Kettlebell Farmers Carry: Grip, Core & Strength Benefits

Last Updated on 7 July 2025 by Greg Brookes

Ever dropped your shopping because your grip gave out? Felt your core wobble under load?
The kettlebell farmers carry is one of the most practical and powerful exercises you can do to fix that.

Simple in design, with rich benefits, the loaded carry strengthens your entire body: grip, core, posture, and mindset. In this article, I cover the what, why, and how of this essential kettlebell drill, including progressions and programming tips with expert insights and research.

What is the Kettlebell Farmers Carry?

A kettlebell farmers carry is a loaded carry where you hold a kettlebell in each hand and walk a set distance or time while maintaining upright posture. It is also known as the farmers walk, a foundational lift in strongman and functional training.

This movement trains your body under load while moving, replicating real-life tasks such as luggage, shopping, or carrying children.

Common variations include:

To keep your carries fresh and engaging, try swapping equipment or changing your load pattern. Here are some popular variations:

• Using dumbbells instead of kettlebells
• Single-arm (unilateral) carry
• Trap bar or hex bar for heavier loads

Why It Matters

This loaded carry challenges your body to stabilize under motion, training your grip, core, posture, and cardio all at once. A biomechanical study found carries activate core muscles across multiple planes more than planks.

A 2021 review also noted that loaded carries improve trunk stiffness and walking mechanics, which may benefit posture and reduce injury risk.

This exercise enhances grip strength, posture, core stability, and endurance, while being scalable for all levels.

Muscles Worked

The farmers carry is deceptively simple but works an impressive number of muscle groups. It’s a full-body exercise that requires coordination from head to toe.

Here is a quick look at the primary muscles engaged during the farmers carry:

• Forearms and grip – brachioradialis, flexors
• Shoulders – trapezius, deltoids
• Core – obliques, rectus abdominis, spinal erectors
• Glutes and hips – gluteus maximus, medius
• Legs – quads, hamstrings, calves

These muscle groups work together to stabilise movement for a full-body challenge.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To get the most out of the farmers carry, you need good form and control. Here’s a breakdown of the key steps:

1. Set kettlebells next to your feet, hip-width apart.
2. Brace your core, hinge at the hips and knees to grab the kettlebells.
3. Grip firmly, stand tall with shoulders back.
4. Walk with short, controlled steps, keeping the bells close and core tight.
5. Hinge again to lower the kettlebells safely at the end.

Form tip: Imagine holding a pencil between your shoulder blades to cue upper back engagement.

Common Mistakes and Corrections

As with any lift, there are some common pitfalls to avoid. Here are the most frequent mistakes I see, and how to correct them:

• Rounding the back – keep a neutral spine.
• Letting kettlebells swing – control movement close to the body.
• Overstriding – take shorter steps for stability.
• Neglecting the core – actively brace throughout.
• Lifting with arms – think leg drive, not curl.

These fixes will protect you and improve your carry effectiveness.

Coach’s Insight – Greg’s Take

A client who struggled with pull-ups doubled her grip strength after adding carries 2 to 3 times a week. Within a month, she held a 30-second flexed-arm hang and completed her first pull-up. Carries are not just strength builders, they teach posture, awareness, and resilience.

Warm-Up Drills

Before diving into heavy carries, it’s worth preparing the muscles and joints involved. Here are two drills I like to use:

• Kettlebell deadlifts – primes the posterior chain.
• Banded scapular retractions – wakes upper back postural muscles.

These prepare the body in under five minutes.

Progressions and Regressions

You don’t have to jump straight into the heaviest load. Here are four progressions and regressions to help you scale the farmers carry to your level:

1. Lighter weights

Ideal for beginners to focus on posture and control.

2. Unilateral carry

One bell forces obliques to resist lateral flexion.

3. Dumbbell carry

Use when kettlebells are unavailable.

4. Trap bar carry

Use heavier load in a neutral grip for advanced lifters.

Programming Tips and Reps

To get the most out of your farmers carries, it helps to have a plan. Here’s how to structure your training based on your experience level:

Beginners

• Carry a comfortable load for 30 seconds.
• Walk 10 to 20 metres, two or three times per week.

Intermediate

• Increase weight or try single-arm.
• Duration: 40 to 60 seconds, form is key.
• 2 to 3 sessions per week, in circuits or as a finisher.

Advanced

• Double bells, asymmetrical carries.
• Add overhead, rack variations, chains, or flows for a high challenge.

Challenge Goal

• Farmers Mile: Carry 20 to 30 percent of your bodyweight per hand for 1 mile. Time your walk and reduce your pace week over week.

On Reddit, experienced lifters report carrying half their body weight per hand for 1 minute as a benchmark.

One user shared: “You’ll really feel it in your upper back and obliques with single-arm carries. Total game changer for core strength.”

Comparison to Similar Movement

Wondering how the farmers carry stacks up to other strength lifts? Here’s how it compares to the deadlift:

• Carries train grip and posture under motion.
• Deadlifts train peak force off the floor.
• Carries impose less spinal shear, recovery is quicker.

Use both in your routine.

Related Exercises

The farmers carry is just one of many loaded carry variations. Here are a few more to try depending on your training goal:

• Suitcase carry – unilateral grip focus.
• Overhead carry – shoulder stability.
• Front rack carry – core and upper back.
• Bottoms-up carry – grip challenge.

Pro Tips for Better Carries

• Breathe rhythmically – inhale before gripping, exhale as you step forward.
• Train barefoot or with flat shoes – improves stability and foot engagement.
• Keep your gaze ahead – not down – for better posture alignment.
• Choose a pace that allows nasal breathing for aerobic conditioning.

Want More Smart Kettlebell Training?

Build grip and core endurance further. Explore all kettlebell carries and exercises.

Frequently Asked Questions