This article was written by one of The Food Medic team; personal trainer and fitness writer – Adam Willis
When it comes to training everybody is looking for that one secret exercise or method that suddenly increases their strength, muscle, fitness, athleticism and skyrockets their results.
…and it does exist.
It’s called loaded carries.
Loaded carries are the secret ingredient that most people are missing from their training and can be absolute game changers once included.
Now for a lot of people, loaded carries aren’t a new concept.
They know about them.
They’ve seen them.
They just don’t do them for some reason.
Look, I get it.
They’re kind of odd looking, and you occasionally get some strange glances from people wondering why you’re just taking those dumbbells for a walk up and down the gym. However, the impact loaded carries can have on you and your training is worth the occasional glance from other gym-users in my opinion.
So, why are loaded carries absolute game changers?
Well, what other exercises do you know that…
- increase your total body strength and stability.
- increase your hip and truck strength, stability, and ability to maintain posture.
- increase your core strength and stability.
- increase your grip strength.
- increase your general strength.
- increase lean muscle
- increase lower and upper back strength.
…all at the same time?
As you can see, a lot of benefits to be had from performing loaded carries.
…and they couldn’t be any simpler to put into your training.
It’s as easy as “pick up something heavy and walk with it for a set time or distance”.
So, where should you start with loaded carries?
My Big 5 are:
Nothing could be simpler than a Farmer Walk.
Pick up a pair of heavy dumbbells, kettlebells, farmer walk handles or a heavy trap bar and take it for a walk for time or distance.
The Farmer Walk is great for full body strength, core strength and stability and can work wonders for improving your grip.
This is the unilateral version of a Farmer Walk and resembles, as the name implies, someone carrying a suitcase.
Using a heavy dumbbell, kettlebell or farmer walk handle held in one hand, walk for distance or time keeping the weight 2-3” from your outer thigh.
The weight is going to challenge your core strength and stability as you must resist it pulling you over to the side the weight is on. You must also try to not over-compensate by leaning away from the weight either. You want to stand tall and try to walk as normally as possible.
Like the farmer walk, the suitcase walk is also great for improving core strength and stability, and grip strength.
Double kettlebell front rack walks
This exercise is best done with double kettlebells in my opinion but can also be done with a barbell if needed. However, the barbell can make turning somewhat difficult. If space is a factor the walk can also be turned into a march in place, with the aim being to lift your knee above your waistline on every marching step.
With the load now placed on the front of the body and on the chest, grip won’t be worked like a farmer or suitcase walk, but the weight placement will now challenge the core and upper back more.
Waiter walks are kind of the odd one out when it comes to this list.
These won’t challenge your core strength and stability like the others will but this one is an absolute must when it comes to increasing shoulder strength and stability.
Taking a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand, press it overhead and whilst keeping your arm fully extended and actively pressing the weight to the ceiling, walk for time or distance with it.
The Zercher march, or carry, is the most uncommon one of the 5. You almost never see this being performed in a gym and that’s a real shame
If you want to increase your core strength and stability and challenge your upper back, shoulders, and arms at the same time, the Zercher march is for you.
Simply set a barbell up in a rack at elbow height, place the barbell in the crock of your elbows, unrack the bar and march in place. The key piece to remember is to not compensate for the front loading by leaning back. Stay tall and keep your ribcage neutral.
The Zercher position can be uncomfortable with a standard barbell so you can wrap a towel around the bar or place a pad on the bar to help.
The Big 5 pack a big punch and can be performed in pretty much any gym as no specialist equipment is required.
However, there are other variations that can also be considered and can be great if you have access to more specialised equipment. My favourite other 2, if you do have the extra equipment, are Sandbag Carries and Yoke Walks.
Whatever your goal, loaded carries can help you in some way, if programmed correctly.
Want a truly strong and stable core?
Want to get stronger in your other gym lifts?
Want a strong upper and lower back?
Want to add some lean muscle?
Want to improve your grip?
Want to increase your work capacity and fitness?
Loaded carries can help you achieve it.
So, how do you programme them to achieve different training outcomes?
Great question, thanks for asking!
Programming loaded carries for strength
| Best carry options | for distance | for time | total sets | rest between sets |
| farmer walks, zercher marches, yoke walks | 10-40m per set | 10-20s per set | 2-5 sets | 120s – 180s |
Programming loaded carries for hypertrophy
| Best carry options | for distance | for time | total sets | rest between sets |
| farmer walks, suitcase walks rouble KB Rack carry, waiter walks, sandbag carries, waiter walks, sandbag carries | 80m+ per set | 40-60s+ per set | 3-4 sets | 60-90s |
*For hypertrophy, work capacity, fitness and endurance focused farmer walks and suitcase walks you may want to use lifting straps if grip is a big limiting factor and you don’t wish to improve your grip.
Fancy an example of a 3-day per week loaded carries approach for Strength and Hypertrophy?
…of course, you do.
| DAY 1: squat primary lift | DAY 2: bench press primary lift | DAY 3: deadlift primary lift |
| carry focus: strength | carry focus: hypertrophy | carry focus: strength |
| zercher march in place | waiter walk | farmer walk |
| 5x 15s w/ 120s rest | 3x 30s each side w/ 90s rest | 4x 40m w/ 120s rest |
Loaded carries are the secret ingredient you’ve been looking for and can help you skyrocket your results.
If you’re not doing so already, look to add loaded carries into your training 2-3x per week, ideally at the end of your training session, like you would a workout finisher, and enjoy all the benefits they will bring you.
Remember, performing loaded carries is as easy as picking up something heavy and taking it for a walk for time or distance.
It’s that simple.
