Should You Do Farmer’s Walks with Weight in One or Both Hands?
Farmer’s walks are a highly effective strength training exercise, but the question arises: is it better to perform them with weight in both hands, or with a single weight? Both variations offer unique benefits, targeting different muscle groups and contributing to overall fitness.
Farmer’s Walk with Weight in Both Hands
Performing farmer’s walks with weight distributed equally in both hands maximizes overall strength gains. This variation engages muscles throughout the body, including the traps, shoulders, back, core, and legs. The core muscles – erector spinae and scapular stabilizers – work synergistically to maintain good posture, keeping the body upright and shoulders back.
Using a greater total weight in this bilateral carry leads to improvements in grip strength,upper back and shoulder endurance,and lower body strength. Its also a potent conditioning exercise, frequently utilized in strongman training and general strength programs. A sample workout involves four sets of 400-meter carries. A challenging rule to increase intensity: if the weights are dropped for rest, a 400-meter lap must be run as a “grip rest period” before resuming the carry.
Farmer’s Walk with Weight in One hand
Switching to a single-weight farmer’s walk, also known as a suitcase carry, shifts the focus to core stability. While the primary muscles worked remain similar to the two-handed version, there’s a significantly increased demand on the muscles that resist bending to the side – those that prevent lateral flexion. This results in a heightened activation of the core.
Specifically, this variation engages:
* The obliques
* Lower back (quadratus lumborum)
* Other lateral core muscles responsible for preventing rotation
For those prioritizing core strength, the single-carry farmer’s walk is the superior choice. A recommended circuit to build grip and core strength includes four repetitions of:
* Hanging knee-ups (20 reps)
* Farmer’s walks (100 meters, single arm)
* Plank pose (1 minute)
Alternating sides as grip fails, or switching every 100 meters with left- and right-hand carries (two of each), adds to the challenge.
Which Variation is Right for You?
Both farmer’s walk variations are valuable exercises. If the primary goal is to maximize overall strength, conditioning, and grip strength, the bilateral farmer’s walk (both hands) is more effective. Though, if the focus is on strengthening the core, particularly the obliques and lateral stabilizers, the suitcase carry (one hand) is the better option.
Incorporating both variations into a training program provides a well-rounded approach to strength and stability.
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