10 Best Farmer's Walk Alternatives for Limited-Equipment Training

If you can't perform the Farmer's Walk, use loaded carries, heavy holds, or hangs to target the forearms and grip. Try suitcase carries, dumbbell holds, or dead hangs with shoulders packed to load the forearm flexors and train anti-lateral-flexion core stability while preserving wrist position.

Original Exercise: Farmer's Walk

Farmer's Walk
Primary Muscle
Forearms
Equipment
Other
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Abdominals, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back, Quadriceps, Traps
How to Perform Farmer's Walk
  1. There are various implements that can be used for the farmers walk. These can also be performed with heavy dumbbells or short bars if these implements aren't available. Begin by standing between the implements.
  2. After gripping the handles, lift them up by driving through your heels, keeping your back straight and your head up.
  3. Walk taking short, quick steps, and don't forget to breathe. Move for a given distance, typically 50-100 feet, as fast as possible.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strongman
  • Movement type: Compound

Ranked Farmer's Walk Alternatives

Best Match
Weighted Standing Hand Squeeze

1. Weighted Standing Hand Squeeze

88.7% Match
Forearms Weighted Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a weight in each hand.
  2. Extend your arms straight in front of you, palms facing each other.
  3. Squeeze your hands together as hard as you can, engaging your forearms.
  4. Hold the squeeze for a few seconds, then release.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Plate Pinch

2. Plate Pinch

85.4% Match
Forearms Other Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Grab two wide-rimmed plates and put them together with the smooth sides facing outward
  2. Use your fingers to grip the outside part of the plate and your thumb for the other side thus holding both plates together. This is the starting position.
  3. Squeeze the plate with your fingers and thumb. Hold this position for as long as you can.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of sets prescribed in your program.
  5. Switch arms and repeat the movements.
Standing Olympic Plate Hand Squeeze

3. Standing Olympic Plate Hand Squeeze

78.7% Match
Forearms Other Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. To begin, stand straight while holding a weight plate by the ridge at arm's length in each hand using a neutral grip (palms facing in). You feet should be shoulder width apart from each other. This will be your starting position.
  2. Lower the plates until the fingers are nearly extended but can still hold weights. Inhale as you lower the plates.
  3. Now raise the plates back to the starting position as you exhale by closing your hands.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions prescribed in your program.
Lever Gripper Hands

4. Lever Gripper Hands

76.6% Match
Forearms Lever Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and grip the handles of the leverage machine.
  2. Keep your back straight and your feet flat on the ground.
  3. Exhale and squeeze the handles, contracting your forearms.
  4. Hold the contraction for a second, then slowly release and return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sled Drag - Harness

5. Sled Drag - Harness

75.4% Match
Quads Sled Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. To begin, load the sled with the desired weight and attach the pulling strap. You can pull with handles, use a harness, or attach the pulling strap to a weight belt.
  2. Whether pulling forwards or backwards, lean in the direction of travel and progress by extending through the hips and knees.
Sled Overhead Backward Walk

6. Sled Overhead Backward Walk

68.9% Match
Delts Sled Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach dual handles to a sled connected by a rope or chain. Load the sled to a light weight.
  2. Face the sled, backing up until there is some tension in the line. Hold your hands directly above your head with your elbows extended. This will be your starting position.
  3. Walk backwards, keeping your arms raised above your head. Avoid jerky movements.
Dumbbell Single Arm Overhead Carry

7. Dumbbell Single Arm Overhead Carry

65.9% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
  2. Raise the dumbbell overhead, fully extending your arm.
  3. Engage your core and keep your back straight as you walk forward, maintaining the dumbbell overhead.
  4. Continue walking for the desired distance or time.
  5. Switch hands and repeat the exercise.
Bear Crawl Sled Drags

8. Bear Crawl Sled Drags

64.8% Match
Quads Other Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Wearing either a harness or a loose weight belt, attach the chain to the back so that you will be facing away from the sled. Bend down so that your hands are on the ground. Your back should be flat and knees bent. This is your starting position.
  2. Begin by driving with legs, alternating left and right. Use your hands to maintain balance and to help pull. Try to keep your back flat as you move over a given distance.
Plank

9. Plank

60.9% Match
Abs Body-weight Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Get into a prone position on the floor, supporting your weight on your toes and your forearms. Your arms are bent and directly below the shoulder.
  2. Keep your body straight at all times, and hold this position as long as possible. To increase difficulty, an arm or leg can be raised.
Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean

10. Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean

52.3% Match
Forearms Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in each hand with an overhand grip.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
  3. Allow the kettlebells to hang in front of your body with your arms fully extended.
  4. In one fluid motion, explosively extend your hips, shrug your shoulders, and pull the kettlebells up towards your shoulders.
  5. As the kettlebells reach shoulder height, rotate your wrists and catch the kettlebells in the rack position, with your palms facing inward and the kettlebells resting on the outside of your forearms.

Why You Might Need a Farmer's Walk Alternative

You may substitute the Farmer's Walk for several reasons: lack of heavy implements, wrist or shoulder pain, space limits, or a need for specific grip adaptations. Substitutes let you stress the forearm flexors and finger extensors with safer joint positions and controlled loading. For example, a dumbbell farmer carry lets you keep a neutral wrist and cue "thumbs up, grip tight," shifting grip force through the radial forearm while reducing thoracic loading. Isometric holds and unilateral carries change shear and rotational demands on the core, so choose a variation that preserves wrist alignment and avoids painful end ranges.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on desired stimulus: maximal grip strength, forearm hypertrophy, or core anti-rotation. For grip strength, use heavy unilateral carries or thick-handle holds and cue "squeeze the implement and pull the bar into your palm" to maximize finger flexor activation. For hypertrophy, focus on longer-time-under-tension holds (30–60 seconds) or slow farmer walks at moderate load to fatigue forearm flexors. Consider space and equipment: dead hangs need a pull-up bar; suitcase carries need only one weight. Also factor in biomechanics, use neutral wrist positions to protect the radiocarpal joint and choose unilateral work to increase anti-lateral-flexion demand on the obliques.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Farmer's Walk work?

The Farmer's Walk primarily targets the forearms and grip (finger flexors and wrist stabilizers) while loading the traps, upper back, and core for anti-flexion and anti-rotation. Cue "shoulders packed, chest up, grip tight" to engage scapular stabilizers and transfer force through the forearms into the carry.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Farmer's Walk?

A dead hang from a pull-up bar is the best bodyweight option to tax grip and forearm endurance; cue "shoulders slightly engaged, scapula down and back" to protect the shoulder while loading finger flexors. For added unilateral challenge, perform single-arm hangs or towel hangs to increase grip demand and forearm activation.

Can I build muscle without doing Farmer's Walk?

Yes. You can build forearm and upper-back muscle with targeted alternatives like heavy holds, thick-grip rows, and wrist curls, use progressive overload and sets to near-failure. Cue "control the descent and maintain a neutral wrist" on curls and holds to ensure maximal forearm flexor recruitment and safe joint mechanics.

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