The farmer’s walk is a very effective exercise that we highly recommend adding to your repertoire. This is very effective for building your abdominal muscles and will also help your forearms and shoulders build serious mass and strength. You can use kettlebells or dumbbells for this exercise and it can really be done at your gym or even in the comfort of your home.
| Exercise Name: | Farmer’s Walk |
| Main Muscle: | Abdominals |
| Secondary Muscle(s): | Forearms and shoulders for stabilization |
| Equipment Required: | Pair of heavy dumbbells or kettlebells |
Exercise Description and Instruction:
This abdominal exercise has the potential to build it all: strength, size, and stability all in one move. It’s long been a staple in strongman competitions, but you can use dumbbells to recreate the intensity in your gym.
Most guys drop to a mat when performing their favorite abdominal variations like crunches and planks. To make the most of your workout, switch up your core routine by including this standing variation. Since it’s performed on your feet, it requires more stabilization from your obliques and deep abdominals muscles you’re trying to develop. It also helps to improve grip strength and can be turned into a cardiovascular exercise by extending the distance.
To Perform The Farmer’s Walk:
- Grab a heavy dumbbell in each hand. The weight should be very challenging to hold.
- Set your shoulders back and open up your chest.
- Keeping your torso straight, begin to walk forward at a steady pace making sure to breathe steadily.
- At the end of the specified distance, set the dumbbells down in a controlled manner.
Tips:
- Walk for at least 100 feet before dropping the dumbbells.
- Keep your steps short to avoid swinging the weights out of control.
- Try the single arm variation by holding one dumbbell instead of both. This will increase the stability challenge.