Carry Like Crazy!

Carrying odd objects is a powerful way to add strength, power and improve your conditioning all at the same time. When you carry objects, you are required to power clean them, shoulder them, deadlift and squat them up. This requires strength and power, while carrying them involves conditioning, strength and mental toughness. You will also develop isometric strength during the carries as you crush, squeeze and hold on with all your might to ensure these objects don’t escape you. Sounds a lot like what you need in combat, right?

It is critical to be aggressive when lifting the objects off the ground to gain the benefits of strength and power on your first rep. I encourage you to lower the weight with perfect technique when finishing a set because this is when you are most fatigues and most susceptible to injury.

Check out the list of movements I want you to use below, and then give the sample workout a shot.

Keg Carries – Filled with water, the sloshing of the water will increase this challenge greatly. Using the bear hug or under hook (zercher lift) style, rip the keg up into position and speed walk for distance.

Kettlebell Rack Walks – These are brutal on the entire body, but your abs will get a serious workout here as well as the rest of your body. Perform an explosive power clean to rip the weights up into position and speed walk for distance.

Kettlebell Farmer Walks – I often follow the rack walks with farmer walks when I can no longer hold the rack walk position. These will place extra emphasis on the legs, upper back and grip.

Sandbag Overhead Walk – I emphasize the walking here, as your arms being overhead place you in a very vulnerable position because it is a rare position, yet extremely beneficial. Holding the bag overhead helps develop stability and strength in the lower back and abdominals. This walk should be performed slowly.

Sandbag Zercher Carry – When you can no longer keep the bag locked over your head, lower the bag into your arms without rest and continue with a zercher carry using the speed walk.

Sandbag Farmer Walks – Last but not least, grab one sandbag in each hand and speed walk them. This will be brutal on the hands and grip, especially the fingers. If you’re a Judo or BJJ athlete, this will improve your grip game tremendously.

Your Underground Workout…

Set up all the objects next to one another so you can carry them down and back and then pick up the next object as needed. Each walk will be 100 ft. in distance. If you are in a BJJ / MMA club, you can perform the carries for time, 30 - 60 seconds for each carry, and / or continue to perform the workout for several 5 minute rounds, or carry them to one end of the parking lot, sprint back and pick up the next object and repeat with carry / sprint intervals.

1A) Keg Carry
1B) Kettlebell Rack Walk
1C) Kettlebell Farmer Walk
1D) Sandbag Overhead Carry
1E) Sandbag Zercher Carry
1F) Sandbag Farmer Walk

All 6 movements are to be performed one after another, NO rest! Go get em’!

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