The loaded carry is a popular exercise in Strongman, with all competitions having some form of yoke, atlas stone or famer’s walk carry. But, that doesn’t mean it isn’t important for the everyday gym user. Day-to-day, most of us pick objects up and carry them, whether that’s shopping bags, or even picking heavy objects from the floor. 

With that in mind, loaded carries are useful and functional exercises that all of us can incorporate into our workouts. Here are 20 of our favourite loaded carry exercises that you can perform to build full body strength and stability.

1 - Farmer's Walk

Start holding the farmer’s walk handles on either side of your body. Keep your spine neutral and chest up as you walk forward with the weight either side of your body. The farmers walk is a great full body exercise that replicates day-to-day lifting.

2 - Farmer's Walk (Trap Bar)

Another way you can perform a farmer’s walk is by using a Trap Bar. The movement is exactly the same except you’re using a trap bar instead of the farmer's walk handles. As a result, your arms will be at a slightly wider angle. Using the trap bar is a great alternative if you’ve got a home gym and want to use a piece of equipment that is versatile for other exercises.

3 - Offset Loaded Carry

If you want to progress your trap bar farmer’s walk, you can utilise an offset loaded carry. This is the same as the previous exercises, except you’re only loading one side of the trap bar with bumper plates. By doing so, you need more core stability to stay upright. This makes it a good exercise to work on improving core strength, in particular the obliques.

4 - Farmer's Walk (Axle Dumbbells)

The farmers walk movement is exactly the same but you use thick grip dumbbell bars, requiring more grip strength. This can be useful if you want to improve your grip strength for other exercises such as deadlifts and pull ups.

5 - Goblet Carry

The goblet carry is an accessible loaded carry for anyone that has a home gym and doesn’t have the space available for extra equipment such as a trap bar or barbell. Hold a Kettlebell in front of your chest with both hands. Keeping a neutral spine, standing tall and walk.

6 - Bottoms Up Kettlebell Carry

The bottoms up kettlebell carry is a progression from the goblet carry. For this exercise you will need two cast iron kettlebells. Hold one in each hand upside down at shoulder height with your arms bent and elbows in line with your chest. From this position, walk forwards.

Because the weight is upside down, it requires more full body stability to stop the kettlebell from swinging down. As a result, it makes the exercise harder and requires a lot of shoulder strength and stability.

7 - Overhead Dumbbell Carry

Start by holding two hex dumbbells overhead with your elbows locked out and then walk forward. With an overhead exercise, it can be easy to overarch your lumbar spine, potentially causing back problems or injury. To stop this, make sure you keep your tailbone tucked and squeeze your glutes as you walk forwards. Like all overhead exercises, this primarily targets the deltoids and traps.

8 - Offset Dumbbell Carry

To progress your dumbbell overhead carry, carry one dumbbell in one hand to make it a single-sided movement. Carrying on one side will target your obliques and core stability. It will also make you aware of any muscle imbalances you may have on one side. 

9 - Suitcase Carry

Hold one dumbbell down by the side of your body and extend your other arm out at shoulder height as a counterbalance. Stand tall, keep your chest up and walk forwards. This is primarily a core exercise. Because the weight is loaded on one side, you will need to keep your core engaged throughout the movement to stay upright.

10 - Isometric Bicep Curl Carry

Start by holding two hex dumbbells at waist height with your arms bent at 90 degrees. Your elbows should remain close to your body. From here, walk forwards and keep the dumbbells in the same position throughout. This exercise focuses on bicep strength, and in particular, strength during an isometric contraction (hold).

11 - Pinch Grip Carry

To perform a pinch grip carry, hold two bumper plates with a pinch grip (fingers only, no palms) between your fingers. Walk with a straight posture, engaging your forearm and hand muscles. This is another exercise that improves your grip strength.

12 - Javelin Carry

Begin holding a barbell in one hand at shoulder height like a javelin. Hold the other arm out by your side for balance. Keep your spine neutral and walk forwards. The javelin carry is a difficult exercise because you’re carrying the load in an awkward position. Like other single-sided exercises, this one works your obliques as well as your shoulders.

13 - Front Rack Carry

When performing a front rack carry, start by cleaning a Barbell to the front rack position. Your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders and elbows at shoulder height. Maintain a secure grip and an upright posture. Walk steadily, engaging your core and stabilising your upper body throughout the exercise.

14 - Zercher Carry

For a Zercher carry, you can use an empty barbell or load it. Stand over it, grip the bar at your elbows' crook, and lift it up. Walk with a stable posture, engaging core muscles throughout the exercise for strength and stability.

15 - Overhead Carry

Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Lift the barbell overhead with straight arms, engaging the shoulders and core. Walk in a controlled manner, maintaining stability throughout the exercise.

16 - Banded Earthquake Carry

This is one of the more advanced loaded carry exercises and therefore it’s recommended that you perform this exercise as an advanced/intermediate gym user. Attach a kettlebell to each end of a barbell using resistance bands. Pick up the barbell in the centre, lift it overhead and lock your elbows out. Slowly walk forwards in a controlled manner to try and reduce the amount the kettlebells swing. Lifting an unstable weight overhead will improve your motor control and stability in the rotator cuff muscles. 

17 - Yoke Walk

To perform a yoke carry, set up the yoke at an appropriate height. Step into the frame, lifting it onto your back. Maintain an upright posture and walk with short, controlled steps, engaging your core and leg muscles. Because the bar is resting on your lower neck, this exercise requires strength in your traps as well as your lower body and core.

18 - Duck Walk

Start by attaching the Olympic Plate Loading Pin T Handle to olympic bumper plates. Stand directly over the plates and squat down to hold onto the T handle. From here, pick up the weight and walk forwards in a ¼ squat motion, keeping the weight between your legs. Because of your leg position, this exercise places a lot of emphasis on the quadriceps.

19 - Atlas Stone Carry

The Atlas stone is one of the most famous Strongman exercises and you can replicate it at home. Start with the Strongman Training Ball on the ground in front of you. Squat down, gripping the stone, and lift it to your chest. Walk slowly forwards while hugging the stone.

20 - Bear Hug

To perform a bear hug, pick up a heavy duty sandbag, and hug it tightly to your chest. Walk with steady steps, engaging your core and upper body muscles for stability. This is a great exercise to start with if you’re a beginner before moving onto an Atlas stone carry. 

21 - Shoulder Carry

Lift a Sandbag over your shoulder and secure it with your hand in a fireman’s lift position. Stand tall and walk steadily, engaging your core and shoulder muscles for stability.

You don’t need to incorporate all of these movements into your workouts. Simply choose 1-3 of your favourites and work on those. But remember, you can be versatile with your training. If you want to try one loaded carry one week and another the next, then go for it. All of these exercises focus on full body strength and core stability and therefore can be swapped in and out of your training programme.

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Tags: Exercise Type > Strength ; Exercise Type > Strongman ; Misc > Mirafit Ambassadors