I Tried the ‘Farmer’s Carry Only’ Workout for 30 Days — The Full-Body Transformation Was Unbelievable

With over 17 years of experience lifting weights, I have learned that you don’t need fancy exercises or workouts to build strength and improve functionality. Sticking to the fundamentals and focusing on foundational exercises can help unlock your true potential.

The rise of strongman competitions has revived an almost forgotten exercise — the farmer’s carry (or farmer’s walk). This exercise is as much a test of grip, shoulder, and leg strength as sheer human grit.

For centuries, humans have been lifting and carrying heavy weights to prove their mettle. You’ve probably heard of the legendary Dinnie Stones — the ultimate test of strength, and now it is an event in many strongman contests. The frame carry is another variation of the farmer’s carry in strongman contests, which pushes even the strongest athletes to their limits.

A review published in the Sports Medicine journal concluded that athletes who perform well in strongman events like the farmer’s walk have a bigger stride length and rate and reduced ground contact time. This translates to better overall athletic performance. (1)

I had been struggling with my grip strength in my own training, and it was proving to be the weak link in lifts like deadlifts, lat pulldowns, and T-bar rows. To combat this and improve my overall strength, I embarked on a 30-day farmer’s carry challenge.

In this article, I share the specifics of this four-week quest, including the different farmer’s walk variations and their impact on my grip strength, core stability, and overall muscle development.

The Genesis of the Farmer’s Carry Challenge

I have stuck to the conventional bodybuilding-style training for most of my lifting career. While I truly enjoy hypertrophy-focused training, I routinely vary my programming to keep my workouts fresh and avoid strength and muscle plateaus.

I have always admired the farmer’s carry. This is one of those exercises that looks super easy but can leave you running on fumes after just one set. It’s no surprise that many top-tier strongman athletes despise it.

To put it simply, farmer’s carry involves picking up heavy weights (dumbbells, kettlebells, or trap bars) and walking for a set distance or time. This exercise improves core stability, grip, shoulder and leg strength, and the cardiovascular system.

Peter Attia, MD and a longevity specialist, is a huge proponent of the farmer’s carry. He carries his own bodyweight loaded on a trap bar and does 20 sets of 30 seconds of this exercise, resting 30 seconds in between.

Attia believes that the ability to carry one’s body weight signifies that one has the functional ability to move and control one’s body well in space.

“It’s an exceptional grip exercise (obviously), but also a huge test of core strength and stability as the weight increases,” Attia says.

How To Perform Farmer’s Carry

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this challenge, here is how to perform this exercise with the correct form:

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and the weights at your sides.
2. Pull your shoulder blades back and down, and push your head up and chest out.
3. Begin walking forward with controlled steps for a set distance or time while keeping your core tight and back straight.

My 30-Day Farmer’s Walk Plan

Here is everything you need to know about this seemingly simple four-week challenge:

• Training Frequency: I decided to begin with three non-consecutive days per week dedicated solely to farmer’s carry.
• Weight: Taking inspiration from Dr. Attia, I started with my body weight on the trap bar. However, you must pick a weight depending on your experience level and training objectives.
• Distance: I began with three sets of 50 yards, gradually increasing the distance as I got stronger.
• Variations: Doing the same exercise for 30 days could have been very boring. I added variations like suitcase, overhead, and waiter carries to keep my workouts challenging.

Like any other training program, consistency is key in this 30-day challenge. That said, you must also prioritize rest and recovery to ensure you give your muscles enough time to recuperate.

Adequate sleep, proper nutrition, and foam rolling sessions were my secret weapons during these 30 days to ensure I was heading in the right direction and my body was primed to perform at its peak.

Week One: Grip of Steel, Aching Muscles

I started the challenge with a 65-pound dumbbell in each hand. Let me tell you, the first training session was absolutely humbling. My grip strength gave out way before I had expected, exposing a critical weakness in my overall fitness.

Should I have started with a lower weight? In hindsight, probably — yes. However, it motivated me to push myself even harder.

DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) came knocking on Day Two of the challenge, making every step an uphill battle. Holding the dumbbells was a challenge in itself, and I took multiple breaks during the 50-yard walk.

My grip strength improved considerably by the third day, and I added five pounds to each dumbbell.

All the grip work during the first week impacted my performance on pulling exercises like rows and dumbbell curls. However, this slight inconvenience was expected and was a sign that I was moving in the right direction.

Since I trained indoors, one of the most challenging aspects of this workout was turning around while holding the heavy dumbbells. I had to turn around twice in a set to cover a total of 150 feet.

I recommend coming to a complete halt and turning around slowly to limit shoulder and midsection strain. Also, avoid dropping the dumbbells to the floor. Aim to complete the 50 yards unbroken.

Weeks Two & Three: Core Strength Unleashed

In the second week, I switched to a trap bar and added an additional 10 pounds to make the workouts more challenging. Since I was happy with my form, I added variations like suitcase, overhead, and uneven carries to the mix. The farmer’s carry variations expose imbalances, improve coordination, and challenge the core, shoulders, upper back, and grip strength further.

