Whether I was working with people with injuries back when I was at OSS, getting people in shape, or working with an athlete to become stronger, one exercise remained constant. It’s a fascinating exercise. It’s not a circus trick. It’s an exercise that the top spine specialist in the world Stu Mc Gill recommends. You don’t even need a bunch of equipment. Get ready……….carries. You didn’t read that wrong.
At First Capital Gym, we rarely do a session where our members aren’t carrying something. Why are they important? Well, when done properly and with the appropriate weight (challenging, not the 2 pounders), carries will challenge your core, posture, legs, lats, hips, shoulders, grip, and just about everything else. They also build tremendous work capacity.
Another reason we like carries, are that some versions (farmers, suitcase, and rack) can be used if someone is dealing with shoulder issues. During my time with working with injured people (especially with shoulder and back patients), carries were usually the first exercise introduced.
But, with everything, for carries to effective and safe, there’s a few ground rules:
- Grip hard and pack the shoulders
- Keep a tall posture and neutral neck
- Make sure your spine is neutral. No flexion or extension allowed
- Pick a hard weight. To get the most of this, you must challenge yourself
In the next couple of days, we’re going to show you some variations that we like to do with our members and our own training.
Farmers Carry
Farmers Carry w/ Trap Bar
Suitcase Carry
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