all posts post new thread

Other/Mixed Anyone have any experience with loaded carries for 30 minutes or longer?

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)

Vulcan300

Level 3 Valued Member
Hello all,


For the past half year I've been going on a one hour walk daily. It's nice being out in nature and I feel that it helps me with recovery from my main workout (less soreness when I do it). Life has gotten hectic lately though: I am a full time nursing student that also has clinicals and work, not to mention my other obligations. It's been getting a bit harder to find time to workout and do my daily walk. My recent positive experience with loaded carries gave me an idea: what if I do loaded carries during my walks (2-3 times a week)? I have a sandbag and dumbbells so that gives me a diverse range of exercise options (farmer, overhead, Zecher, bearhug carry, etc.). I'm not saying I'll be doing the carries the entire hour, but I could easily pick a big patch of grass and just carry until I get tired, drop the weight and keep walking, then pick it up again once I get my strength back. I was hoping to try it for a month or two before it starts getting seriously cold.

My main goal is just general health, having a decent physique, and having the functional strength to do my future job as a nurse without injury. In addition to the loaded carries, I would also be doing the Heavyhands walking program.

Thoughts? is one hour too much? Would 30 minutes be more realistic?
 
Last edited:
Maybe give rucking a try? I got a cheap backpack from Amazon and I put 50lbs of pebbles in it. I wear it on some of my walks. Its not as comfortable as a pricey ruck bag but it works. And I'm not going for hours at a time, just 30 minutes or so at a time.

Of just set a timer for 30m, pick up an object, walk 20 yards, set it down, pick it up, walk back 20 yards, repeat. It doesnt have to be a long distance walk. Back and forth is the same.

Add crawling to this for some real nice Original Strength type workouts.
 
I've done something similar for 10-minute periods, but nowhere near an hour. (Also, check out frontload carries if you don't already know about them -- they're my fave.) Also also, think about working in leopard crawling.

This article might be what you're looking for:

www.strongfirst.com

The Kettlebell Mile | StrongFirst

The Kettlebell Mile is the product of a two-decade long search for a way to simultaneously train strength and aerobic capacity. It seems so obvious now, but the best ideas are seen as such only in retrospect. I had much learning and tinkering to do first but finally, the science and my...
www.strongfirst.com
 
An hour seems overkill. You would most likely receive all the benefits after 10-20 minutes. I would recommend a structured minimalist workout regimen that included heavy carries. Better bang for your buck.
 
I have a Weekly WalKBie with my KB:) most weeks. I take the 12kg or 16kg for a 30min minimum walk without setting the KB down. I can sometime go for 45 min with 12kg but not the 16. I'll stop every so often to do some tricks: snatches, swings, etc. and also use the various carries. and usually switch hands at every streetlight that I pass. its one of my favourite traing sessions. I learnt to pack my shoulders, lock my elbows, relax my shoulders (yes, both) over the past year. then recently, I take my son to piano lessons and wait for 30minutes so I walk up/down/rest/repeat the stairs with the 12kg for most of that time, but it's indoors :(
 
DocMike said:
most likely receive all the benefits after 10-20 minutes
Click to expand...
I think most of my benefits came after the 20minute mark when my body is tired. This is specifically the time when I have to focus mind/body/soul on relaxing tension in my shoulders (suitcase carry), or packing my shoulders (waiters carry: streetlight to streetlight), you really feel that tension and after a few weeks, you learn how to deal with it. the first time I tried 45 minutes...eish, it took days to recover. the first time I got to 20min with 16kg...yah, I remember both:)
 
LOL I went back to my training log to find the first time that I ever did a snatch. It was on a WalKBie session
Xcal said:
long KB walk 12kg
lots of waiters carry in press position
1 stronger hand snatch. Bang
HILLS! 94m elevation gain in 1 hour
Walking down a steep hill with broken pavement and KB in Press is a very interesting challenge to the core stability.
One day I will Press up the same hill with a 16kg.
Click to expand...
My father in law sold his house this year. I won't be back for that 16kg challenge. I ran around that block during holidays for maybe 15 years!
 
Vulcan300 said:
Hello all,


For the past half year I've been going on a one hour walk daily. It's nice being out in nature and I feel that it helps me with recovery from my main workout (less soreness when I do it). Life has gotten hectic lately though: I am a full time nursing student that also has clinicals and work, not to mention my other obligations. It's been getting a bit harder to find time to workout and do my daily walk. My recent positive experience with loaded carries gave me an idea: what if I do loaded carries during my walks (2-3 times a week)? I have a sandbag and dumbbells so that gives me a diverse range of exercise options (farmer, overhead, Zecher, bearhug carry, etc.). I'm not saying I'll be doing the carries the entire hour, but I could easily pick a big patch of grass and just carry until I get tired, drop the weight and keep walking, then pick it up again once I get my strength back. I was hoping to try it for a month or two before it starts getting seriously cold.

