CT, I’m sure it’s ideal to just go barehanded but I find I can use both significantly more weight AND travel for significantly longer distances by using straps, and my grip is still taxed at the end of the carries. Seems to be a win win when I use straps.
Any reason not to use straps unless your primary focus is on the grip endurance aspect?
Bonus Question that I didn’t want to create a whole thread for if you have time: I find jumping to be great, and fun, but broad jumps can be a tad hard on my knees… What do you think about jumping into a pool? Seems like it would allow a complete explosion of force without the downside of the landing. I live is Palm Springs so it’s gonna be hitting 120+ degrees (45+ Celsius) so I imagine the pool will become a regular thing here soon. Might as well get some jumps in
If your goal is only body composition and strength-endurance then by all means use straps. If you plan on competing in a strength sport (strongman, powerlifting, olympic lifting) or a sport requiring grip strength (MMA, football, baseball, etc.) then avoid straps at least 50% of the time.
It’s like with deadlift … if you don’t plan on competing in powerlifting (where you can’t use straps) and don’t really care about having a monster grip, then straps are perfectly fine.
Bonus Question that I didn’t want to create a whole thread for if you have time: I find jumping to be great, and fun, but broad jumps can be a tad hard on my knees… What do you think about jumping into a pool? Seems like it would allow a complete explosion of force without the downside of the landing. I live is Palm Springs so it’s gonna be hitting 120+ degrees (45+ Celsius) so I imagine the pool will become a regular thing here soon. Might as well get some jumps in[/quote]
Funny you mention that. In 1999 when I was still competing in olympic lifting our gym was in a high school (that was before-crossfit) which was closed in the summer months. I brought some of the equipment in my parent’s house and trained outdoor. They also had a pool and I would include what I called “contrast strength curve jumps”… I would do a broad jump from the side of the pool into the water (in the shallow end) then would do 5 vertical jumps as high as I could (inside the pool). The water resistance forced me to produce force for a bit longer during the jump which I thought would transfer well to the olympic lifts. Did it work? I have no idea! But at the end of summer I could dunk from a standing start and I’m 5’8" with VERY short arms.
I can see it now… “Thib’s promised me I would be able to dunk a ball from inside a swimming pool but I still cant even do it from the ground, his methods are junk!!!”
What is it about weight vests that make them SO MUCH easier than loaded carries? I have a 60 pound weight vest that I have used for hour long walks, and while it is tough even using 80lbs total for farmers walks would be torturous come the 2-3 minute mark. I suppose its the strain on the arms and through the upper back for carrying the load, but man it just seems like such a huge difference for nearly the same weight.
^ I wonder if it’s because of this: wearing a vest puts the extra load right up against your torso, enabling your legs and hips to handle most of it. On the other hand, when you’re carrying dumbbells or Farmer handles, not only are the arms, hands, traps, etc., getting fatigued in a way they don’t with a vest, but the carried load on each side is at least a few inches away from your centre of gravity (rather than centred directly above it like with a vest). Therefore the forces stressing the spine and muscles are exponentially increased, especially if the arms and dumbbells “swing” or bounce (even a tiny bit) with each step.
Id imagine yoke or barbell carries would be much closer to a weight vest. The weight vest also “hugs” you so there is less oscillation. Farmers walk needs the lats and upper back to stabilize more compared to yokes/weight vests of the same weight.
[quote]AbsoluteBoxer wrote:
Id imagine yoke or barbell carries would be much closer to a weight vest. The weight vest also “hugs” you so there is less oscillation. Farmers walk needs the lats and upper back to stabilize more compared to yokes/weight vests of the same weight.[/quote]
Yoke walks are much much harder than a weighted vest… yok walks are HELL on the delts and traps.
As for why weight vests are easier… probably the way the weight is distributed and how it doesn’t impeded the normal movement pattern.