Walk like a farmer

[lovejoyhope]

Saturdays are optional training days for me (I do 3x kettlebell workouts a week, 2 conventional barbell workouts, and then Sat/Sun sometimes do a bit extra if I'm feeling energetic). Today being Saturday I decided to have some fun with my 71lb and 80lb kettlebells.

My backyard lawn depth is about 40ft, so I decided to get some sun and do a lot of carries [each is there and back].

Set 1: Farmer walk (71 L, 80 R)

Set 2: Racked walk (71 R)

Set 3: Farmer walk (80 L, 71 R)

Set 4: Racked walk (71 L)

Set 5: Farmer walk (71 L, 80 R)

Set 6: Racked walk (80 R)

Set 7: Farmer walk (80 L, 71 R)

Set 8: Racked walk (80 L)

Set 9: Farmer walk (71 L, 80 R)

Set 10: Overhead carry (71 R)

Set 11: Farmer walk (80 L, 71 R)

Set 12: Overhead carry (71 L)

Set 13: Farmer walk (71 L, 80 R)

Set 14: Double racked walk (71 L, 80 R)

Set 15: Farmer walk (80 R, 71 L)

Set 16: Double racked walk (80 L, 71 R)

Set 17: Farmer walk (71 L, 80 R)

I knew I was going to do about 8 sets just to play with it, but kept adding to it; on the left-handed 71lb overhead carry I made the conscious choice not to do the 80lb because I was already getting a bit too shaky.

It was a lot more fun than I expected it to be, and was definitely a good workout; in the past I used to try and do a carry workout when I was looking for something different and intend to reincorporate this every month or so. Give it a try!

 

[nserchoftruth]

@lovejoyhope Ver nice. I do miss regular workouts with farmer walks. They do give you a hell of a workout and helped me tremendously getting a strong physique. Are these your heaviest bells?

 

[lovejoyhope]

@nserchoftruth For now. I'm a fan of the Rep Fitness bells. 44, 53, 62, 71, 80. I'll probably pick up their 88 and 97 in a few months to increase the volume of my farmer walks.

When I was more dedicated to powerlifting I was chasing 315 bench, 405 squat, 495 dead for 5 reps each...back injury threw me off and only in the past 6 months have I really started doing anything again. First bodyweight exercises, then kettlebells to improve work capacity and conditioning. Now I'm back into my core lifting to balance out, because while I find I definitely have improved conditioning, back squatting big weights hits my legs a lot more than goblet squatting for reps -- the swings is the aberration though; my dead ability is almost back to where it was just from getting ~100 swings/day, whereas I lost 150lb on my squat from injury / time off / not back squatting.

 

[lovejoyhope]

@nserchoftruth 40yr, 6ft, ~300lb. I'm built like a strongman...just not as strong...and fatter...and sitting in a chair typing. Former competitive swimmer, without the swimmer aesthetics.

My goals have shifted over time; I really wanted to gain entry into the 3,4,5 plate club at 5 reps for my core lifts. While I still want that, I want conditioning a bit more, hence why I'm keeping kettlebell training in the mix and prioritizing it over the usual movement patterns.

On normal kettlebell days I do 5 rounds and try to either increase weight or cut down rest time every month. A typical round is:

10 goblet squats
20 two-handed swings
10 clean/press (each arm, single hand longcycle I suppose)
10 bent over rows (each arm)
10 burpees

I was resting a full minute in-between each set in the round and am now down to about 30 seconds rest in-between on those sets; started w/ 44lb and have since progressed to 53 and 62 (similar to you -- depends on how I feel).

My normal barbell routine overlaps quite a bit with a 5x5, except I have some auxiliary work in there as well for lats and longhead tricep targeting.

What makes things interesting is I've shifted over into intermittent fasting after toying with it for a while (doing OMAD) and that's actually helping me to work out in the early mornings like I want to be doing. I haven't weighed myself in a few weeks (~300lb at the start), so my goal will be to preserve strength possibly slight recomp a bit as I get back down to around 220.

 

[nserchoftruth]

@lovejoyhope Very interesting, thank you. Good luck on your journey!

 

[lovejoyhope]

@nserchoftruth Thanks!

 

[chloe25726]

@lovejoyhope I am in the same boat as you except maybe a bit lighter. I do 3 kb workouts for strength and toning per week and 2 cardio of either lighter kb and/or light running. My sat n sun are free for walks. I am also doing IF and train fasted in the morning.

Q - Do you think your program can cause muscle wastage?

 

[lovejoyhope]

The hardest thing for me to learn on this part is that it's a matter of insulin more than calories -- Dr Fung is a worthwhile couple of videos to watch on that; some bodybuilders used to (probably still do?) dose on insulin to rapidly gain weight -- pair that with glucose, protein, and heavy weights and a person will add mass significantly. The flipside to that, look at Type 1 diabetics; if they don't take their insulin, or under dose, they will lose weight.

The muscle, so long as it is properly stimulated, won't disappear based on someone eating on a 23:1 schedule. The calories are consumed and used appropriately. Some pro power-lifters are big proponents of fasting, and those guys live in a different world than us, where having an edge really matters.