Farmer's Carries: The Simplest Exercise You Are Not Doing

The farmer's carry is almost too simple to take seriously: pick up two heavy weights and walk. Yet it trains grip, shoulders, upper back, core and legs at once, improves posture and builds the kind of strength that carries over directly to daily life — groceries, suitcases, moving furniture.

How to Do It

• Stand between two heavy dumbbells or kettlebells.
• Deadlift them up with a flat back, hinging at the hips.
• Stand tall: shoulders back and down, ribs down, eyes forward.
• Walk with short, controlled steps for a set distance or time.
• Set the weights down with the same care you used to lift them.

Key Technique Points

Do not let the weights pull your shoulders forward or up toward your ears. Keep your torso upright without leaning back. Walk heel to toe naturally — no shuffling, no rushing. The goal is to look as if you are not carrying anything heavy at all.

Variations

• Suitcase carry: one weight in one hand. Your trunk must resist leaning to the side, making it a superb core exercise.
• Front rack carry: kettlebells held at the shoulders, challenging the upper back and breathing.
• Overhead carry: one or two weights locked out overhead. Demands shoulder stability; start light.
• Mixed carry: one weight overhead, one at your side.

How to Program Carries

• Strength: heavy weights, 20 to 30 metres, three to five rounds with full rest.
• Conditioning: moderate weights, 40 to 60 seconds of walking, short rest.
• Finisher: one or two long carries at the end of a session.

A reasonable starting point is a total of about half your body weight (a quarter in each hand) and building up from there. Many trained people eventually carry their full body weight split between both hands.

Why It Matters

Carries are easy to recover from, need minimal technique and fit at the end of almost any session. Twice a week for a few minutes is enough to see grip and posture improve. They pair well with the work in our grip strength guide.