Do any of you incorporate using kettlebells for farmer's walks or suitcase carries? If so, typically what weight do you use (two handed or single handed) and do you generally do these outside your workouts or in-between sets to keep your heart rate elevated? Thank you.
Loaded carries are a great exercise that can completely run the spectrum from "lifting" to "cardio".
On the "lifting" end, I might do a short 10 or 15 second carry of 36+36kg. Feels very similar to a set of barbell deadlifts.
On the "cardio" end, I might do an 12-minute continuous carry "Cook drill".
Gray Cook on Loaded Carries for SF Done with 16kg, it feels somewhat like hiking with a 35 lb backpack (rucking).
Somewhere in the middle, as
@Al Ciampa programmed for me in
SFG Prep program: 4 carries of 90 seconds, "heavy". Whatever heavy is (however heavy you can carry for 90 seconds). Rest about 2 minutes between carries.
I think that last one may be the most generally useful, but it's really hard to point to exactly what it's improving, because there are so many general effects -- stability, core strength, grip endurance, posture, probably some challenge to energy systems... If you do it regularly (as he had me doing it twice a week, at the end of the session), you will see an improvement in how much you can carry for those 4 x 90 seconds. It's like eating your vegetables... Good for you
Although Al's term is, "farmer's carries for dessert" (i.e., at the end of the session). They do make a good cool-down.