My main goal is just general health, having a decent physique, and having the functional strength to do my future job as a nurse without injury. In addition to the loaded carries, I would also be doing the Heavyhands walking program.

Thoughts? is one hour too much? Would 30 minutes be more realistic?
Click to expand...
I like your idea, good for adding some strength/endurance into your lower back, grip etc.
I will occasionally take a 8,12, or 16 on 2-3.25 mile walk, takes 35-55 minutes or so. Haven't done them 2-3 x a week, but I imagine it will add some variety to your training and should be easy to program since you have loading options.
 
Last edited:
I think any kind of carry is great. I’ve done the kettlebell mile, generally in warmer months. Any way is good imho, I’ve done 24kg with a brief rest every 1/4 mile and non stop with a 16, and twice a week at least, finish with dbl 20,24 or 28 carries, and also waiters walks ( single and dbl kb ) once a week. Love them

Do whatever fits in with your schedule and equipment. I don’t think you can go wrong, but I’m possibly biased
 
Best to pick one method and stick with that for a few weeks. You will find you need to experiment a bit with length and type of carry.

With heavyhands you may need to vary the exercises and or get lighter\heavier handweights. The late Dr Schwartz published some books with some exercises and some videos he and others made used to be up on youtube.
One can do either heavyhands or carries more or less marching in place or using a low step up platform. Start with light weight for this and go slow until you have learnt the movements to avoid tripping up on\off the steps. This is quite a good option for cold or wet weather or even just some variety.

For occupational related transfer of training building up to heavier carries of relatively short duration might be useful. Also, you will need to allow for your occupational lifting and carrying (ie by reducing your training) to ensure that your recovery is good and to avoid injury. If you get busy that can add physiological stress to your training amnd occupational load and so bear that in mind.
 
I ran a moving company which is just loaded carries for 8-12 hours a day.

An hour of intermittent carries a day is completely reasonable if you're varying the load.


I've noticed that a large number of people's ankles are weak though. If you can't maintian the normal push-off through your forefoot for the whole hour, then you may benefit from directed calf work first. YMMV
 
IMO, 1 hour might be too much. There was a time when I was interested in loaded carries and I did one session every week for 5 weeks. Each session was about 30 minutes long, and without putting down the kettlebell, I change from famers to overhead to rack and repeat. From what I've observed, a 30-minute carry session with a 20kg bell is far more tiring than my daily(maybe not quite) 36kg S&S practice.
Also I personally do not prefer the intuitive method that you described:
Vulcan300 said:
pick a big patch of grass and just carry until I get tired, drop the weight and keep walking, then pick it up again once I get my strength back. I was hoping to try it for a month or two before it starts getting seriously cold.
Click to expand...
Intuitive training can easily lead to overtraining. Such is the characteristic of many of the SF style training ---- you feel fresh and energetic when you train, you think you can do more(and you actually can do a lot more) and when you do, you feel great at the time but regretted tomorrow. If this is your recovery from your main training, you wouldn't like that.
I would suggest that you gradually add the loaded volume. I would also recommend that you take some sessions and experiment the form, weight, volume and others, just see how it works for you.
 
Torin said:
I ran a moving company which is just loaded carries for 8-12 hours a day.

An hour of intermittent carries a day is completely reasonable if you're varying the load.


I've noticed that a large number of people's ankles are weak though. If you can't maintian the normal push-off through your forefoot for the whole hour, then you may benefit from directed calf work first. YMMV
Click to expand...
Do you think the loaded carries can replace the benefits one gets from doing the clean and press/squats (which is what I'm doing now)?
 
Vulcan300 said:
Do you think the loaded carries can replace the benefits one gets from doing the clean and press/squats
Click to expand...
In my experience, no.

You mentioned that your goals are:
Vulcan300 said:
My main goal is just general health, having a decent physique, and having the functional strength to do my future job as a nurse without injury.
Click to expand...
If you did heavy carries from a variety of positions, then it might be enough for the functional strength to do your job (I don't know much about the requirements to be a nurse).

But in my experience, it is extremely unlikely that it'll give you a decent physique. I've had extremely strong employees that would carry 450lb pianos upstairs, but you'd never suspect them of being strong.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom