Farmer's Walk

[snowleopard_x]

I'm curious to know if anyone here (specifically rock and ice climbers) have tried using this training technique for increasing grip strength and building up forearm stamina.

Does everyone know what it is?! I can post a link (if I can find it!) to a website describing it, and it's benefits.

[Courtenay]

Hi Snow,

If the Farmer's Walk you're talking about is the one I know about, it is a good one to build up static forearm and grip endurance -- basically, grab a heavy dumbbell (or barbell, for even greater challenge!) and walk across the room with it. It's called "farmer's walk" I'm assuming because farmers had (have?) to carry mighty heavy pails full of slop, milk, etc. for pretty great distances.

However, beware overtraining. Another good forearm strengthening technique that more closely carries over to ice and rock climbing is hangs on various holds -- crimpers on finger boards, pullup bars, dowels hanging vertically like ice tools would be. While any forearm strengtheners will help, you want to make it as specific to the moves you'll need in climbing whenever possible. Good topic, Snow!

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Courtenay Schurman, CSCS

[jon]

I've got two goood exercises. One of them is like what Court mentioned about verticle dowels, but using towels that are wrapped with athletic tape instead and doing pullups. By doing this you can change the circumference of the grip to introduce a little variety and difficulty.

The other, which a friend did when he was a pole vaulter was taking a large dowel, attaching a rope to one end, and putting a bucket (or some type of weight) at the other end. Then on a deck or from somewhere high with the bucket hanging at the bottom, twist the dowel using your forearms to roll up the rope and raise the weight over the distance. I did this a few times, and it really taxes your arms.

-Jon

[forrest_m]

I'm not familiar with the Farmer Walk, but it sounds like it would work. Another good grip strengthener in the same vein (i.e. low tech/low cost workout equipment) is to take a foot long piece of 1-1/2" dowel (closet rod or similar) and tie a 3-4 foot piece of cord to the center. Attach the other end of the cord to an appropriate weight (a 5 or 10 lb. plate, etc). Now hold the dowel in both hands in front of you and roll the cord up around the dowel, which will slowly raise the weight until it touches the dowel. Slowly unroll. Repeat until your forearms burn. Nice thing about this exercise is that it's lower impact than the hangboard - its really easy to overtrain/injure yourself with tendon excercises that use body weight because the "minimum" resistance is quite high.

Hey, Jon, you scooped me! When I started writing my post, yours hadn't appeared yet...

[This message has been edited by forrest_m (edited 11-02-2000).]

[Courtenay]

And then there's the old stand by that I always do following a climbing session: reverse wrist curls with a barbell or 2 dumbbells. You can do these while seated on a bench with arms propped on your knees, or you can kneel in front of a bench and rest your forearms on the bench with hands just off the edge. A variation I like on these is to put the thumbs together with the fingers, so you can work the wrist extensors through their full range of motion. We have all sorts of grip training devices in our studio, including varied diameter barbells and dumbbells, pinch grip devices, and the like.

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Courtenay Schurman, CSCS

[snowleopard_x]

The way I was taught (read) was that you subtly move your arms, wrists and grip while doing it. Grip facing in, then out, then in front of you, then back, but subtle. Yes, I agree that once a week is enough. I once read where a martial arts guy my size was doing it with 80lbs. I tried with a two 40's and thought, "this isn't that bad!". Then I went back and read he did 80lbs in EACH hand!

One other grip strength exercise I have tried is using a pully system to do curls and back curls using one finger (in the biner on the cable). It was taxing, but seemed like a way to get hurt if not careful. This would be something to try only when fully warmed up, and with light weight. And at that, once a week would be plenty. Curious as to what Courtenay thinks of this odd one.

One other is using a pully system like the pull up bar. But instead of the bar, putting a rope through the top biner (most gyms have these pre-made) gripping both ends of the rope with one hand, and doing a pull down, all the way down. (Did that make sense?) Has anyone tried this?

I'm beginning to sound like a gym rat with all my babble here! Next thing you know I'll be signing up for step classes! LOL!