Dumbbell Farmers Carry Guide

Race facts and the role of dumbbells

Current HYROX^® Singles uses two kettlebells for a 200 m Farmers Carry after the sixth 1 km run. Women carry 2 × 16 kg, Women Pro and Men 2 × 24 kg, and Men Pro 2 × 32 kg. Racers move with both arms extended by their sides and may put the kettlebells down to rest without moving them forward during placement. Dumbbells are therefore a substitute training implement, not the race implement or the most race-specific common option.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

Dumbbell carry technique

Place the dumbbells where you can take an even grip and stand without twisting. Use a controlled squat or hip hinge suited to the implement and your mobility, stand before walking, and keep the weights clear of your feet and other people. Walk with a pace and step pattern you can control while breathing continuously. Turn without colliding or crossing the feet uncontrollably, then lower the dumbbells under control where the floor and equipment rules require it. No reviewed evidence establishes mandatory scapular retraction, a mid-foot strike, a precise stride length or a two-to-three-step breathing rhythm.

ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand

What changes between implements

Dumbbells, kettlebells and trap bars place mass and handles differently, so they need not feel or move identically. The direction and size of those differences depend on implement design, hand size, load, gait and speed. Laboratory grip studies show that handle diameter changes grip-force characteristics and interacts with hand dimensions, but they do not establish the original dumbbell and HYROX^® diameter ranges or prove that fat grips improve race performance. Current rulebook specificity favours kettlebell practice before racing; dumbbells remain a practical way to train bilateral loaded walking.

Seo and Armstrong cylindrical-handle ergonomics study · Edgren et al. handle-diameter grip-force study · HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

What the evidence supports

In a small acute study using equally weighted dumbbells, farmer carries produced greater measured activation in selected trunk muscles than matched static holds. This does not prove long-term hypertrophy, injury prevention, better posture or HYROX^® performance. A systematic review found only eleven eligible strongman-biomechanics studies; better farmer-walk performers showed different stride and ground-contact characteristics, but observational kinematics do not prescribe one technique for every athlete. Wider resistance-training evidence shows that gains are task-specific and transfer is limited rather than automatic.

Lawrence et al. loaded-carry muscle-activation study · Hindle et al. strongman biomechanics systematic review · Saeterbakken et al. resistance-training specificity meta-analysis

Programming and progression

Select load, distance, sets and rest from the session goal and current ability. Start with a load that permits a secure pickup, uninterrupted path and stable walking; progress one variable when repetitions remain controlled. Race-load kettlebell practice can be included when suitable, while dumbbell work can use lighter, similar or heavier loads for different goals. No reviewed trial validates 60–70% starts, 110–120% overload, exact 40–400 m sessions, two-to-three weekly sessions, fixed 2–12-week phases or a rule that carries must follow conditioning. Fit the work around running, strength training and recovery.

ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand · Saeterbakken et al. resistance-training specificity meta-analysis

Safety

Inspect dumbbells and the walking area before each set. Use a clear, level route and equipment permitted for the surface; avoid uncontrolled drops. Stop for sharp pain, dizziness, loss of grip or movement you cannot control. Fatigue may change technique, so reduce load, distance or sets as needed. There is no universal 48–72-hour recovery rule: individual response, training history, health and total programme determine readiness.

ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a dumbbell farmer’s carry the same as the HYROX^® station?

No. Current Singles uses two kettlebells. Dumbbells train a related bilateral carry but differ in geometry and race specificity.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27 · Saeterbakken et al. resistance-training specificity meta-analysis

What dumbbell weight should I use?

Use a load you can pick up, carry and put down with control for the planned distance. Progress from your response rather than a universal percentage or timetable.

ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand

Are dumbbells or kettlebells better for HYROX^® preparation?

Kettlebells match the current race implement. Dumbbells are a useful accessible substitute or general loaded-carry tool, but identical transfer has not been shown.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27 · Saeterbakken et al. resistance-training specificity meta-analysis

Why do athletes put the kettlebells down during the race?

The rulebook permits resting, but no verified dataset here establishes how often athletes stop or a single cause. Grip, pacing, general fatigue and individual strategy may all contribute.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27 · Saeterbakken et al. resistance-training specificity meta-analysis

Can I train dumbbell carries every day?

No universal frequency is established. Schedule them according to load, volume, symptoms, recovery and the rest of the programme.

ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand

Marketing text preserved unchanged

Repz recent seasons of race data shows that the average Open division carry time is 3:45, and that 23% of competitors set the implements down at least once. Athletes who train primarily with dumbbells in the final block, carrying the load in the same spatial orientation they will face on race day, show measurably tighter station splits and lower rates of mid-carry stops than those who train exclusively with kettlebells or handles unavailable in their gym.

Repz data consistently shows that athletes who regularly train their carry under cardiovascular stress hold station splits significantly tighter in the second half of competition when systemic fatigue compounds. Run first, always.

Repz data shows that 23% of Open athletes set the implements down at least once during the carry. The most common reasons are grip failure from accumulated race fatigue (the carry follows six stations of progressive grip taxation) and a training background that never included carries under cardiovascular stress. The fix for both is the same: train the carry regularly, at race weight, after other conditioning work, not just fresh in a strength session.

Sources

1. Grip failure in the HYROX^® Farmers Carry station is not primarily a strength problem; it is an endurance-under-fatigue problem. Repz internal analysis shows that athletes who regularly train carries after other conditioning work, rather than only fresh, maintain grip integrity significantly longer at the station. The race-specificity of the fatigue context (elevated heart rate, depleted forearm glycogen, compromised postural reserves from prior stations) is only replicated in training when the carry follows rather than precedes other demanding work. ↩