Dumbbell and kettlebell carries are two of the best exercises to improve your strength.
It's definitely the best way to ensure you only need one trip to carry all of your groceries from your car to your home.
This simple exercise is a great foundational movement that will improve your posture, grip and arm strength, shoulder stability, and overall stamina. Ebenezer Samuel, fitness editor at Men's Health, demonstrates three different ways to get the most out of your carries.
Suitcase carries keep the weight on one side of your body. This uneven weight distribution forces your core to brace in order to maintain an upright position, making it far more effective than a floor crunch. Grab a challenging weight and you will instantly feel your abs kick in to do their job.
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Overhead carries are one of the best exercises for shoulder stability. Holding the weight overhead while walking means your entire shoulder girdle has to work to keep the weight in place. It's essential you hold the weight properly overhead, as those with poor shoulder mobility will want to flare out their ribs and shrug to maintain positioning. Instead, you want to keep your abs braced, ribs down, and shoulder pulled down (away from your ear).
Finally, there's the classic farmer's walk. Grab some heavy weights (like these), and work nearly every muscle in your body.
Rotate these carries regularly into your workout to bulletproof your entire body.
