Farmers carry technique for HYROX

Grip and set-up

Set up well and the rest of the carry gets easier. The farmers carry exercise guide covers the general movement; here is the race version:

1. Stand between the kettlebells, feet about hip-width apart.
2. Hinge at the hips with a flat back and grab each handle in the centre so the bell hangs evenly.
3. Wrap your thumbs around the handle and squeeze the handle into the palm, not the fingertips.
4. Brace your trunk and stand up by driving the hips forward, as you would in a deadlift.
5. Set your shoulders down and slightly back, arms straight, bells just clear of your legs.

If the handles are thick or slippery, the centre grip becomes even more important. A handle held off-centre tips forward or back, and your forearms have to work harder to control it.

Walking fast and staying tall

Walk like you are late for a train: short, quick steps, heel to toe, arms still. Long strides make the bells swing and bang your legs, which slows you and wastes grip. Running with heavy kettlebells rarely works well for age-group athletes; a fast walk is the sweet spot.

Keep your head up and your chest tall. When grip tires, people start to lean forward and round their shoulders, which makes the bells feel heavier and puts strain on the upper back. Think tall and proud, eyes on the next turn.

At each turn, keep your steps short and tight rather than taking a wide arc. Turning is where the bells swing most and where your grip is most likely to go.

Planning set-downs

The fastest carry is unbroken, but not everyone can manage that on race day, especially first timers. If you are likely to need a break, plan it. Decide before the race where you will put the bells down, for example at the halfway point or at each turn after the first lap.

• Put the bells down while you still have a bit of grip left. A full grip failure mid-stride costs more time and control.
• Set them down with a hinge, not a drop, so they do not roll or tip over.
• Shake your hands out for two or three breaths, no longer.
• Pick them up with the same set-up as the first time, centre grip and braced trunk.

Keep set-downs short and deliberate. A planned five-second break is far better than an unplanned 30-second stand with your hands on your hips.

Common mistakes

• Gripping off-centre. The bell tips and your forearms burn faster.
• Long, bouncing strides. The bells swing and bang your legs. Keep steps short.
• Shrugging the shoulders. Tension in the neck and upper back tires you sooner. Keep shoulders down.
• Picking up with a rounded back. You are tired at this point in the race. Hinge properly on every pick-up.
• No plan. Waiting until your hands open to put the bells down is the slowest possible approach.

Check the rulebook for what is permitted on this station, such as chalk or gloves, and train with the same set-up you intend to race with.

Another mistake is forgetting where you are in the race. The run after the carry leads into the lunges, and athletes who sprint the carry to save a few seconds often arrive at the sandbag with legs and lungs already gone. A brisk, controlled carry that leaves something in reserve is usually the faster choice overall.

Lastly, count the laps or lengths of the carry course before you start, just as you do on the run. Adding an extra length by mistake is a painful way to lose half a minute.

How to train the farmers carry

Carries respond well to regular, short practice. Two or three exposures a week, often as part of other sessions, is plenty.

• Heavy carries: 4 to 6 x 40 m at or above race weight, full rest. Builds grip and posture.
• Timed carries: 200 m at race weight, timed, with as few set-downs as you can manage.
• Race rehearsal: 1,000 m row, then 1 km run, then 200 m farmers carry, then 1 km run.
• Single-arm variation: the suitcase carry trains trunk stability and grip on one side at a time.

Support it with grip work such as dead hangs and heavy holds, covered in grip and forearm endurance for HYROX, and with deadlift variations that build the posture you need to stay tall. General strength principles from strength training for HYROX also apply.

At Lycan Strength, the Lower classes on Thursdays build the leg and trunk strength that carries, sleds and lunges all draw on.