I teach people to lift weights: If you only have time for one strength exercise this week, make it this move

• The farmer’s carry exercise works multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making it a highly efficient full-body workout.
• By incorporating the farmer’s carry into your fitness routine, you can improve strength, balance, and bone health, making it a valuable exercise for individuals of all fitness levels.
• This functional strength exercise closely mimics real-life activities like carrying heavy objects, making it a practical addition to any workout regimen.

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Recently, I spoke with a friend of mine, and I was surprised to hear he dedicates almost a whole gym session to what he calls “Arms and Farms,” which translates as arm and shoulder exercises and the farmer’s carry

It makes sense to work your shoulders and arms in one workout, and it’s smart to pair this with the farmer’s carry. Still, if you’re short on time, you might want to focus on more muscle groups in one session using moves known as compound exercises(ones that work multiple muscles, like push-ups or squats). Thankfully, the farmer’s carry, or farmer’s walk, does that, as it works almost your entire body

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If I were rushing through my resistance training for the week, I would pick this exact exercise to work my upper and lower body and core muscles. Here’s why, plus the benefits

How to do the farmer’s carry

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and two kettlebells placed on either side of your feet. You could also use a trap bar, dumbbells, or similar

• Bend your knees and lower into a squat, keep your chest lifted and the weight evenly distributed across your feet. Look ahead with a flat back

• Grip both kettlebells, engage your core and set your shoulders back and down

• Push through your heels to stand. Begin walking without leaning forward, backward or to one side

• Contract as many muscles as possible and pull your shoulder blades together to prevent hunching. Stand tall as you walk while keeping a firm grip on the weights. 

• Try 2-3 sets or accumulate as much distance or time as possible against a time cap or rep target

Why you should try the farmer’s carry this week

Thefarmer’s carry works your shoulders and core hard, but it also works your legs, glutes, back, arms and chest. If you load heavy and walk slowly, you can tap more into strength, whereas opting for lighter, faster will raise your heart rate

This is one of the most functional strength exercises out there because it closely mimics carrying something heavy, like your groceries, while walking. You can also scale the exercise to hold a weight overhead or to load one side at a time; the former will challenge your upper body and balance more, whereas single-sided loading tests anti-rotation and stability

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You could walk across flat ground, uphill or upstairs to work your lower body harder, or test endurance by walking for longer distances

This is one of the most functional strength exercises out there because it closely mimics carrying something heavy, like your groceries, while walking

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As you get older, building stronger bones, joints and muscles becomes even more important; the farmer’s carry contributes toward this using a process called bone loading, which means putting bones under stress (the good kind) to stimulate bone growth. Consistently performing weighted walking exerciseslike this will help prevent age-related injuries associated with falls or balance

If you’re a beginner, the exercise can be scaled to any difficulty, depending on your current fitness or posture. A very slight forward lean during uphill efforts can help engage your glutes, which will protect your lower back, but try to avoid excessive leaning, especially on flat ground

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You could choose free weights like kettlebells or dumbbells, or opt for groceries or filling water bottles if you don’t have access to weights. I know some of my clients like to use a trap bar with weights loaded on either side, as it helps them drive through their legs without straining the lower back so much

Why not give this move a try and let us know how you get on in the comments

More from Tom’s Guide

• The caterpillar walk is considered the ‘gold standard’ for lower body mobility and flexibility — here’s how to do it

• Forget running — this 20-minute walking workout fires up your metabolism and builds functional strength

• I did the Frankenstein walk to strengthen my hip flexors and build core stability: here’s what happened after a week