Arms · Dumbbell
Farmers Walk
How to do the farmers walk, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Timed
- Movement
- Gait
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hold a heavy dumbbell or handle in each hand. Walk for a set distance or time, maintaining an upright posture and engaging your core.
- 1Feel your forearms, traps, and core working as you carry heavy weights at your sides
- 2Maintain an upright posture and small quick steps
- 3Brace your abs and squeeze your glutes to support the load
Common mistakes
- Avoid leaning to one side or slouching
- Don't let the weights bang against your legs
- Avoid gripping too loosely; maintain a firm grasp
Muscles worked
The farmers walk mainly works the forearms, with the upper traps, upper abs, lower abs, quads, glutes, and hamstrings assisting.
- ForearmsPrimary
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
Farmers Walk strength standards
See how your farmers walk ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM5 lb
Silvere1RM12.5 lb
Golde1RM22.5 lb
Platinume1RM45 lb
Diamonde1RM85 lb
Champione1RM120 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the farmers walk for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More forearms exercises
- How to do the wrist curl
- How to do the conans wheel
- How to do the forearm extensor stretch
- How to do the forearm flexor stretch
- How to do the medicine ball hussafel carry
- How to do the medicine ball keg carry
Last reviewed April 2026.