The Farmers Walk is literally one of the single best exercises you can do as a human being.
Yes, it's that good.
It's one of the simplest forms of what is known as a "loaded carry" type of movement, which basically just involves picking up something heavy and carrying it for a distance. Loaded carries are FANTASTIC training for the entire body. If you've never done them, you need to try them.
You can perform regular Farmers Walks with dumbbells, kettlebells, specialty handles, or even a couple of heavy suitcases. There isn't really much limit in terms of the things you can carry to perform this exercise.
THIS version of the Farmers Walk is done using a barbell and, instead of walking straight forward, you're going to take lateral steps to hit the muscles of the hips.
This works the gluteus medius and minimus and the core in a much different fashion.
I'm a big fan of "lateral" training. Most exercises tend to work the body in a forward-and-back type of movement, which tends to reinforce and strength just that movement pattern.
But we live in a three-dimensional world that requires strength and capability in all planes of movement. Athletes especially need to perform more work in a side-to-side movement pattern. If you think about it, most sports don't involve only linear movement (even running on a track involves corners).
To perform this one, load up a barbell with a weight you can easily deadlift and hold in the top position for a decent length of time.
Then just side-step while holding the bar, moving down the gym floor for a distance. Don't cross your feet over. Just "shuffle" step, bringing one foot in a direct lateral path until gets close to the other foot and repeat. Keep your hips and shoulders facing directly forward.
Set the bar down on the floor, rest briefly (15-20 seconds), then come back in the other direction to balance out the movement.
Set the bar down and you've done one set.
That is literally all there is to it.
You can use more or less weight, go for shorter or longer distance, rest more or less (or not at all) in between changes of direction, etc. There are plenty of variables you can adjust to your own training.
The key things to remember are to maintain good body position (though for me, I have a bad habit of tilting my head down a bit to try and watch where I'm going, which you'll notice in the video) and to not cross your feet over.
This exercise is an excellent challenge to your "lateral-moving" muscles. Definitely worth working into your training program, especially if you're an athlete.
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Want more unique and challenging exercises to work your entire body with simple equipment? All you need is just a barbell, dumbbells and a bench. Check out The Best Home Gym Exercises You've Never Heard Of!
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