Forget sit-ups — I did suitcase carries for a week, and my core was on fire

Man walking through a park holding two kettlebells performing a farmer's walk — (Image credit: Getty images/ Unknown)

I’ll let you in on a secret — I really hate sit-ups and crunches. I don’t really feel them in my core; they hurt my lower back, and according to just about every personal trainer out there, they’re not even the best way to target your abdominal muscles.

With that in mind, as I gear up for my seventh marathon in a few weeks, I’ve been looking for better ways to build functional core strength. Our resident personal trainer, Sam Hopes, told me to try the suitcase carry, so I grabbed a set of the best adjustable dumbbells and did just that. Read on to find out more.

As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, pregnant or postpartum, or currently recovering from an injury, this might not be the best exercise for you and your body. Always seek personalized advice from a qualified professional if you are unsure.

How to do the suitcase carry

All you’ll need is one heavy weight and your body weight. Here’s how to do the suitcase carry with good form:

Stand next to a heavy dumbbell and hinge at your hips to lift the weight with a flat back. Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart.
Stand tall and engage your core, lowering your shoulders down and back from your ears. Your torso should be completely upright.
Walk forward in a smooth, straight line. Keep your gaze ahead and hold the weight loosely beside your thigh.
Keep your shoulders and hips completely square — you don’t want your body to lean to the side. One way to do this is to imagine you’re holding an invisible weight in your opposite hand.
Once you’ve reached your distance or time goal, lower the weight to the floor and repeat on the other side.

As a reminder, the right weight will feel challenging, but not impossible, by the final few reps. If you find it difficult to stop your torso from leaning or your leg keeps brushing the dumbbell as you walk, it’s too heavy. Reduce the weight and keep going. Moving with improper form can put your spine at risk of injury.

I did suitcase carries for a week — here’s what happened

I had to really think about keeping my core engaged

Compared to a farmer’s carry, where you’re holding a dumbbell in both hands, the difficulty with the suitcase carry is that all of the weight is loaded to one side. As a mom, this felt very apt, as I often cart my toddler around on one hip, but the key to this functional move is to really engage your core. I had to think about sucking my belly button into my spine and standing tall with every step.

The good news is, this simple-looking exercise gets you a lot of bang for your buck. When done correctly, you’ll be working your obliques, transverse abdominis and QL (the stabilizing muscle that runs along your spine) to prevent you from leaning. This builds deep rotational stability in the core.

It’s a good one for runners

Although, at times, this felt like walking up and down my living room with a weight (I opted to do a minute on each side), this ab move might actually help my form at my next marathon. By nature, the move is challenging your single-side stability. Running is a single-leg sport, so by strengthening the gluteus medius and helping you work on stabilizing your hips as you step, this exercise can actually make you run more efficiently.

Man walking holding two kettlebells in farmer's walk — (Image credit: Getty images/ unknown)

My grip strength needs work

Holding a heavy dumbbell for 60 seconds isn’t something I do all that often — my reps tend to be shorter and lighter, and this exercise taught me my grip strength needs some work.

This sneaky move felt like a full-body workout in itself, as I felt it in my shoulders and forearms as much as my abs, but it’s one I’ll be keeping in my strength sessions going forward. What are you waiting for? Grab a heavy dumbbell and get carrying.

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Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness Managing Editor, which means she looks after everything fitness-related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past ten years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone.