doesn’t excite you. Most of us would rather spend our gym time chasing the satisfying, sleeve-stretching gains of weightlifting than slogging through a monotonous run.
loaded carries. And the news just keeps getting better. You might not build the same type of endurance as you would with airbike sprints or running 10ks, but what you will build is practical, raw strength and fitness that transfers perfectly into everyday life.
that this type of training can also enhance your resistance to injury.
Benefits of Loaded Carries
Build Muscle
heavy. This type of mechanical tension is heavily associated with muscle building. Even if carries alone don't directly result in huge muscle growth, the type of strength and endurance they'll build will carry over into your other lifts, helping you to push harder and build more size.
Build Real-World Functional Strength
to better performance in daily tasks and sports .
Boost Cardiovascular Fitness
has shown that this dual benefit makes them an efficient exercise for improving both aerobic capacity and muscular endurance while also saving time in the gym.
Support Postural Alignment
Loaded carries encourage proper alignment of the spine and shoulders, promoting better posture, whilst also building the muscle groups responsible for maintain strong posture in a variety of positions. Good posture has been associated with reduced back pain and improved overall musculoskeletal health .
Enhance Grip Strength
show that grip strength is a strong predictor of overall muscular endurance and health, and while this may be nothing more than a strong correlation- one of the best ways to lean into and take advantage of this link, is by training loaded carries.
Improves Core Stability
indicates that exercises demanding core stability, like carries, enhance functional fitness and reduce injury risk .
Build Stability in Other Joints
The same benefits the core or trunk experience from loaded carries can also be extrapolated out to other joints in the body. For instance, overhead carries can help to build more secure shoulder joints through via the same mechanism of forcing the shoulder joint to stabilise and maintain a strong position whilst moving under load.
Go Heavy or Go Long
Some trainers have labelled loaded carries as ineffective for building strength, but their criticisms are often built around inefficient and underloaded carry variations. To really get the most out of loaded carries you should aim to do one of two things: go heavy, or go far. If you're performing shorts sets of farmer's walks or bear hug carries, you should be using weights that push you right to the edge of your capabilities towards the end of each set, just the same as you would with any other movement. Alternatively, if you want to build serious strength endurance: go long. A one-mile carry, packing a load around the same weight as your own body is a humbling experience that builds strength, endurance and mental grit.
Pottering up and down the gym with a light pair of kettlebells just isn't going to cut it when it comes to building strength, power and durability.
13 Best Loaded Carries
These are 13 of our favourite loaded carry variations, for you to include in your training.
Bear Hug Carry
, the bag should be covering your entire torso. Stride forward with intention, focussing on your breathing and moving at a pace appropriate for the weight and target distance.
Dumbbell/ Kettlebell Farmer's Carry
Try not to drop the weights, but if you do, pick up from where you left off as quickly as possible.
Gymnastics Ring Farmer's Carry
Thread the straps from a set of gymnastics rings through a number of weight plates, fastening them at the top, through the rings themselves to give yourself a way to easily load up those carries, even if you don't have specialist handles or heavy dumbbells/ kettlebells.
Zercher Carry
quickly covering the distance.
Barbell Front Rack Carry
. Try to ensure you walk in a straight line and avoid lateral movement as much as possible.
Trap Bar/ Frame Carry
Try not to drop the frame, but if you do, pick up from where you left off as quickly as possible.
Suitcase Carry
If you don’t have room to walk, march on the spot with high knees. Double your ‘metre’ target for marching reps.
Front Rack Carry
If you don’t have room to walk, march on the spot with high knees. Double your ‘metre’ target for marching reps.
Overhead Carry
). The strength and stability you will build across your whole shoulder girdle here is ideal for keeping them injury free in the long run.
Single Arm Overhead Carry/ Waiter's Walk
If you don’t have room to walk, march on the spot with high knees. Double your ‘metre’ target for marching reps.
Mixed Rack/ Overhead Carry
Once you've covered the prescribed distance, lower the weight overhead, and press the opposite side up and repeat.
Barbell Suitcase Carry
Repeat distance on the opposite side. The shape of an EZ bar will make it easy to load up and keep the bar balanced
Dumbbell Bear Crawl
). Keep alternating, edging forward as quickly as possible, under control.
Best Loaded Carry Workouts
Here's a playlist of some of our favourite carry-heavy (or should that be 'heavy carry'?) workouts.
- Try the Single-Arm Loaded Carry Trinity for Cardio and Core Gains
- This Lunge, Carry and Jump Workout Builds Strong Legs, Serious Stamina and a Solid Core
- Carry Your Way to a Rock-Hard Upper Body with Our Barbell Carry Triad
- Try The 'Zercher Carry' for a Solid Core and a Stronger Posture
- Can You Finish This Leg Day Lunge and Carry Challenge?
- Take on This Loaded Carry 'Chipper' Workout
- Add Muscle, Build Stamina and Fire up Your Metabolism with Our Three-Move Strongman Circuit
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