The best exercise you're probably not doing...

Why am I doing heavy carries nearly five days per week?
Everyone wants the next "secret" exercise. Well, there is no secret. In fact, one of the best things you can possibly do is as old as time. A necessary component of survival and building strength that is usable in everyday life.
Many people are grinding out workouts in the gym or not lifting anything at all. And those who are training are often, always ignoring one of the most brutally effective things they could be doing: weighted carries. Or what is also commonly referred to as a farmer's carry.
Pick up something heavy and walk.
That's it.
Farmer's carries build grip strength, core stability, traps, shoulders, work capacity, and mental toughness—all at the same time. They expose weak links faster than almost any exercise in the gym.
They're also one of the most functional movements you can train. Life doesn't care how much you bench. It cares whether you can carry the groceries, move furniture, haul your kid, or keep moving when you're tired. Or maybe, most importantly, be able to react when faced with an extremely difficult emergency situation.
If you're over 40, weighted carries are money. They help build the kind of strength that actually shows up outside the gym.

My Iron Forty Carry Test (that my clients work toward)
Farmer Carry – Bodyweight for 100 yards.
Sandbag Carry – 100 lb for 400 meters.
Ruck – 3 miles with 30 lb under 45 minutes.

If you can hit these benchmarks, you're ahead of 99% of the population. If not, time to get to work.
Stop chasing complicated.
Grab something heavy.
Walk.
Repeat.

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