A few days ago, my sister called me, exasperated with our mother (who will turn 96 next month) because she refuses to allow my sister to get her a grocery delivery service.
My mother (and did I mention that she will be 96) still drives to the grocery store once per week, loads up her car with groceries, and carries them into her first-floor apartment. Sometimes she lets my brother tag along to help.
She adamantly refuses to give up this activity - and honestly, I applaud her! Although my mother never trained in a gym or played a sport, she spent her life doing yard work, splitting logs for firewood, doing construction projects around the house, shoveling snow, and running a household with 3 young children while my father worked. “If I don’t use it, I’ll lose it”, she always says, and that is the simple reason why she remains so fiercely independent.
This week, we are going to review the benefits of loaded carries - something that my mother intuitively knows without the “blessing” of the research world.
What’s a loaded carry?
According to a review by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) NSCA COACH Issue 7.3, (pp 50-53), loaded carries are movements that consist of “loading” oneself with a weighted implement and walking for a predetermined distance or time.
There are several variations of loaded carries:
Farmer’s carry (bilateral) – Two dumbbells or kettlebells are held with extended arms next to the hips. This carry is excellent for building grip strength.
Suitcase carry (one side) – Similar to the Farmer’s Carry, but with a single dumbbell or kettlebell. This carry is very relevant to back health and everyday tasks like carrying groceries or luggage.
Front rack carry – Two dumbbells or kettlebells are held in front of the shoulders with the elbows pointing forward - This carry creates more demand on upper back, anterior core, and breathing mechanics; ties directly to front-squat strength and posture.
Overhead carry – Two dumbbells or kettlebells are held overhead with extended arms. A variation is the single-arm overhead carry. This carry trains shoulder and scapular (upper back) stability and is helpful for people who need to reach or lift overhead safely.
Waiter carry - One dumbbell or kettlebell is held overhead and the other dumbbell or kettlebell is held like the suitcase carry.
Zercher/yoke carries – A medicine ball or sandbag is held at waist level. This carry allows heavier loading and is geared more for experienced lifters; very potent for trunk and hip strength but needs more coaching and supervision.
Benefits of loaded carries
Core, hip & trunk stability (and injury risk): Improves hip and torso muscle function, contributing to better systemic muscular function.
A safe and appropriate functional movement exercise for recreationally trained adults.
Grip strength, function & longevity: s a well-accepted indicator of overall muscle strength, and may also be able to identify individuals at risk of decline. Poor grip strength has been correlated with low bone mineral density (BMD), depression, anxiety, sleep quality, fractures, diabetes, falls, and malnutrition.
Cardiometabolic & conditioning benefits: Loaded carries can increase anaerobic endurance and programming them for repeated, time-limited efforts (10–20 seconds for 2–4 rounds with challenging loads) is effective for functional strength and conditioning according to the review published in NSCA COACH issue 7.3 mentioned above.
Balance, gait & “real-world” strength: Carries challenge stability in multiple stances and can be progressed safely. They can be used during rehabilitation once normal gait is restored, to build hip strength in a weight-bearing position without excessive knee stress, which is particularly relevant post-ACL repair and for individuals with knee issues.
LET’S DO THIS!
This week we are “doubling down” on building functional capacity by developing the strength, skill, and stability that allow us to carry loads in multiple ways. Today’s workout targets core and shoulder strength and stability, inserts a component of coordination and balance and challenges these movements under the fatigue of short, high-intensity sprint segments.
Warm Up
AMRAP 7 (As many rounds as possible in 7 minutes). Perform all three movements in sequence for as many rounds of the three movements as you can on a 7 minute clock.
5 Burpees (Watch the linked video for options for all skill levels)
10 Mountain Climbers (Right + Left = 1 repetition)
10 Air squats
Once you have completed the 7-minute AMRAP, perform this follow-along core-activation sequence from Train FTW.
Movement Practice
Take 5-10 minutes to choose your weights/options for the workout.
All carries require 2 dumbbells. Choose the same weight for all carries where you can carry the dummbells for 100m with no more than 1-2 stops along the way to rest.
For the sprints, see the options below for the sprint intervals. As the name implies, this is a SPRINT, meaning that this is a short duration of high intensity (RPE of 8-9) for 30-45 seconds. Choose one modality for all the sprints or try more than one! Choose your own adventure! Whatever you choose, bring your A-Game to every sprint interval.
Movement options
Sprint (30-45 seconds at RPE 8-9): 200m row or run, 400m bike, or 15 burpees
Carries: For best results, perform all carries as prescribed. However, if overhead shoulder mobility limits you, substitute the bear crawl and/or the Farmer’s Carry for the overhead carries.
Workout
200m Sprint (row or run, 400m bike, or 15 burpees)
50 m Farmer Carry
200m Sprint
50 m Double Dumbbell Overhead Carry
200m Sprint
50 m Front Rack Carry
200m Sprint
50m Waiter Carry (Switch arms after the first 25 yards)
200m Sprint
50 m Bear Crawl
Cool Down
Show your shoulders some love and jump-start your recovery with this 15 minute shoulder and upper body yoga sequence. #dontskiptheyoga
Housekeeping….
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Julie Foucher Brown MD, MS is a four-time CrossFit Games athlete and family physician.
Her passion lies in bridging the gap between fitness and medicine to empower individuals to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Every third Tuesday, she shares insightful content from a diverse lineup of guests, including medical experts and elite athletes.
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This is great Carla! Loaded carries are so simple to integrate and have profound effects across the whole body.
It should definitely be a core part of everyones training.
Grab something heavy and carry!
Your mother's story is absolutly inspiring. At 96 still carrying her own groceries shows exactly what use it or lose it means in practice. The conection between grip strength and overall longevity really hits home here. Loaded carries are so underrated as a functional movement, they translate directly to real world activites that keep people independent as they age.