Farmers Carry Exercise: Complete Guide to Benefits, Form & Variations

The farmers carry, also known as the farmers walk, stands out as one of the most functional and effective full-body exercises you can incorporate into your fitness routine. This straightforward yet challenging movement involves carrying heavy weights in each hand while walking a specific distance, engaging nearly every major muscle group in your body.

Whether you’re a competitive athlete, a fitness enthusiast, or someone simply looking to improve their overall strength and conditioning, the farmers carry offers remarkable benefits that translate directly to real-world activities and sports performance.

What Is the Farmers Carry Exercise?

The farmers carry is a loaded carry exercise that involves picking up heavy implements—typically dumbbells, kettlebells, or specialized handles—and walking with them for a predetermined distance or time. The name comes from the practical movement of farmers carrying heavy buckets or equipment across their fields.

This exercise belongs to a category of movements known as “loaded carries,” which are fundamental human movement patterns that have been performed throughout history. Unlike many modern gym exercises that isolate specific muscles, the farmers carry is a compound movement that requires coordination between multiple muscle groups working simultaneously.

The beauty of the farmers carry lies in its simplicity and accessibility. You don’t need expensive equipment or complex machinery—just heavy objects and space to walk. This makes it an ideal exercise for both gym settings and home workouts.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Perform the Farmers Carry Correctly

Proper form is crucial for maximizing benefits and preventing injury when performing the farmers carry. Follow these detailed steps to execute the movement safely and effectively:

Equipment Needed

• Two dumbbells, kettlebells, or specialized farmers carry handles
• A clear walking path of at least 40-50 feet
• Flat, stable ground surface

Execution Steps

Step 1: Set Up and Positioning

Place your weights on the ground parallel to each other, roughly shoulder-width apart. Stand between them with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward.

Step 2: The Pick-Up

Bend at your hips and knees to lower yourself down, keeping your chest up and spine neutral. Grip each weight firmly with a full-hand grip. Engage your core muscles and drive through your heels to stand up straight, lifting the weights off the ground in a controlled deadlift motion.

Step 3: Starting Position

Once standing, pull your shoulders back and down, creating tension in your upper back. Keep your chest proud, core braced, and gaze forward—not down at your feet. The weights should hang naturally at your sides without touching your body.

Step 4: The Walk

Begin walking forward with controlled, deliberate steps. Maintain an upright posture throughout the movement. Keep your steps smooth and avoid bouncing or swaying from side to side. Breathe steadily—avoid holding your breath.

Step 5: The Finish

Once you’ve completed your desired distance, come to a complete stop. Brace your core, hinge at the hips and knees, and lower the weights back to the ground in a controlled manner. Never drop the weights while standing upright.

Common Form Mistakes to Avoid

• Rounding the shoulders forward
• Leaning to one side
• Looking down at the ground
• Taking rushed, uncontrolled steps
• Letting the weights bang against your thighs
• Holding your breath

Muscles Worked During Farmers Carry

The farmers carry is truly a total-body exercise, recruiting muscles from your feet to your fingertips. Understanding which muscles are engaged helps you appreciate why this movement is so effective for overall strength development.

Primary Muscle Groups

Forearms and Grip Muscles: The forearm flexors and extensors work intensely to maintain grip on the weights throughout the carry. This constant tension builds exceptional grip strength and forearm endurance.

Trapezius and Upper Back: The upper trapezius, rhomboids, and rear deltoids work to stabilize the shoulder girdle and maintain proper posture. These muscles prevent the shoulders from rolling forward under load.

Core Musculature: The rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis work continuously to stabilize your spine and resist rotation. This anti-rotation work builds functional core strength that transfers to daily activities.

Lower Back (Erector Spinae): The muscles along your spine work to maintain an upright posture and prevent excessive forward lean, building endurance and stability in the posterior chain.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Shoulders: The deltoids, particularly the lateral and anterior heads, engage to stabilize the shoulder joints and support the weight of the implements.

Quadriceps: The front thigh muscles control knee extension and help propel you forward with each step, while also absorbing impact.

Hamstrings and Glutes: These powerful hip extensors drive forward movement and work together with the quads to stabilize the lower body throughout the exercise.

Calves: The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles stabilize the ankle joint and help push off with each step.

Biceps and Triceps: While not primary movers, the arm muscles work isometrically to stabilize the elbow joint and assist with grip.

Proven Benefits of the Farmers Carry

The farmers carry delivers numerous benefits that extend far beyond simple muscle building. Here’s what regular practice of this exercise can do for you:

1. Builds Exceptional Grip Strength

Grip strength is often an overlooked component of fitness, yet it’s crucial for nearly every upper body exercise and countless daily activities. The farmers carry forces you to maintain a tight grip on heavy weights for extended periods, developing crushing grip strength and forearm endurance. This improved grip strength transfers to better performance in exercises like deadlifts, pull-ups, and rows.

