If your daily walks have started to feel a little repetitive, this weighted carry challenge offers a more engaging way to build muscle while getting your steps in. Loaded carries blend strength training with conditioning, elevating your heart rate while challenging your core, grip and posture with every step.

Men’s Health fitness director Andrew Tracey is a big fan of carries. ‘Loaded carries are the perfect hybrid between weights and cardio,’ he says. ‘Moving heavy things, as quickly as you can, over medium to long distances, will give you all of the benefits of both lifting and shifting in one convenient package.’

The workout is performed in an AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) format and requires just one kettlebell or dumbbell. Set a 30-minute timer and cycle through three different carry variations, resting only when necessary. Record the total distance you cover, then aim to beat it next time before increasing the weight.

Tracey recommends: ‘After a thorough warm-up, grab a moderate weight dumbbell and set a countdown timer for 30-minutes. Work your way through as many high-quality rounds as possible of the following trifecta, resting only as necessary to catch your breath and keep your form tight. Your goal is increase the total distance you cover each session, aiming for a total of around a mile before upping the weights.’

You can either work close to failure on each exercise or carry the weight for one minute or 20-40 metres. Tracey notes that the distance you’ll manage depends on how heavy the weight is, but over a 30-minute workout it’s worth treating each carry as a challenge. Rather than putting the weight down as soon as it starts to feel uncomfortable, try to squeeze out a few more metres.

Every time you rest the weight on the floor, you have to pick it back up again, and those extra cleans and presses soon add up. The fewer times you set the weight down or switch positions, the more energy you’ll save over the course of the session, while also keeping your muscles under tension for longer.

Single-Arm Overhead Carry x Close to Failure

• Clean the dumbbell to your shoulder and press it overhead.
• Take a few deep breaths before you start walking.
• As you move, avoid flaring your ribcage.
• Keep your core braced and your biceps close to your ears throughout.

Single-Arm Front Rack Carry x Close to Failure

• Don’t let go of the weight just yet.
• Lower it into the front rack position, resting it across the top of your chest with your knuckles grazing your chin and your elbow tucked close to your ribs.
• Walk forward with purpose, focusing on your breathing and staying as upright as possible.
• Try to move in a straight line, avoiding unnecessary side-to-side movement.

• Lower the weight to your side and finish the round with a test of grip strength. Let your arm hang naturally, take a deep breath into your belly and begin a fast, deliberate walk.
• Once you’ve covered your allotted distance or time, repeat the sequence on the opposite side, starting again with the overhead carry.

If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.

Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men’s Health app.