Farmer's carry

Who it's for

Climbers who want stronger forearms and a steadier middle without hanging off anything. Carrying a heavy weight in each hand trains the forearms to squeeze hard for a long time and asks the core to keep you upright, and it loads the fingers much more gently than a hangboard. It suits most levels, and the heavy walks make a good day off the fingers. It doesn't replace finger training, because an open hand around a handle is a different job to a small hold.

Common mistakes

• Picking the weights up with a rounded back. Squat down and lift with a flat back, then set them down the same way. The lift at each end is where people get hurt.
• Leaning to one side or letting the shoulders slump. Stand tall with your shoulders back and down, as the catalog says. Slumping hands the work to your neck.
• Taking long, rushed steps. Short steps keep the weights from swinging and keep you balanced.
• Choosing a weight you have to put down halfway. Pick one you can carry the full 30 to 40 metres. Stopping and restarting changes the exercise.

How to progress

Once all four walks feel steady, add weight in small jumps and keep the distance. After that, walk a bit further before adding weight again. Once or twice a week is plenty. Carrying just one weight in one hand makes it a much harder core exercise with the same load, so try that once the two-hand version is easy.