Carry Heavy Stuff to Kick Ass
In sport you’ll always have one person who doesn’t really train that hard, they can’t bench or deadlift as much as you can but they’re just STRONG!
Growing up in a rural town in south Wales I witnessed this all the time; because boys my age were regularly lifting bales of hay, logs and other farm type stuff it didn’t matter that they didn’t lift weights in the gym, they dominated on the field!
There seems to be two types of strength, ‘gym strength’ and ‘real strength’. I believe that you must train for both.
The best way to do this is by throwing in some strongman style carries at the end of your strength workouts, so after a squat day you might do some sled dragging or walk with a yolk or heavy bar on your back, after a bench workout you could do some farmers walks, or bear hug a keg or a stone and take it for a walk!
Just grab an awkward, heavy object and get walking! Heavy carries kick ass for the following reasons:
They promote chaos or imperfection training. Lifting an awkward object in a strange position will help injury-proof your back and build new muscle.
They increase intra-abdominal pressure, strengthening the core, making your back healthier and making your entire body into one-piece with no weak links in the chain….aka a weapon!
They improve mental toughness, if you’re walking 200m with a huge stone after every workout and your opponent does not. You have the tougher mindset and the upper hand when you compete.
All you have to do is get an odd object and walk with it. Aim for 150-200m total each workout and go heavier or further to progress!