Hyrox Farmers Carry: Weights, Technique, Grip Strength & Tips

What is the Farmers Carry at Hyrox?

The Farmers Carry is the sixth of eight stations. You carry two kettlebells (one in each hand) over a distance of 200 meters. Usually you have to do 2 laps (be sure to check the map beforehand!) and walk back and forth over a 50-meter track, with a turn at the end of each segment.

It is the most accessible station of the race in terms of technique: there is no machine to get to know, no specific movement pattern to master. But whoever thinks he can tackle this station without preparation because it is "just walking" is, underestimate what fatigue does to your posture. And what bad posture does to your grip, your speed and your energy for the rest of the race.

Distance & weights per category

The distance is 200 meters for everyone. The kettlebell weights vary per category:

It is the athlete's own responsibility to pick up the correct weights. The kettlebells are in the designated boxes sorted by category, but during a busy race, when tired, athletes sometimes pick up the wrong ones. Always check the weight before you start.

Rules & standards

The Farmers Carry has few rules, but what rules there are are strictly enforced:

• The kettlebells are collected and returned to the designated box next to the start/finish line.
• You carry both kettlebells at the same time at all times when moving forward.
• The kettlebells should hang next to your body, arms extended. You should not place them on your shoulders, rest them against your body or rest them on your thighs.
• Putting down is allowed, but the kettlebells may not slide forward. They stay exactly where you put them. A kettlebell that rolls forward even an inch will result in a warning.
• The finish line is reached as soon as you cross the finish line with the kettlebells. Then you take them back to the box with the handles up. Carelessly putting them back (at an angle, on the side) will result in a time penalty.
• In the Doubles category, the kettlebells may be passed or put down at the changeover, and the partner picks them up himself.

What is the average time of the Hyrox Farmers Carry?

For guidance, specialized Hyrox coaches provide the following guidelines: elite athletes complete the Farmers Carry in 1:10 to 1:30 (men) or 1:20 to 1:40 (women). Competitive age-groupers are usually between 1:30 and 2:30. Can you exceed 3 minutes? Then this station deserves priority in your preparation.

Technique: how do you carry the kettlebells correctly?

The Farmers Carry is technically Hyrox's simplest station, but "simple" doesn't mean that technology doesn't matter. On the contrary: at this point in the race, with fatigue throughout your body, it is precisely the technique that makes the difference between progressing smoothly and slowly collapsing.

The Pickup: Start as a deadlift

Never lift the kettlebells with a rounded back. The pick-up is a deadlift movement: bend the knees, straighten the back, engage the core, and raise from the legs. This sounds exaggerated for "just picking something up", but after 6 kilometers and five stations your lower back has already been put under strain. A sloppy start here will cost you the rest of the station.

• Stand between the kettlebells, feet hip-width apart.
• Bend your knees and grab both handles at the same time.
• Tighten your core, pull your shoulder blades slightly back and down.
• Push the floor away with your legs, don't pull with your back.

Posture while walking

This is where the real race is won or lost on this drive. Dr. Adam Storey, exercise physiologist and member of the HYROX Sports Science Advisory Council, sharply rephrases the station:

That insight changes how you should approach this station and train. Anyone who walks with round shoulders, a collapsed chest and a swaying torso pumps away energy through loss of posture. The kettlebells feel heavier. The grip tires faster. The step becomes smaller.

The cues for good posture during the carry:

• Shoulders back and down: not raised, not slumped forward.
• Chest open: think of "walking proudly", not "trudging cautiously".
• Neutral spine: no excessive concavity in the lower back, no rounding of the upper back.
• Look straight ahead, not down. Anyone who looks at the kettlebells automatically rolls their shoulders forward.
• Kettlebells as close to the body as possible: the further they hang from your center of gravity, the more energy you spend on stabilization.

Step technique: fast or gentle?

The goal is to complete the 200 meters as quickly as possible, but without unnecessarily spiking your heart rate for the Sandbag Lunges and Wall Balls that follow.

• Walk, don't shuffle. Small skating steps look controlled but are slower and more tiring per meter than a normal walking pattern.
• Don't stride too big. Large strides destabilize the kettlebells and put extra strain on your hip flexors.
• Try to walk at your normal walking pace, but at a compressed pace. The same rhythmic cadence as running, just a little slower and with more weight.
• If you can still jog: do it. Anyone who is fit enough to complete the Farmers Carry while walking without putting down the kettlebells will hardly lose any time.

What muscles does the Farmers Carry use?

