Muscles worked
What the farmer's carry trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Clear a path. Pick a flat, open lane of 10 to 30 meters, or a spot you can walk laps in, with nothing to trip on and room to turn.
- 02
Weights beside your feet. Place the dumbbells or kettlebells just outside your feet, handles pointing forward, so you can reach them without twisting.
- 03
Grip the middle. Wrap your whole hand around the center of each handle so the weight hangs balanced and does not tilt forward or back.
- 04
Lift with your legs. Hinge at the hips and bend your knees with a flat back, then stand up like a deadlift. Never round over to grab the weights.
- 05
Stand tall. Arms long at your sides, shoulders level and set back, ribs down over your hips, eyes looking straight ahead.
Step by step
How to do the farmer's carry
- 01
Brace. Take a breath into your belly and tighten your midsection as if about to be pushed, then keep that tension while breathing behind it.
- 02
Walk. Take short, quick, controlled steps, rolling from heel to toe, with your feet about hip width apart. Keep the weights quiet at your sides so they do not swing or bang your legs.
- 03
Stay level. Keep your shoulders even and your head over your hips the whole way. Do not lean back, hunch forward or shrug up toward your ears.
- 04
Turn wide. If you need to turn, slow down and take several small steps in a wide arc rather than pivoting on one foot.
- 05
Set it down. At the end of your distance or time, stop, plant both feet, and hinge and bend your knees to lower the weights to the floor beside your feet.
Cues to say in your head
- Stand tall, walk proud
- Crush the handles
- Short, quick steps
- Shoulders level, not shrugged
- Ribs over hips
- Quiet weights
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Shrugging the shoulders up to the ears
Let your arms hang long and keep your shoulders level and set back. Your traps work by holding that position, not by shrugging.
Leaning back or hunching forward
Brace and keep your ribs stacked over your hips. If you cannot stay upright, the weights are too heavy.
Long, bouncing strides
Shorten your steps and quicken them. Long strides make the weights swing and pull you off balance.
Rounding over to pick up or put down the weights
Treat both ends like a deadlift: hips back, knees bent, flat back, weights close to your feet.
Letting one weight drift out or tilt
Grip the middle of each handle and keep both arms pinned lightly to your sides.
Walking until your grip fails
End the set while you still hold the weights securely, so you can set them down under control.
Stay safe
Carry on a flat, clear surface with space around you, and wear shoes with good grip. The normal way to end a set is to stop walking and lower the weights to the floor with a flat back; if your grip starts to slip, stop and set them down rather than pushing on. If a weight does slip, let it go and step your feet away instead of trying to catch it. For overhead carries, only go as heavy as you can hold with your arm locked straight, and bring the weight down to your shoulder before lowering it to the floor. Stop if you feel sharp pain in your back, shoulders or hands, or numbness or tingling in your fingers, and get it checked if it persists.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3 to 5 | 15 to 30 m or 15 to 30 s | 80–90% 1RM | 2 to 3 min |
| Muscle | 3 to 4 | 30 to 50 m or 30 to 45 s | 65–80% 1RM | 1.5 to 2 min |
| Endurance | 2 to 4 | 50 to 100 m or 45 to 90 s | 50–65% 1RM | 1 to 2 min |
| Technique | 2 to 3 | 20 to 30 m or 20 to 30 s | 40–55% 1RM | 1 min |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Muscle sets
140–173lb
3 to 4 sets of 30 to 50 m or 30 to 45 s reps, 1.5 to 2 min rest. Builds grip, traps and forearms. Stop each carry while your grip is still secure, close to where it would start to slip.
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Farmer's Carry questions
What muscles does the farmers walk work?
Mainly your grip, forearms and upper traps, which hold the weights and keep your shoulders level. Your abs, obliques, glutes and legs work the whole time to keep you upright and walking straight.
How heavy should a farmers walk be?
Heavy enough that you can just finish your distance or time while staying tall, with your grip still secure at the end. If you lean, shrug or shuffle, go lighter.
How far or how long should you do a farmers walk?
A typical set is 20 to 50 meters, or about 20 to 60 seconds. Go shorter and heavier for strength, longer and lighter for grip endurance and conditioning.
What is a suitcase carry?
A suitcase carry is a farmers walk with a weight in one hand only, like carrying a suitcase. You walk without leaning toward the weight, which makes your obliques and side glutes work harder than a two hand carry. Do the same distance with each hand.
What is an overhead carry?
An overhead carry is a walk with a weight locked out straight overhead in one hand, or one in each hand, biceps by your ear and ribs down. The one arm version is also called a waiter's walk: switch hands and match the distance. It trains shoulder stability and core control, needs good overhead mobility, and uses much lighter weights than a farmers walk.
Does the farmers walk improve grip strength?
Yes. Holding heavy weights while you walk is one of the most direct ways to train grip, and it usually limits the carry before anything else does.
Train in Protocol
Log your farmer's carry by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.