Farmers Walk
Skip the guesswork: Farmers Walk leans on independent dumbbell loading for legs that drive out of the hole.
How to do Farmers Walk
- Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your sides.
- Keep your back straight and your shoulders back.
- Take small, controlled steps forward, maintaining an upright posture.
- Continue walking for the desired distance or time.
- To finish, stop walking and carefully lower the dumbbells to your sides.
Farmers Walk Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
3 sets of 5-6 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest. Start each set with the weaker arm and match it.
Hypertrophy
3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Add reps on the smaller bell before you size up.
Endurance
2-3 sets of 15-18 reps with 45-60 seconds of rest. Size up only when both sides finish equally strong.
Common Farmers Walk Mistakes
Dropping the bells hard at the end of a set
Lower them under control so the last rep still counts as training.
Raising the hips first so the load shifts to the lower back
Lead out of the bottom with the chest so hips and shoulders rise together.
Skipping warm-up sets and starting at working weight
Run two light build-up sets so the first hard set is not the first rep.
Easier and Harder Than Farmers Walk
Swap Farmers Walk For
Farmers Walk — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Farmers Walk?
Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your sides. Keep your back straight and your shoulders back. Take small, controlled steps forward, maintaining an upright posture. Use dumbbells and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Farmers Walk work?
The Farmers Walk primarily targets the quads. It is classified as a legs exercise and is performed with dumbbells.
How many sets and reps of the Farmers Walk should I do?
For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Add reps on the smaller bell before you size up. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Farmers Walk good for beginners?
Yes. The Farmers Walk is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.
What can I do instead of the Farmers Walk?
Try the Squat To Overhead Reach, Squat On Bosu Ball or the Barbell Clean And Press. Each trains the quads with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
