Kettlebell carries are fabulous. Why? I could list soooo many reasons!
“No, there is too much. Let me sum up.” ~Inigo Montoya
(C’mon, y’all get the Princess Bride reference, right?!?)
Short version of why kettlebell carries are awesome: life requires carrying things so we should get good at it. Plus, carries are extremely beginner friendly; just choose an appropriate weight.
If you want a strong core, do carries. If you want a strong grip (vital for holding into stuff), do carries. Want good posture? Better stability? Do carries!
If you’re new to using kettlebells and want to get comfortable with them, carries are a perfect way to start — and if you’re already a kettlebell lifter, carries are still a valuable addition to your training.
For each of these, you can march in place if space is limited, or take it for a stroll but keep it slow and steady.
1- Goblet Carry
Hold the kettlebell with your hands at the sides of the “horns.” Pull it in close to your chest but not touching. Stand tall with shoulders back. Keep your elbows down.
2- Suitcase Carry
Hold a kettlebell with one hand at your side, as if carrying a suitcase. Again, stand nice and tall, as if there’s a string attached to the top of your head pulling you upward.
3- Rack Carry
I’m showing this as the best way for folks new to kettlebell to pick up safely: with two hands. Now let it sit on the back of your forearm and make the top of your first point toward the ceiling, with the wrist nice and straight. Keep your elbow pointing down.
4- Overhead Carry
Start in the rack position as in # 3 but now press overhead and hold the kettlebell up high. Keep the elbow straight and think about pulling your shoulder down; don’t let it shrug up by your ear.
5- Bottoms-Up Carry
Start with the kettlebell in rack position (as in # 3) then bring it upside down. In this case, you’ll bend your wrist back so the weight of the kettlebell sits right on top of your vertical forearm. This one is tough so it’s likely you’ll need to go down in weight from a standard rack carry.
👉 Save these so you can add them into your training!
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