kettlebell carries are an amazing exercise that can greatly benefit overall strength. There are different kinds of carries, each with unique benefits. In this discussion, I'd like to focus on double kettlebell carries. One of the primary advantages of all carries is that they help to increase core and hip stability. For instance, the Farmer carry is the most straightforward of all the carries. All you need to do is grab two heavy kettlebells and start walking. Regardless of the type of carry, it's crucial to maintain good posture and brace your core.
The Farmer Carry
The Farmer carry is a great exercise that is simple yet effective. All you need are two heavy kettlebells and you're good to go. When performing this carry, it's important to maintain good posture and engage your core muscles to ensure that your form is correct. This will help you avoid any unnecessary strain on your back and maintain stability throughout the exercise.
One of the major benefits of the Farmer carry is improved grip strength. Carrying heavy weights over a distance challenges your grip and forces you to maintain a strong hold on the kettlebells. In addition, this carry also helps to improve stability in your hips, core, and shoulders. Overall, it's a great exercise that can be easily incorporated into your workout routine.
Racked carry
On the other hand, the racked carry has a slightly different emphasis on muscular challenge. Since the weight is loaded above your normal center of gravity, you become top-heavy, which challenges your core, hips, and shoulders more. This exercise is great for increasing core stability for squatting and deadlifting. You can perform a single set at a short distance before heavy lifts to activate your core. However, please don't perform it to failure before your heavy deadlifts and squats. These can be done to fatigue as an accessory exercise.
The Over Head Carry
The Overhead carry is one of my favorite exercises. It's one of the most challenging of all the carries. As mentioned earlier, the higher the weight goes, the more challenging it is to your core. With this lift, your shoulders take on the majority of the stabilization challenge. You'll notice how top-heavy you feel when you start walking.
The Overhead carry is an excellent drill for increasing shoulder strength, durability, and stability for bench pressing. Personally, I have a very unstable left shoulder due to numerous injuries. When I include overhead carries in my program, my shoulders feel great. When I don't, they start to feel weak and achy.
To summarize, kettlebell carries are an underrated exercise that can serve as a warm-up, a main exercise, or an accessory to your main lifts. The Farmer Carry emphasizes grip strength with some core, hip, and shoulder stability. The Racked Carry emphasizes more core, hip, and shoulder stability, with very little challenge for the grip. The Overhead Carry has the most emphasis on shoulder stability, more core and hip challenge than the other two carries, and more forearm strength than the other two (I said forearm, not grip).