Elite Physique The New Science of Building a Better Body

16 Elite Physique
Goblet Squat (continued)
a
b
FIGURE 1.12 Endurance strength assessment: goblet squat.
Two-Arm Loaded Carry
For this endurance strength assessment, you
will perform a two-arm loaded carry, also known
as the farmer’s walk. Let’s say you decide
one evening to google just how strong a guy
should be. Or maybe you would like to find
some scientific research that indicates how
strong a college running back should be. In
either case, you’d be out of luck. Currently, no
reputable research demonstrates how much
a running back should be able to squat, or
how much weight a swimmer should be able
to row, or any other strength recommendation
for athletes, let alone active gym-goers. There
is one exception: a peer-reviewed paper on the
two-arm loaded carry (i.e., farmer’s walk) by
Scotty Butcher and John Rusin (2016), which
we’re about to cover.
This exercise requires high levels of stability
strength throughout the trunk, pelvis, hips, and
ankles as well as a strong grip. Indeed, this
functional full-body exercise provides numerous
benefits to athletes, including strengthening
the pillar complex, a term used to describe
FIGURE 1.13 Endurance strength
assessment: two-arm loaded carry
with trap bar.
the synergistic activation of the shoulders, hips, and core. It is also an effective
test of full-body strength and an exercise to enhance it. According to physical