Thoughtfully carrying objects around will drive your fitness to most satisfying levels.
It’s a proven concept that has built powerfully capable bodies for thousands of years.
Some type of weighted carry is included in my training on a weekly basis – whether as a stand alone training session or productively folded in to a more varied workout.
Why? Because they flat out work and get you super sustainable fitness results!
I’ve been a big fan of carrying and pushing/pulling things around since high school.
Back then, my friends and I used to push our cars around – sometimes with heavy chains draped across our shoulders or affixed to our waist.
My street had the perfect long, slow incline to really challenge us as we pushed our different vehicles up that hill.
The neighbors thought we were nuts or were constantly running our cars out of gas, but we forged ahead and reaped some nice fitness benefits.
We would also crudely carry around railroad ties my parents used for landscaping which my dad would always read us the riot act over as we could never seem to replace them perfectly.
Years later coach Dan John would really nail down the concept of performing weighted carries and explain why they work so well in a fitness program for athletes and the general public.
If you have the opportunity to attend a Dan John seminar or read his books – do so- as he is a smart cat chock full of productive fitness knowledge.
The demo below shows me layering a horizontal pull (drag) with a vertical carry using kettlebells designed to produce a supreme total body metabolic effect that will skyrocket your fitness to new heights:
The unstable nature of the sand makes this workout intensely challenging as there is greater friction with the kettlebell drag and your body has to incorporate more stabilizer muscles to compensate for the constantly shifting “live terrain.”
So do this on hard ground first to nail down your form, technique and cadence first.
So Why Train Like This?
Gets you strong and lean
Tightens up EVERYTHING
Deceptively powerful cardio experience that will floor you
Builds a solid fitness foundation making you highly durable and resistant to injury
True total body exercise
A real core crusher
Blends well with any thoughtful training program
Easy on the joints, but produces an intense training effect
Burns serious calories
Drops fat like a bad habit
Gets you powerfully capable in your real world activities
Brief, productive and exciting
Give this awesome workout concept a try to really fire up your fitness motivation and accelerate you to your worthy fitness goals!
Related: Powerful Sandbag And Kettlebell Carry Workout
Related: Is Kettlebell Training For Me?
Related: Why I Avoid Most People In The Fitness Industry
I’m Mark Mellohusky- Mellow as in laid back, but Husky like the dog.
An often barefoot eternal student of health and physical culture who will not go quietly into the sunset since I have learned how to age gracefully by adopting sane eating strategies, staying strong and lean, moving well and pain-free and conquering nasty fat.
All without spending hours haunting gyms doing hours of sappy low value media endorsed exercises or gulping down expensive questionable supplements.
There’s a sparkle in my eyes and iron in my thighs!
Seven Stars Fitness