Loaded carries are one of the simplest ways to get strong, but that doesn’t make it easy. Pick up something heavy, walk, and repeat. Carries train your entire body to brace, stabilize, and move under load.
Carrying builds not just strength, but serious toughness. You’ll forge a stronger core, bulletproof your shoulders, and toughen your traps while testing your lungs. Whether you’re hauling heavy dumbbells, racking kettlebells, or lugging a sandbag, carries build resilience that transfers into how you move and perform.
Here, I will feature 10 of the best loaded carry variations. From the Trap Bar Carry and Front-Racked Kettlebell Carry to more unconventional moves like the Chaos Suitcase Carry and Figure-8 Carry, you’ll find options for every setup. If you want stronger lifts, better posture, and conditioning that doesn’t quit, it’s time to carry your weight.
Benefits of These Top Loaded Carry Variations
If you like exercise variety, carries are for you. There are so many variations, it’s an exercise you’ll never get bored with. Sick of? Well, that’s a different matter. So, how did I choose 10 out of so many? Here are the five factors I considered.
- Total-Body Strength: Loaded carries activate nearly every major muscle group—your forearms, shoulders, core, and glutes all work together to stabilize the load.
- Core Stability & Posture: Each carry variation below reinforces your ability to brace under tension, training your body to resist unwanted movement. The result? A stronger core, better posture, and improved form during big lifts like squats and deadlifts.
- Grip & Shoulder Strength: Whether you’re crushing a trap bar, pinching plates, or balancing kettlebells, you’re enhancing forearm endurance and shoulder stability that translate to almost every strength movement.
- Athletic Performance & Conditioning: Carries mimic daily movement—picking things up, and moving under load. They train the cardiovascular system without sacrificing strength, improving work capacity, and overall toughness. Admit it, you’ve tried to carry all the grocery bags in one trip.
- Variations & Variety: From the gym floor to your garage or backyard, there’s a carry variation for every space and skill level.
The Top 10 Best Loaded Carry Variations
If you’re willing to feel uncomfortable and get stronger, you’re in the right place.
Trap Bar Carry
The trap bar carries the load at your sides, slightly behind your center of gravity, aligning the weight with your midline. This fact allows for heavier loading, a more upright torso, and reduced stress on the lower back. Because the trap bar allows for heavier loading, it’s an effective way to build total-body strength, especially in the traps, forearms, and core. But beware, nothing tears up your grip like a trap bar. Think “proud chest” and “brace the abs” and avoid bouncing as you walk.
Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 30–50 yards for strength; 2–3 sets of 60–80 yards for conditioning.
Front-Racked Kettlebell Carry
The front-racked kettlebell carry positions the load on your anterior shoulders, demanding far more anterior core engagement than the standard farmer’s carry. It challenges your upper back, obliques, and glutes to resist forward collapse and mimics the core demands of front squats and cleans while improving shoulder and thoracic spine positioning. Avoid leaning back or flaring your rib cage; think about pulling your ribs to your hips as you walk.
Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 40 feet for strength; 3 sets of 60 feet for conditioning.
Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Waiter’s Carry
The Bottoms-Up kettlebell waiter’s carry has you hold it in the server position, with the bell inverted. The instability requires your grip, forearm, and shoulder stabilizers to work overtime. This variation builds incredible shoulder stability, grip endurance, and core tension, while recruiting deep stabilizers like the rotator cuff and serratus anterior. Stack your wrist and elbow, and horn in a straight line. Keep your ribs down, glutes tight, and avoid leaning backward.
Sets & Reps: 3–4 sets of 20–30 feet per side.
Barbell Overhead Carry
The barbell overhead carry adds a touch of fear to your training. Unlike the farmer’s carry, which challenges grip and lateral stability, this version tests shoulder endurance, spinal alignment, and total-body coordination under tension. Your shoulders, core, and hips must stay stacked to maintain control, while your grip, lats, and upper back stabilize the barbell overhead. It’s a full-body move that strengthens the entire body from hands to heels. Keep your elbows locked, ribs down, and biceps close to your ears. Engage your glutes and brace your core, and take small, deliberate steps.
Sets & Reps: 3–4 sets of 20–40 feet early in your workout.
Chaos Suitcase Carry
The chaos suitcase carry adds instability by suspending a kettlebell with a resistance band. As you walk, the load bounces, forcing your core, grip, and stabilizers to work harder than usual. Unlike the standard carry, this variation trains your core to resist unwanted motion and recruits deep stabilizers, enhances proprioception, and strengthens your obliques. Set up by looping a resistance band through a kettlebell horn. Keep your torso tall, shoulders level, and steps small and controlled.
Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 20–40 feet per side.
Plate Pinch Carry
The plate pinch carry challenges your grip by requiring you to squeeze and hold smooth, flat plates or a single plate with your fingers and thumbs. This unusual grip develops a better crushing grip and finger strength, and builds forearm endurance, which is critical for deadlifts, pull-ups, and overall strength performance. Use two smooth metal plates (10s or 25s) or a single plate, and pinch firmly with your thumb and fingertips, keeping your shoulders back and your core tight.
Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 20–40 feet for grip endurance.
Zercher Carry
The Zercher carry positions a barbell in the crook of your elbows, shifting the center of gravity forward, forcing your core, upper back, and arms to stabilize the load to prevent your torso from leaning forward. It strengthens the entire anterior chain, your quads, and your upper back—while improving posture. Because the bar pulls you forward, your spinal erectors, obliques, and lats work overtime to maintain proper alignment. Keep it tight against your midsection and stay tall, engage your lats, and take short, controlled steps. Using a towel or pad can ease discomfort here.
Sets & Reps: 3–4 sets of 30–40 feet. Good luck.
Bear Hug Sandbag Carry
The bear hug sandbag carry replaces handles with a soft, uneven load that you must crush against your torso to hold. The weight pulls you forward and challenges your arms, chest, and core to maintain tension. The sandbag’s shifting load lights up your forearms, biceps, chest, and lats, while your lower body hangs on for dear life. Hold the sandbag against your torso, keep your elbows tucked in, and your chest up. Brace your core and walk with short, controlled steps. If you’re new to sandbags, start with a lighter weight and focus on form before increasing the load.
Sets & Reps: 3–4 sets of 40–60 feet.
Marching-in-Place Suitcase Carry
The marching-in-place suitcase carry is perfect for small spaces or home gyms; it mimics the movement pattern of a suitcase carry but with marches that amplify balance demands. It offers the benefits of suitcase carry while also recruiting your hip flexors and improving coordination, ankle stability, and balance. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand by your side with a tight grip. Stand tall, brace your abs, and slowly raise one knee until your thigh is parallel to the ground. Pause for a beat, lower, and repeat on the opposite leg.
Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 25 marches per side.
Figure-8 Carry
The figure-8 carry adds movement and rotation to the carry movement. You weave in a figure-8 path, forcing your body to stabilize through curves and changes of direction. This rotational challenge builds athletic coordination and multiplanar control, and you can do it in small spaces—perfect for the home or garage gym. The figure-8 carry strengthens your obliques, hips, and spinal stabilizers, which must work together to control momentum. Walk through a tight figure-8 pattern, maintaining tall posture throughout each curve, and keep your steps short and deliberate.
Sets & Reps: 3–4 sets of 2–3 figure-8 laps, depending on the space you have.
