Farmers Carry on Treadmill

What must be reproduced for competition

The current Singles Farmers Carry is 200 m with two kettlebells. Loads are Women 2×16 kg, Women Pro/Men 2×24 kg and Men Pro 2×32 kg. The rulebook allows the kettlebells to be put down for rest but they must remain in the designated lane; throwing them or moving them outside the lane can be penalised. No alternative is identical unless it reproduces two independent implements, legal load, distance, handle demands and walking context.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

Closest equipment substitutions

Two dumbbells or kettlebells carried at the sides are the closest general substitution when competition kettlebells or handles are unavailable. Match total load only when control and equipment permit, but recognise that handle diameter, implement swing, centre of mass and floor setup differ. Practise with the actual competition-style kettlebells when possible before racing; a trap bar keeps the load in one connected frame and is therefore a different task.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27 · ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand

Carries that change the task

Suitcase carries load one side and can train control under asymmetric loading. Front sandbag and Zercher carries move the load in front and reduce the direct similarity to the bilateral side carry. Overhead and rack carries add shoulder-position demands. These may be selected for general training goals, but evidence reviewed does not rank them as superior HYROX^® alternatives or prove stated transfer percentages.

ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand

Grip-focused and improvised options

Plate-pinching or buckets can provide a holding/walking task when equipment is limited, but grip shape and safety differ. “Equipment-free Farmers Carry” is a contradiction: without external load there is no loaded carry. Static holds omit walking, while rows, deadlifts or shrugs train different actions. Use them as accessories rather than claiming they replace the whole station.

ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand

Programming and safety

Select load, distance, sets and rest from experience, available equipment, total programme and symptoms. Progress one main variable at a time and keep a clear walking path. Secure improvised loads; do not use unstable containers or sharp handles. Pain, numbness, loss of grip control or unsafe posture requires stopping and reassessment. A 15% side-to-side rule, fixed 30–60 m sets or weekly race-load carry is not universally established.

ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand · HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the closest alternative?

Two side-carried dumbbells or kettlebells generally preserve the bilateral walking task best, though handles and balance still differ.

ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand · HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

Can a trap bar replace Farmers Carry?

It can train loaded walking, but the connected frame changes grip and load behaviour; use actual separate implements for race specificity when possible.

ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand · HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

Can I train it without equipment?

You can train supporting strength or walking fitness, but a loaded carry requires external load and cannot be fully reproduced without equipment.

ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand · HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

What weight should I use?

Use a controllable training load that fits the session, then progress toward relevant race demands when appropriate. The official race load depends on division.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27 · ACSM 2026 resistance-training position stand

Marketing text preserved unchanged

Data from Repz's division benchmarks shows that the carry station is where athletes lose the most time relative to their expected pace, not because of strength, but because of grip decay and cardiovascular debt accumulated in the final 400–600m of the preceding run.^[1] Treadmill training addresses both.

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Sources

1. Internal Repz analysis of station split recent seasons of race data shows the farmers carry station produces the highest variance between predicted and actual split times, with grip fatigue identified as the primary limiting factor in post-race surveys. ↩

2. The difference in mechanical demand between treadmill walking and overground walking at equivalent speeds is well-documented in gait biomechanics research; the belt's contribution to posterior propulsion reduces gluteal activation slightly but increases postural stabilization demand. ↩

3. Incline carries (2–3%) are best used in GPP because they increase metabolic cost without changing implement load, preserving grip stimulus while building cardiovascular capacity, a useful combination when athletes are not yet at race-specific loads. ↩

4. Post-exercise grip strength studies consistently show that cardiovascular fatigue reduces maximum grip force, meaning isolated carry training overestimates race-day capacity. Pairing runs with carry sets in training normalizes this expectation. ↩

5. Grip asymmetry is common and rarely self-corrected without deliberate testing. Overload carries surface this earlier in the training cycle, allowing time for targeted intervention before race preparation blocks begin. ↩