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Kettlebell Loaded carries compared to static holds

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Stuart Miller

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I have very limited room to perform any carries of distance. I was wondering if you could get similar benefits from heavy holds or even heavy marching on the spot.
 
I have very limited room to perform any carries of distance. I was wondering if you could get similar benefits from heavy holds or even heavy marching on the spot.

It's better than nothing, but, no static holds don't offer all the benefits of a loaded carry.

While I do farmer carries (using trap bar) outdoors in the summer, I do waiter walks, rack carries, and suitcase carries with KB in the winter, indoors.

I find them to offer benefits beyond what you get in the standing position of a TGU.

Are you sure you don't have any room to walk around with a KB up and down the hall?
 
Static holds will kinda defeat the purpose, which is creating a moving plank where every step requires new stabilization effort.

Walking in place works fine. It’s a different sort of challenge when you don’t have a lurch forward and a step to catch your balance. Go slow and explore the movement.

As mentioned, limited steps with lots of direction changes is probably brilliant.
 
Loaded marching on the spot, that will work, weight shifting back and forth, balance on one leg momentarily, and will jack up HR.
I've been doing this for months with very noticeable benefits. I use a weight KB I can comfortably hold in rack position for about 45-60 seconds. I clean/rack it then stick empty arm straight up over head, bird dog style (other knee raised to hip height). I spend about 2-3 seconds on each foot, long enough to be certain I have the balance nailed and am not just relying on inertia to hold me in position, then I change feet. Most dramatic has been improvement in my overall balance which was not bad at all before. My marker is how solid I feel while drying off one foot at a time after taking a shower, standing on the other foot.
 
I've been doing this for months with very noticeable benefits. I use a weight KB I can comfortably hold in rack position for about 45-60 seconds. I clean/rack it then stick empty arm straight up over head, bird dog style (other knee raised to hip height). I spend about 2-3 seconds on each foot, long enough to be certain I have the balance nailed and am not just relying on inertia to hold me in position, then I change feet. Most dramatic has been improvement in my overall balance which was not bad at all before. My marker is how solid I feel while drying off one foot at a time after taking a shower, standing on the other foot.

I train in an 8x10 area in my garage and also have the issue of living in the PNW and being from the SW. Hence, when it rains, I cannot imagine going for a walk with my kettlebells outside. Dan John recommends “vertical bird dogs” in one of his books. I’ve found they are a good substitute for walking a slow oval or figure 8.

On a side note when turning in a waiters walk/rack/suitcase carry I have this notion from a SFG that you should keep the weight on the outside of the turn. Ie if the weight is in your right hand you would only turn left. Haven’t seen an SFG in about a year. Is this an idiosyncrasy of the trainer or an SFG teaching? If it’s SFG dogma is there a reason behind it?

Thanks!
 
Another thing I have tried is standing on one foot and doing halos (one option) or passing the bell back and forth from hand to hand (suitcase on the left to suitcase on the right). Seems to challenge my balance.
 
I train in an 8x10 area in my garage and also have the issue of living in the PNW and being from the SW. Hence, when it rains, I cannot imagine going for a walk with my kettlebells outside. Dan John recommends “vertical bird dogs” in one of his books. I’ve found they are a good substitute for walking a slow oval or figure 8.
I feel you on the weather! I’m a recent transplant from the SF Bay Area to SW WA and it’s like living in a an aquarium. I’ve gotten used to it in some ways. I do my loaded carries starting and finishing in the garage out and back along the drive. But when it snowed, I did them in place until it melted away. Stumbling around in slush with a KB did not have a favorable risk reward ratio.
 
Having to turn around every 4 steps might be more beneficial than walking 100 yards in a straight line
walking 4 steps is all the distance I can manage. Would you recommend walking forward and backwards or turning after four steps? There isnt a lot of space especially when holding two kettlebells for farmers walks or even lowering and picking up kettlebells every four steps?
 
walking 4 steps is all the distance I can manage. Would you recommend walking forward and backwards or turning after four steps? There isnt a lot of space especially when holding two kettlebells for farmers walks or even lowering and picking up kettlebells every four steps?

ive done this by turning on a very small space. but if you cant u can try walking backwards, just do it slowly with even smaller steps ?
 
