My Not So Secret Favorite Exercise

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing out-of-shape martial artists.  There is no way you can be at your best in the ring or in a street confrontation without some minimum level of physical fitness.  If you follow me on social media, you have no doubt seen pictures of me walking through the park carrying a heavy sandbag.  I don't do this just to have interesting pics to post.  What I am doing is a phenomenal physical conditioning exercise called the Loaded Carry.  Legendary strength and conditioning coach Dan John said, "The loaded carry does more to expand athletic qualities than any other single thing I've attempted in my career as a coach and athlete."

The loaded carry is a very simple exercise.  All you need to do is pick up something heavy and walk.  That something heavy can be a kettlebell, dumbbell, barbell, hex bar, sandbag, or your little kid.  I often use two or more types of weights simultaneously.  For example, sometimes I will strap on a weighted backpack and grab a kettlebell in each hand and walk fifty yards.  At other times, I will wear a weighted vest and carry a sandbag over my shoulder. 

There are tons of different loaded carry variations.  The benefits of doing loaded carries include improving your grip strength, strengthening your legs, building endurance, increasing work capacity, and strengthening your core.  If you want to learn more, click below to read an article I wrote on loaded carries last year.

Article On Loaded Carries