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Barbell Farmer's Hold

Barbell Farmer's Hold trains 7 of the 18 muscle groups Full Coverage tracks: Forearms 90%, Mid-back / traps 45%, Abs 35%, Lower back / erectors 30%, Quads 15%, Calves 10%, Obliques 10%.

Reference only Level: Beginner Barbell

This movement is in our catalog for reference, with the same per-muscle numbers as every other page here. The app does not select it for you.

How to do it

  1. Set a loaded barbell in a rack at hip height, or deadlift it up.
  2. Grip it with both hands in front of your thighs and stand tall.
  3. Brace your stomach and hold the position, or take short controlled steps.
  4. Keep your shoulders pulled back - do not let the bar round you forward.
  5. A two-handed hold is symmetric, so this is grip and posture work rather than anti-rotation.

Muscles it trains

Percent of one session's target for that muscle. Anything at 100% finishes that muscle on its own.

Light Main

How it compares

Compared with the Farmer's Carry, it loads Quads 5 points lower, Lower back / erectors 5 points lower, Abs 5 points lower. It needs Barbell where the other uses Dumbbells. Compared with the Reverse Curl, it loads Mid-back / traps 45 points higher, Abs 35 points higher, Lower back / erectors 30 points higher.

Other ways to train this

Other exercises for the Forearms

Exercise illustrations and data by RepDB (repdb.co), used under licence.

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