Summary
Elite strength coach Joe DeFranco shares his detailed approach to programming loaded carries for athletes and general fitness clients, drawing on experience training professional wrestlers like Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, MMA fighters like Mickey Gall, and NFL players. He breaks carries into five main categories -- two-handed, one-handed, offset, sandbag/med ball, and combo carries -- with specific programming recommendations for each. DeFranco explains how he uses lighter carry variations in warmups to activate core and rotator cuff muscles before heavy lifts, and heavier carries as workout finishers. He shares a specific benchmark: aim for 50% of body weight per hand for 30+ seconds, with 60 seconds being "super freak" status. The episode also covers creative solutions like combining trap bar farmer walks with chains draped over shoulders when grip is already fatigued, and using band-resisted forward/backward walks in small gym spaces.
Key Points
- Five main categories of loaded carries: two-handed, one-handed, offset, sandbag/med ball, and combo carries
- Light carries (like single kettlebell suitcase carries) work as warmup activation drills to fire up core and improve subsequent squat depth
- Heavy carries serve as full-body finishers that develop grip, traps, upper back, core, and work capacity simultaneously
- Benchmark: 50% body weight per hand for 30+ seconds is strong; 60 seconds is elite-level
- Offset carries with different weights or positions (one heavy suitcase, one light rack) build tremendous core and oblique strength
- Bear hug carries with 150-lb med balls closely simulate the full-body squeeze and exhaustion of MMA fighting
- Program carries twice a week: one lighter/longer session and one heavier/shorter session
- When grip is fatigued from earlier exercises, add load via chains or weight vest instead of adding weight to the bar
- Bottoms-up kettlebell carries with 15-lb kettlebells fire up rotator cuff and teach scapular control as upper body warmup
Key Moments
Light suitcase carries in warmup improve squat depth
DeFranco reveals that he uses light single-arm kettlebell suitcase carries in Stephanie McMahon's warmup to activate core musculature, which improves hip mobility and allows her to squat deeper with less knee and hip pain.
"It's just enough to stimulate, activate the core musculature. So when she squats, it actually helps with her hip mobility."
Bear hug carries simulate the demands of fighting
DeFranco explains that MMA fighter Mickey Gall considers 150-lb med ball bear hug carries the exercise that most closely mimics how you feel in a fight, because every muscle must contract to hold the ball while walking under cardiovascular stress.
"The heavy med ball bear hug farmer's walks for distance. Because you got to squeeze picture, you got to squeeze that 150-pound med ball to death. Because if you don't squeeze it into your chest, it's going to fall, obviously, to the ground. So, you got to squeeze."
Strength benchmark for farmer walks
DeFranco sets a clear strength benchmark: carrying 50% of body weight per hand for multiple 30-second sets is strong, while going 60 seconds at that weight makes you a "super freak" with impressive traps and shoulders.
"Strong AF, what I strive for is 60 seconds with 50% body weight in each hand. And if you could go over 60 seconds with 50% of your body weight in each hand, you are a super freak."
Combo carries when grip is already fatigued
DeFranco shares a creative programming hack: when athletes' grip is already taxed from earlier exercises, he adds load via chains draped over the shoulders instead of adding weight to the trap bar, increasing intensity without exceeding grip capacity.
"instead of adding another 40 pounds on the trap bar, I had them crisscross two chains over their shoulder. So now they're still walking with that weight, right? They're adding, it's like basically a 40-pound weight vest, but that 40 pounds isn't taxing their grip directly because it's not on the trap bar."
