i used to go on walks with my cat in a backpack carrier. cat was only like 10lbs but she would always be shifting around and it made it much more demanding for long walks.
Worked in construction all my life. It seems the bigger guys (without gym) are the ones carrying lumber and heavy materials equiptment. Try carrying a five gallon bucket of paint in each hand up hill 100 yards. had to do that for a summer and my shoulders looked like some ninja turtle mutation. Functional muscle is a win win.
I gained 20lbs one season fencing by working my ass off every day. Some days I could barely open my hands. Commercial security fence, so carrying 70-100lb steel for 100 meters onto the truck and off at site, so a good 20 reps at the least. Then there was the actual work, every day. Noone I worked with left that job skinny or lacking muscle lmao
I had to carry two buckets with soil and rocks for 200m, several times a day for some weeks. It didn't change much, I just got pain in my feet and some abs because the caloric usage skyrocketed, still not recommended.
Had a paintbucket in my hands a few weeks ago, those are superheavy. I bet you gained gripstrength in your forearms a lot, too. A few years ago before loosing a lot of things in life to depression, I was super strong and fit, but lean. I could work in construction or carry hobby equipment over kilometers. I even could spontaneously run a 18km obstacle course in November at 4 Celsius with diving/swimming, climbing, jumping, carrying things and stuff and succeed in the top 10%, without training running ever before. I just went to the gym and did some kind of max strength circle training + saying yes to every hard labor + sprinting to the bus/tram often bc ADHD is always late :D + extending the range of public transport with my little yellow skateboard :)
During the past couple of months, I have been doing "new dad rucking," carrying my infant son around. The benefits include father-son bonding and automatic progressive overload as "the weight" gets heavier over time...
This is often worse with breastfeeding, but try to make sure your shoulders aren't rolled too far forward. You may need to do some exercises where you rotate your shoulder outwards to prime those muscles before your lifts.
Since each individual person is different what is heavy to you is heavy Whatever feels heavy for you, carry that, then once your body gets used to what felt heavy then up the weight and onwards and upwards. @Appalachias_Son
I walked 400 miles in 28 days from Oslo to Trondheim with 35 pounds on my back. When I picked up my backpack for the first time, I thought I could never do this. It felt so heavy. But after a while I began to enjoy the weight. I somehow felt more sturdy with the weight, more grounded. And taking the backpack off after 25 miles felt like heaven
Just discovered your videos and they're full of interesting nuggets. From what I've seen so far there's nothing about carrying any other way then forwards. Do you ever do any carrying backwards, side steps or pigeon steps etc? I know these would be more awkward and more care would be needed but like with both sled pulling and pushing they work different (and maybe neglected) muscles. Apologies if you've already covered this.
I hiked and camped one night solo on Mount. Rainier my backpack was 75 pounds I was 49 years old. Record snowfall that year, it definitely was a learning experience. Loved it.
Yeah bro I'm tired of working out in the gym man. I forgot that I wanted to get stronger and gain muscles for catch wrestling. I did my time, now I just want to muck around in boats, ruck around the woods looking for heavy shit to lift, throw, carry
Exactly, my buddy and I decided we dont really need the gym we just need hobbies that keep us strong and fit all the time. Who doesn't like picking up heavy rocks and throwing them?!
The thing you said in the intro "it's very possible that rucking is the ultimate functional exercise" I have said this before in my mind and felt very validated just then. What on earth could be a more useful function of your physical body than to carry heavy weight over distance.
Walking long distances and carrying things are the most human things. The forage or hunt haul aint gonna walk its way to your home on its own. It practices literally what we evolved to do.
I carried a 50kg punch bag back 3 miles after buying it on Facebook. I was aching all over for days later. My shoulders, core, back and legs were wrecked but was worth it. I enjoyed the challenge. Great video dude.
@@adamant8501 Thanks man. I've just weighed it and it's 62kg. It's filled with just sand and it was wet when I collected it so would of weighed more. Don't know how I did it because I'm pathetically weak 😂
@@StayTrue1710 i can pull trea from roots with my hands and legs, to do what you did, luke skywalker grit one must have, astounding amount of pure will power at its exuberence with each step. If it was survival, you wish that quality present.
Ask a tradesman about his trade. Ask a service member with disability about weighted walking with a ruck. Intermediate programming routine, once a week or twice a month for longer distances. Short walk, 1-3km, 50% of your bodyweight...long walk, 4-10km, 33% of your bodyweight...extended walk 10-30km, 20% bodyweight. Pace is walking over reasonably flat terrain. There is no sprinting, running or shuffling. The goal is time under the ruck, not a fast time start to finish. Your body improves under pressure, under load. Embrace the suck and embrace the post-workout stretch, foam rolling and ice bath. You only get one spine.
I am a tradesman. This is a very good comment. I am currently spending thousands on trying to fix my back and I am only 43. When you are young you do not feel the damage. Its only when you are older that you start to pay for it
Most of these rucking enthusiasts are about to have a disabled spine and no disability pay to offset it. There's a reason when it's done for work, that those jobs have pensions.
@@cgradomy guy humans were designed to walk long distances carrying shit as long as you aren’t doing something stupid like trying to ruck 50kg over one shoulder for your first time and slowly ease into it you will be fine
That last chapter is so important and very well said. I work as a heavy duty mechanic, and I go to the gym and I do mountain hiking. I guess I'm a big guy, but that last chapter made me look at what I do every week from a different perspective. Thank you.
I decided to get back into shape after suffering a huge loss, and a couple years of grieving. You've been a big inspiration to really commit to working out with sandbags and other non conventional strength training tools. I started 3 months ago, sandbag compound lifts + shouldering, calisthenics basics + weighted, diy rope Olympic rings, diy kettlebells (truck batteries), 5 gallon buckets filled with wet sand for farmers walks and sandbag carries (at the end of every workout) and finally walking with a weighted backpack averaging around 4 times per week, 3 lighter (40 lbs) and 1 heavy (75lbs). Today was a recovery day and decided to go to the beach fishing. No weighted backpack, Just a bucket and 1 rod and I walked down the beach around 2 miles. I spent around 4 hours catching nothing so decided to head back. As I'm walking back, I hit a really soft spot of the beach where I've seen many trucks get stuck. Without too much thinking I went into an all out sprint I'd say for a good half a mile. I truly felt like forest Gump discovering his legs for the first time. I'm almost 42 and haven't felt like that since I was a kid. I sheded skin and left it on the beach. I was a powerlifter years ago with good strength and explosiveness, but nothing like this. At the end of the day, it all ties in and the only natural thing will be to add sprint training to further enhance that ability. Wanted to share that, and I appreciate your content and what you're doing!
I hope time will make your suffering a little easier. It will always be there. But, I hope in time you can find some joy in things, even if it's just a small amount. Good luck.
I'm a disgusting urbanite who doesn't live around beautiful forests. I used to jog with my bicycle on my shoulders as a teenager. Doing it at late night makes sure you don't get weird looks.
Haha that sounds seriously tough! I used to bike a long way to work every day and a few times I had to carry it a few miles when the tire went flat, was hard enough I can only imagine running with it!
With what you said at the end, I can relate with the honest joy of using the body. Not everything is about a paycheck. Some of us simply love working out, and it’s a bonus to have your gym in nature.
7:49 You hit that 2 mile mark and it's like suddenly every part of your body synchronizes into one solid well-oiled machine. Wow, that's scientifically poetic.
@@HExtraordinaire ive done a 10 mile hike-ruck with 30 pound pack. shit was hard as motherfucker, had to take so many breaks mostly from the high elevation ascent. ate a LOT after, slept like a baby. sore for the whole week after. very nice.
I was my strongest when I landscaped. Had to carry 25 gallon brute buckets sometimes upwards of 100-150lbs, up to 1/8. But we did it, all, day, long. Part of me misses doing yard debris clean up. It was honestly the most fun of all the things we had to do. But its also what bulged my L5-S1 disc. Running a mower for miles on end definitely helped, too.
@thestonecircle only did it for 2 years. Couldn't do a damn thing after work, though, which sucked. Eating better probably would have helped with that. Just found the channel and Im enjoying it. Keep it up dude!
I totally get what you mean about that 2 mile threshold. I accidentally discovered that with running when I was in the army. The first mile was ALWAYS the worst. If I could get past that, I could just coast from then on. 2 miles, 5 miles, 7 miles, didn't matter. Once I got past the initial mile I felt like I could go all day. It's an amazing feeling, shame it's so brutal to get there, lol.
