Straps and Farmer's Walk

[Jwillstrong]

I'm just curious as to why you would strap up on farmers? I think you know that you cant strap up in competition, so why lift with them? I personally wouldn't strap up because really whats the point.

[Bodybygamma]

Originally Posted by Jwillstrong

I'm just curious as to why you would strap up on farmers? I think you know that you cant strap up in competition, so why lift with them? I personally wouldn't strap up because really whats the point.

Troll *cough* lol,jk. But being serious for a moment, I used straps on the farmers because I don't want to rip off my callouses and ruin my training over the next few weeks.

The point of strapped farmers deadlifts is because if my body is used to picking up and holding 360lbs in each hand, when I have to do lighter walks with lets say 300lbs, I will be able to sprint with it and feel comfortable. Same thing goes with deadlifts or any grip involved movement.

Do you let the rest of your body get weak because your grip is failing? I think not.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by Bodybygamma

Do you let the rest of your body get weak because your grip is failing? I think not.

I hear you Tony. I now use straps for all rowing lifts. I fought it for a year, but my rowing strength is light years past my grip strength.

[Jwillstrong]

Originally Posted by Bodybygamma

The point of strapped farmers deadlifts is because if my body is used to picking up and holding 360lbs in each hand, when I have to do lighter walks with lets say 300lbs, I will be able to sprint with it and feel comfortable. Same thing goes with deadlifts or any grip involved movement.

Do you let the rest of your body get weak because your grip is failing? I think not.

Ok I see what your saying but picking up 360 is different than sprinting with 300. Your pickup on 300 will be quicker but I dont think it will increase your time for distance. The thing is with picking up 360 your feeling the weight for 2 seconds and then you drop. It would be different if you held it for 10-30 seconds. Well why not go strapless on deadlifts to improve your grip? Why not work on that weakness? Not only just doing grip work but in your lifts also. I personally wouldnt let my body get weak because my grip is failing but thats the reason why i dont strap up, and that a reason why I dont have problems with my grip. I know that if I did strap up then I would probably increase my lifts but whats the point? But I guess its preference.

[bwys61]

The Point is adaptation. The more you can pick up, the more your muscles will adapt. Even though, it seems that he is putting his grip at a disadvantage, that is incorrect. EX: 400lbs with straps will stimulate more than 300 pounds without. The major gripping muscles are still being worked harder, and even the will still have to work just as hard or not harder. If there is not a point to using straps, then what is the point of FORCED REPS, Assisted Chins/DIPS, wrist wraps, elbow or knee sleeves, and even a WEIGHT BELT?

ANSWER: to get somewhere that you havent been by pushing limits that you otherwise wouldn't without any of them.

Originally Posted by Jwillstrong

I'm just curious as to why you would strap up on farmers? I think you know that you cant strap up in competition, so why lift with them? I personally wouldn't strap up because really whats the point.

[Jwillstrong]

Originally Posted by bwys61

The Point is adaptation. The more you can pick up, the more your muscles will adapt. Even though, it seems that he is putting his grip at a disadvantage, that is incorrect. EX: 400lbs with straps will stimulate more than 300 pounds without. The major gripping muscles are still being worked harder, and even the will still have to work just as hard or not harder. If there is not a point to using straps, then what is the point of FORCED REPS, Assisted Chins/DIPS, wrist wraps, elbow or knee sleeves, and even a WEIGHT BELT?

ANSWER: to get somewhere that you havent been by pushing limits that you otherwise wouldn't without any of them.

Here you say "The more you pick up, the more your muscles will adapt." In competition you cannot use straps on farmers walk. So if you cant pick it up strapless then how will your muscles adapt. Its great and wonderful that you pick up a hell of a lot of weight with straps, but in competition there aint no straps. Only in deadlift and thats it!
Ok dont get me wrong on this. I didnt say that not using straps wasnt a good thing. Theres a time to use them and theres a time to ditch them. I just stated that in the sport of Strongman there is no point in using straps on farmers walk. It is an agility/grip event. So if you supplement straps in for farmers your really hindering yourself. Which its kinda pointless to go from 290without straps and then go 340 with straps. Theres no grip work there, so you arent improving yourself. You are totally right in adaptation. Lifting is all neurological, you have to literally feel the weight to lift the weight. For instance, The first time I tried lifting the 285# stone over 48" I didnt get it, so it took me 2 weeks to finally get it over. Its the same thing with farmers. Your exactly right also on "to get somewhere that you havent been by pushing limits that you otherwise wouldnt without any of them." Pushing the limits is being determined, so if you fail to get 360 on farmers you keep trying. If you dont get it that day, you put in the work, and you keep trying when they come back around. Im not doubting its a strong lift because it is, but it would be that much more impressive without straps. In the world of strongman there aint no straps on farmers. Plain and simple.
Here is a video of one of my friends in Fort Pierce, FL. He is also a fellow strongman. If you notice in the video he attempts 615# a lot, but one thing I noticed is that he didnt run and get his straps. He fought through it. Its all about PERSEVERANCE, HARD WORKING BABY!!!
TRAIN HARD AND STAY HUMBLE!!!!!

