Suitcase carry
Log this in the trackerA one-sided carry that forces the trunk to resist sideways bending.
What it is
A loaded carry with weight in one hand only. The asymmetric load tries to bend you sideways, and resisting it trains the obliques and quadratus lumborum far more than a two-handed carry does, while still building grip.
Muscles worked
Primary: Obliques, Quadratus lumborum, Forearms. Secondary: Gluteus medius, Traps, Core.
How to perform it
- Set a single heavy dumbbell or kettlebell beside one foot.
- Hinge with a flat back, grip it, and stand up by driving through the legs.
- Stand perfectly upright, do not lean away from or towards the weight, with the shoulders level.
- Walk for a set distance keeping the torso vertical, then set it down and repeat on the other side.
Common form faults
- Leaning away from the weight to counterbalance. Reduce the weight until you can stay vertical. Leaning defeats the entire purpose of the exercise.
- Hitching the loaded shoulder up. Keep the shoulders level and the loaded arm long; let the trunk, not the trapezius, do the resisting.
- Doing one side and not the other. Always match sides, and start with the weaker one.
Programming
Programmed by distance or time per side. It is a genuinely effective oblique exercise disguised as a carry, and it is one of the more back-friendly ways to load lateral trunk stability.
Plan your training
Variations & substitutions
Frequently asked questions
- How is this different from a farmer's carry?
- The single-sided load creates a sideways bending force the trunk has to resist, which the balanced two-handed version does not. It is a core exercise first and a grip exercise second.
- How heavy?
- Light enough to walk perfectly upright for the whole distance. The moment you start leaning, the weight is wrong.