Just carried some bags of soil around for backyard gardening. Nothing crazy. I love the shoulder carry. Feels great for the core, and something about carries in general feels really natural. Like the way things should be. Another great video Cody!
Hey thank you! It's always great when you can put that strength to use too! These days the dog food is shoulder carried and the groceries are one giant zercher for me 😁
This is very true. I have no car but thankfully my grocery story is literally 15 min away walking. I would bring back my groceries in my bags. My body overall is in top shape. Strength gains through the roof
This old time farmer strength methodology is awesome. Utterly natural and robust but very effective in the long term. This type of training is instinctual, you are preparing for the zombie apocalypse. When the time comes you’ll be ready to kick ass. I can see you crushing the infected with them logs lol. Keep up the good work bro.
I work as a decorative gardener using only hand tools, nothing powered. Carry around debris in a teash can or tarp. I lift the can up from the ground to my shoulder 100+ times a shift at varying weights and carry it varying distances, usually barefoot. Sometimes the dump site 300 feet away and I overfill the can so it's 80-90 lbs. I love how the functional exercise is naturally integrated into my work day. Great job, best hobby there ever was.
@thestonecircle Ya dude, I feel really lucky to have fallen into gardening as a hobby and career. Once you catch the green thumb disease it's over, you're hooked, it was tasting the amazing difference between store tomatoes and a fully ripe heirloom bred for flavor, warm from the sun. Pretty much everything tastes wildly better when grown yourself or foraged.
There’s so much wisdom and common sense in your videos. I walk an hour everyday in the woods. Tomorrow I might just pick up a heavy rock for the first time
this is something I have realised that sets you on a different path from those just doing isolated movements at gyms. Being able to do full body engagement stuff is such a primal thing and is key to living in my opinion. I love doing the Kettlebell workouts for all that full body engagement.
Heavy rucking has two great benefits for people who like being prepared: 1. Backpacking becomes a walk in the park. 2. If someone who you care about gets hurt (potentially while backpacking) then you can carry them (if they're safe to move)
Cardio+weights was my go to. I was wearing a 25lb backpack with me everywhere and cycling longer distances when it would take to long for me to walk. Doing core workouts and dips got me nearly shredded. It was a great time
When I built my little wilderness cabin years back, the nearest road was like 500 meters from the builtsite. From that road I had to carry all the lumber and other stuff needed to build the cabin. Didnt need any other training back then, and my core strenght was on another level. Also a pretty nice feeling to look at the finished cabin and think to myself "I carried all of that cabin here on my shoulders" 😂 Where do you get all those cool medieval linen/wool clothes from? Looks perfect for rugged wilderness training. I want those
That is so awesome you build a cabin, I'd love to do that myself one day! You really did carry an entire cabin haha hell yeah. I recommend Grimfrost for the clothes!
Bro i was helping my buddy put up some 12' posts for a pavilion yesterday by hand and man that was the best workout ive had in so long. Carrying 5 gallon buckets full of dirt, using logs to pound and compact the earth around the pillars, just digging in the rocky root filled soil. My back is all lit up still right now it feels great. Best was farmers carrying the buckets of dirt, the entire side of my body was working
@@KwBeee Yea im sure it can, especially when you really know what you're doing. I said this was the best workout I personally have had in a long time because it was. Hit parts of my back i usually dont hit that well lifting normally
so true man, i did started recently with farmers carry each 22kg per arm :) that hits so good, maybe even more as its relatively huge load for my bodyweight
I started working as an ironworker and I wearing a heavy harness daily has absolutely made me way stronger. I'm a skinny dude but now I don't look weak. I can sport a tank top and feel good wearing it! My body has changed immensely from heavy lifting and labor.
Fuck yeah dude. Im a sparky and I wear a tool belt loaded to the max, plus a power tool or two depending. My coworkers make fun of me but I'm stronger than most of them and have less body pain than they do lmao
A large dog on each side, 15kg in the backpack and a 5 mile treck. My go to training for the last few years. Strength, power, endurance and cardio training all in one go. And the guys get their daily exercise too. All done in a little more than an hour. Win, win, win situation
1. This video is very insightful. Maybe I will start doing this on my land with my old lady 2. The amount of interaction that you personally have with your comment section I.e lots of comments liked and responded to by you is wonderful and I really think that is going to pay off in the long run. God bless you
It is similar to our ruck marches we did in the army. In the beginning it's brutal because the body isn't used to moving with much more mass than it holds. We did around 40-50lb rucksacks plus your weapon (in my case the big machineguns) plus all your body armor for a nice 12-15 miles with longest one I've ever done was around 17. It became one of my favorite things to do, as you truly get to zone out and enter your mind. It becomes this walk of solitude even with other people next to you. And each time your body adapts more and more until i was even able to jog/sprint some short distances in between the march to finish at a better time. (our avg was 3 hours for 12 miles). Seeing this makes me want to pick it up back again. Your body feels near indestructible once you do it consistently.
Top tier info provided to people for free. I’ve been doing long distance heavy carrying for years and can confirm the benefits are huge and results are incredible. Took my 120lb sandbag for a 10 minute walk without setting it down, changed positions when needed of course. Goal is to take 120lbs for a 20 minute walk before the new year.
Rucking is the king of all exercises IMO. 18 straight months of rucking has transformed my body in virtually every way that could be considered beneficial. I'll never stop.
@@ThalanoxNot as far as I can tell. I had a bad knee, due to injury, for many years prior to taking up rucking and a combination of long distance rucking, fasting and carnivore diet has completely eliminated my aches and pains. I take no medications whatsoever, not even OTC pain relievers, because I have no need.
@@Thalanoxshouldn’t damage your joints as long as you build up slowly, at least if you are not used to walking with a heavy load! I also recommend checking out barefoot shoes! Only used them for three months and my knee pain disappeared and my ankle flexibility improved to the point where deep squats and pistol squats are no longer a problem! Just make sure to ease your body into them, changes the way you walk!
@@ReoL_17how does your physique look. I too have done army basic training and my body transformed. I thought they put steroids with those shots as the difference was surprising
For most of COVID I did my training with a 90lb sandbag. Just walking, like, up to a mile or more carrying this stupid bag. I found my strength for powerlifting did not diminish at all thanks to this training.
Hah I also did some sandbag training. I bought 200lbs of sand from Home Depot. Made a 70lb backpack to do squats with and push ups and then the 130 into a bag for carries and "stone" walks and lifts. It honestly saved me from going absolutely crazy during that time.
I started my lifting journey this way thanks to a small sandbag book. My fav thing out of that entire book was the "Atlas" routine. Basically a collection of holds for an hour and you're not allowed to put it down. You're only allowed to change holds. Loved it. Probably didn't hurt that I was already a fan of Atlas in Greek mythology. This leads to a story about 2 years later. I was up to a 100lb bag. I was thinking of just stopping there weight wise and letting time under tension, variety, etc do the rest. On my way home from work...I see this huge sandbag on the side of the road "the f is my bag doing out here." I get home and my out of shape roommate is plastered on the coach. He had attempted to take this bag I'd worked up to on his 1st try and carry it to the track like I do only also in the middle of the summer day as opposed to morning. By the time he made it to the track, he'd decided to turn around and go back but couldn't make it with the bag! His own words "I thought I was gonna die!"
@@warriorfire8103 hah! That's quite funny. I actually never thought about doing long holds like that with it. That's honestly a great idea. I love carries because it's full body, it's useful and it's time under tension the entire time. I guess I've never thought too hard about them and using them more frequently. As soon as the gyms opened back up I went back to lifting. Maybe I'll have to do some carries again and longer holds just for the hell of it.
@@Dugrath try hold a overhead bumbbellpress a top point, then move slowly, then stand, then .. try it while standing, and try to stand.. on.. one leg man.. your body wobbeling will show you how good your stability from toetip ankle up to core and shoulders and arms and wrists really is ;)
back when i was active duty, i did a norwegian ruck march, 18.6 miles with 25 pounds. (not counting water, snacks, etc). shit was fun. ive never been slim or lean, grew up husky. every day was leg day lol. always told my buddies im like a buffalo built for endurance, not a gazelle built for speed. always liked our rucking days for PT. simple, straightforward, constructive work.
Our 26 mile road march with full A.L.I.C.E. pack and sometimes in full MOPP gear wasn't much fun in basic. Especially because if the slinky effect and having to double time to tighten up the formation😢
Im a highrise plumber and I often have to carry 4" - 10" cast iron 12 foot lengths. It has changed my physique and despite most people thinking my work partner and i are crazy, it has increased my stability and strength significantly. However one wrong move and u can get seriously injured. Be careful.
