If you're new to the farmer's carry, it's a strength training move you should know, whether you're a beginner or a gym veteran. Farmer's carry involves walking a set distance with heavy weights in each hand and placed next to the body. If you've ever rushed to the bus with two shopping bags, or rushed to catch a plane with two suitcases, you've already done the farmer's carry.
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Great for improving overall strength and conditioning, Farmer's Carry works every muscle in your body while also giving your heart and lungs a good workout. The benefits of this move are enormous, but the only time you'll really see me doing a farmer's carry is when I'm training for or participating in a High Rocks event. That's because it's one of the eight workouts that make up this fitness regimen. competition.
That being said, I know this is an exercise I should be doing more of in my gym routine, so I decided to give the farmer's carry a try. Every day for a week, I did a 2-minute farmer's carry using the maximum kettlebell weight I could handle. We were hoping for a good result in this challenge, but keep reading to find out what actually happened.
Benefits of farmers carry
The benefit of farmer's carry is that it trains multiple muscles in your body. Your shoulders, lats, biceps, triceps, and forearms work to support your weight when you walk, so you'll not only be training your arms, but also your lower body muscles, such as your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. also target. You also need to engage your core muscles as you walk to keep your body stable and upright.
Another great benefit of the farmer's carry is that it helps improve grip strength. Strong grip strength is useful for many other exercises, such as deadlifts and pull-ups, as well as for everyday life, such as carrying groceries.
How to do a farmer's carry
This is a relatively simple move, but don't mistake the word “simple” for “easy.” Here's how to perform the farmer's carry with perfect form.
- Stand upright with a weight in each hand and let your arms hang by your sides. I use kettlebells a lot.
- Make sure your core is strong and your eyes are facing forward.
- Then, walk the desired distance while standing upright with the weights next to your body.
I used two 20kg kettlebells for this challenge, which felt easy for the first 15 seconds or so, but quickly became difficult. Although you can perform the farmer's carry with a trap bar or even the best adjustable dumbbells, I find the movement most comfortable with a kettlebell. Still working out at home? Here we also found the best kettlebells on the market.
I did Farmer's Carry for 2 minutes — here's what happened
Couldn't hold a kettlebell for 2 minutes
I thought my average grip strength would last me two minutes, but on day one of this challenge I realized I was wrong. After 45 seconds, I had to lower the weight and reset it to swing out my hand. I had to do this again after about 40 more seconds. My top tip? We do not recommend attempting this challenge without chalk unless you have a very strong grip.
After a week, my calluses didn't get better.
After doing farmer's carries for a week mixed in with other exercises such as pull-ups, my palms became a bit of a condition. I had noticeable calluses on my hands and it was very painful. This meant more chalk, and on the day I recall, I was wearing lifting gloves purely to protect my hands from the wrath of the weight.
I felt my entire upper body moving.
I know that the farmer's carry targets several muscles throughout the body, but I felt this movement the most in my shoulders and lats. The weight of the kettlebell made my upper body muscles hurt. Along with this, I could feel my forearm pulsating and noticed that my veins were becoming more prominent as the blood drained away.
However, I didn't feel much pain the next day. This was just one of those burns that happens from time to time, but as soon as I lost some weight and shook it off a little, the pain went away.
Upper body endurance was tested
I'm used to doing a set number of exercises (for example, 12 bicep curls), but a 2-minute farmer's carry keeps my muscles under tension for longer, increasing strength and endurance. It was a great way to do it. I was very impressed with my upper body endurance during this challenge, but there's always room for improvement. Over time, your grip strength and upper body strength will improve, and I think you'll be able to do it in under 2 minutes. Stopping farmer's carry.
This helped me maintain good posture
Standing tall is a must when performing a farmer's carry. It's a great move that helps pull your shoulders back and lift your neck. Good posture is very important to prevent back injuries, so be sure to keep your chest open and shoulders back during this exercise. If you have any doubts or are new to farmer's carry, we recommend having your form checked by a personal trainer before adding weight to your movements.
I've been doing the 2 minute farmer's carry for a week – here's my verdict
This was a great challenge to add to my January routine. I definitely felt that it helped me improve my upper body strength while also developing the grip strength needed to improve other movements such as deadlifts.
Plus, I really enjoyed the burn in my upper body from this move and loved the fact that it didn't leave me sore for days. Naturally, my hands have taken quite a bit of damage from farmer's carries, but I'm hoping that by practicing this exercise more often, my hands will become stronger and a little more elastic.
If you're going to try this yourself, I recommend starting with a light weight and having some chalk handy. If you are a He Hyrox enthusiast like me, practicing this exercise will not only improve your competitiveness, but also help you waste time most importantly.
