How would you like to carry your way to super fitness and be rewarded with a solid, lean and productively capable body? How about a body that thrives on conquering your every day tasks as you project and cultivate the physicality and confidence of living a powerful life just oozing vibrancy and gusto?
Well, then try doing some weighted carry variations like the kettlebell overhead carry to reap some truly fantastic fitness benefits whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced trainee. I have rarely witnessed a trainee not improve, advance or get better when they incorporate some type of meaningful weighted carry variation exercise into their program whether to help build a solid fitness foundation, maintain that solid foundation or plug any “leaks” or weaknesses in their training.
If you are interested in building strength, conditioning, a super charged core, improved shoulder stability and chasing the fat right off your body, then add the kettlebell overhead carry to your training. Like all of the weighted carry exercise variations I practice and teach, the overhead carry is deceptively effective in its simplicity, yet challenges and recruits every part of the body- positioning you for fantastic results without wasting your precious time!
Learn how to do the overhead carry and start experiencing great results from this deceptively challenging exercise that hits the Entire body head to toe -and it’s easy to learn- I promise!
Check Out The Video To Learn How To Do This Wonderful Exercise:
Tips, Guidelines And Best Practices
I highly recommend doing a meaningful mobility warmup before engaging in and ramping up to more intense exercise and movements. Your warmup doesn’t need to be a marathon of endless movement variety. 5-10 minutes is all you need to prepare yourself for your training session if you choose productive movements.
Be aware of your surroundings as you perform this exercise. Police your walking area so you don’t trip over any obstructions. If outdoors, check for potential terrain hazards like divots, mole and gopher holes or animal crap that you may slip on.
Pick up & lower the weight using good form and don’t get lazy with your technique especially when you are picking weight up off the ground and returning it back to my favorite training partner, Mother Earth.
You need to be able to get the kettlebell to the “rack” position before driving it overhead to do the kettlebell overhead carry. Check out my Rack Carry Tutorial to show you a few ways to do this that are easy to learn and position you for success.
Walk with a tall spine (straight,upright posture)
Don’t crane your neck forward as you walk
Keep your arm straight overhead and keep your shoulder “packed” (your arm and elbow are straight, but shoulder is lowered down in the socket) If you are doing this right, you will feel it in your upper back muscles(lats)
Keep your arm directly overhead as you walk. Your upper arm should be back by your ear to give you proper positional perspective. You don’t want your arm leaning forward where you feel like you are chasing the weight or straying too far behind like it is pulling you backward.
Keep a space between your ear and upper arm while walking with the weight overhead.
Maintain a straight wrist while the kettlebell is overhead – stay focused and don’t let it bend.
Take small, quick steps as long strides will compromise your cadence, balance, control and stability.
Take short, rhythmic breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth or nose as you carry the kettlebell overhead.
Brace your abs while performing this exercise(pretend someone is about to punch you in the gut- that’s bracing.)
Make sure you do walk the same distance on each side to keep your workout balanced.
A round is considered doing an overhead walk on your left side immediately followed by a walk on the right side for the same amount of steps.
Start out with a light to moderate weight to get a feel for the movement and to get into the groove of walking with weight overhead.
Start out doing rounds of 25- 50 steps and see how you feel(challenge yourself,but increase the distance if using lighter weight and decrease the distance if using a heavier weight. Mix it up, but don’t use bad form!
Try setting the clock for 10 minutes and see how many quality rounds you can get in. rest as much as you need between rounds, but do challenge yourself. I would suggest a 1 minute rest between rounds and scale it up or down from there depending on your fitness level.
Ladies start with an 8kg or 10kg kettlebell. Men try a 16kg. Scale the weight up or down based on how challenging it is for you, but choose a weight that will not compromise good form/technique.
Benefits And Variations
Once you have earned your way to performing the single kettlebell overhead with good form and technique, then challenge yourself further by using two kettlebells and perform a double overhead carry. The profound metabolic effect from carrying two kettlebells overhead will further skyrocket the already monumental training effect you have already been enjoying from carrying a single kettlebell overhead!
You can use a dumbbell for your overhead carries, but nothing beats the offset weight design and thick handle of the kettlebell as it lends itself to smooth rotation and stability of the shoulder joints and solid wrist position.
Ever wonder what your core feels like when it’s challenged? Then try these overhead carries and you will find out real quick!
I am convinced these kettlebell overhead carries were instrumental in cleaning up the many nagging shoulder pains and mobility issues I had accumulated over the years from when I used to do way too many bench presses in my youth like many of my fitness peers did back then. I can’t tell you how great having pain-free and mobile shoulders are!
Like all the weighted carry variations I teach and advocate, the overhead carry is a true total body transformer that is a prime component to accelerating a trainee to the fitness and lean, tight body they desire as these exercises are that powerfully effective.
I also do overhead carries with a variety of sandbags and odd objects like logs which will add meaningful variety and an additional excitement component to your training.
While I am perfectly capable training alone, I enjoy training with others as I am a big advocate of group training as I feel this keeps people accountable and motivated with their workouts. I am just a social animal and have a blast training with others!
Time To Carry Myself Out Of Here
Enjoy this great exercise & work it into your kettlebell workout routine often-your body will thank you!
The kettlebell overhead carry is a fantastic core building and shoulder stability exercise that will also improve your strength, conditioning, endurance, is posture correcting and will burn a lot of calories!
I put myself out there as a product of my own advice and an eternal student of health and physical culture who will not go quietly into the sunset since I have learned how to age gracefully by adopting sane eating and training strategies, staying strong and lean, moving well and pain-free and conquering nasty fat. All without spending unnecessary time haunting gyms doing hours of sappy media hyped nonsense routines and contrived exercises that typically produce nothing except frustration and the illusion of getting mediocre results at best for well meaning folks just trying to improve their health.
Stay Well! Take Action! Be Consistent! Train and Eat Smart! Get Rid of the Drains and Pains in Your Life! Value your loved ones and friends and get out and have some active, safe fun!
Mark Mellohusky (Mellow-Husky) Mellow as in laid back and Husky like the dog!
I Eat T-Bone Steaks And Carry My Troubles Away With Kettlebell Weights!
Seven Stars Fitness