FARMER MUSCLE “MAC ROBINSON” CRAZY BODYBUILDING PHYSIQUE
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#Three Carry Variations To Try
What muscles does the weighted carry work? Pretty much all of them. A properly executed weighted carry works your body head to toe, but specifically, the postural muscles of the upper back—think traps, rhomboids, and lats—plus forearms, grip strength, and your core. Depending on which variety you choose and if you perform it bilaterally (two arms) or unilaterally (one arm), you’ll also hit some muscles preferentially.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that unilateral variations are any easier, either. Your obliques will tell you exactly why not.
You can use anything heavy to execute a weighted carry: dumbbells, kettlebells, trap bars, straight bars, sandbags, vests, and even odd objects like kegs, rocks, and cinder blocks. The possibilities are endless, but here are my three favorite variations:
✶The Bodybuilder Farmer’s Walk
This is the most basic of weighted carries, but also my favorite. Use a pair of dumbbells, kettlebells, or a trap bar, and deadlift the weight off the ground. Then walk. Only walk as far as you can with impeccable form—shoulders back, eyes forward, crushing your grip, and keeping your core tight.
Don’t be shy. Challenge yourself and go heavy. As a goal, work up to doing farmer’s walks with 50 percent of your body weight in each hand. It’s OK to go even higher.
✶The Bodybuilding Waiter’s Carry
Take a single dumbbell, plate, or kettlebell, press or push-press it overhead, and walk. Follow the same basic form tips during this specific variation, and keep your shoulders square rather than leaning or tilting to compensate for the weight. Once again, walk as far as you can with impeccable form.
Because you only have weight in one hand, you’ll have to utilize your core to an even greater extent to stabilize the weight overhead and yourself as you move. Remember to switch sides to give the other arm equal attention. These are fantastic for improving your shoulder mobility and overhead position for presses, by the way.
✶The Bodybuilding Bear-Hug Carry
This is best done with odd objects like sandbags, punching bags, stones, and even bags of salt. In a commercial gym, you could hold a barbell in the crooks of your arms, similar to a Zercher squat, or a pair of kettlebells in a front-racked position.
No matter what you choose, hug it tightly in front of you, and walk as long as you can. The more awkward the weight, the tougher these get—in a good way. Just don’t expect breathing to be easy.
Keep from leaning back to support the weight. Stand straight and tall, and think about trying to touch the top of your head to the ceiling.
