The bandbell overhead carry might not be a household name, but this unconventional drill can help you build muscle and stability in your shoulders—all without a single rep.
A bandbell is a barbell designed specifically to carry bands, not weight plates. But as Men’s Health Fitness Director BJ Gaddour, C.S.C.S., explains in the video above, the bandbell overhead carry can be done using a regular, standard-issue barbell, too.
Whichever option you choose, setup is the same: Attach a kettlebell to each end of the bar by hooking a continuous-loop resistance band through the handle and over the bar.
Why fuss with bands and bells instead of just stacking plates on the bar? “It creates an oscillation effect to really fire up our muscles and joint stabilizers—way more than normal overhead carries,” Gaddour says.
Here’s how it works: Carefully press the bar overhead and lock your arms out as you would with a standard shoulder press.
Focus on keeping your ribs and shoulders down, abs crunched, and glutes tight. Try to maintain this position throughout.
Walk forwards for a few steps, pause, and then walk in reverse back to where you started. (It’s ok if you don’t have a lot of space—you’re going to focus on time, not distance covered.)
Do three to five sets of one or two minutes at a time, resting for one minute between sets.
Slot this exercise in at either the beginning or end of your next shoulder or mobility workout. When it starts to feel easy, Gaddour recommends raising the intensity by either increasing the weight of the kettlebells or the speed of your walk, which will make your shoulders work harder to stabilize the weight.
