Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose farmer's carry

You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want to train more muscles at once

Good reasons to choose wrist roller

You want the forearms to do the work, not other muscles
You want more load on the forearms while they’re stretched
You want to train the forearms on their own

Farmer's Carry

Wrist Roller

You need

Dumbbells

Weight plate

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Compound

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Farmer's Carry. Superb for grip strength; less direct for forearm size.

Also compared for

Combat sports

Ranking →

AFarmer's Carry#3 of 37
CWrist Roller#36 of 37

For combat sports, farmer's carry rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to combat sports, more injury protection.

Side by side

Transfer

Strong

Good

Injury protection

Good

Fair

Practicality

Excellent

Strong

Questions

Which is better for forearm growth, farmer's carry or wrist roller?

For forearm growth, wrist roller rates well ahead on our research criteria: more of the work on the forearms, more stretch. Farmer's carry is easier to progress.

Is farmer's carry or wrist roller easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do farmer's carry or wrist roller at home?

Farmer's carry needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it. Wrist roller needs a weight plate, so a home gym covers it.

Which is easier on the joints, farmer's carry or wrist roller?

About the same: both rate Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.

More comparisons

Farmer's Carry Wrist Roller All forearms exercises

Farmer's Carry vs Wrist Roller

For forearm growth, wrist roller rates well ahead on our research criteria: more of the work on the forearms, more stretch.

Farmer's carry is easier to progress.

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose farmer's carry

You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want to train more muscles at once

Good reasons to choose wrist roller

You want the forearms to do the work, not other muscles
You want more load on the forearms while they’re stretched
You want to train the forearms on their own

Farmer's Carry

Wrist Roller

You need

Dumbbells

Weight plate

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Compound

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Farmer's Carry. Superb for grip strength; less direct for forearm size.

Also compared for

Combat sports

Ranking →

AFarmer's Carry#3 of 37
CWrist Roller#36 of 37

For combat sports, farmer's carry rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to combat sports, more injury protection.

Side by side

Transfer

Strong

Good

Injury protection

Good

Fair

Practicality

Excellent

Strong

Questions

Which is better for forearm growth, farmer's carry or wrist roller?

For forearm growth, wrist roller rates well ahead on our research criteria: more of the work on the forearms, more stretch. Farmer's carry is easier to progress.

Is farmer's carry or wrist roller easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do farmer's carry or wrist roller at home?

Farmer's carry needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it. Wrist roller needs a weight plate, so a home gym covers it.

Which is easier on the joints, farmer's carry or wrist roller?

About the same: both rate Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.