Duck Walk
The duck walk is a strongman carry in which you hold a single weighted implement low between your legs with both hands and walk it forward with a wide, waddling stride. It trains grip and the back muscles that hold a flat, slightly forward-leaning trunk, with the hips and thighs working to move each step around the weight.
Also called: Duck Carry, Duck Walk Carry, Between-the-Legs Carry, Strongman Duck Walk · Equipment: strongman · Pattern: carry
Step by step
- Stand over the implement with it centred between your feet, feet wider than hip-width and toes turned out.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to grip the handle with both hands, arms straight.
- Set a flat back, take a big breath and brace, then drive through your feet to stand until the implement hangs clear of the floor between your legs.
- Keep a slight forward lean with your chest up and arms long. The implement hangs just in front of and between your legs.
- Walk forward with short, wide steps, swinging each foot out and around the implement. Keep the pace steady enough to hold your brace.
- At the finish line, push your hips back and bend your knees to set the implement down with a flat back.
- Flat back, chest up, arms long
- Big breath and brace before you lift
- Short, wide steps around the weight
- Crush the handle the whole way
- Keep the implement hanging still
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Forearm flexors | Prime mover | D |
| Erector spinae | Prime mover | C |
| Trapezius | Stabiliser | D |
| Rectus abdominis | Stabiliser | C |
| Adductors | Dynamic stabiliser | D |
| Quadriceps | Dynamic stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Back rounding under the forward pull
Fix: Brace before lifting and keep the chest up with a flat back for the whole carry.
Implement swinging between the legs
Fix: Take short, even steps and keep the arms long and the handle still.
Stance too narrow
Fix: Walk with feet wide and toes out so each step clears the weight.
Rushing the steps
Fix: Walk at a steady pace you can hold with a flat back to the finish.
Grip opening late in the carry
Fix: Crush the handle from the first step and use chalk.
Rounded back at the set-down
Fix: Push the hips back and bend the knees to set the implement down with a flat back.
What the research says
Endurance · first choiceFat loss & conditioning · first choiceStrengthMuscle growthSport performance
- Research base — There is no controlled research on the duck walk. A systematic review of strongman biomechanics describes high grip and trunk demands for implement carries, drawn from mostly small descriptive studies.
- Trunk demand — Modelling of other strongman carries, including the farmer's walk, yoke and keg walk, found high trunk-muscle demand to keep the torso stiff. The duck walk itself has not been measured.
- Distance and time — It is commonly trained over set distances of about 10–20 m, or as timed runs, for a few sets with full rest between them. This is strongman practice rather than a researched dose.
- Load and distance — Research comparing loads finds maximal strength favours heavier loads, while local muscular endurance favours lighter loads and more work, so heavier short runs and lighter long runs train different qualities.
Log the duck walk in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.