Core Training To Do Before You Do Farmer’s Walks…

The other day our dog trainer came over to work with Mr. Jim and started to ask some questions about working out in the gym, as often happens when people find out what we do for a living. He hadn’t been working out for awhile and was getting back into the gym and wanted to help so low back issues he was experiencing. I was actually pleasantly surprised when he exposed some ideas that were pretty on point!

Jim always tries to join us for our training!

He began to tell Jessica and I that he wanted to train his “side muscles” (as he was pointing to his obliques and the sides of his hips). I told him that would be helpful and that he should focus on that in the gym. Of course, he asked, “well, what are the beast ways of doing that?” I shared with him a few ideas and he went, “uh-huh, well and walking with a weight on one side of your body right?”

To be honest, I said “yea, that can be good”, because I didn’t think he was ready for a whole breakdown of core training progressions that are necessary to use higher level drills like a one arm farmer’s walks.

Trust me, I get it, walking sounds simple, we do it every day! However, locomotion is probably THE movement pattern we understand the least amount and do most often and also can probably say we do incorrectly SO much. That is because locomotion is one of, if not, THE most complex movement pattern.

So, we see A LOT of times people wanting to use loaded carries, like farmer’s walks, for their core training. Yet, they haven’t demonstrated they can control their core in less complex environments like the ground, half kneeling, etc. That’s why we need to understand that loaded carries can be a core training exercises, but they are advanced and NOT a movement pattern. Just like we can hip hinge with a deadlift, a power clean, or a hip bridge. That is what DVRT UK instructor, Greg Perlaki explains so well!

 

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Even when we get off the ground or our core training, we don’t immediately go into farmer’s walks. Instead, physical therapist, Jessica Bento, demonstrates some important progressions and concepts that are essential to possess before we go into advanced core training. Check it out below and start to appreciate that functional training is about understanding the movement concepts of an exercise and pattern. When you do your training becomes more effective and so much bigger!

Knowledge truly is power, we are offering 35% off all our Ultimate Sandbag online courses (several that get into power training from different aspects) with code “education” HERE

 

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