Farmers walk

The farmer's walk is a loaded carry: you pick up a heavy weight in each hand and walk with it. It builds grip strength, the traps and forearms, and a braced trunk all at once, and it is one of the simplest exercises for strength that carries over to everyday life.

Targets: Thighs
Equipment: Dumbbell
Level: Beginner
Start with: 3 × 10-12, 60s rest

How to do it

Stand between two heavy dumbbells, kettlebells or farmer's handles.
Hinge down with a flat back and grip them in the middle of the handle.
Stand up tall, shoulders back and down, abs braced.
Walk with short, quick steps for the set distance or time, then set the weights down by hinging again.

Form cues

Tall posture, as if balancing a book on your head.
Crush the handles.
Short steps, heel to toe.

Common mistakes

Leaning or shrugging under weights that are too heavy, which turns a posture exercise into a posture problem. Go lighter and stand tall.
Rounding the back to pick the weights up. The pick-up is a deadlift; hinge with a flat back, then walk.
Long strides that make the weights swing and pull you off balance. Take short, quick steps instead.

Where this fits in a week

Dietly Fit scores one photo a week out of 100, names the area holding the score back, and builds the week around it — so a movement like this gets programmed when your thighs is what needs the work, not because it was next on a list.

More thighs movements

Demonstration courtesy of Gym Visual. Sets and reps are a starting point, not a prescription. Speak to a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are managing an injury or a health condition.