Farmer’s carry
A loaded carry where you walk while holding a heavy weight in each hand.
Overview
The farmer’s carry is a loaded-carry exercise: you pick up a weight in each hand and simply walk while holding them, staying tall and steady. Despite its simplicity, carrying loads challenges the grip, the trapezius and shoulders, the core and the whole body working together to stay upright.
It closely resembles the everyday task of carrying shopping or luggage, which makes it a very practical, functional movement. Dumbbells or kettlebells both work well, and the distance walked is an easy way to measure progress.
The movement
- 1Stand between two weights and pick one up in each hand.
- 2Stand tall with your shoulders back and core braced.
- 3Walk forward with smooth, controlled steps.
- 4Set the weights down under control at the end.
Beginner notes
- Standing tall with the shoulders set keeps the walk steady.
- The grip is often the first thing to be challenged.
- Distance walked is a simple way to track progress.
A note on training information
Where it’s used
Sports this relates to:
Functional Fitness
Varied, whole-body training built around everyday movement patterns like squatting, lifting and carrying.
Weightlifting
A technical strength sport built around lifting a loaded barbell overhead with speed and control.
Fitness
Strength and general fitness training — the foundation that supports every other sport.
Related exercises
Squat
A foundational lower-body movement where you bend at the hips and knees to lower down and stand back up.
Goblet squat
A squat variation where you hold a single weight close to your chest for balance and control.
Jump squat
An explosive squat variation where you spring off the floor at the top of the movement.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Farmer’s carry to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Movement patterns
- CarryHolding and transporting a load while keeping the trunk braced and stable — an anti-movement pattern that builds grip, core stability and full-body strength.
- RotationRotating the trunk to generate and transfer power through the body's kinetic chain, plus anti-rotation — resisting unwanted twist to keep the trunk stable.
- CatchReceiving a moving object and securing it under control, absorbing its momentum by yielding along its path so kinetic energy is dissipated rather than rebounded away.
- SquatA knee-dominant pattern: bending the hips, knees and ankles to lower and rise while keeping the torso upright — the foundation of lower-body strength.
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Tactics
- Man-to-man markingA defensive tactic where each defender is assigned a specific opponent to track and contain.
- Zone defenceA defensive system where each player guards an area of the court rather than a specific opponent.
- Serve and volleyAn attacking tennis tactic where the server follows their serve to the net to finish the point with a volley.
- Offside trapA defensive football tactic where the back line steps up together to leave an attacker offside.
- Court coverage and rotationVolleyball positioning where players rotate through positions and cover the court as one coordinated unit.
Techniques
- Push-UpA bodyweight exercise that lowers and raises the body by bending and straightening the arms while holding a rigid plank line.
- DeadliftA strength exercise that lifts a loaded barbell from the floor to a standing position by extending the hips and knees together.
- Volleyball SetAn overhead pass using the fingertips of both hands to place the ball accurately for a teammate to attack.
- Flip TurnA fast turn in freestyle where the swimmer somersaults at the wall, pushes off on their back and rotates to continue swimming.
- Crossover DribbleA basketball dribbling move that switches the ball quickly from one hand to the other to change direction and get past a defender.
Facilities
- Basketball courtA rectangular hard-surfaced court with a raised hoop and backboard at each end where basketball is played.
- Tennis courtA rectangular marked court, divided across the middle by a net, where tennis is played as singles or doubles.
- Football pitchThe large rectangular grass or artificial-turf field on which football (soccer) is played, with a goal at each end.
Disciplines
- CompoundCompound archery uses a bow with cams and cables that reduce the holding weight at full draw, and is typically shot with a release aid and a magnified sight.
- CyclocrossCyclocross is lap racing on a short off-road circuit of grass, mud, and sand, where riders often dismount to carry the bike over obstacles.
- ScullingSculling is the discipline in which each rower uses two oars, one in each hand, propelling the boat symmetrically from both sides.
- Lead & Sport ClimbingA roped format where the climber ascends from the ground, clipping the rope into protection along the way while a belayer manages it below.
- Speed ClimbingA timed format where climbers ascend a route as fast as possible, most recognizably as a head-to-head race on a standardized competition wall.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Exercise
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-07-06
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