For the "get a job" part my best friends happens to carry canoes into trucks as his summer job and he love it exactly for the reasons you describe, the hard work making him fit without needing to go to the gym or take any of his free time to work out and instead being paid for his gains
I've been homeless numerous times and bc of that even after having my own place i still make it a habit to carry my assault bag around, which is around 50 to 70lbs, when i go on walks, which is often 5 - 7 miles
For people who say “Get a job lifting heavy things” I’ve worked construction/roofing for a couple years and it’s tough work. It was honestly too laboring for me even when I’d try my hardest so it’s not a definite answer. Could VERY well work for someone else, but it wasn’t working for me unfortunately.
Gardening has a better balance. You make it as intense as you want it by expanding into rockwork or earthworks. But as is, nice amount of labor. I carry a trash can of debris around all day and it keeps me string and limber. Getting up and down from the ground and lifting something from there to my shoulders over and over always makes me feel better at the end of the day than how I felt in the morning.
I used to do farmer's carriers outside on my off days. No sets, no reps, no time limit; just go outside, enjoy the nice weather - with a kettlebell in your hand. Outside of the strange looks you get from passers-by, I loved it. Over time, however, I started doing it less and less frequently, until I dropped it completely without even noticing - not just the carries, but walks altogether. And now that I'm, again, reintroducing regular walks into my routine, I'm looking to perhaps start carrying a kettlebell too. I'm definitely going to tomorrow.
Been Bearhugging like crazy since watching your vids! Walking with a pile (220lbs) of plates compressed against my chest/stomach with some squats thrown in is a whole new level of taxing! Just started incorporating a 135lb sandbag-over-shoulder carry too. Great stuff!
I discovered the beauty of this work out last year carrying logs like that in the bush in New Zealand. I found you can carry unbeleivebly heavy loads more than you can pick up normally by balancing the force of the centre of mass of the log down directly through your body so it is not only your muscles supporting the weight but your whole skeleton with bones and ligaments all taking their share of the load which also strengthens these aswell. Once you have it in this position and you start walking you start working out so many muscles you dont normally work out within your core trunk as these pull and balance any shifts in weight . you are also getting a good cardiovascular workout and also exercising your mental willpower through endurance. just be careful when crossing any water courses or going down hill where it is slippery and have a preplanned immediate action drill of what you are going to do if you loose balance so you can throw the log off in a safe direction and not have it land on top of you when u slip over and come to a rest on the ground.
I've never heard of Rucking but live next to a limestone quarry. I've always thought about taking a stone from the bottom to the top of the hills. Thanks for the motivation, I'll be doing this tonight.
Can confirm Been doing this in ways that are unconventional (and by necessity due to the nature of my work, however often it happens), and the gains are incredible. Add onto that the usual sandbag training (that you inspired, thank you for this) and some classic calisthenics, it ends up rounding everything well.
Why would I pay hundreds and even thousands for a gym membership when the world is literally a free gym. Not that there's not benefits to both, but saying one is better than the other is completely objective and an opinion. People take things too seriously. Great video! Definitely got some inspiration.
I've been going to the gym for 7 years, but I never took it seriously, so I never had significant gains, just gradual improvements over time. That changed when I spent 3 years delivering industrial cleaning products. I had no idea how heavy those things were! I stopped working out during that time because the job took every ounce of energy I had. Eventually, I got back to an office job and returned to the gym. I gained weight so fast it felt strange. My muscle mass exploded-in a year, I put on 35 pounds. Of course, I eat well and supplement whenever I can, but it really surprised me how much stronger I got.
Bruh, sometimes cardio gets boring and I like doing barefoot shoe trail runs. This is awesome inspiration brother, thank you for this video. Will be sure to throw this into rotation every now and again.
I'm a saxophonist, tenor. Carrying it feels like what you describe. I feel my abs working when carrying it on one hand, like a suitcase carry. Great vid!
I do this for work. And iv thought of it and oddly added it to my training. Now your video pops up, im adding a reminder to do it more! Had a month out in the bush and i felt so great, seen myself in a mirror once home i was shocked. Now im pushing to keep and increase. Thank you kia ora
The power of just walking a five gallon bucket of water to the barn is great, log carrying is great and chopping wood is outstanding, it’s so simple but that simplicity builds your body
Brother, you are a pleasure to listen to. Thank you. I'll comment about construction blocks. I have a stack of them from Lowes. They're 8x8x16 and each one weights 38 pounds. I do a workout three days a week where I move my stack from the back yard to the front yard . . . then back. My goal is to move them as fast as possible, so it's a game where I go for time. Sometimes I carry one . . . sometimes one in each hand, sometimes two or three on top of each other. Whatever I feel like. Anything goes. (It's a fartlek of moving blocks. 😁) The point is to move them, stack them, then move them back again. I also incorporate KB swings, push-ups, squats, etc. just to make it challenging. I have 32 blocks. As of today, they're priced at $2.47 each but anyone who wants to try this doesn't need 32. You can get 4-5 and play the same game. Stack them and see how many times you can move the stack. Final point . . . I don't count. I work. I don't measure myself by how many blocks I've moved but by how many remain and how big the stack is. Eliminating counting makes it like meditation. Sorry if I'm not being clear. You just have to try it to understand. Thank you again for a terrific channel!
I feel this deeply, especially when holding beams in place for minutes at a time or using a sawzall to cut things above my head for hours. My shoulders are nice and healthy. Muscle endurance is the best thing on earth.
I think it actually comes down to a multitude of biological factors: the synergist muscles, ligament and tendon's (which can also strengthen with training), increased bone density through training and joint capsule adaptation that are often missed through isolated exercises, and even through traditional compound exercises.
i work in outdoor pest control and carry a heavy sprayer pack around on my back to treat the lawns. its been good endurance training. neat that this appeared in my algorithm.
Thanks for the inspiration! Gonna do this tomorrow, really looking forward to it! I'm lucky enough to live 500 meters from a forest, and there are big stones everywhere because it's Sweden. It's cool how this footage is from the other side of the planet, but the forest looks almost the same as here. Pine, birch, and fir trees everywhere :)
my army NCO's are BRUTAL, gave us a minimum weight limit of 60 lbs haha for a 15 mile ruck, not including the weight of our rifles, helmets and plates in our vests.
going shopping by foot or carrying anything home by yourself instead of using a motorized vehicle is great, especially when you get water in chests and in glassbottles, gains with just doing what you need to live
Heavy carries like this require different stabilization especially of the core and shoulders, but also hips and legs. Many people struggle with control of their stabilizer muscles in at least one of those areas, so therefore this will train them. The only thing to watch out for is making sure you're able to activate the stabilizer muscles at all, when starting weak. Don't ask me for further info about specific carry lifts. This guy knows what he's talking about without knowing entire functional muscular anatomy
Your videos are absolutely incredible. They've opened my eyes to a completely different way of training. I worked for several years in groundworking (laying driveways and patios), and my boss would say you could take any groundworker in the country, and put him in any boxing gym, and he'd be the toughest guy in there. Your videos really reinforced to me that the best type of strength training is to mimic activities in the real world. Thank you for sharing your training regimes.
Sup Cody. Just subscribed to your channel. I'm in the moving/delivery industry, so I am carrying odd and heavy objects all of the time! When I am not, I am doing holds and carrys with the hex bar, barbell, and dumbbells. Back squat, front squat carries, farmers carries, overhead carries, and behind the neck carries. Even plate carrying. 45lbs or 100lbs stacked on top of each other and carry them as if they are boxes. Definitely hits different and takes your overall strength to newer heights!!
i am not a strong person, and i do this with much lighter objects, i feel that it forces you to be aware of all your muscles and helps build your balance. It feels more medatative to me and forces me to be slower and enjoy a short hike more.
I did a lot of rucking in highschool... Carrying my school bag walking to the bus stop, to train station, to school. The textbooks are around 5kg-10kg.
“Found object rucking” is an incredibly advanced way of saying, picking up a really cool rocker stick and carrying it with you, I remember when I was a kid we used to always see who could carry the biggest rock or the largest log, if I had known that one day if I got old enough, that other people would care about how big a stone could carry I would have trained harder every day back then, it’s too bad that an eight-year-old you’re just told by your parents to put it down
Yeah this really does feel closer to that feeling of excitement you had as a kid rather than training in a gym, I agree it really is a shame "put that down" is the norm
Advice for people. You can bike to a location with a somewhat scenic route and then carry your bike. Either shoulder under top bar of the frame and just alternate, also adding frontal carry. You can also get a belt or something to wrap around and carry the bike on your back so you cover all bases.
