Thick Bar Farmer's Carry
thick-bar-farmer-s-carry
Take care with
- caution · Shoulder impingement — The loaded carry can aggravate shoulder impingement if posture breaks down. Focus on maintaining shoulder retraction or substitute with a lighter load.
A farmer's carry performed with a thick bar, fat grips, or a specialized thick-handled implement. The increased diameter forces the forearm flexors to work harder to maintain grip closure throughout the walk. This is a genuine progression from standard farmer's carries — the thicker the grip, the more the forearm must work to prevent the implement from slipping. The movement also trains core stability, postural endurance, and total-body tension under load.
If you're new to this
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.
Common mistakes
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.
Routine
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 30-60m distance or 30-60s time
- Rest
- 120s
- Tempo
- steady walk
- RPE
- 8
- Frequency
- 1-2
Increase weight by 2.5-5kg, or extend distance/time by 10m/10s
Cues
Easier, harder, instead
Muscles
- Forearms
- Upper back
- Shoulders
- 1
Attach fat grips to a pair of dumbbells or use a thick-handled implement. Load the desired weight.
- 2
Stand between the implements and hinge at the hips to grip them, keeping your chest up and back flat.
- 3
Drive through your heels to stand upright, arms straight at your sides, shoulders pulled back and down, core braced.
- 4
Walk forward with steady, controlled steps for the prescribed distance or time. Maintain upright posture throughout.
- 5
At the end of the set, hinge at the hips to lower the implements to the ground under control.