First Look: Fringe Sport Mini Farmer's Walk Handles

The first time I did the farmer’s walk in 2012. The university gym had a hex trap bar – at the time I was having some issues with my squatting (hip pain). To get some lower body work, I was using the hex bar to deadlift. I would immediately follow up my set with a farmer’s walk.

The university built a new fitness center the following year and when they did, they got rid of the hex bar. Since that time, I have missed the farmer’s walk. When I started putting together my home gym I purchased a hex bar. When I discovered these Mini Farmer’s Walk Handles online though, I immediately saw them as a solution to some of the problems I thought I’d have with the hex bar or other farmer’s walk handles:

portability – during the summer, I plan to use the farmer’s walk for high intensity interval training (HIIT) outside. One issue is that my hex bar is a pain to get in and out of the house and I do not have a good place to store it outside. These mini handles are much more portable as well as easier to store outside if needed.
my gait could be restricted by my hex bar, which will not a problem with the handles
to get around this ‘gait issue,’ people use something specifically made for the farmer’s walk. The issue I’ve seen with other farmer’s walk handles is that they’re basically a short barbell with a handle attached. This means that you need to load both ends of the bar with weight so that they are balanced. This a problem with the limited number of plates I have. These Mini Farmer’s Walk Handles only have one end to load.

First Impressions

I don’t typically write an a “first impressions” post until I have some time to use a product. Unfortunately I’ve had these handles for over two months and have yet to really use them. Just a couple of days after receiving them I suffered a distal bicep tendon rupture and have another 6 weeks until I’ll be able to train. I have noticed that the handles seem to be solidly constructed. All of the welds are complete without any gaps or blow-throughs. The finish on the handles is nice. I’ve loaded weight plates onto the handles and fit is good too. I was curious regarding how the handles would balance, but they are designed well and I look forward to using them.