Challenging full-body muscle, engine capacity and grit, the farmer's carry has long been a reliable test of strength. While the term ‘functional training’ is used widely in fitness spaces, there’s no denying that loaded carries transfer beyond the gym, supporting everyday tasks and building resilience in daily life.
However, it’s important to know which weights to reach for. Choose weights that are too light and you’re not pushing beyond your usual supermarket run; go too heavy and your grip will fail too quickly. Here are the farmer’s carry strength standards for men to remove the guesswork.
Farmer’s Carry Benchmarks for Men by Age
Most practical carry standards are built around bodyweight-relative loading, making them accessible and scalable across experience levels. The following guidelines are set out by Longevity Plus. These standards are based on carrying two separate loads, such as dumbbells or kettlebells, which demand greater grip strength and stability than a trap bar. If you’re using a trap bar, expect to exceed these times, as the fixed position makes the carry more stable.
Men: carry your full bodyweight (split evenly between both hands)
From there, progress can be measured by duration and age.
Age 20-29
Beginner: 0-30 seconds
Below average: 30-60 seconds
Intermediate: 60-120 seconds
Advanced: 120-165 seconds
Elite: 165+ seconds
Age 30-39
Beginner: 0-25 seconds
Below average: 25-45 seconds
Intermediate: 45-105 seconds
Advanced: 105-150 seconds
Elite: 150+ seconds
Age 40-49
Beginner: 0-20 seconds
Below average: 20-30 seconds
Intermediate: 30-90 seconds
Advanced: 90-120 seconds
Elite: 120+ seconds
Age 50-59
Beginner: 0-10 seconds
Below average: 10-20 seconds
Intermediate: 20-75 seconds
Advanced: 75-105 seconds
Elite: 105+ seconds
Age 60+
Beginner: 0-5 seconds
Below average: 5-10 seconds
Intermediate: 10-60 seconds
Advanced: 60-90 seconds
Elite: 90+ seconds
How to Improve Your Farmer’s Carry
If you’re struggling to hold your weights for the times above, use the following tips:
Nail the Technique
When performing farmer’s carries, focus on the following:
- Stand tall with a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells in each hand.
- Let your arms hang at your sides, brace your core and begin a controlled, deliberate walk.
- Keep your chest up and look ahead, not at the floor.
- To avoid the weights swinging, maintain a small gap under your armpits to keep tension through the arms.
- At around 20-30 metres, turn without letting the weights swing and continue.
Diversify Your Exercises
Include exercises that challenge your grip, such as single-arm farmer’s carries, trap bar carries and dead hangs. Identify your weakest link – whether grip, core or upper back strength – and programme accordingly.
Build Time Under Tension
Improving your farmer’s carry comes down to progressive overload. Gradually increase the time you spend under load. You don’t need to train to failure, but using distances and durations that challenge you is key. As your time under tension improves, increase the load.
Increase Frequency
If farmer’s carries are a weakness, include them more frequently in your programme. Adding them to the end of sessions is an easy win. As a guide, training them 2-4 times per week should drive progress.
Use Fat Grips
Attaching fat grips to barbells, dumbbells or pull-up bars increases handle width and grip demand. You can find them here:
Grip Strength Tools
