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Piggyback Carry Time Trial

5 minute read

Quick Intro

Piggyback Carry Time Trial is a timed piggyback carry. The rider climbs onto the carrier’s back in a secure piggyback hold at the start line. The carrier walks briskly over a short, agreed distance and sets the rider down under control at the finish. The time is the pair’s score to beat next time. If the weight difference allows it both ways, the two swap.

The pace is a brisk walk, never a jog. Any jogging or running voids the run, whatever the time. A fall while carrying a person is serious, so the clock never comes before control.

The nearest solo exercise is the Farmer’s Carry, a loaded walk with weights at the sides. Here the load sits on your back and holds on, which changes the posture. Try this only once a few Piggyback Squat reps with the same rider feel steady.

What You’ll Need

  • A short, flat, non-slip lane, about 10 to 20 metres.
  • A start and finish line.
  • A timer.
  • A low bench or step for the rider to climb on from, if useful.

Who It Suits

The carrier should be comfortably able to carry the rider, which usually means a similar weight or a heavier carrier. If the match only works one way, only one partner carries. Judging the match is covered in Lifting, Carrying and Catching a Person.

What It Works

  • The outer front of the thigh (quadriceps, vastus lateralis) and glutes (gluteus maximus), which carry the extra weight with each step.
  • Calves (gastrocnemius and soleus), which push off and steady each foot.
  • The muscles along the spine (erector spinae) and the deep stomach muscle (transverse abdominis), which keep the trunk upright under a load on the back.
  • Forearm flexors, holding the rider’s legs.

A brisk walk with a person on your back also raises the heart rate and asks for steady balance.

The Technique

Getting the rider on

  1. The carrier stands with feet hip-width apart and bends the knees a little, back straight.
  2. The rider puts their hands on the carrier’s shoulders and steps or hops up, wrapping the legs around the carrier’s waist.
  3. The carrier hooks the forearms under the rider’s thighs, near the knees.
  4. The carrier stands up by straightening the legs.
  5. The rider holds around the shoulders or upper chest, never the throat.

Stepping up from a low bench makes this easier on both partners.

The carrier’s walk

  • Stand tall. Lean forward only slightly, just enough to keep the rider’s weight over your feet.
  • Walk briskly with normal-length steps. Do not lengthen the stride to go faster.
  • Brace the trunk and breathe in short, firm breaths.
  • Look ahead, never down at the feet.

The rider’s job

  • Hold on and stay still. A shifting rider throws the carrier off balance.
  • Keep the hands on the shoulders or chest, away from the neck and face.
  • Call early. “Slipping” or “down” as soon as you feel it.

Getting the rider off

  1. At the finish, stop and stand steady.
  2. Bend the knees a little.
  3. The rider unwraps one leg and puts that foot down, then the other.

Building Up

Before timing anything, work through these steps with the same rider:

  1. On and off. Practise getting the rider on and off three or four times, with no walking.
  2. Stand and settle. With the rider on, stand still for ten seconds and check the hold.
  3. Easy walk. Walk the distance slowly, untimed.
  4. Brisk walk, timed. Only now start the clock.

If the carrier’s back rounds or the rider slips at any step, stay there until it feels steady.

How to Play

  1. Agree the distance.
  2. Get the rider on and settled before starting the timer.
  3. Walk briskly to the finish.
  4. Stop the timer as the carrier crosses the line, then set the rider down.
  5. Swap if the weights allow it. Rest and repeat.

What Counts

  • The time from “go” to crossing the line.
  • A jog or run at any point voids the attempt.
  • A dropped or slipping rider voids the attempt.
  • The time is the pair’s own score, to beat in a later round.

Staying Safe

  • A manageable weight difference only.
  • Short, flat, non-slip distance.
  • Brisk walk only.
  • Set the rider down at once if the carrier’s back or knees feel unsteady.
  • Skip it with a back or knee injury.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaning far forward. Stay as tall as the load allows.
  • Over-striding to go faster. Keep normal steps and quicken them a little.
  • Rider choking the carrier. Hold the shoulders, not the neck.
  • Starting the timer before the rider is settled. Settle first.

Fitting It Into a Session

Use it as a conditioning finisher after a leg session, once some piggyback squats have shown the pair is steady. Two or three timed carries each, with full rest, is plenty.

FAQ

How far should we go?

10 to 20 metres is plenty. Longer distances tire the carrier’s grip and back, which is when control slips.

Where should the rider hold on?

Around the carrier’s shoulders or across the upper chest, with the legs wrapped around the waist. Never around the neck.

Why can’t I jog?

A person on your back makes a fall much more likely at a jog, and both of you go down. The rule keeps the time trial safe.

What if only one of us can carry?

Then only one carries. The other can walk the same distance with a sandbag or a pair of weights and keep their own time.

Related to Farmer’s Carry, Piggyback Squat and Lifting, Carrying and Catching a Person.