Would you recommend walking forward and backwards or turning after four steps?

All sorts of movement patterns are possible.

But what's your goal?

Why do you want to do this?

I happen to do loaded overhead carries because I compete in weightlifting and snatch and jerk things over my head. It heads me stabilize on the platform while I wait for the judges to tell me I can drop the weights.

But I don't train carrying Atlas stones, for example, because they don't suit my goals.
 
All sorts of movement patterns are possible.

But what's your goal?

Why do you want to do this?

I happen to do loaded overhead carries because I compete in weightlifting and snatch and jerk things over my head. It heads me stabilize on the platform while I wait for the judges to tell me I can drop the weights.

But I don't train carrying Atlas stones, for example, because they don't suit my goals.
I have been reading/listening to a lot of work done by Dan John and Gray Cook on the benefits of carries. I am looking to include them into my workout week but with little room I was after any suggestions. My main goal is strength and as Pavel had also recommended strong grip and core, carries seen to tick a lot of boxes.
 
I have been reading/listening to a lot of work done by Dan John and Gray Cook on the benefits of carries. I am looking to include them into my workout week but with little room I was after any suggestions. My main goal is strength and as Pavel had also recommended strong grip and core, carries seen to tick a lot of boxes.

They're beneficial, for sure.

But different kinds of carries are beneficial in different ways.

For example:

Cross lateral stabilization: unilateral carries > bi lateral carries

Max loading of spinal erectors: bi lateral carries (total load is heavier) > unilateral carries

Thoracic extension: rack carries > overhead carries

Grip strength vs core -- one tends to be the limiting factor more than the other. Example: for heavy farmer's walks (>150 kg), my grip will give out before my core. So if I want to maximize core, I'll use straps.

Then you have elements of weight vs distance vs time in terms of training strength vs endurance.

etc etc
 
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@Stuart Miller

Try this: Clean 2 Kb's into the rack....now grip the floor with your feet....now pull your kneecaps up and squeeze the quads.....now cramp your glutes......now pull your elbows down towards your pelvis and cramp the abs......now crush the grip......now maintain all that for 15 more seconds while breathing behind the shield.....now park the bells. You can practice ramping up full body tension without moving at all and this will carry over nicely into any double bell work you decide to pursue in training.
 
@Stuart Miller

Try this: Clean 2 Kb's into the rack....now grip the floor with your feet....now pull your kneecaps up and squeeze the quads.....now cramp your glutes......now pull your elbows down towards your pelvis and cramp the abs......now crush the grip......now maintain all that for 15 more seconds while breathing behind the shield.....now park the bells. You can practice ramping up full body tension without moving at all and this will carry over nicely into any double bell work you decide to pursue in training.
Thanks for that, I will be adding that into my practice.


Lots of options, thanks for all the advice.
 
Try this: Clean 2 Kb's into the rack....now grip the floor with your feet....now pull your kneecaps up and squeeze the quads.....now cramp your glutes......now pull your elbows down towards your pelvis and cramp the abs......now crush the grip......now maintain all that for 15 more seconds while breathing behind the shield.....now park the bells. You can practice ramping up full body tension without moving at all and this will carry over nicely into any double bell work you decide to pursue in training

I was shown something very similar by a karate guy I did some work with a few years ago - really effective - thanks for reminding me of it.
 
On a side note when turning in a waiters walk/rack/suitcase carry I have this notion from a SFG that you should keep the weight on the outside of the turn. Ie if the weight is in your right hand you would only turn left. Haven’t seen an SFG in about a year. Is this an idiosyncrasy of the trainer or an SFG teaching? If it’s SFG dogma is there a reason behind it?

Personally I prefer to have students turn toward the weight, as I've found that allows for better control (an important thought with a weight overhead). But there is no SFG standard concerning this
 
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