Linchpin - Carry-Focused Program

Sometimes you gotta’ learn how to carry the weight of anything and everything.

You might have remembered an example of a workout program from the Unorthodox post that was focused on carries. Here is the finalized version.

This can be done with either sandbags or stones. Between each carry day will be a rest day. After the 4th carry day, there will be a 2 day rest period. Intensive days consist of heavy loads and sprints while Extensive days consist of lighter loads and longer distances. Weights, percentages, sets, and reps are only an example. Carries will switch every week on which will be extensive days and which will be intensive days.

Because stones and sandbags can’t be scaled for proper periodization, intensive and extensive days will be sorted and depend on the sets on reps of each exercise. Intensive days will go from 3 sets to 5 sets only while extensive days will go from 5 sets to 7 sets only.

For accessory work, intensive drop sets will increase sets from 2 to 4 while extensive EMOM will only increase based on the performance of the lifter.

Carry days will always switch as to never be the same. Every 5th week will be a Deload week.

An example of how the plan will flow:

Workout 1: Intensive - Farmer’s Carries

Workout 2: Extensive - Bear Hug Carries

Workout 3: Intensive - Shoulder/Yoke Carries

Workout 4: Extensive - Overhead Carries

Rest 2 days

Workout 1: Intensive - Bear Hug Carries

Workout 2: Extensive - Farmer’s Carries

Workout 3: Intensive - Overhead Carries

Workout 4: Extensive - Shoulder/Yoke Carries

Farmer’s Carries - Intensive

• Sprint Carries @ #200. 3 sets. 10 yards distance.

• Drop Set Carries @ #200, #150, #100. 2 sets. 10 yards distance each load.

• Step-Up / Lunge Super Set. 3 sets. 5 reps each side.

• Hanging Leg Raises / Bird Dog Super Set. 3 sets. 10 reps each side.

Bear Hug Carries - Extensive

• Distance Carries @ #100. 5 sets. 20 yards distance.

• EMOM Carries @ #100. 5 yards distance followed by 10 burpees each minute. 10 minutes.

• Over the Shoulders / Turkish Get Ups Super Set. 5 sets. 10 reps each side. Over the Shoulders @ #75. Turkish Get Ups at #15.

• Ab Wheel Roll-Out / Side Plank Dips. 5 sets. 10 reps each side.

Shoulder/Yoke Carries - Intensive

• Sprint Carries @ #200. 3 sets. 10 yards distance.

• Drop Set Carries @ #200, #150, #100. 2 sets. 10 yards distance each load.

• Step Up / Lunge Super Set. 3 sets. 5 reps each side.

• Hanging Leg Raises / Bird Dog Super Set. 3 sets. 10 reps each side.

Overhead Carries - Extensive

• Distance Carries @ #100. 3 sets. 10 yards distance.

• EMOM Carries @ #100. 5 yards distance followed by 10 burpees each minute. 10 minutes.

• Over the Shoulders / Turkish Get Ups Super Set. 5 sets. 10 reps each side. Over the Shoulders @ #75. Turkish Get Ups at #15.

• Hanging Leg Raises / Bird Dog Super Set. 5 sets. 10 reps each side.

After each workout, a cooldown will consist of: 2 sets of 20 reps each side.

• Band Face pull

• Band Pull Apart

• Band Side Leg Lift

• Band Clamshell

• Band Fire Hydrant