YouTube - Perseverance Samson Strength and Conditioning

YouTube - Perseverance Samson Strength and Conditioning

[BendtheBar]

I moved this to it's own thread. Good discussion.

[Craig Pfisterer]

Originally Posted by Jwillstrong

I'm just curious as to why you would strap up on farmers? I think you know that you cant strap up in competition, so why lift with them? I personally wouldn't strap up because really whats the point.

Not entirely true. At least two contests this year have allowed straps on the farmer's walk event. Now I don't agree with doing farmer's with straps as I like the grip aspect but it is used in some contests.

As far as the point, Tony has already mentioned that he does it as a supramaximal exercise to get used to the weight and it will help strengthen his lower back, legs and upperback more than if he did it without the straps (if grip is in fact his problem). I know that in Tony's case it's due to the knuling/taped handles that tend to tear calluses on his particular farmer's handles that he straps up to spare his hands, not his grip. I know of another person who will strap up for farmer's to work the hips and ankles extra hard while sparing the grip (they do grip stuff on a different day and lack access to a yoke). Other reasons are using them to train for other events like a makeshift car deadlift or makeshift frame lift/carry.

Originally Posted by Jwillstrong

Ok I see what your saying but picking up 360 is different than sprinting with 300. Your pickup on 300 will be quicker but I dont think it will increase your time for distance. The thing is with picking up 360 your feeling the weight for 2 seconds and then you drop. It would be different if you held it for 10-30 seconds.

That is just picks and you are right that that won't necessarily translate over to being faster with say 300lbs per hand. It is just training one aspect of the farmer's walk event. I know that you are using a modified version of that template C.J. Murphy wrote for strongman training so you do have an understanding of undulated periodization on the moving events. Heavy short, light long, heavy long and light short right? Some weeks you work on technique and foot transition speed and other it's just brute strength. It can be broken down more if you can identify weak points (pick up, foot work, breathing, upperback, turns, etc.) but it works well as is.

Originally Posted by Jwillstrong

Well why not go strapless on deadlifts to improve your grip? Why not work on that weakness? Not only just doing grip work but in your lifts also. I personally wouldnt let my body get weak because my grip is failing but thats the reason why i dont strap up, and that a reason why I dont have problems with my grip. I know that if I did strap up then I would probably increase my lifts but whats the point? But I guess its preference.

My grip has improved since I started using straps. By using straps, I've been able to work on building up my back (especially upper back) and that has translated over to a stronger grip for me. Now I don't just strap up right away, I do things double overhand until I feel I can't get the required reps (usually triples) and then go to straps. I improved my farmer's walk by 40lbs per hand in about 4.5 months (August 09 to December 09) by incorporating rack pulls with lots of band tension. I used straps to keep my spine from rotating by favoring one side with the alternated grip which is why I favor double overhand (besides going for a max deadlift). It also allows me to put more effort into grip things.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by Craig Pfisterer

My grip has improved since I started using straps. By using straps,

I'm in this camp. I am not a pure powerlifting and have never trained for strongman, but I consider myself reasonable strong for an old fart powerbuilder.

I trained without straps for over 22 years. Last year my overall strength started to quickly surpass my grip strength. I would fail deadlift sets and barbell rows because of grip. So for a year or so I debated using straps. I simply hated not being able to strengthen my back because of grip limitations.

Training with Versa Gripps, my deadlift totals have rocketed up, and I am now able to do more reps on RDLs, shrugs and back movements as well. And I feel my grip strength improving, because of this. I can do static holds after deadlifts, and feel wicked forearm pumps.

The bottom line for me will always be the deadlift. When I dump the straps now and try a single, my grip doesn't feel like an issue.

I can't say this is the best route for everyone, but the flexibility that straps provide allows me to train longer and get stronger. Straps appear to be helping my grip.

[Bodybygamma]

For me a matter of sprinting with Farmer's is simple. If I can shrug them by squeezing my lats up causing them to not hit my sides, I can move my legs faster without worrying about hitting my shins or sides on the bars.


In this Video you can see I have no trouble with speed on my heavy farmers

YouTube - Tony August 1 Strongman Saturday

YouTube - Tony August 1 Strongman Saturday

For me, its as soon as I pick them up the sooner I can start moving with them, so for me the Farmers Pick/Deadlift, is more important then the walk itself in the training stages I am in.