The Farmers Carry is a full-body exercise in which most muscle groups are active at the same time. Some as primary motor, others as stabilizer. That's exactly why bad posture is so costly: every system that fails increases the burden on all others.

• Forearms & palms: the primary grip muscles. You tire most quickly when the rest of your posture collapses.
• Trapezius (upper and middle part): stabilizes the shoulder blades and keeps the shoulders in place. Crucial for maintaining attitude until the end.
• Rhomboids: contract the shoulder blades and prevent the shoulders from slumping forward.
• Core (abdomen and lower back): absorbs the load and prevents the torso from swaying with each step.
• Glutes & quadriceps: the walking motor. Are addressed with every step, even though you feel them less here than with the Sled Push.
• Calves & ankles: stabilization during the carry and the turning movement at the end of each segment.

Pacing strategy: as fast as possible, but smart

The Farmers Carry is the only Hyrox station where the common approach ("save energy for later") does not simply apply. Greg Williams of Rox Lyfe is clear: go as fast as you can. The longer you hold the kettlebells, the more it costs. Standing still with weight in your hands is energetically more expensive than walking.

That doesn't mean you have to sprint here and let your heart rate go through the roof. It does mean: no unnecessary breaks, no slow strolling steps when you can still walk, and no time wasted on hesitation or mental resistance.

Practically translated:

• Walk as long as you can without stopping. Every time you have to put them down, it costs your grip, your heart rate and your mental energy.
• If you have to stop, do it consciously and briefly. Put the kettlebells down, inhale and exhale deeply 3-5 times, and continue. Not anymore.
• Plan your stops in advance if you know you need them. If you know you have to take a break after 80 meters, it is better to plan your stop 80 meters from the finish than uncontrolled at 65 meters when the grip has already completely given out.
• Avoid stops at the turning points. The mental temptation to stop at the end of a segment is great, but the loss of time also counts.

To put down or not? The great grip discussion

The ideal approach for the Farmers Carry is to complete the station in one piece without putting down the kettlebells. Less downtime, less energy loss, faster finish time. But that is only feasible if your grip and attitude can last 200 meters.

When does it make sense to put it down?

• If you feel that your grip is about to give up completely in 10-20 metres: lay down consciously rather than fall uncontrollably.
• If a short stop allows you to continue walking the remaining 100-120 meters: the time lost from standing still for 5-8 seconds is less than the time lost from trudging 60 meters.
• If you started too quickly: a planned break halfway through is better than three unplanned stops in the second half.

The pitfall: athletes putting down their kettlebells for a "break" and then stay there for 20-30 seconds. That's not a strategy, that's wasting energy. When you lay down, do so for a maximum of 5-8 seconds of breathing, and then continue.

Training goal for most Open athletes: Aim for the Farmers Carry in one piece. If that doesn't work yet, work towards a planned stop at 100 meters and build from there.

Solo vs Doubles: different approach

Solo: you carry the entire 200 meters. Have a clear strategy (stop or not, and where) before you pick up the kettlebells. Don't change that strategy halfway through based on how you feel at that moment. Fatigue gives bad advice.

Doubles: the partners take turns as often as they want. An efficient switching tactic:

• Agree in advance to change at fixed distances (e.g. every 50 or 100 meters).
• The resting partner walks behind the active partner, not next to it. That is mandatory and logistical.
• During the change: put down kettlebells, the other person picks them up.
• Switch before your grip gives out, not after. A fresh partner runs faster than an exhausted one.

The best tips for the Hyrox Farmers Carry

Check your weights before the start. Getting kettlebells in the wrong category is a mistake that will cost you dearly. Both in terms of loss of time and energy if you carry too much weight.

Think of the deadlift at the pick-up. Your back is already under pressure after five stations. A sloppy pickup with a rounded back can completely ruin the rest of your race.

Posture comes before speed. A slightly slower athlete with perfect posture will reach the finish faster than a fast athlete who collapses after 80 meters. Stand straight, shoulders back, look forward.

Keep the kettlebells close to your body. The further they swing, the more your stabilizing muscles work and the faster your grip fatigues.

Don't put down unless necessary, but then put it down. Falling uncontrollably with 80 meters to go is worse than a planned break halfway through.

Return the kettlebells neatly. Raise the handles into the box. Careless replacement results in a time penalty: an unnecessary end to a good station.

Train this station not alone, but also in combination. The Farmers Carry after a run-RowErg-run combo feels completely different than isolated in the gym. Build compromised carries into your training.