This is why your approach to fitness is next level.. I have enjoyed doing these type of things myself for a long time and it's awesome to see someone else does too but you bring an educational aspect to it too. Awesome video and great scenery.
Watching this video made me realize I already do a version of this training,, albeit a somewhat funny and inconsistent one. I’m part of a pretty big family but the only one in my age group (late teens) so I usually end up watching the younger cousins while the adults of the family mingle. Their favorite game we’ve created is called Car. As you probably guessed, *I* am the car. A game where you tote around 40-80 pound kids for hours and often have to chase some of them (a favorite command of my cousins is *run over _____*) can make you surprisingly sore but is still doable for now. I think I’m probably gonna have to start actually training for this like in video as the kids are getting bigger, but a guy like you is an inspiration cause you’d probably be much better at this game!
I've been doing only farmers carries for months, and for sure my muscular endurance, posture, and even chronic pain in my wrist has improved to the point of being gone. I love walking with weight, definitely need to try walking with objects like big rocks or logs though.
Awesome stuff man! Hey I get it. I used to do demo work and now I’m a therapist. I didn’t have to work out when I was doing demo work but in my 40’s I didn’t want to have to do that everyday. Loving the sandbag stuff. Just graduated from 100 to 150 today and man. It felt like when hulk hogan body slammed andre the first carry set I did 😂
I do this for gathering firewood. It’s slower than hauling by cart, but it’s a good workout when I have the time. A towel over the shoulder makes for less bruising and a more comfortable carry.
I had a weighted vest, belt, pants and ankle weights. I never put them all on and I'm still sad about not becoming the Juggernaut. But eventually I'll rebuild that set and make the attempt again. Just have fun out there. Good luck and get some
I've used this style of exercise for many years off and on for various labor intensive tasks. It's gotten to the point where I use a backpack and a large wooden walking staff to use as a yoke for when I bring in groceries.
Ive built a zen rock garden a top the highest plateau on an island 🪨 Gathering, paddleing and carrying the rocks to the location from all over the lake. Hard labour clears the mind & heals the soul. 💎💙
I worked in construction from 13 to 26, and then transitioned to more of a consultant position. I love to lift and carry heavy things, now I carry a clipboard. I started rucking and doing weighted carries because of the joy of lifting and to stay active. Carrying drywall and stucco all worked muscle, but a sustained carry, 2hrs with an extra 60lbs, has a different effect on the body.
Went out to try this earlier. Only had a 45 pound bag a mulch on hand. Thought it was gonna be too light... With only a two mile distance, my arms and back certainly are feeling it. Thank you for sharing this neat and fun idea!
Excellent video yet again my bro. I love that stuff man like just grabbing a random log or something and moving around with it - no idea the weight, it wasn’t designed to be lifted but you’re just going on pure feel and stimulus. I kinda forgot about that kinda stuff…. Definitely something I need to mix into it all, so thanks yet again for the reminder!!! Also I think the most excruciating feeling and biggest pump I’ve ever had in my traps and upper back was carrying a log home from a park. It was about a 15 minute walk, I probably put it down a few times, can’t really remember this was yyyeeeaarrrssss ago. The simplicity is brilliant… no technique, no misgrooving it…. Just lunk it up and walk.
Thanks man! That's exactly what I like about it so much, it's just raw effort, no thought of anything else, like you said just lunk it up and walk! Really a big part of why I think stone lifting is so cool too, just you vs the stone
Solid video man, this type of raw training really does appeal to alot of us. Your videos inspired me to get hold of a sandbad myself and once I did I gave the floor-to-shoulder movement a go aswell as the squats and carries .. damn man.. you make it look easy ! Keep up the strong work bro 💪
Recently started building some Raised beds around my home for plants, I am probably gonna build them far from the pile of soil I have, will carry it in a large steel basket probably weighs like 15 kg when full, but I am like 5'6 and 65 kg, will walk like 30 meters with it for like 10-15 laps in the morning and evening and not to mention chopping wood and my regular heavy bag work and small excercises like tricep pull downs, bicep curls, shoulder shrugs, skull crushers and street soccer with the boys at night. this should help me improve
i used to go on walks with my cat in a backpack carrier. cat was only like 10lbs but she would always be shifting around and it made it much more demanding for long walks.
That's so awesome haha. Also get that added benefit of feeling like you succeeded that day as an animal parent 😁
I did this with each of my three sons until he exceeded the allowed maximum load of 22kg - perfect progressive overload 😄
@@creativetraininghacks real life Milo!!
I've been taking my 15lb chonker with me on walks so Im excited about this considering your results
@elephantchildswhy stop there?
Worked in construction all my life. It seems the bigger guys (without gym) are the ones carrying lumber and heavy materials equiptment. Try carrying a five gallon bucket of paint in each hand up hill 100 yards. had to do that for a summer and my shoulders looked like some ninja turtle mutation. Functional muscle is a win win.
Hahah man that sounds brutal!!
Wheelbarrow work too or loading up rubble.
I gained 20lbs one season fencing by working my ass off every day. Some days I could barely open my hands. Commercial security fence, so carrying 70-100lb steel for 100 meters onto the truck and off at site, so a good 20 reps at the least. Then there was the actual work, every day. Noone I worked with left that job skinny or lacking muscle lmao
I had to carry two buckets with soil and rocks for 200m, several times a day for some weeks. It didn't change much, I just got pain in my feet and some abs because the caloric usage skyrocketed, still not recommended.
Had a paintbucket in my hands a few weeks ago, those are superheavy. I bet you gained gripstrength in your forearms a lot, too. A few years ago before loosing a lot of things in life to depression, I was super strong and fit, but lean. I could work in construction or carry hobby equipment over kilometers. I even could spontaneously run a 18km obstacle course in November at 4 Celsius with diving/swimming, climbing, jumping, carrying things and stuff and succeed in the top 10%, without training running ever before.
I just went to the gym and did some kind of max strength circle training + saying yes to every hard labor + sprinting to the bus/tram often bc ADHD is always late :D + extending the range of public transport with my little yellow skateboard :)
During the past couple of months, I have been doing "new dad rucking," carrying my infant son around. The benefits include father-son bonding and automatic progressive overload as "the weight" gets heavier over time...
You are a modern day milo!
10 years later: "Daaad! I REALLY don't need to be carried anymore!"
This is often worse with breastfeeding, but try to make sure your shoulders aren't rolled too far forward. You may need to do some exercises where you rotate your shoulder outwards to prime those muscles before your lifts.
Dude, congrats. Best of luck bro.
You are also not allowed to drop it
Heavy rucking and farmer's walk have absolutely changed my physique.
Heck yeah same here!!
How so?
@@firstname-qq3xp he's a better farmer now
@@firstname-qq3xpbigger traps forearms hands etc
Since each individual person is different what is heavy to you is heavy
Whatever feels heavy for you, carry that, then once your body gets used to what felt heavy then up the weight and onwards and upwards.
@Appalachias_Son
Who's gonna carry the boats
I guess that'd be us!
STAY HARD!
And the LOGS
@@brandonrogers8621 Lift logs snort viagra
Nah he carried the logs
I walked 400 miles in 28 days from Oslo to Trondheim with 35 pounds on my back. When I picked up my backpack for the first time, I thought I could never do this. It felt so heavy. But after a while I began to enjoy the weight. I somehow felt more sturdy with the weight, more grounded. And taking the backpack off after 25 miles felt like heaven
Wow that must have been a life changing journey!
Just discovered your videos and they're full of interesting nuggets.
From what I've seen so far there's nothing about carrying any other way then forwards.
Do you ever do any carrying backwards, side steps or pigeon steps etc?
I know these would be more awkward and more care would be needed but like with both sled pulling and pushing they work different (and maybe neglected) muscles.
Apologies if you've already covered this.
I hiked and camped one night solo on Mount. Rainier my backpack was 75 pounds I was 49 years old. Record snowfall that year, it definitely was a learning experience. Loved it.
@jonsmith20766 hey glad you like them! I haven't made a video on that but it's a really great idea thank you!
@louiscolborn6715 that snow really adds to it too!
2:15 "small" roughly 100lb stone. yes. thats quite a light lift for a few kilometer walk. insane bro. props to u fr
Haha it did get heavy after a little while 😄 thanks!
I used to think those 20 lb CRT laptops were heavy to carry 1 km from the Central Station to the office, but 100 lb - holy sh*t...
Picking up that stone would blow my back out
Yeah bro I'm tired of working out in the gym man. I forgot that I wanted to get stronger and gain muscles for catch wrestling. I did my time, now I just want to muck around in boats, ruck around the woods looking for heavy shit to lift, throw, carry
Exactly!!
