Loaded Carry: The Most Underrated Exercise in the Gym and Why You’re Probably Not Doing It

Introduction

Every gym has its all-stars: the bench press, the squat rack, and the ever-glorious deadlift platform. But there’s one movement that rarely makes it onto highlight reels or Instagram stories—and yet, it might be the single most practical, results-driven exercise you can do. Enter: the loaded carry.

Also known as the farmer’s carry or suitcase carry, this movement is brutally simple: pick up something heavy and walk. That’s it. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. The loaded carry trains grip strength, posture, core stability, shoulder integrity, endurance, and even mental resilience. In fact, it’s one of the most transferable exercises to real life and one of the most neglected.

What Makes the Loaded Carry So Powerful?

1. Core Strength Without Crunches
Your core isn’t just for looks—it’s designed to stabilize your spine. Loaded carries force your entire trunk to stay upright and engaged while under pressure. Unlike crunches, this is how your core works in the real world.

2. Grip Strength = Longevity
Grip strength is a powerful predictor of overall health and mortality in older adults. Farmer’s carries challenge your forearms and hands in a way no machine can replicate.

3. Posture and Shoulder Stability
So, carrying a load forces the shoulders into a stable, retracted position, training the rotator cuff and postural muscles to resist collapse—especially if you’re doing a single-arm suitcase carry.

4. Mental Toughness
Loaded carries burn. Also, they’re uncomfortable. They require breathing under strain and pushing through fatigue. In other words: they build grit.

5. Real-World Carryover
From carrying groceries to hauling a toddler to moving furniture—loaded carries prepare your body to be functionally strong in everyday life.

How to Do It Right

• Farmer’s Carry: Two heavy kettlebells or dumbbells at your sides. Keep your core braced, walk with control.
• Suitcase Carry: One heavy weight in one hand. Stay upright, don’t lean. This crushes your obliques and also shoulder stabilisers.
• Overhead Carry: Weight overhead with a locked-out elbow. Great for shoulder integrity and posture.
• Waiter Carry: Similar to the overhead but with a kettlebell or dumbbell in the rack or high-hold position.

So start light, walk 20-30 yards, and build up. Aim for good posture, stable steps, and also a tight core. This is not a race.

Programming Tips

• Add carries to the end of your workout as a finisher.
• Superset with a heavy lift (like trap bar deadlifts or squats).
• Use them on active recovery days with lighter weights and longer walks.

Final Thoughts

Therefore, you don’t need another fancy machine or a new ab circuit. You need time under tension, discipline, and gravity. Loaded carries deliver all three.

If you want to get stronger, more stable, more athletic, and more resilient—without complicating your training—start carrying heavy stuff. It’s old-school. It’s humble. But it works.

Trust me, life doesn’t happen on a bench press. Life happens when you’re moving under load.

Drive Rx Prescribed Fitness / CrossFit Prescott