Summary
Mike Matthews and strength coach Kyle Hunt discuss a curated list of underrated exercises that most lifters should consider adding to their programs. The loaded carry segment stands out as they both agree it is one of the most underappreciated exercises available. Hunt credits Dan John for elevating carries to a fundamental movement pattern and explains how he programs them as end-of-workout finishers to avoid pre-fatiguing grip for other exercises. The conversation covers suitcase carries as a vastly superior alternative to dumbbell side bends for oblique work, farmer walks for general strength and conditioning, and the concept of GPP (general physical preparedness) that carries build. Hunt shares a practical insight from having twins -- farmer carries directly prepared him for the real-world task of carrying two car seats simultaneously. The episode also covers other underrated exercises including chin-ups for biceps, trap bar deadlifts, pistol squats, good mornings, Nordic hamstring curls, and pullovers.
Key Points
- Suitcase carries are a vastly superior alternative to dumbbell side bends for oblique and anti-lateral flexion training
- Dan John elevated the carry to a fundamental movement pattern alongside push, pull, hinge, and squat
- Loaded carries are unique because they combine resistance training with locomotion -- no other gym exercise does this
- Program carries as end-of-workout finishers to avoid pre-fatiguing grip for other exercises
- Carries improve general physical preparedness (GPP) which enhances recovery between sets and overall training density
- The direct real-world carryover is unmatched -- farmer carries literally prepare you for carrying car seats, groceries, and luggage
- Carries help you get leaner while building muscle, a rare combination in strength training
- Walking and low-intensity cardio are also underrated and serve as the foundation for loaded carry work
Key Moments
Suitcase carry is the superior alternative to side bends
Kyle Hunt explains that if you want oblique work, ditch the dumbbell side bend and do a suitcase carry instead -- grab a heavy dumbbell in one hand and walk, getting anti-rotation, core activation, and grip strength in one exercise.
"Well, if you want a better version of that, not really a version, but a better idea of that same exercise, do a suitcase carry."
Loaded carries are unique because they combine resistance with locomotion
Hunt and Matthews discuss why loaded carries are underrated as a movement category, with Hunt crediting Dan John for putting carries alongside push, pull, hinge, and squat as a fundamental pattern, and explaining that no other gym exercise combines resistance training with locomotion.
"loaded carries are great. I know Dan John, he's big on them. I read his book. He puts it up there with a hip hinge and a press. He puts it right up there as a main movement pattern to do."
Farmer carries have direct real-world carryover
Hunt shares how his farmer carry training directly transferred to the real-world demands of parenting twins, noting that carrying two car seats around was exactly the movement he had been training.
"when we had the twins, I would be carrying the two car seats around. I'm like, well, I'm glad I did all those farmer carries."