Common mistakes with the Farmers Carry

• Round shoulders and slumped posture. The most common mistake. As soon as the attitude goes, everything goes with it: grip, speed, energy.
• Keeping kettlebells too far from the body. They may swing, but an active forward/backward swing is a waste of energy and destabilizing.
• Steps that are too big. Long steps strain your hips and are unnecessarily unstable with weight.
• Picking the wrong weights. Always look at the category indication on the kettlebell or box before you leave.
• Allowing kettlebells to slide forward when putting them down. This immediately results in a warning. When you put them down, you put them down, and they stay there.
• Dwelling on a break for too long. 5-8 seconds is enough. You don't really rest for longer, you just lose time.
• Putting kettlebells back sloppily. Handles crooked or on the side = time penalty. Costs you more than the 2 seconds you "save".

How do you train for the Hyrox Farmers Carry?

Specific: carry training

It is best to train the carry with the real movement. Not as a warm-up or cool down, but as a fully-fledged part of your session.

• Technique session: 4 × 50 meters at an easy pace, focus on posture and running gait. Consciously pay attention to shoulder blades, core and gaze.
• Race-specific sets: 3 × 150 meters at competition weight, 90s rest. Train to maintain posture over almost the entire distance.
• Overload: 3 × 60-80 meters with weights heavier than competition weight (e.g. men's Open with 2 × 32 kg). Makes the competition weight feel relatively light afterwards.
• Compromised Farmers Carry: 1 km walk → direct 200 meters carry → 1 km walk. Simulates race-specific fatigue and teaches you how to maintain your posture when your legs are already heavy.

How often? 1-2 times a week carry-specific work, of which at least once compromised. More is rarely necessary, but consistency over several weeks makes the biggest difference.

How do you improve your grip strength?

Grip strength is one part of the Farmers Carry puzzle. And like Dr. As Adam Storey rightly points out, attitude is just as important. But a stronger grip gives you more space and security, even if your posture starts to falter.

Targeted grip exercises:

• Dead hangs: hang on a pull-up bar for as long as possible. Build up from 20 to 60+ seconds.
• Farmers walk with dumbbell or kettlebell: short distances, heavy weight, focus on grip and not putting down.
• Towel pull-ups or towel rows: improves grip in a resistance position that specifically loads the forearm.
• Plate pinches: hold two discs together with your fingertips for as long as possible. Simple and effective.
• Fat grip variants: use Fat Gripz on your barbells and dumbbells for regular strength exercises. Increase the diameter of the handle, which puts your grip under constant extra pressure.

Exercises that strengthen both grip and posture (the combination you really need):

• Romanian Deadlift (RDL): posterior chain én grip under load.
• Barbell rows / Pendlay rows: middle back, rhomboids and grip at the same time.
• Heavy shrugs: upper trapezius, the muscle complex that keeps your shoulders straight under load.
• Single-arm carries: trains each body part asymmetrically, increasing stabilization requirements.
• Front rack carries (barbell or kettlebell): trains thoracic extension and posture under load.

Alternatives if you don't have kettlebells

Kettlebells are the official equipment, but for training there are good alternatives:

• Dumbbells: the most obvious and functionally identical for training effect. Slightly different hand feeling but the muscle load is comparable.
• Weighted shopping bags: at home or outside. Fill sturdy bags with water bottles or cans and walk a distance. Less ideal for grip-specific work but useful for posture and carry volume.
• Jerry cans or buckets with water: same principle, good for outdoor training.
• Suitcase carry (one side at a time): Carry a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand for 100 meters per side. Provides extra training for core stability because the weight is asymmetrical.

Recommendation: Practice at the real competition weight at least a few times before your race. The feel of a kettlebell is different from a dumbbell, and you don't want to do 2 × Lift 24kg on race day.

Summary: This is how you get better at the Hyrox Farmers Carry

• It's not just about your hands. Posture is the determining factor. Those who stay straight will last longer. Train it as a postural endurance exercise, not just grip training.
• Pick up like a deadlift. After five stations your back is vulnerable. Sloppy picking will cost you the rest of the race.
• Walk, don't shuffle. Normal walking stride, compact stride, kettlebells close to your body.
• Go as fast as you can without exploding your heart rate. The shorter you hold the kettlebells, the less it costs.
• Lay down consciously and briefly if necessary. Rest for a maximum of 5-8 seconds, then continue. Not anymore.
• Return the kettlebells neatly. Handles up, a time penalty at this station is painful because it is so avoidable.
• Train compromised. Carry after running and RowErg, not in a fresh state at the start of a workout.

Ready for the penultimate station? Check out our guide to Hyrox Sandbag Lunges, or return to the full Hyrox overview.