger years. Moderation is key along with sensible approach to exercises. And of course your diet.
I’d rather have strength that carries over to everyday life. Farmers tax your entire body. The injury prevention of them can’t be beat.
That's why he has zero traps
I'm agree in your bodybuilding concepts, this is biomechanically to risky and less beneficial for many people
Yes of course if your goal is only about building muscle probably you won't se other exercises benefits 😂
Behind every exercise their is science both mechanical and structural.
This video make some interesting points. To the people who have knowledge of farmers walk should understand and explain the mechanics of it.
There are many excercises with short term benifits and long term damage.
Personally I think it's a great exercise. I've seen great benefits myself, with clients and Dan John, Dr John Rusin, Jeff Cavalier and Dr Stuart Mcgill agree.
BVOY it’s benefits outweighed it’s negatives; if it has any for sure. This exercise especially when you add a march/knee drive with each step works wonders for feet, ankle, hip stability and strength as well as lower back upper back trap forearm and core strength. This is one of the best exercises out there especially as a warm up. If your here reading this comment. Definitely check out Dr. Rusin Dr Seedman and Jeff for sure. Definitely incorporate this exercise into your workout routines.
@@overnightavenger1470 it's good that you can add things, lunges, deadlifts, hugs, overhead lifts etc.
These peanuts doing arm curls have no clue.
This is why I'm totally against bodybuilding. They only focus on prolonged muscle tension, the "pump" and how good they look. Farmers carries are one of the most executed exercises in everyday life and you SHOULD do them. He's missing the point of this exercise by a mile. And yes, it works muscles in your upper back, core, lower back, hips, shoulders, calves, forearms, hands and wrists, etc, is also good for bone strength, cns recruitment, I could go on..
Farmers walk gives you free dumbell deadlift and a grip that can crush the world
You couldn't be more wrong.
Physics only supports bodybuilders and all our farmer forefathers has ruputured spine,.....
This video convinced me to start doing the farmers walk.
I've had five disc herniations (and the same number of surgeries) and have been doing this exercise for years with no "that was a great exercise" result after each set...but I've been dutifully doing them. After this very logical explanation - no more. The risk is - for me especially - is just too great for such little reward. Thanks, Doug.
Im in construction 50 years old industriel hvac , i have to carry lots of tools on roof.Im to tired whit my job to make full split 3 days week lifting workout. Since 6 month im starting to do farmer walk ,push up and pull up only 2 times week that make me soo strong and resilience. Way more then normal 3 days split routine .No comparaison at all im not taking mass and i dont lost mass to im just way more strong and better cardio.
Bad Information! The farmers carry, hangs and dip holds are all very good exercises! Isometric holds involve muscle under tension = exercise.
Farmer carries plus Dead hangs are both awesome exercises
Farmers walk is the best!!
what about a farmer's carry where you do one side at a time and focus on not leaning away or towards the weighted side?
"Suitcase carries" are supposed to be GREAT exercises! But then I thought farmer's walks were, too....🤔
The primary argument of inefficiency seems to overlook that loaded carries are focused on mobility. You aren't carrying it by standing there while wheels propel you along: You are swinging every limb, and therefore giving it some flexion, engaging your stabilizers to be balanced, which makes it effective for general strength even if you aren't trying to exaggerate the movement. Just picking up the weight to do a carry counts for one deadlift. The spinal compression, sure: But that also applies to heavy squats and nobody wants to say squats are bad. It's an issue with standing upright being terrible for us in the long run, not an issue with the movement.
However, you can also opt to do crawls instead of walking upright, adding load with chains, a weight vest, sled, etc. This distributes load across the limbs and spine more effectively, which is great for someone like me with scoliosis. My workouts are primarily crawls now with an occasional carry.
Always happy to see a new video of mr Brignole.. BUT,.. one thing.. In every video,... The sound is somewhat disturbing. And this time again.. I hope you will sort this out yourself or a technician.. Thank you very much for the effort to make us better.
This is interesting Mike from Renaissance Periodization also says farmers walks and suitcase carries are useless.
