
Full body · Loaded carry
Farmer Carry
The farmer carry is a dumbbell loaded carry movement for the full body. Here is the setup, the execution, the mistakes worth avoiding, and how to program it.
Equipment
Dumbbell
Trains
Full body
Level
Intermediate
Muscles worked
Everything that keeps you upright: grip, traps, obliques, glutes. Conditioning and core in the same set.
Set up
- 1
Set the load, take a full breath, and stand up tall before the first step.
- 2
Shoulders packed, ribs down, eyes forward.
- 3
Grip the handles hard from the very first second, not once they start slipping.
How to do it
- 1
Walk with short, quick, controlled steps.
- 2
Keep the ribs down and the torso quiet, no side to side swaying.
- 3
Breathe. Holding your breath for the whole carry ends the set early.
- 4
Set the load down under control rather than dropping it.
Common mistakes
Long, loose strides
Fix: Short quick steps keep the torso stable.
Rounded shoulders
Fix: Pack the shoulders down and back before the first step.
Straps on every set
Fix: Go strapless until grip is the limiter, then decide.
How to program it
Sets
3 to 4
Reps
30 to 60 sec per trip
Rest
90 sec
End of session. It taxes grip and trunk, so nothing technical after it.
No gym version
Two grocery bags or one heavy suitcase, walked for time around the house.
Questions
More full body work
Knowing the lift is the easy part.
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