The Hyrox farmers carry looks like the simplest station on the floor — pick up two heavy kettlebells, walk 200 metres, set them down. No skill, no technique, just grit. Yet this is exactly where so many athletes lose time, and it rarely comes down to legs or lungs. It comes down to grip. Get a bit of targeted grip training for Hyrox into your program and the farmers carry turns from a lottery into a station you march through while others stop to shake out their forearms. Here is how to train it, carry it and pace it.
Why the Hyrox farmers carry comes down to grip
By the time the farmers carry arrives, you have already rowed, pushed and pulled the sleds, and hauled on a rope. Your forearms are pre-fatigued before you even pick up the bells. The load is heavy — up to 32kg per hand for men and 24kg for women in the open divisions — and 200 metres is a long way to hold it. Most people can carry that fresh for 40 or 50 metres; the real test is holding on deep into a race when your hands are already screaming. Athletes who train grip specifically make up serious time here, simply because they never have to put the bells down.
Grip training for Hyrox that actually transfers
The best way to get better at carrying heavy things is to carry heavy things. Loaded carries are the number one drill: grab a pair of kettlebells or dumbbells at or above race weight and walk. Build your total distance over the weeks, mixing heavier-than-race carries for short distances to build raw strength with lighter, longer carries for endurance.
Back those up with dead hangs from a pull-up bar to grow pure holding strength — work towards a minute or more. Timed static holds, where you stand holding heavy bells until you cannot, teach your hands and your head to tolerate the burn. Everyday habits help too: use thick-grip handles and ditch the lifting straps on your deadlifts. Train grip two or three times a week and it responds fast — it is one of the quickest-adapting qualities in the body.
Farmers carry technique: waste nothing
Grip strength buys you time; good farmers carry technique makes that time go further. Stand tall with your shoulders back and down, brace your core, and let the bells hang in long, relaxed arms — do not shrug them up or bend your elbows, which burns energy for nothing. Hold the handles firmly but not in a white-knuckle death grip the whole way; a slightly relaxed hold you squeeze harder only when you need to will last far longer.
Keep your steps short and quick rather than long and bouncy, because a bouncing bell yanks on your fingers with every stride. Look ahead, find a rhythm and walk with purpose. Smooth and upright beats fast and flailing every time.
Pacing the farmers carry: never put the bells down
The single biggest time-saver on the Hyrox farmers carry is simple: do not drop the bells. Every set-down and pick-up costs you several seconds, and worse, you have to rebuild your grip on already-tired hands — harder the second and third time. A steady, unbroken 200-metre walk almost always beats a fast start followed by repeated drops. Go out at a pace you are confident you can hold to the line, and if your grip genuinely starts to fail, reset your hand position without fully setting the bells down. Break the distance into chunks in your head and tick off each one.
Chalk, hand position and the little things
Chalk your hands before you start — dry hands grip far better than sweaty ones, and by this point you are drenched. Hook your fingers fully around the handle and let the weight settle into the base of your fingers rather than the tips, which fail first. Practise picking the bells up and setting off in one smooth motion, and rehearse a clean drop inside the box. Carry in the shoes and kit you will race in so nothing surprises you on the day.
Gear that helps your farmers carry
You cannot out-train the wrong kit. Training with kettlebells at your race weight is the closest thing to race-day practice, and a solid block of gym chalk is non-negotiable once the sweat sets in. Flat, stable cross-training shoes give you a dependable base to walk on when your coordination fades late in the race. If you are kitting out for an event, the TWL Hyrox range has the essentials in one place — with Australian stock and fast AU shipping.
Hyrox farmers carry FAQ
How heavy is the Hyrox farmers carry? In the open divisions it is 2 x 24kg for women and 2 x 32kg for men. Pro divisions are heavier, so always check the current standards for your division before race day.
How far is the farmers carry in Hyrox? 200 metres, completed in the workout zone as one of the eight functional stations.
Can you put the farmers carry down during a Hyrox race? Yes — there is no penalty for setting the bells down, but every drop and re-grip costs time, so the aim is to carry the full 200 metres unbroken.
How do I improve my grip for Hyrox? Loaded carries at or above race weight, dead hangs and timed static holds two to three times a week, plus training grip-heavy lifts without straps.
The bottom line
Train your grip deliberately in the weeks before your race, carry with a tall, braced posture, and commit to walking the whole 200 metres without a drop. Do that and the Hyrox farmers carry stops quietly wrecking your time and becomes a station where you calmly power past everyone else.
