Farmers Carry Training Playbook
Grip management under race-load cardiovascular stress. Walk fast, breathe calm.
Race standards
| Division | Specification |
|---|---|
| Open Men | 2 x 24kg kettlebells |
| Open Women | 2 x 16kg kettlebells |
| Pro Men | 2 x 32kg kettlebells |
| Pro Women | 2 x 24kg kettlebells |
Distance: 200m
What good looks like
Peer benchmark times by performance level and division. Shown as total time at the station.
| Division | Elite | Competitive | Average | Beginner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Men | 1:49 | 2:09 | 2:20 | 2:55 |
| Open Women | 1:53 | 2:13 | 2:25 | 3:01 |
| Pro Men | 1:55 | 2:15 | 2:27 | 3:04 |
| Pro Women | 1:59 | 2:20 | 2:32 | 3:10 |
Top 3 limiters
The biggest reasons athletes are slow at this station. Fix these in order.
Crushing the handle
Squeezing kettlebells like a lifeline accelerates forearm fatigue. Firm grip with relaxed fingers — let the bells hang from a strong hook, not a clenched fist.
Jogging instead of walking
Jogging at race-weight kettlebells costs more energy than it saves time for 95% of athletes. A fast walk is almost always optimal.
Insufficient carry volume
Most strength programs ignore loaded carries. Hyrox punishes that omission — 200 m at race weight is harder than every set you've ever done in the gym.
Key sessions
The 4 sessions that build farmers carry fitness most efficiently. Layer these into the recommended training plan below — at minimum one per week.
Carry & grip circuit
35 minAfter warm-up, 4 rounds of: 50 m heavy farmer carry (race weight + 4 kg per hand) → 30 s dead hang → 60 s rest. Finish with 2×40 m suitcase carry per side. Targets the grip endurance that fails on station 6 of a real race.
Station-specific strength
55 minTrap-bar carries 4×30 m, heavy sled drag 4×25 m at 1.5× race weight, walking lunges with sandbag 3×60 m, weighted plank 3×60 s. Targets the exact muscle groups that fail in the back half of Hyrox.
Upper-body & pull strength
55 minStrict pull-ups 4×AMRAP, bent-over row 4×8, push press 4×5, lat pull-down 3×10, biceps curl 2×12, face pulls 3×15. Strengthens posterior chain for sled pull, row, and ski.
Compromised running circuit
45-55 minAfter warm-up, 3 rounds: 1 km run at goal pace, 50 wall balls (6 kg M / 4 kg W), 200 m sandbag lunges (10 kg). Teaches your legs how to run on a fatigued posterior chain.
Drill tips
Thumbs facing forward
A subtle hook-grip position with thumbs forward reduces forearm activation versus a closed fist.
Breathe every 3 steps
Controlled breathing keeps grip calm. Panic breathing wrecks forearms within 100 m.
One reset maximum
If you must put the bells down, pick them straight back up. Two resets cost more than fighting through.
Common no-reps
- Putting bells down inside the lane
- Running across the line
Combine with these training plans
The plans below already weave the key sessions into a balanced week-by-week build. Pick the one that matches your goal time or schedule.
12-Week Hyrox Training Plan
The complete 12-week build to a Hyrox race. The longest plan most amateurs benefit from — anything more becomes diminishing returns.
Sub-1:30 Hyrox Training Plan for Women
Break 1 hour 30 minutes for Open Women — top 15% globally. The competitive 'good time' threshold for Hyrox women.
Read more
Wondering if farmers carry is your weak link?
Drop your real station times into the calculator's trainer panel — it ranks your weakest stations against peer benchmarks and points you to the right playbook and plan.
Open the trainer →