One of the simplest and most effective exercises for the body is the farmer’s walk.
The farmer’s walk is a great exercise to superset with other exercises, especially if you are looking to add mass.
The ‘key’ to a good farmer’s walk is to have your weights ready as soon as you complete another exercise like a squat, deadlift, or set of lunges. If done consistently over time, you will get many physical, mental and cardio benefits.
Heavy dumbbells or kettlebells are going to be the best pieces of fitness equipment for this exercise.
Simply complete an exercise like a Bulgarian split squat, then grab your kettlebells and walk to one end of the room and back at a distance you are comfortable with.
Make the exercise more challenging by doing calf raises and shrugs along the way.
If you want to really see some results over time, make sure you take some before and after picks so you can see the muscular changes with this added exercise.
Let’s get into a little more detail on the farmer’s walk muscles worked, benefits, and results you can expect to achieve.
Farmer’s Walk
Farmer’s Walk Muscles Worked
When you add a farmer’s walk to your exercise routine, you will work a multitude of muscle groups.
Most of the gains will come from your ability to superset this with other exercises to really challenge the endurance of your muscle groups.
You will be ‘holding’ the exercise for the entire distance that you walk.
Therefore, your muscles will be contracted as long as you are able.
This will create a muscular stability within your body that can make you an unmovable force, especially if you play sports.
The muscles a farmer’s walk will primarily work include the deltoids, calves, traps, quads, erector spinae, glutes, and biceps.
All these muscle groups will need to remain contracted during the entire exercise.
Farmer’s Walk Benefits
There are a multitude of benefits you will receive from doing the Farmer’s Walk consistently over time.
You will increase lean muscle mass, improve your cardio and endurance, improve your mood, energy, and posture.
You will create a stable, immovable, balanced body.
Your heart and lungs will improve over time.
Stacking exercises together with the farmer’s walk will make your body strong and powerful.
Add variations to your exercises to really ensure you are hitting all the auxiliary muscle groups.
Farmer’s Walk Results
The best way to get results with the farmer’s walk is to do the exercise consistently over time as a part of a full body workout.
Your muscles will experience hypertrophy faster and your body will become rock solid.
Your cardio capacity will increase, and you will become more fit than you were without it.
Take a before and after picture to really see the results and progress forward.
Add weight over time.
Mix up the intensity, duration, distance walked, and frequency you do the exercise.
All these things will result in a strong and stable body.
Summary: Farmers Walk
The farmer’s walk is a great exercise to superset or pair with other exercises. It should be done consistently week by week, and month by month. The farmer’s walk will challenge your arms, legs, back, and core to keep your body stable during the exercise. Choose a kettlebell or dumbbell to do the exercise. To make it even harder, hold only a single weight on one side of the body to really challenge your erector spinae, obliques, abs, and quadratus lumborum. Mix up the intensity, frequency, duration, and type of exercise to increase the overall effectiveness of the farmer’s walk. If you want to do the classic version, grab a pair of buckets, and fill them with rocks, just like a farmer would. Just remember, you only get out of your workout what you put into it.
