Thick Bar Farmer's Carry

Master a standard farmer's carry with a normal barbell or dumbbell first. The thick grip significantly increases the demand on the forearms — most people find they can carry 30-50% less weight with a thick grip compared to a standard grip. Start lighter than you think you need.

Walk at a deliberate, even pace rather than rushing. A three-second pause mid-stride every ten metres forces your forearms to re-engage fully and exposes any grip asymmetry. For pure grip endurance, carry for sixty seconds or more; for maximal forearm recruitment under heavy load, keep the distance to thirty metres but use heavier dumbbells. Add weight only when you complete all three sets with a closed hand and steady posture throughout. Once thick-handled dumbbells no longer challenge your grip at your heaviest available pair, move on to the plate pinch hold, which removes the cylindrical shape entirely and demands a different type of crushing strength. To vary the stimulus without changing equipment, try carrying one dumbbell at a time in a suitcase position, which shifts the demand heavily onto your obliques while still taxing the working hand, or walk slowly uphill to increase time under tension without adding load.

Letting the shoulders round forward or the chest collapse as the grip fatigues — this compromises posture and shifts load from the forearms to the upper back in a way that can cause injury. Also: taking short, choppy steps instead of maintaining a normal walking gait. The carry should look like controlled walking, not a shuffle.

Sets

3

Reps

30-60m distance or 30-60s time

Rest

120s

Tempo

steady walk

RPE

8

Häufigkeit

1-2