My grandfather carried a 27 inch tube TV 50 yards without breaking a sweat or getting short of breath. The crazy thing, he was in his mid 80’s! He was strong and I was impressed.
My grandfather had farmer strength. Those genetic mutants who may not look like a bodybuilder or even workout, but possess serious functional strength. The good news is you can develop farmers strength.
I like strength and always wanted to be strong. Strength is more than just beach muscles. It’s real world capability. At a minimum it helps me be a popular friend when things need to be moved.
I break down strength into two categories: peak or burst strength and sustained strength.
Peak strength is the ability to put up a killer one rep max effort. In the gym this is judged mainly with the big three lifts: deadlifts, bench press, and squats. This is the strength called on when lifting something heavy or when taking down an opponent in JiuJitsu or busting out of a bad position.
Sustained strength is the ability to keep a high level of strength in a movement over a given period of time. This is the strength required when doing farmers walks or fighting in a clinch position in Muay Thai.
Being a gym rat for years, I always focused on developing my peak strength. My favorite exercise for this is the deadlift. If I could only do one exercise in the gym, it would be the deadlift.
Admittedly, training outdoors for peak strength has its challenges. Taking my weights outside goes against keeping it simple and is limiting.
I had to find another way to keep and further develop my peak strength. This is what I have been doing:
- Focusing on explosive movements like jumps and plyometrics.
- Weighing myself down with a weight vest and bands for exercises.
- Using a traditional 5x5 set/rep workout when trying to build peak strength.
- Leaving something in the tank. I never go to failure when building peak strength.
I benchmark my progress by how I feel when I grab hold of someone in JiuJitsu. I want my strength to be known immediately.
Sustained strength doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It is more important in real world application than peak strength. Top athletes have impressive sustained strength. Fighters have the ability to have a vice like grip on an opponent for minutes on end. That is sustained strength.
Training outdoors lends itself to developing sustained strength.
My ability to keep a high level of strength for extended periods has greatly increased over the past 9 months of training exclusively outside. I wasn't planning on this, but it has been a great side effect.
This is what I have been doing do develop my sustained strength:
- Focusing on whole body movements like pull-ups, dips, and squats.
- High volume and high frequency. I plan on training every day. Inevitably, life gets in the way, but I always train at least four days a week.
- Focusing on keeping my body controlled and tight through a movement.
- Strongman finishers such as sled work, farmers walks, and sandbag work for conditioning also contribute to sustained strength.
I gauge my progress by how long I can hold a tight grip in the clinch or by grappling without getting tired and loosening up as a result.
I want to be strong, I want farmer strength. Take action and build the strength that you want!