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Exercise

Farmers Walk

The Farmers Walk is a loaded carry exercise that builds grip strength, full-body stability, and posture under continuous tension.

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Dumbbell

Kettlebell

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The Farmers Walk is a compound free-weight exercise where heavy weights are carried while walking for distance or time. The setup is simple, but the challenge comes from maintaining control and alignment while the load constantly pulls you out of position, making it highly effective for total-body strength.

The primary focus is on grip strength and the muscles of the upper body that support posture, while the legs and hips work continuously to stabilize and move the load forward. The core stays engaged to resist unwanted movement, creating full-body tension rather than isolating a single muscle group.

Farmers Walk fits well into strength-focused training, conditioning blocks, and accessory work for overall robustness. It is useful for lifters who want practical strength carryover and an efficient way to train multiple systems at once, offering more total-body demand than many static strength alternatives.

How to Perform the Farmers Walk

Stand upright between two heavy dumbbells, kettlebells, or specially designed farmer's walk handles placed on the floor beside your feet.
Hinge at the hips with a neutral spine, bend your knees slightly, and grasp the handles with a firm grip, keeping your shoulders pulled back.
Brace your core, take a deep breath, and drive through your legs to stand up with the weights hanging at your sides, maintaining a tall, upright posture.
Keep your shoulders back, chest up, and spine neutral with arms fully extended, while ensuring the weights don't touch your body.
Begin walking forward with controlled, deliberate steps, maintaining a consistent pace while breathing normally.
Keep your core engaged throughout the movement to stabilize your spine, and maintain a strong grip as fatigue increases.
Walk for the prescribed distance or time, focusing on steady breath and preventing the weights from swinging excessively.
To finish, slow down gradually and carefully lower the weights to the ground by hinging at the hips and bending your knees, maintaining your neutral spine position.

Important information

Choose a weight that allows you to maintain proper posture throughout the entire walk—if you're hunching forward, the weight is too heavy.
Keep your shoulders pulled back and down throughout the exercise to prevent unnecessary strain on your upper trapezius.
Take short, quick steps rather than long strides to maintain better balance and core stability.
If grip strength is limiting your performance, consider using lifting straps, but regularly train without them to develop natural grip strength.

FAQ - Farmers Walk

What muscles does the Farmer's Walk target?

The Farmer's Walk primarily works your forearms, traps, shoulders, core, glutes, and quads. It's truly a full-body exercise with particular emphasis on grip strength and the muscles that stabilize your spine while carrying heavy loads.

How heavy should the weights be for an effective Farmer's Walk?

For beginners, start with weights you can carry for 30-45 seconds with proper form (typically 25-35% of your bodyweight per hand). Intermediate and advanced lifters should aim for 45-70% of bodyweight per hand, adjusting based on your distance goals and training experience.

What are the most common form mistakes with Farmer's Walks?

The biggest mistakes include hunching your shoulders, leaning too far forward, taking excessively short steps, and holding your breath. Keep your chest up, shoulders back, take normal strides, and maintain a consistent breathing pattern throughout the carry.

How can I incorporate Farmer's Walks into my existing routine?

Add Farmer's Walks at the end of your workout 1-2 times weekly, performing 3-4 sets of 30-60 second carries with 60-90 seconds rest between sets. They pair particularly well with lower body or full-body training days and can be alternated with other carrying variations.

What equipment alternatives can I use if I don't have farmer's walk handles?

You can effectively perform this exercise with dumbbells, kettlebells, or even loaded shopping bags for beginners. For advanced lifters without specialized equipment, heavy trap bars, loaded buckets, or weight plates with handles work well as substitutes.

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Primary Muscles

Quads Glutes

Secondary Muscles

Hamstrings Calves Forearms

Muscle Groups

Arms Glutes Legs Abs

Mechanic

Compound

Risk Areas

Forearms Glutes Quads Abs

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Workouts with Farmers Walk

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HYROX is a hybrid fitness competition combining running with functional workouts like sled pushes, rowing, wall balls, and lunges. To perform well, you need a unique balance of aerobic capacity, strength endurance, and muscular resilience. These HYROX-specific workouts are designed to mimic race conditions while targeting key energy systems, transitions, and movement patterns. Whether you’re aiming to finish your first race or improve your split times, these workouts help you build total-body durability and pacing strategy.

Best Trap workouts

Your trapezius muscles are more than just a visual powerhouse: they’re essential for posture, shoulder stability, and upper body strength. These workouts target all areas of the traps, from the upper region (shrugs, carries) to the mid and lower traps (rows, pulls), helping you build mass, improve alignment, and reduce injury risk in heavy compound lifts.

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The best workouts for women combine strength, cardio, and mobility to support a strong, lean, and confident body. These plans are designed to tone muscles, improve endurance, and boost overall health: without promoting outdated fitness myths. Whether you’re training at home or in the gym, these workouts give you structure, progression, and real results tailored to your goals.

Best Forearm workouts

Your forearms play a critical role in almost every upper body movement: yet they’re often neglected in training. These workouts focus on building muscular endurance, grip power, and definition in the forearm flexors and extensors. Whether you’re lifting heavy, climbing, or just want stronger hands and wrists, forearm training supports better performance and injury resistance across the board.

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