Rant Time

It's time for one of those posts where I rip apart something I saw someone doing or  heard someone saying here in Hudson. This is not the post I mentioned last week so don't worry about that. Now then at the end of another day filled with clients on Friday I was looking forward to getting a quick lift in and picking up some heavy freaking weight. I've been using the trap bar, or hex bar for some of you, mostly because I haven't deadlifted consistently in awhile so I'm trying to keep my form from slipping and trap bar is an easy way to make sure of that. Unfortunately we only have 1 trap bar here,  and it was in use by someone doing a farmers walk. I've seen it done before with the trap bar and it's actually a really good idea for when dumbbells get too light.

So yeah threw in a picture of Alex Morgan because it's somewhat relevant currently with the Olympics, she's pretty easy on the eyes and those of you that know me well know that I like her...her picture and talents speak for me.

Sorry got a little distracted there. Back to the point, overall the farmers walk is actually a very good exercise putting to use your arms, core and legs. This WWE wannabe completely defeated the purpose of this exercise by wearing weight lifting gloves. To not get too scientific on this and put it in fairly easy to understand terms, farmers walk is meant to help, in my opinion, your arms and grip strength simply by just holding onto some heavy stuff and keeping it from swaying back and forth while you move. This is something I use to help people that don't have the strength to the hang on to the weights that the rest of their muscles can handle. What this member of the meathead bunch has done, in my opinion, is all but completely defeated the purpose of this exercise by using gloves, on top of the fact that the method in which he picked the weight up made my back want to fold like a cheap lawn chair. Sure the legs and core might get some work, but there's probably a gabillion, yup don't care I know it's not a real number, other ways to get leg and core work than this. Did I mention the fact that another member of his fraternal clan that were taking part in what we sometimes call meathead hour came over and gave him a more detrimental way to handle this exercise...WRAPS, a tool along with the bosu ball, I absolutely despise using except for very few things, and those places I'm finding other methods and ways to make them disappear.

The worse part about that is he was still using the only freaking trap bar in the gym! He used it for 5 sets that did nothing more for him or me other than make me want to re-taste my dinner. OK sorry I'm done, but I did say it was rant time didn't I? So boys and girls, if you want to accomplish the goal of a farmers walk, do yourself a favor, take off the gloves and get ready to have your hands hurt like you slid down the climbing rope in gym class. I know it's a callas and it feels weird at first, honestly I'd rather pick up some heavy weight and get a callas over my whole hand than stick with hand bag weights and never see results. End of rant, I bid you good day folks. Drop me a line as always if you have any questions, concerns and the like. Until next time, keep pushing the limits.