Maggie's Farm

Since this series targets older lifters - farmers lifts are an "insurance policy" against many back and hip injuries, and strengthen just the kind of "core" (torso stabilizing) muscles that will keep you from hurting yourself when you do other major weightlifting moves.

The asymmetric load of using one hand is genius - it mimics many real-life "I just reached over and put my back out" situations, and you must recruit many forgotten muscles just to stand straight.

Because my current job does not require a laptop, I slipped a weight plate into the laptop pocket of my knapsack. It's a 20 minute walk through a park from the train to work, with a stop each way at the parkour equipment for chins and dips. I vary the workout by changing my grip, raising the bag overhead (known as a "waiter walk") or clutching the bag to my chest.

This is quite a workout (in summer I use the shower at work), and enough to maintain a base level of fitness. I am now up to a 10kg weight.

In middle age, my diet and exercise choices are more about long-term maintenance than a set goal - and this is a good exercise for taking challenging physical activity out of the gym and making it a natural part of life.