Lol wtf
catch wrestling? Shit man where do you train? Been looking for it
Bro
Exactly, my buddy and I decided we dont really need the gym we just need hobbies that keep us strong and fit all the time. Who doesn't like picking up heavy rocks and throwing them?!
The thing you said in the intro "it's very possible that rucking is the ultimate functional exercise"
I have said this before in my mind and felt very validated just then. What on earth could be a more useful function of your physical body than to carry heavy weight over distance.
Exactly!!
Walking long distances and carrying things are the most human things. The forage or hunt haul aint gonna walk its way to your home on its own. It practices literally what we evolved to do.
I just got my body packed with some amount mass by walking a whole day while carrying weights
The only other thing I could say to match that is high explosive dynamic movement. Like parkour or rock climbing
yuh
I carried a 50kg punch bag back 3 miles after buying it on Facebook. I was aching all over for days later. My shoulders, core, back and legs were wrecked but was worth it. I enjoyed the challenge. Great video dude.
Hey thank you, I've been in similar situations haha it really takes it out of you!!
That kind of grit...Respect to you bro
@@adamant8501 Thanks man. I've just weighed it and it's 62kg. It's filled with just sand and it was wet when I collected it so would of weighed more. Don't know how I did it because I'm pathetically weak 😂
@@StayTrue1710 i can pull trea from roots with my hands and legs, to do what you did, luke skywalker grit one must have, astounding amount of pure will power at its exuberence with each step.
If it was survival, you wish that quality present.
@@StayTrue1710 had the exact same experience of carrying a wet punching bag up and down hill for a mile or two, horrible stuff 😅
Ask a tradesman about his trade. Ask a service member with disability about weighted walking with a ruck. Intermediate programming routine, once a week or twice a month for longer distances. Short walk, 1-3km, 50% of your bodyweight...long walk, 4-10km, 33% of your bodyweight...extended walk 10-30km, 20% bodyweight. Pace is walking over reasonably flat terrain. There is no sprinting, running or shuffling. The goal is time under the ruck, not a fast time start to finish. Your body improves under pressure, under load. Embrace the suck and embrace the post-workout stretch, foam rolling and ice bath. You only get one spine.
Post workout ice bath is a no no unless its a couple hours after the fact. Rogan had a guest on who had the studies about it.
I am a tradesman. This is a very good comment. I am currently spending thousands on trying to fix my back and I am only 43. When you are young you do not feel the damage. Its only when you are older that you start to pay for it
"You only get one spine" I needed to hear that 💪
Most of these rucking enthusiasts are about to have a disabled spine and no disability pay to offset it. There's a reason when it's done for work, that those jobs have pensions.
@@cgradomy guy humans were designed to walk long distances carrying shit as long as you aren’t doing something stupid like trying to ruck 50kg over one shoulder for your first time and slowly ease into it you will be fine
That last chapter is so important and very well said. I work as a heavy duty mechanic, and I go to the gym and I do mountain hiking. I guess I'm a big guy, but that last chapter made me look at what I do every week from a different perspective. Thank you.
Hey thank you I'm really glad you liked it!
I decided to get back into shape after suffering a huge loss, and a couple years of grieving.
You've been a big inspiration to really commit to working out with sandbags and other non conventional strength training tools.
I started 3 months ago, sandbag compound lifts + shouldering, calisthenics basics + weighted, diy rope Olympic rings, diy kettlebells (truck batteries), 5 gallon buckets filled with wet sand for farmers walks and sandbag carries (at the end of every workout) and finally walking with a weighted backpack averaging around 4 times per week, 3 lighter (40 lbs) and 1 heavy (75lbs).
Today was a recovery day and decided to go to the beach fishing. No weighted backpack, Just a bucket and 1 rod and I walked down the beach around 2 miles. I spent around 4 hours catching nothing so decided to head back.
As I'm walking back, I hit a really soft spot of the beach where I've seen many trucks get stuck. Without too much thinking I went into an all out sprint I'd say for a good half a mile. I truly felt like forest Gump discovering his legs for the first time. I'm almost 42 and haven't felt like that since I was a kid. I sheded skin and left it on the beach. I was a powerlifter years ago with good strength and explosiveness, but nothing like this.
At the end of the day, it all ties in and the only natural thing will be to add sprint training to further enhance that ability.
Wanted to share that, and I appreciate your content and what you're doing!
I hope time will make your suffering a little easier. It will always be there. But, I hope in time you can find some joy in things, even if it's just a small amount. Good luck.
@delt19 thank you and God bless. We have to keep moving forward and find our way
Truly inspiring story thank you so much for this!!
God gives us peace. Often that is achieved through labor or adversity. Stay the course, amigo and I hope you continue to heal. May God bless you
@georgerafa5041 thank you guys! Thanks friend!
I'm a disgusting urbanite who doesn't live around beautiful forests.
I used to jog with my bicycle on my shoulders as a teenager. Doing it at late night makes sure you don't get weird looks.
Haha that sounds seriously tough! I used to bike a long way to work every day and a few times I had to carry it a few miles when the tire went flat, was hard enough I can only imagine running with it!
here police would stop me in a heartbeat if I was with my bike on my shoulders hahah would need to have the bike receipt
@tripparian8913 haha they all seem to get away with it here, see guys pushing 4 or 5 bikes down my street every day 😅
I host a training ride every spring riding to, and carrying the bike up, all the staircases in town. 20 miles and 1100 steps.
haha nicey man, love from germany :D
Right on. Carries are simply the most enjoyable form of no-nonsense training
Agreed!
With what you said at the end, I can relate with the honest joy of using the body. Not everything is about a paycheck. Some of us simply love working out, and it’s a bonus to have your gym in nature.
Exactly!
7:49 You hit that 2 mile mark and it's like suddenly every part of your body synchronizes into one solid well-oiled machine.
Wow, that's scientifically poetic.
Haha it's a pretty cool feeling! 😁
It's sounds like running you get to a point to where you want to quit but when you get past that point you don't want to stop.
I've done a 10 mile walk. That shit is enlightening. I don't recommend it though
yuh
@@HExtraordinaire ive done a 10 mile hike-ruck with 30 pound pack. shit was hard as motherfucker, had to take so many breaks mostly from the high elevation ascent. ate a LOT after, slept like a baby. sore for the whole week after. very nice.
I was my strongest when I landscaped. Had to carry 25 gallon brute buckets sometimes upwards of 100-150lbs, up to 1/8. But we did it, all, day, long.
Part of me misses doing yard debris clean up. It was honestly the most fun of all the things we had to do. But its also what bulged my L5-S1 disc. Running a mower for miles on end definitely helped, too.
100-150 lb buckets all day man that's a hard days work right there!
@thestonecircle only did it for 2 years. Couldn't do a damn thing after work, though, which sucked. Eating better probably would have helped with that.
Just found the channel and Im enjoying it. Keep it up dude!
@@BrandenH-O051 I can't imagine doing anything other than laying around after that haha. Hey glad to have you here!!
I totally get what you mean about that 2 mile threshold. I accidentally discovered that with running when I was in the army. The first mile was ALWAYS the worst. If I could get past that, I could just coast from then on. 2 miles, 5 miles, 7 miles, didn't matter. Once I got past the initial mile I felt like I could go all day. It's an amazing feeling, shame it's so brutal to get there, lol.
Haha exactly! Worth it but that first part really is brutal 😄
This is what it’s like traveling with a heavy canoe; portaging and paddling it’s a beautiful balance of fitness
Just carried some bags of soil around for backyard gardening. Nothing crazy. I love the shoulder carry. Feels great for the core, and something about carries in general feels really natural. Like the way things should be. Another great video Cody!
Hey thank you! It's always great when you can put that strength to use too! These days the dog food is shoulder carried and the groceries are one giant zercher for me 😁
@@thestonecircle haha the end goal of course is to carry all the groceries in one trip. That's what we're working towards. 😂
@@stephendietrich41 yes haha
This is very true. I have no car but thankfully my grocery story is literally 15 min away walking. I would bring back my groceries in my bags. My body overall is in top shape. Strength gains through the roof
It really helps!!
This old time farmer strength methodology is awesome. Utterly natural and robust but very effective in the long term. This type of training is instinctual, you are preparing for the zombie apocalypse. When the time comes you’ll be ready to kick ass. I can see you crushing the infected with them logs lol. Keep up the good work bro.
Hahah yes gonna be ready when it comes! 😄
Yeah man, this guy can setup all sorts of heavy deadfalls and suchbto squash them zombies good!
