Farmer's Walk being performed with proper form

How to do a Farmer's Walk

Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology

Sets Logged
185,191
Popularity Rank
455th
Difficulty
Intermediate
Forearms Strength
96 mSCORE 3rd
Equipment Required
  • Photo of Farmer's Walk Handles
    Farmer's Walk Handles

Workouts with Farmer's Walk

    Target muscles worked

    Primary Muscles
    Forearms
    Secondary Muscles
    Shoulders, Trapezius, Quads, Lower Back, Hamstrings, Glutes, Abs

    Instructions for Proper Form

    Farmer's Walk is a compound exercise that primarily targets your forearms, shoulders, and core. By holding heavy weights in each hand and walking a set distance, you can develop strong grip strength, functional stability, and overall body conditioning. This exercise mimics real-world activities, making it highly effective for improving functional strength and endurance.

    1. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart between the pair of resistance apparatus’
    2. Brace your core to maintain a neutral spine
    3. Hinge your hips backward and flex your knees slightly to extend arms and grip the resistance apparatus’ with an overhand grip, palms facing in.
    4. Extend your legs back to an upright position.
    5. Begin to walk forward taking short strides while keeping your hips underneath your shoulders.
    6. Walk for an allotted distance or time.

    Alternatives & Variations to Farmer's Walk

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    1. 1. Palms-Up Dumbbell Wrist Curl

      Photo of Palms-Up Dumbbell Wrist Curl being performed
      87.6 mSCORESWAPPED 284 TIMES

      An isolation exercise targeting the forearms. This is a great exercise for improving grip strength, or building muscle mass in your forearms.

    2. 2. Palms-Down Dumbbell Wrist Curl

      Photo of Palms-Down Dumbbell Wrist Curl being performed
      87.4 mSCORESWAPPED 279 TIMES

      Palms Down Dumbbell Wrist Curls is an isolation exercise that hits your forearms. By securing your forearm against the pad, you ensure that only your wrist is able to perform the movement. Using a dumbbell allows you to target each side independently, as well as adding a bit more instability to the exercise.

    3. 3. Kettlebell Single Arm Farmer Walk

      Photo of Kettlebell Single Arm Farmer Walk being performed
      40.3 mSCORESWAPPED 270 TIMES

      A functional exercise focusing on grip strength, core stability, and unilateral strength. This exercise engages the entire body, particularly the core and forearm muscles. Unlike the standard variation, by holding the weight in one hand, you drastically increase the need to recruit your core for stability.

    4. 4. Plate Pinch

      Photo of Plate Pinch being performed
      38.5 mSCORESWAPPED 208 TIMES

      A grip strength exercise involving holding weight plates between the fingers and thumb. This is a great exercise for improving grip strength.

    5. 5. Palms-Down Barbell Wrist Curl

      Photo of Palms-Down Barbell Wrist Curl being performed
      69.9 mSCORESWAPPED 184 TIMES

      Palms Down Barbell Wrist Curl is an isolation exercise that targets the forearm. By positioning your forearm against a bench or other flat surface, you restrict any motion to your wrist. The use of a barbell helps to add some stability to the movement, as well as allowing you to perform the exercise with both sides moving a single weight.

    6. 6. Farmer's Carry

      Photo of Farmer's Carry being performed
      51 mSCORESWAPPED 180 TIMES

      A functional exercise focusing on grip strength, core stability, and overall strength endurance. This exercise engages the entire body, particularly the forearms, core, and upper back muscles, while also improving posture and stability.

      • Intermediate
      • Forearms
      • Farmer's Walk Handles

    7. 7. Single Arm Farmer Walk

      Photo of Single Arm Farmer Walk being performed
      36 mSCORESWAPPED 172 TIMES

      This exercise is a unilateral variation of the Farmer’s Walk. Like the standard Farmer’s Walk this exercise focuses on grip strength, core stability, and overall strength endurance. In addition, by holding the weight in a single hand, you drastically increase the demand for recruiting your core for stability.

    8. 8. Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl

      Photo of Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl being performed
      68.4 mSCORESWAPPED 154 TIMES

      An isolation exercise targeting the forearms. This is a great exercise for improving grip strength, or building muscle mass in your forearms.

    9. 9. Cable Wrist Curl

      Photo of Cable Wrist Curl being performed
      53 mSCORESWAPPED 103 TIMES

      Targets the forearm flexors, improving grip strength and forearm muscle development. Using a cable machine adds a consistent resistance throughout the movement, providing a more effective workout than free weights.

    10. 10. Handle Band Reverse Curl

      Photo of Handle Band Reverse Curl being performed
      28.9 mSCORESWAPPED 89 TIMES

      This exercise is a variation on the standard curl. Like the standard curl, this exercise primarily targets your biceps, however there is a much greater need to recruit your forearms due to the reverse grip. The use of a handle band increases the resistance as you progress through the movement.