Why walk with a weight at all
Squats, presses and deadlifts happen on the spot. A carry asks you to stay upright and braced while your legs keep moving, with the load trying to pull you forward, sideways or out of line. A 2009 study by McGill and colleagues measured trunk muscles during strongman events and concluded that the carrying events challenged different abilities than the lifting events, suggesting carries would add to a lifting-based programme.
Strongman-style training, which leans heavily on carries, has been tested against ordinary lifting. In a 2015 trial, rugby players trained twice a week for seven weeks on either a strongman programme or a traditional one matched for movement and load. Both groups improved, with no significant difference in most performance measures, and each showed small advantages of its own. That supports carrying alongside lifting, not instead of it. The kettlebells, dumbbells and turf lane for every carry here are on RPM's functional floor.
Four carries, in the order to learn them
| Carry | How you hold the load | What it asks of you | Coaching point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmer's carry | A weight in each hand, arms long by your sides | Grip, upper back and an upright trunk | Stand as tall at the end as at the start |
| Suitcase carry | One weight in one hand, the other hand empty | The trunk resisting a sideways lean | Keep the empty hand relaxed rather than reaching out for balance |
| Front-rack carry | One or two kettlebells held at the shoulders, resting on the forearms | Upper back, and breathing with a load on the chest | Elbows tucked in, wrists straight, short steady breaths |
| Overhead carry | One or two weights held overhead on locked arms | Shoulder control and a trunk that does not arch | Biceps beside the ears and ribs pulled down |
Learn the farmer's carry first and add the others one at a time. A one-sided carry needs a set on each side.
Walking matters. In a 2024 study of healthy college-aged adults, the farmer's carry produced higher activity in the front and back trunk muscles than standing still holding the same dumbbells. The suitcase carry raised activity in the back muscles on both sides compared with a standing hold, plus extra abdominal activity on the side holding the weight.
Two other guides already set up a first carry station. Kettlebell training covers bell sizes and the rack position, and functional training for beginners puts a farmer's carry in a first session.
Grip: usually the first thing to go
In the farmer's and suitcase carries, your hands often tire before your legs or trunk. That is useful grip training, but it can end a set before the rest of you has worked.
- Squeeze the handle hard from the first step, with the thumb wrapped round.
- Set the weights down under control when your grip starts to open. Dropping a kettlebell on the turf is how toes get hurt.
- If grip always ends the set early, use lighter weights for the carry and train grip separately with longer holds at the end of a session.
- In the summer months, hands get sweaty fast. Dry them between sets, and ask whether chalk is allowed before you bring any.
Choosing a load, and how far to walk
| Carry | Start with | Progress by | End the set when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmer's | A weight in each hand you could hold standing for about 40 seconds | Adding time first, then weight | Your shoulders roll forward or your steps shorten |
| Suitcase | A single weight a little lighter than one hand of your farmer's load | Adding time on each side | You start to lean towards or away from the weight |
| Front-rack | A kettlebell you can press a few times from the shoulder | Adding time, then a heavier bell | Your elbows drop or your breathing turns shallow |
| Overhead | A lighter bell than your rack weight | Adding time before weight | The arm drifts forward or your lower back arches |
Measure carries in time or in lengths of whatever space you have: 20 to 40 seconds out and back works on almost any floor. A 2019 review of strongman research found that faster farmer's walkers took longer, quicker strides with shorter ground contact. That matters for racing a carry. In training, staying steady and upright matters more than speed.
The same review found little biomechanical data on one-sided carries, so much of the advice on them comes from coaching practice. Use the table as a starting point and adjust it with a coach.
Where carries go in your week
| Slot | How it looks | Why there |
|---|---|---|
| End of a strength session | Two to four sets of one carry after the main lifts | The heavy lifts get your fresh grip |
| Inside a conditioning circuit | A carry, a sled push and a spell on a bike, rested between rounds | Keeps the heart rate up while the legs keep working |
| Light, after the warm-up | One easy set of suitcase carries each side | A gentle reminder to brace before the session |
| A short session on its own | Farmer's, suitcase and front-rack carries in a loop | Works when time is short |
Once or twice a week is plenty for most people. Carries also count as trunk work, so if you follow a core plan such as training your core at the gym, let a carry stand in for one of its exercises. For pairing carries with pushes and drags, see sled workouts.
If you have back, shoulder or wrist pain, ask a doctor or physiotherapist before loading carries, and choose the farmer's carry over overhead work.
Loaded carries at RPM
RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal. The functional area in the Mixed section has a turf lane with a sled, kettlebells and dumbbells, which covers every carry above. Walk the lane on a tour to judge how many lengths a set needs. Farmer's handles, a trap bar and sandbags are not confirmed, so ask if your plan uses them.
- The women-only Ladies section has its own strength equipment. Ask whether it includes kettlebells and room to walk with them.
- RPM offers HYROX-style training on the functional floor, where carries come up often, and is independent of HYROX.
- Engine adds coached programming, and Atelier is built around one-to-one coaching. Book a free guided tour and ask when the turf lane is quiet.
Sources
- McGill SM, McDermott A, Fenwick CM. Comparison of different strongman events: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load and stiffness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2009
- Ellestad SH, et al. The quantification of muscle activation during the loaded carry movement pattern. International Journal of Exercise Science, 2024
- Winwood PW, et al. Strongman vs. traditional resistance training effects on muscular function and performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2015
- Hindle BR, Lorimer A, Winwood P, Keogh JWL. The biomechanics and applications of strongman exercises: a systematic review. Sports Medicine – Open, 2019
Questions, answered.
Is a farmer's hold as good as a farmer's carry?
Not quite. In the 2024 study, walking with the dumbbells raised trunk muscle activity compared with standing still holding them. Holds are still useful for grip when space is tight.
Should I carry kettlebells or dumbbells?
Either works for the farmer's and suitcase carries. Kettlebells suit the front-rack carry because they rest on the forearm, while dumbbells often come in smaller weight steps.
Are loaded carries hard on the back?
They load the trunk, which is part of their purpose. Start light, stand tall and set the weight down when your posture slips. If you have back pain, ask a doctor or physiotherapist first.
Do carries build muscle?
They work the grip, upper back and trunk hard, but most muscle growth still comes from lifts done for sets and reps. Use carries alongside those lifts.