Conditioning
Farmer carry
- Kit
- Dumbbells
- Works
- forearms and grip · upper traps · obliques
- Also
- glutes · quads · calves · mid back
The farmer carry is a loaded walk: you hold a dumbbell in each hand, stand tall and cover ground at a steady pace. It trains grip, the muscles that hold your posture upright and the core's ability to resist side bend, all while keeping your heart rate high. It suits anyone who wants conditioning work that stays low impact, with no jumping or floor work.
Form
How to do farmer carry
- 1Set a dumbbell on each side of your feet. Hinge at the hips, take a firm grip on both handles and stand up by driving through your legs with your chest lifted.
- 2Let the dumbbells hang at arm's length just clear of your thighs. Pull your shoulders back and down, brace your middle and look straight ahead.
- 3Walk with short, deliberate steps at an even pace, keeping the weights from swinging into your legs. Breathe steadily rather than holding your breath.
- 4Turn in a wide arc when you run out of space, or step in place if your room is small, keeping your torso square and level throughout.
- 5When the effort ends, stop walking, hinge at the hips and set both dumbbells down on the floor together rather than dropping them.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Leaning or bending sideways under the load, so one hip drops with each step.
Fix: Stand as if balancing a glass on your head and use lighter dumbbells until you can walk level.
Shrugging the shoulders up towards the ears and letting the upper back round.
Fix: Set the shoulders back and down before the first step and keep the chest open as you walk.
Rushing with long strides, which makes the weights swing and the torso twist.
Fix: Shorten the stride and keep a controlled, even rhythm for the whole effort.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions
Put it in a workout
None of the fixed workouts uses it. Pick a workout for your kit, or start today's session on /gym.