All these new variations boosted my overall functionality and athleticism. My squat and deadlift performance improved, and my core was stronger than ever. It also led to a noticeable improvement in my waistline. I looked and felt stronger.

Farmer’s carry demands immense focus. You are constantly thinking about tightening your grip on the weights with each step, which intensifies the forearm muscle pumps. This mind-muscle connection carries over to other exercises, helping maximize muscle stimulation and growth. (2)

The improved mind-muscle connection also helps improve your form, limiting the risk of injury.

Also, farmer’s carry is an incredibly effective exercise to target the gluteus medius muscle, which is often overlooked and leads to strength and muscle imbalances. You must incorporate this exercise into your workouts to bring up your side glutes. (3)

The Final Stretch: Sculpting a New Physique

The final week of a challenge is always the most exciting part for me. It pushes me to give an all-out effort in each workout to maximize the results. Here are the results:

Aesthetics

• Shoulders and Traps: Holding a pair of heavy dumbbells for 50 yards puts the shoulders and traps under extended time under tension (TUT), leading to significant stimulation and adaptations. It helped turn my traps from a weakness into a strength.
• Legs: Forward locomotion places most of the tension on the quads and glutes, helping forge legs that not only look powerful but can endure any challenge thrown at them.
• Shredded Core: The isometric contractions delivered a robust core workout in each farmer’s carry workout.
• Grip Strength: I did a ton of wrist curls and extensions previously. However, considering the results from the farmer’s carry, these have become my go-to for training the forearms.

The results of this 30-day challenge were nothing short of remarkable. My grip strength improved noticeably, and everyday tasks like carrying groceries became effortless. Farmer’s carry involves keeping the scapula depressed and retracted for the entire duration, which can enhance your posture.

I highly recommend this challenge to desk jockeys who spend a considerable part of their days sitting.

It doesn’t end here. As the weights get heavier and you have to take bigger and faster strides, farmer’s carry engages your cardiovascular system, helping improve lung capacity and overall work capacity.

Result in Numbers

Below is a snapshot of how my grip strength improved over the four weeks for the farmer’s carry dumbbell variation:

• First Week: 65-pound dumbbells
• Second Week: 75-pound dumbbells
• Third Week: 85-pound dumbbells
• Fourth Week: 95-pound dumbbells

There are multiple caveats to keep in mind while looking at these numbers. First, I didn’t only train the dumbbell farmer’s carry. If that were the case, the strength improvement would surely have been better. Also, 50 yards is no joke. Had I picked a smaller distance, I could have used heavier dumbbells.

Keep these things in mind while choosing the distance or starting weight for yourself.

The Farmer’s Carry for Everyone: Design Your Own Program

Keep the following factors in mind while implementing farmer’s carry into your workouts:

Variations and Modifications

• Beginner: Start light and focus on your form. I recommend starting with dumbbells or kettlebells and aiming for shorter distances.
• Intermediate and Advanced: Go as heavy as possible while ensuring proper form. You can also try uneven carries to further target your core and expose imbalances and weaknesses.

Building Your Own 30-Day Farmer’s Carry Challenge

Use the following tips to master your farmer’s carry programming:

Assessment

Avoid following a cookie-cutter program. I highly recommend beginners seek a professional’s help to design a suitable training program.

Plan

Incorporate progressive overload into your programming to ensure consistent progress. Gradually increase the weight, distance, and sets each week.

Listen To Your Body

Look for cues to understand when you should push or pull back. It significantly reduces injury risk and increases growth potential.

Track Your Progress

Monitor your weights and distances every week to ensure you are on the right path. It might sound like a lot of work, but it is indispensable if you want to avoid plateaus.

Conclusion

I started the 30-day farmer’s carry challenge out of curiosity and to test my grip, core, shoulder, and leg strength. While these four weeks brought a ton of surprises, the results were better than what I had expected.

Although I might not stick to this workout regime for the long term, I highly recommend it to folks dealing with grip strength and overall work capacity plateaus.

If you have any questions about the 30-day farmer’s carry challenge or need help implementing it into your own routine, leave them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

References:

1. Hindle, B. R., Lorimer, A., Winwood, P., & Keogh, J. W. L. (2019). The Biomechanics and Applications of Strongman Exercises: a Systematic Review. Sports medicine – open, 5(1), 49.
2. Hirono, T., Ikezoe, T., Taniguchi, M., Tanaka, H., Saeki, J., Yagi, M., Umehara, J., & Ichihashi, N. (2022). Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(2), 359–364.
3. Stastny, P., Lehnert, M., Zaatar, A., Svoboda, Z., Xaverova, Z., & Pietraszewski, P. (2015). The Gluteus Medius Vs. Thigh Muscles Strength Ratio and Their Relation to Electromyography Amplitude During a Farmer’s Walk Exercise. Journal of human kinetics, 45, 157–165. 

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