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Farmer Carry

A loaded carry walking with heavy dumbbells at the sides, building grip, trunk stiffness, and full-body work capacity with minimal technique barrier.

CoreDumbbellLoaded carry
GoLightWeight mediafarmer-carry

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

ForearmsCore

Secondary

TrapeziusGlutesObliquesUpper back

Equipment

Dumbbell

Pattern

Loaded carry

Setup

  1. 01Set two heavy dumbbells on the floor at your sides.
  2. 02Hinge and grip both handles in the middle of the grip.
  3. 03Stand up tall with a deadlift-style lift, chest up.
  4. 04Pull the shoulders down and back and brace the trunk.

Execution

  1. 01Walk forward with short, quick, controlled steps.
  2. 02Keep the torso tall and the weights dead still at the sides.
  3. 03Breathe in short cycles behind a consistent brace.
  4. 04Cover the target distance or time, then set the weights down with a controlled hinge.

Checkpoints

  • -Posture stays stacked: ears over shoulders over hips.
  • -Weights do not swing or bang against the legs.
  • -Steps stay even with no sideways lean or hip drop.
  • -Grip stays crushed on the handles from start to finish.

Common mistakes

  • -Leaning forward and letting the weights drift ahead of the body.
  • -Shrugging the shoulders up to the ears.
  • -Taking long, lazy strides that let the load swing.
  • -Dropping the dumbbells from standing instead of hinging down.

Programming notes

  • -Use 3 to 5 carries of 20 to 40 meters with heavy loads for strength.
  • -Use lighter loads for 40 to 60 seconds when training work capacity.
  • -A simple weekly total-work progression: add distance first, then load.

Related exercises

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