2. Enhances Core Stability and Strength

Unlike crunches or sit-ups that work the core through flexion, the farmers carry builds anti-movement core strength. Your abdominal and lower back muscles must work continuously to keep your torso stable and prevent side-to-side swaying. This type of core training is highly functional and helps protect your spine during daily activities.

3. Improves Posture and Shoulder Health

The farmers carry requires you to maintain an upright posture with your shoulders pulled back. This position strengthens the muscles responsible for good posture—particularly the upper back and rear deltoids—while stretching tight chest muscles. Regular practice can help counteract the forward shoulder position common in people who sit at desks all day.

4. Develops Full-Body Functional Strength

The farmers carry mimics real-world activities like carrying groceries, luggage, or moving furniture. By training this movement pattern with progressively heavier loads, you build strength that directly applies to daily life, making these tasks easier and reducing injury risk.

5. Boosts Cardiovascular Conditioning

While primarily a strength exercise, heavy farmers carries elevate your heart rate significantly, providing cardiovascular benefits. This makes it an efficient exercise for those looking to improve both strength and endurance simultaneously.

6. Increases Muscular Endurance

Carrying heavy weights for extended distances or times builds muscular endurance throughout your entire body. This endurance translates to better performance in sports and improved stamina in daily activities.

7. Improves Athletic Performance

Athletes across various sports incorporate farmers carries into their training programs. The exercise builds the type of strength and stability needed for contact sports, improves acceleration in running sports, and enhances overall power output.

8. Burns Significant Calories

The combination of heavy loading and full-body muscle recruitment means the farmers carry burns substantial calories both during and after your workout through increased metabolic rate.

9. Requires Minimal Equipment

You don’t need specialized equipment to get started with farmers carries. Dumbbells, kettlebells, or even heavy buckets filled with sand or water will work, making this an accessible exercise for home workouts.

Farmers Carry Variations to Challenge Your Strength

Once you’ve mastered the basic farmers carry with dumbbells, try these variations to add new challenges and continue progressing:

1. Single-Arm Farmers Carry (Suitcase Carry)

Hold a single weight in one hand while keeping the other arm free. This variation dramatically increases the demand on your core muscles, as they must work harder to prevent lateral flexion. Walk for your desired distance, then switch hands and repeat. This unilateral loading is excellent for identifying and correcting strength imbalances.

2. Overhead Carry

Hold one or both weights overhead with arms fully extended. This variation emphasizes shoulder stability, upper back strength, and overhead mobility. It’s particularly beneficial for overhead athletes and anyone looking to improve shoulder health. Start with lighter weights than you’d use for a standard farmers carry.

3. Zercher Carry

Hold a single heavy implement (like a barbell or heavy sandbag) in the crooks of your elbows with your hands clasped together in front of your chest. This front-loaded variation heavily targets the core, upper back, and biceps while teaching you to maintain an upright torso position.

4. Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Carry

Hold kettlebells upside down by the handle, with the bell portion pointing toward the ceiling. This unstable position requires intense grip strength and shoulder stabilization. Use significantly lighter weight than standard carries and focus on control.

5. Trap Bar Carry

Load a trap bar (hex bar) with weight and carry it for distance. The trap bar places the load closer to your center of gravity, allowing you to carry significantly more weight than with dumbbells. This variation is excellent for building maximum strength.

6. Farmer’s Walk With Pause

Perform a standard farmers carry but pause every few steps for 3-5 seconds before continuing. These pauses eliminate momentum and increase time under tension, making the exercise significantly more challenging without adding weight.

7. Uneven Carry

Use different weights in each hand—for example, 50 pounds in your right hand and 70 pounds in your left. This creates an unbalanced load that forces your core to work asymmetrically, building real-world functional strength.

8. Double Kettlebell Rack Carry

Hold two kettlebells in the rack position (resting on your forearms with handles in front of your shoulders). This front-loaded variation challenges your core differently than the standard carry and builds tremendous upper back strength.

Programming the Farmers Carry Into Your Workout

Strategic implementation of the farmers carry into your training program ensures you get maximum benefits while allowing adequate recovery.

For Beginners

Start with lighter weights that you can comfortably carry for 30-40 feet without compromising form. Perform 3-4 sets with 90-120 seconds rest between sets. Focus entirely on maintaining proper posture and smooth walking mechanics. Train farmers carries 1-2 times per week, allowing at least 48 hours between sessions.

For Intermediate Lifters

Progress to heavier loads that challenge your grip and posture. Aim for 4-5 sets of 50-100 feet, or carry for time (30-45 seconds per set). Incorporate variations like the suitcase carry or overhead carry. Train 2-3 times per week, using different variations or loading schemes each session.

For Advanced Athletes

Use weights that are 50-75% of your body weight in each hand (or heavier for shorter distances). Perform 4-6 sets of varying distances or times. Incorporate multiple variations within a single workout. Consider using farmers carries as a conditioning finisher or as part of a strength-building protocol.

Sample Workout Integration

Strength Focus: Perform farmers carries early in your workout when you’re fresh, using heavy loads for shorter distances (25-50 feet for 4-5 sets).