I work as a decorative gardener using only hand tools, nothing powered. Carry around debris in a teash can or tarp. I lift the can up from the ground to my shoulder 100+ times a shift at varying weights and carry it varying distances, usually barefoot. Sometimes the dump site 300 feet away and I overfill the can so it's 80-90 lbs. I love how the functional exercise is naturally integrated into my work day. Great job, best hobby there ever was.
That sounds so awesome!!
@thestonecircle Ya dude, I feel really lucky to have fallen into gardening as a hobby and career. Once you catch the green thumb disease it's over, you're hooked, it was tasting the amazing difference between store tomatoes and a fully ripe heirloom bred for flavor, warm from the sun. Pretty much everything tastes wildly better when grown yourself or foraged.
There’s so much wisdom and common sense in your videos. I walk an hour everyday in the woods. Tomorrow I might just pick up a heavy rock for the first time
Thank you! I really enjoy making them 🙂 That sounds so great I hope you like adding the rock!
Just a reminder to pick that rock up today.
@@shadowfantasiesf8556 will do!
and comments here are really cool, almost as good as in aphex twin videos comment section, but only almost (;
this is something I have realised that sets you on a different path from those just doing isolated movements at gyms. Being able to do full body engagement stuff is such a primal thing and is key to living in my opinion. I love doing the Kettlebell workouts for all that full body engagement.
Heavy rucking has two great benefits for people who like being prepared:
1. Backpacking becomes a walk in the park.
2. If someone who you care about gets hurt (potentially while backpacking) then you can carry them (if they're safe to move)
Definitely!
I'm in. I've been sprinting up the hill in my neighborhood for power and fitness and this is a natural inclusion.
Heck yeah!
Cardio+weights was my go to. I was wearing a 25lb backpack with me everywhere and cycling longer distances when it would take to long for me to walk. Doing core workouts and dips got me nearly shredded. It was a great time
It's a great combo!
When I built my little wilderness cabin years back, the nearest road was like 500 meters from the builtsite. From that road I had to carry all the lumber and other stuff needed to build the cabin. Didnt need any other training back then, and my core strenght was on another level. Also a pretty nice feeling to look at the finished cabin and think to myself "I carried all of that cabin here on my shoulders" 😂
Where do you get all those cool medieval linen/wool clothes from? Looks perfect for rugged wilderness training. I want those
That is so awesome you build a cabin, I'd love to do that myself one day! You really did carry an entire cabin haha hell yeah. I recommend Grimfrost for the clothes!
Bro i was helping my buddy put up some 12' posts for a pavilion yesterday by hand and man that was the best workout ive had in so long. Carrying 5 gallon buckets full of dirt, using logs to pound and compact the earth around the pillars, just digging in the rocky root filled soil. My back is all lit up still right now it feels great. Best was farmers carrying the buckets of dirt, the entire side of my body was working
Love that kind of work, you really do feel it!!
Going to the gym can get you a better workout haha
@@KwBeee Yea im sure it can, especially when you really know what you're doing. I said this was the best workout I personally have had in a long time because it was. Hit parts of my back i usually dont hit that well lifting normally
so true man, i did started recently with farmers carry each 22kg per arm :) that hits so good, maybe even more as its relatively huge load for my bodyweight
I started working as an ironworker and I wearing a heavy harness daily has absolutely made me way stronger. I'm a skinny dude but now I don't look weak. I can sport a tank top and feel good wearing it! My body has changed immensely from heavy lifting and labor.
Hell yeah!!
Fuck yeah dude. Im a sparky and I wear a tool belt loaded to the max, plus a power tool or two depending. My coworkers make fun of me but I'm stronger than most of them and have less body pain than they do lmao
Someone took the ending of Cowboy Bebop to heart.
Great point on the diverse of appeal of rucking. It really is the best all-around prep.
Nothing else like it!
A large dog on each side, 15kg in the backpack and a 5 mile treck. My go to training for the last few years. Strength, power, endurance and cardio training all in one go. And the guys get their daily exercise too. All done in a little more than an hour. Win, win, win situation
That sounds perfect
Rad 😎
I love the mentality of “just pick something up and carry it.” Definitely gotta try this sometime
Haha doesn't get any more basic than that!
1. This video is very insightful. Maybe I will start doing this on my land with my old lady
2. The amount of interaction that you personally have with your comment section I.e lots of comments liked and responded to by you is wonderful and I really think that is going to pay off in the long run. God bless you
Hey thank you I appreciate it! Good luck with the carries!
It is similar to our ruck marches we did in the army. In the beginning it's brutal because the body isn't used to moving with much more mass than it holds. We did around 40-50lb rucksacks plus your weapon (in my case the big machineguns) plus all your body armor for a nice 12-15 miles with longest one I've ever done was around 17. It became one of my favorite things to do, as you truly get to zone out and enter your mind. It becomes this walk of solitude even with other people next to you. And each time your body adapts more and more until i was even able to jog/sprint some short distances in between the march to finish at a better time. (our avg was 3 hours for 12 miles). Seeing this makes me want to pick it up back again. Your body feels near indestructible once you do it consistently.
Thank you for this great insight man!! It's such a great way to bulletproof the body
I am all about the sandbags and gymnastic rings. Great content by the way. Huge fan.
Amazing combo! And thank you 🙂
Ditto!
Top tier info provided to people for free.
I’ve been doing long distance heavy carrying for years and can confirm the benefits are huge and results are incredible. Took my 120lb sandbag for a 10 minute walk without setting it down, changed positions when needed of course. Goal is to take 120lbs for a 20 minute walk before the new year.
Hey really glad you liked this one! 20 mins with 120 is intense hell yeah!
"There's more to life than money." is a statement I wish everyone could comprehend.
Same here, imagine what the world would be like 😮
Doesn't that saying only apply to those that have it?
Rucking is the king of all exercises IMO. 18 straight months of rucking has transformed my body in virtually every way that could be considered beneficial. I'll never stop.
Heck yeah!
Does it damage your knees or joints at all?
@@ThalanoxNot as far as I can tell. I had a bad knee, due to injury, for many years prior to taking up rucking and a combination of long distance rucking, fasting and carnivore diet has completely eliminated my aches and pains. I take no medications whatsoever, not even OTC pain relievers, because I have no need.
@@Thalanoxshouldn’t damage your joints as long as you build up slowly, at least if you are not used to walking with a heavy load! I also recommend checking out barefoot shoes! Only used them for three months and my knee pain disappeared and my ankle flexibility improved to the point where deep squats and pistol squats are no longer a problem! Just make sure to ease your body into them, changes the way you walk!
@@ReoL_17how does your physique look. I too have done army basic training and my body transformed. I thought they put steroids with those shots as the difference was surprising
For most of COVID I did my training with a 90lb sandbag. Just walking, like, up to a mile or more carrying this stupid bag. I found my strength for powerlifting did not diminish at all thanks to this training.
That's some awesome real world insight thank you!
Hah I also did some sandbag training. I bought 200lbs of sand from Home Depot. Made a 70lb backpack to do squats with and push ups and then the 130 into a bag for carries and "stone" walks and lifts. It honestly saved me from going absolutely crazy during that time.
I started my lifting journey this way thanks to a small sandbag book. My fav thing out of that entire book was the "Atlas" routine. Basically a collection of holds for an hour and you're not allowed to put it down. You're only allowed to change holds. Loved it. Probably didn't hurt that I was already a fan of Atlas in Greek mythology.
This leads to a story about 2 years later. I was up to a 100lb bag. I was thinking of just stopping there weight wise and letting time under tension, variety, etc do the rest. On my way home from work...I see this huge sandbag on the side of the road "the f is my bag doing out here." I get home and my out of shape roommate is plastered on the coach.
He had attempted to take this bag I'd worked up to on his 1st try and carry it to the track like I do only also in the middle of the summer day as opposed to morning. By the time he made it to the track, he'd decided to turn around and go back but couldn't make it with the bag! His own words "I thought I was gonna die!"
@@warriorfire8103 hah! That's quite funny. I actually never thought about doing long holds like that with it. That's honestly a great idea. I love carries because it's full body, it's useful and it's time under tension the entire time. I guess I've never thought too hard about them and using them more frequently. As soon as the gyms opened back up I went back to lifting. Maybe I'll have to do some carries again and longer holds just for the hell of it.
