Exercise Highlight 16: Farmers Carry
Get strong with the Farmers Carry! This is a great at home exercise, even if you do not have equipment such as Kettlebells, etc. Simply load a canvas shopping bag or duffel bag and start walking. Start light to work on form, but ultimately you will get the most benefit if significantly loaded. Let’s go!
Within this video you’ll find several different variations of the Farmers Carry. This exercise has many variations and can be programmed in many different ways, but for now let’s start here.
About
The farmers carry strengthens your core, hips, shoulders and grip strength, not that grip strength is all that important to endurance athletes, but it should be important to all humans. Improving your hip stability and strength is vital to your health as a human, runner, hiker or outdoor enthusiast. Your hips stabilize each leg during the stance phase of the running gait/walking (when your foot hits the ground and during toe off).
The lack of hip stability, glute and core strength are linked to the most common injuries such as patella femoral syndrome, Iliotibial band syndrome and low back pain. The Farmers Carry is just one out many exercises to aid you with strengthening your entire chain.
Here at MPF we include the farmers carry as part of some of our athletes movement prep. It's a great exercise to wake up your neurological system and does a great job telling everyone (core, hips, shoulder, trunk, legs) to wake up and work together.
Technique
Keep your head in neutral, careful of forward head posture.
Do not round your back, slouch or arch your back.
Use a hip hinge/deadlift technique to lift the weight off of the floor.
Walk with a slightly smaller step to be sure your hips stay underneath you, but be sure to avoid shuffling.
Use a strong grip.
Pack shoulders and hold the weight slightly away from you.
Practice the movement with a moderate weight, ultimately with very heavy weight, but at first it's imperative to practice your form. I’d start with moderate weight for 30 sec. Tools that can be used if you do not have a trap bar, dumbbells or kettlebells, are water jugs, weighted canvas, duffle bags with weights, etc. You can be creative.
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