I think the loaded carry is at the intersection of “the effectiveness of isometrics” and the gap between fitness science vs many people’s experience.
I don’t know though I’m just a newbie pleb.
2:25...that’s a column, not a beam. beams are always horizontal
What about front carries? Like husafell stone walks, sand bag carries. What about over head carries like? What about single sided carries too btw, having one dumbell on one side an walking with it.
There is many good and bad arguments here. Yes light farmers walks are redundant and better exercises could be employed. But there are better exercises than squats for example car pushes. I have used heavy farmers with fat grips for one year now. What has improved. Grip strength, Iso grip strength. Trap size, endurance,posture and my dead lift has exploded. As a strength athlete I. My 40s it's also relatively easy on the body compared to axle deadlifts/ walks and duck walks
I was in bed for whole next day because of pure exhaustion when first trying farmers walk, forearms grew visually, balance and grip improved vastly in following weeks. I think isometric load of farmers walk makes it safer compared to other excersises. Not sure about spine thing but every standing free weight will compress spine, will it not? Thats the whole point of any excersise to overload muscles and joints in a controlled manner, so they become stronger not weaker.
Whenever you do an exercise that compresses the spine, you should follow it with some kind od spinal decompression exercise like deadhangs or hyperextensions.
Yeah he’s a moron.. as long as you start small and increase gradually your bones etc will get stronger
Um no. Demonstrably false in a single session. Do a couple sets of farmers carry and then go deadlift something. Your welcome.
It's a great exercise. Forearms get pumped like rock climbing. Not for soyboys
The reason all these pro strongmen get "massive traps!!!" From farners carries is cause they are on peds as well and as we know when on peds the traps blow up regardless.
They lift and carry heavy. That's how you get strong.
I beg to differ. At the very least this is a massive exercice for trap overloading. At the max this makes your core stupid strong and your tolerance for higher absolute loads in nearly all lifts will automatically improve if you have a strong farmer Carry.
I can see where he is coming from but dont agree from a personal experience point of view. I do farmers walks regularly in my routine and it has helped me with my deadlift and overall stability of my body. Also he is counting the time when you already have weight in your arms, what about lifting it from the ground and stabilizing your body when you are carrying it? I am someone who lifts more than 300lbs and can guarantee that the whole body comes into play when you pick something really heavy. I guess this is targeted more for people who are just doing it as the only excercise with lighter weights. For them maybe the benefits won't be that much.
my traps beg to differ.....
Anyone who does heavy farmer carries knows this is BS.
Thank you, your knowledge is superb. My injuries and discomfort have diminished.
If you do farmer-walk with 80% to 90% of your OneRepMax capacity and walk with the weight until you can't carry anymore, then it will work as the best functional workout ever.
Works on traps, core stabilizers, forearms, entire arms and legs, posture. The idea is to carry heavy and it will work wonders on the entire body.
Try holding 80 pounds (if your grip is strong enough) perpendicular and see what more than just grip muscles will have to engage.
One rep max of what move?
What about planks??? No movement
thank you, does absolutely nothing for your physique and a waste of energy. Dropped this from my ignorant crossfit youth.
Obviously 90 % of the commenters below are butt hurt. I don’t follow all Brig-20 exercises but I understand the risk for spine injuries when we load up heavily for some trap, grip and forearm training. Must be better alternatives. (Are strongmen healthy and fresh in their bodies?)
Farmer walks make you strong homie.
He acts as if you're not walking while carrying the kettle bells. And it's not like you're ditching all the other exercises for a farmers walk. So I'll keep on doing this exercise
But what about the fascia stretching effect ?
It's probably one of the best bang-for-your-buck exercises out there because of what it recruits neurologically and how it encourages joint centration. It's amazing for shoulder rehab and helpful for dealing with scapular winging. The musculo-skeletal system approach is an outdated an ineffective way to approach this issue -- the neuromuscular one is far superior. Grip strength isn't about hands or forearms, it's about shoulders. That said, it is a strength and stability exercise, meant to be done with near-maximal weight and for short distances.
If you doubt what I'm saying, read what coaches like Dr. Charlie Weingroff have to say on this topic.