@@Dugrath try hold a overhead bumbbellpress a top point, then move slowly, then stand, then .. try it while standing, and try to stand.. on.. one leg man.. your body wobbeling will show you how good your stability from toetip ankle up to core and shoulders and arms and wrists really is ;)
back when i was active duty, i did a norwegian ruck march, 18.6 miles with 25 pounds. (not counting water, snacks, etc). shit was fun. ive never been slim or lean, grew up husky. every day was leg day lol. always told my buddies im like a buffalo built for endurance, not a gazelle built for speed. always liked our rucking days for PT. simple, straightforward, constructive work.
18.6 miles damn!
Our 26 mile road march with full A.L.I.C.E. pack and sometimes in full MOPP gear wasn't much fun in basic. Especially because if the slinky effect and having to double time to tighten up the formation😢
Im a highrise plumber and I often have to carry 4" - 10" cast iron 12 foot lengths. It has changed my physique and despite most people thinking my work partner and i are crazy, it has increased my stability and strength significantly. However one wrong move and u can get seriously injured. Be careful.
Hey that's awesome you've made your work into something that gives you that extra benefit!
For the "get a job" part my best friends happens to carry canoes into trucks as his summer job and he love it exactly for the reasons you describe, the hard work making him fit without needing to go to the gym or take any of his free time to work out and instead being paid for his gains
I just found your channel and it is awesome! I have been doing weighted walks either with kettlebells or a 20kg weight vest. It is life changing!
Hey glad to have you here!!
I've been homeless numerous times and bc of that even after having my own place i still make it a habit to carry my assault bag around, which is around 50 to 70lbs, when i go on walks, which is often 5 - 7 miles
Staying prepared and ready!
For people who say “Get a job lifting heavy things” I’ve worked construction/roofing for a couple years and it’s tough work. It was honestly too laboring for me even when I’d try my hardest so it’s not a definite answer. Could VERY well work for someone else, but it wasn’t working for me unfortunately.
Gardening has a better balance. You make it as intense as you want it by expanding into rockwork or earthworks. But as is, nice amount of labor. I carry a trash can of debris around all day and it keeps me string and limber. Getting up and down from the ground and lifting something from there to my shoulders over and over always makes me feel better at the end of the day than how I felt in the morning.
I used to do farmer's carriers outside on my off days. No sets, no reps, no time limit; just go outside, enjoy the nice weather - with a kettlebell in your hand. Outside of the strange looks you get from passers-by, I loved it. Over time, however, I started doing it less and less frequently, until I dropped it completely without even noticing - not just the carries, but walks altogether. And now that I'm, again, reintroducing regular walks into my routine, I'm looking to perhaps start carrying a kettlebell too. I'm definitely going to tomorrow.
Hey I hope you have fun with it tomorrow man!
Been Bearhugging like crazy since watching your vids!
Walking with a pile (220lbs) of plates compressed against my chest/stomach with some squats thrown in is a whole new level of taxing!
Just started incorporating a 135lb sandbag-over-shoulder carry too.
Great stuff!
Hey heck yeah!! 220 bear hug is no joke that's some good work!
I discovered the beauty of this work out last year carrying logs like that in the bush in New Zealand. I found you can carry unbeleivebly heavy loads more than you can pick up normally by balancing the force of the centre of mass of the log down directly through your body so it is not only your muscles supporting the weight but your whole skeleton with bones and ligaments all taking their share of the load which also strengthens these aswell. Once you have it in this position and you start walking you start working out so many muscles you dont normally work out within your core trunk as these pull and balance any shifts in weight . you are also getting a good cardiovascular workout and also exercising your mental willpower through endurance. just be careful when crossing any water courses or going down hill where it is slippery and have a preplanned immediate action drill of what you are going to do if you loose balance so you can throw the log off in a safe direction and not have it land on top of you when u slip over and come to a rest on the ground.
Great points!!
I've never heard of Rucking but live next to a limestone quarry. I've always thought about taking a stone from the bottom to the top of the hills. Thanks for the motivation, I'll be doing this tonight.
That sounds awesome good luck!
Can confirm
Been doing this in ways that are unconventional (and by necessity due to the nature of my work, however often it happens), and the gains are incredible. Add onto that the usual sandbag training (that you inspired, thank you for this) and some classic calisthenics, it ends up rounding everything well.
Heck yeah that's awesome!
Why would I pay hundreds and even thousands for a gym membership when the world is literally a free gym. Not that there's not benefits to both, but saying one is better than the other is completely objective and an opinion. People take things too seriously. Great video! Definitely got some inspiration.
Hey exactly, thank you!
I've been going to the gym for 7 years, but I never took it seriously, so I never had significant gains, just gradual improvements over time. That changed when I spent 3 years delivering industrial cleaning products. I had no idea how heavy those things were! I stopped working out during that time because the job took every ounce of energy I had.
Eventually, I got back to an office job and returned to the gym. I gained weight so fast it felt strange. My muscle mass exploded-in a year, I put on 35 pounds. Of course, I eat well and supplement whenever I can, but it really surprised me how much stronger I got.
Dang that is so badass!!
Finally something that doesn't require $$$$ to start.
Edit; This channel is exactly what I needed.
It's all out there just waiting! Glad to have you here :)
Bruh, sometimes cardio gets boring and I like doing barefoot shoe trail runs. This is awesome inspiration brother, thank you for this video. Will be sure to throw this into rotation every now and again.
Hey thank you! Just getting into barefoot shoes myself, felt really awesome running trails in them!
I'm a saxophonist, tenor. Carrying it feels like what you describe. I feel my abs working when carrying it on one hand, like a suitcase carry.
Great vid!
Hey that's awesome, getting some indirect work all the time! Now that you mention it I definitely used to do a lot of this with my guitar and amp 🙂
I do this for work. And iv thought of it and oddly added it to my training. Now your video pops up, im adding a reminder to do it more! Had a month out in the bush and i felt so great, seen myself in a mirror once home i was shocked. Now im pushing to keep and increase. Thank you kia ora
Hey good luck with everything!
@@thestonecircle Thank you and the same to you too! I remebered today and it was great!
The power of just walking a five gallon bucket of water to the barn is great, log carrying is great and chopping wood is outstanding, it’s so simple but that simplicity builds your body
Pure joy in the simple things like that 🙂
Brother, you are a pleasure to listen to. Thank you. I'll comment about construction blocks. I have a stack of them from Lowes. They're 8x8x16 and each one weights 38 pounds. I do a workout three days a week where I move my stack from the back yard to the front yard . . . then back. My goal is to move them as fast as possible, so it's a game where I go for time. Sometimes I carry one . . . sometimes one in each hand, sometimes two or three on top of each other. Whatever I feel like. Anything goes. (It's a fartlek of moving blocks. 😁) The point is to move them, stack them, then move them back again. I also incorporate KB swings, push-ups, squats, etc. just to make it challenging. I have 32 blocks. As of today, they're priced at $2.47 each but anyone who wants to try this doesn't need 32. You can get 4-5 and play the same game. Stack them and see how many times you can move the stack.
Final point . . . I don't count. I work. I don't measure myself by how many blocks I've moved but by how many remain and how big the stack is. Eliminating counting makes it like meditation. Sorry if I'm not being clear. You just have to try it to understand.
Thank you again for a terrific channel!
Hey really glad to hear you like the videos! That sounds like a great way to get some quality work in, probably blew up your forearms too I bet!
I feel this deeply, especially when holding beams in place for minutes at a time or using a sawzall to cut things above my head for hours. My shoulders are nice and healthy. Muscle endurance is the best thing on earth.
Can't beat that endurance!!
I think it actually comes down to a multitude of biological factors: the synergist muscles, ligament and tendon's (which can also strengthen with training), increased bone density through training and joint capsule adaptation that are often missed through isolated exercises, and even through traditional compound exercises.
i work in outdoor pest control and carry a heavy sprayer pack around on my back to treat the lawns. its been good endurance training. neat that this appeared in my algorithm.
Some real world strength endurance right there!
Found object rucking seems so cool. Great idea.
It's a lot of fun for sure!
you are actually a very good fitness youtuber you give us a new out look at training
Hey thank you I really appreciate it!
Thanks for the inspiration! Gonna do this tomorrow, really looking forward to it! I'm lucky enough to live 500 meters from a forest, and there are big stones everywhere because it's Sweden.
It's cool how this footage is from the other side of the planet, but the forest looks almost the same as here. Pine, birch, and fir trees everywhere :)
That's so awesome!! Sounds like a dream I hope to make it there one day. This area of the Rockies is pretty great :)
my army NCO's are BRUTAL, gave us a minimum weight limit of 60 lbs haha for a 15 mile ruck, not including the weight of our rifles, helmets and plates in our vests.