Conditioning Focus: Use farmers carries at the end of your workout with moderate loads for longer distances (100-200 feet) or extended time periods (45-60 seconds).

Circuit Training: Include farmers carries as one station in a circuit, alternating between carries and other exercises with minimal rest.

Safety Considerations and Precautions

While the farmers carry is generally safe for most people, certain considerations can help you avoid injury and maximize benefits:

Start Light and Progress Gradually

There’s no prize for using heavy weights on your first attempt. Begin with weights that feel manageable and allow you to maintain perfect form for your entire set. Add weight incrementally over weeks and months.

Maintain Neutral Spine Alignment

Never allow your lower back to round or hyperextend excessively. Keep your spine in a neutral position throughout the entire movement, from picking up the weights to setting them down.

Choose Appropriate Walking Surface

Perform farmers carries on flat, stable ground. Avoid uneven surfaces, especially when you’re carrying heavy loads, as this increases injury risk.

Know When to Set Down the Weights

If your grip begins to fail or your form starts breaking down during a set, safely set the weights down, rest, and then continue. Never compromise form to complete a set.

Considerations for Specific Populations

If you have existing shoulder, back, or grip-related injuries, consult with a healthcare professional or physical therapist before beginning farmers carry training. They can help you modify the exercise or determine if it’s appropriate for your current condition.

Pregnant individuals should consult their healthcare provider before performing farmers carries, as the exercise involves heavy loading and core tension.

Common Questions About Farmers Carry

How Heavy Should the Weight Be?

Beginners should start with dumbbells that are approximately 25-40% of their body weight in each hand. As you advance, you can progress to carrying 50-75% of your body weight per hand, or even heavier for shorter distances. The weight should challenge you but still allow you to maintain proper form throughout the set.

How Far Should I Walk?

A typical farmers carry distance ranges from 40-100 feet per set. However, you can also perform farmers carries for time rather than distance—aim for 30-60 seconds per set. The key is choosing a distance or time that appropriately challenges your strength and endurance while maintaining good form.

Can I Do Farmers Carries Every Day?

While you could technically perform farmers carries daily, it’s generally not recommended. This exercise creates significant systemic fatigue and demands recovery time. Most people will see better results training farmers carries 2-3 times per week with adequate rest between sessions.

Will Farmers Carries Build Bigger Arms?

While farmers carries effectively strengthen your arms and forearms, they’re not primarily a muscle-building exercise for the arms. However, the grip strength and forearm development from regular farmers carry training will support your ability to lift heavier weights in other exercises that do build arm mass, like curls and rows.

Can Farmers Carries Replace My Core Workout?

Farmers carries are excellent for core strength and stability, but they work the core differently than exercises like planks, deadbugs, or hanging leg raises. For comprehensive core development, use farmers carries as part of a well-rounded core training program rather than as a complete replacement.

Maximizing Your Results With Farmers Carry

To get the most from your farmers carry training, consider these advanced tips:

Focus on Quality Movement

Perfect form should always take precedence over heavy weight or long distances. Every rep should look smooth and controlled, with an upright posture and stable core.

Use Progressive Overload

To continue seeing improvements, gradually increase the challenge over time. This can mean adding weight, increasing distance, reducing rest periods, or incorporating more difficult variations.

Track Your Progress

Keep a training log noting the weight used, distance or time, and any relevant observations about the workout. This helps you ensure progressive overload and identify what works best for your body.

Pair With Complementary Exercises

Farmers carries work well alongside deadlifts, squats, rows, and overhead presses. These exercises complement each other, building comprehensive strength and addressing all major movement patterns.

Allow Adequate Recovery

Because farmers carries tax your entire body, ensure you’re getting adequate sleep, nutrition, and recovery time between training sessions. Your muscles grow stronger during recovery, not during the workout itself.

Conclusion

The farmers carry stands as one of the most effective and functional exercises you can include in your fitness program. Its ability to build full-body strength, improve grip, enhance core stability, and boost cardiovascular conditioning makes it valuable for athletes and fitness enthusiasts of all levels.

The exercise’s simplicity and versatility mean you can perform it almost anywhere with minimal equipment, making it accessible regardless of your training environment. Whether you’re looking to build practical strength for daily life, improve athletic performance, or add variety to your workout routine, the farmers carry delivers impressive results.

Start with proper form using manageable weights, progress gradually over time, and experiment with different variations to keep your training fresh and challenging. With consistent practice, you’ll develop the kind of functional strength that makes everyday activities easier and athletic endeavors more successful.

Remember to consult with a healthcare professional if you have any existing injuries or medical conditions that might affect your ability to perform this exercise safely. With proper technique and smart programming, the farmers carry can become a cornerstone of your strength training routine for years to come.

Sources:

• National Institutes of Health – Cardiovascular Adaptations to Exercise Training
• National Institutes of Health – Aerobic Capacity and Performance
• National Institutes of Health – Loaded Carry Exercise Training
• Mayo Clinic – Strength Training Guidelines
• National Strength and Conditioning Association – Loaded Carries
• American College of Sports Medicine – Functional Fitness