Overhead Carry

Carry · full · intermediate

How to do it

Press a dumbbell in each hand straight overhead with the elbows locked and the biceps beside the ears, pull the ribs down, and walk slowly in a straight line without letting the arms drift forward.

Muscles worked

Primary: full · Also works: core, shoulders, traps

Equipment

Dumbbells

Common mistakes

Letting the ribs flare and the lower back arch to get the arms overhead — if that happens, your shoulders need the mobility work first
Walking with the weights drifting out in front of the head instead of stacked over the shoulders
Taking long strides that make the load swing; short, deliberate steps only

Variations

Single arm overhead, other arm down
Kettlebells instead of dumbbells
Bottoms-up kettlebell for a grip and stability challenge

Can't do this one? Swap it for

Take care: ABROFIT automatically removes this movement for anyone who has flagged a shoulder problem. If that's you, use one of the swaps above and speak to a physio before loading it.

Related exercises

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