That's so far beyond anything I've ever done aha serious props for making it through that
going shopping by foot or carrying anything home by yourself instead of using a motorized vehicle is great, especially when you get water in chests and in glassbottles, gains with just doing what you need to live
For sure! Those waters get heavy quick too haha
This is brilliant! I've been a coach potato for some years now, this will help me to get back in shape 💪🏼💯
Hey thank you good luck!!
Heavy carries like this require different stabilization especially of the core and shoulders, but also hips and legs.
Many people struggle with control of their stabilizer muscles in at least one of those areas, so therefore this will train them. The only thing to watch out for is making sure you're able to activate the stabilizer muscles at all, when starting weak.
Don't ask me for further info about specific carry lifts. This guy knows what he's talking about without knowing entire functional muscular anatomy
Your videos are absolutely incredible. They've opened my eyes to a completely different way of training.
I worked for several years in groundworking (laying driveways and patios), and my boss would say you could take any groundworker in the country, and put him in any boxing gym, and he'd be the toughest guy in there. Your videos really reinforced to me that the best type of strength training is to mimic activities in the real world. Thank you for sharing your training regimes.
Hey thanks I really appreciate that!! I believe it, technique aside it's hard to think of anything that will make you tougher!
That last note is real af. Great vid bro
Hey thank you!
Sup Cody. Just subscribed to your channel. I'm in the moving/delivery industry, so I am carrying odd and heavy objects all of the time! When I am not, I am doing holds and carrys with the hex bar, barbell, and dumbbells. Back squat, front squat carries, farmers carries, overhead carries, and behind the neck carries. Even plate carrying. 45lbs or 100lbs stacked on top of each other and carry them as if they are boxes. Definitely hits different and takes your overall strength to newer heights!!
Hey heck yeah glad to have you here!! The strongest people I've ever met were movers, that stuff is no joke!
i am not a strong person, and i do this with much lighter objects, i feel that it forces you to be aware of all your muscles and helps build your balance. It feels more medatative to me and forces me to be slower and enjoy a short hike more.
That's exactly it awesome you do this too!
modern science is truly incredible. we can finally emulate farm boy strength
Haha honestly not sure what the science says about this one 😄
I did a lot of rucking in highschool... Carrying my school bag walking to the bus stop, to train station, to school.
The textbooks are around 5kg-10kg.
“Found object rucking” is an incredibly advanced way of saying, picking up a really cool rocker stick and carrying it with you, I remember when I was a kid we used to always see who could carry the biggest rock or the largest log, if I had known that one day if I got old enough, that other people would care about how big a stone could carry I would have trained harder every day back then, it’s too bad that an eight-year-old you’re just told by your parents to put it down
Yeah this really does feel closer to that feeling of excitement you had as a kid rather than training in a gym, I agree it really is a shame "put that down" is the norm
Advice for people. You can bike to a location with a somewhat scenic route and then carry your bike. Either shoulder under top bar of the frame and just alternate, also adding frontal carry. You can also get a belt or something to wrap around and carry the bike on your back so you cover all bases.
Great idea!
This is why your approach to fitness is next level.. I have enjoyed doing these type of things myself for a long time and it's awesome to see someone else does too but you bring an educational aspect to it too.
Awesome video and great scenery.
Hey thanks I really appreciate it!! It's been really great finding other people interested in training this way 🙂
Watching this video made me realize I already do a version of this training,, albeit a somewhat funny and inconsistent one.
I’m part of a pretty big family but the only one in my age group (late teens) so I usually end up watching the younger cousins while the adults of the family mingle. Their favorite game we’ve created is called Car. As you probably guessed, *I* am the car.
A game where you tote around 40-80 pound kids for hours and often have to chase some of them (a favorite command of my cousins is *run over _____*) can make you surprisingly sore but is still doable for now. I think I’m probably gonna have to start actually training for this like in video as the kids are getting bigger, but a guy like you is an inspiration cause you’d probably be much better at this game!
Hahah that is perfect
I like the video behind your speech 😆 "if I'm going exploring, I always bring my tree trunk"*
😄
I've been doing only farmers carries for months, and for sure my muscular endurance, posture, and even chronic pain in my wrist has improved to the point of being gone. I love walking with weight, definitely need to try walking with objects like big rocks or logs though.
Hey that's so great! Farmers carries are definitely one of the best exercises ever
Awesome stuff man! Hey I get it. I used to do demo work and now I’m a therapist. I didn’t have to work out when I was doing demo work but in my 40’s I didn’t want to have to do that everyday. Loving the sandbag stuff. Just graduated from 100 to 150 today and man. It felt like when hulk hogan body slammed andre the first carry set I did 😂
Thank you! Amd heck yeah that's a major improvement, I understand that feeling completely hahah
I do this for gathering firewood. It’s slower than hauling by cart, but it’s a good workout when I have the time. A towel over the shoulder makes for less bruising and a more comfortable carry.
Extra fun when you have that additional purpose behind it!
Yes sir, another way to get it in! Looks like the perfect sessions.
Thanks man! Surprisingly awesome, just walking around the trails carrying stuff 😄
@thestonecircle the best dude
I had a weighted vest, belt, pants and ankle weights. I never put them all on and I'm still sad about not becoming the Juggernaut. But eventually I'll rebuild that set and make the attempt again. Just have fun out there. Good luck and get some
I love this Video. Content, Footage, Information all on Point. Enjoyed it a lot ! ❤
Hey thank you!
I've used this style of exercise for many years off and on for various labor intensive tasks. It's gotten to the point where I use a backpack and a large wooden walking staff to use as a yoke for when I bring in groceries.
That is so awesome, I never thought about carrying the groceries that way! I've been using the zercher method but I'll have to give this a try haha
Dude.. So cool and very encouraging! I plan to give you a second thumbs up from my wife's phone!
Heck yeah thank you!!
Ive built a zen rock garden a top the highest plateau on an island 🪨
Gathering, paddleing and carrying the rocks to the location from all over the lake.
Hard labour clears the mind & heals the soul. 💎💙
That sounds amazing
I worked in construction from 13 to 26, and then transitioned to more of a consultant position. I love to lift and carry heavy things, now I carry a clipboard. I started rucking and doing weighted carries because of the joy of lifting and to stay active. Carrying drywall and stucco all worked muscle, but a sustained carry, 2hrs with an extra 60lbs, has a different effect on the body.
Awesome you've kept up with it!!
Went out to try this earlier. Only had a 45 pound bag a mulch on hand. Thought it was gonna be too light... With only a two mile distance, my arms and back certainly are feeling it. Thank you for sharing this neat and fun idea!
It gets heavy quick right!? Glad you tried it out, I love that soreness you get from it :)
Excellent video yet again my bro. I love that stuff man like just grabbing a random log or something and moving around with it - no idea the weight, it wasn’t designed to be lifted but you’re just going on pure feel and stimulus. I kinda forgot about that kinda stuff…. Definitely something I need to mix into it all, so thanks yet again for the reminder!!!
Also I think the most excruciating feeling and biggest pump I’ve ever had in my traps and upper back was carrying a log home from a park. It was about a 15 minute walk, I probably put it down a few times, can’t really remember this was yyyeeeaarrrssss ago. The simplicity is brilliant… no technique, no misgrooving it…. Just lunk it up and walk.
Thanks man! That's exactly what I like about it so much, it's just raw effort, no thought of anything else, like you said just lunk it up and walk! Really a big part of why I think stone lifting is so cool too, just you vs the stone
5:29 I needed to hear this so bad, I ain't know if I was training wrong but I guess I'll just keep going and have faith 😭
You got this!!
Solid video man, this type of raw training really does appeal to alot of us.
Your videos inspired me to get hold of a sandbad myself and once I did I gave the floor-to-shoulder movement a go aswell as the squats and carries .. damn man.. you make it look easy !
Keep up the strong work bro 💪
Hey thank you that's so awesome!! Good luck with the sandbag training 💪
Throwing tree logs is fun as well. Builds good pushing and punching power.
I like the sandbag clean and toss/throw in the gym !
For sure!!
The video essay I wrote in my head while carrying all the groceries into the house in one go
Haha yes
Recently started building some Raised beds around my home for plants, I am probably gonna build them far from the pile of soil I have, will carry it in a large steel basket probably weighs like 15 kg when full, but I am like 5'6 and 65 kg, will walk like 30 meters with it for like 10-15 laps in the morning and evening and not to mention chopping wood and my regular heavy bag work and small excercises like tricep pull downs, bicep curls, shoulder shrugs, skull crushers and street soccer with the boys at night. this should help me improve
Sounds like a recipe for some kind of awesome transformation!!