Summary
Dan John returns to The Pat Flynn Show to dive deeper into kettlebell-specific loaded carry variations and their place in a well-rounded training program. John claims credit for popularizing the suitcase carry and discusses how kettlebells are uniquely suited to several carry variations including rack carries, waiter walks, and the bottoms-up carry that fires up the rotator cuff and teaches scapular control. The episode explores how loaded carries fit into the broader framework of fundamental movement patterns. John explains his philosophy that deprivation drives ingenuity in training, and how the carry emerged as a cornerstone movement pattern alongside the push, pull, hinge, and squat. The conversation covers practical programming including how to integrate carries as both warmup activation tools and heavy finishers, the concept of "dad strength" that carries develop, and why these movements represent one of the most underrated tools in the training toolbox.
Key Points
- Dan John claims to have invented the suitcase carry as a training exercise, while farmer walks came from strongman competitions
- Kettlebells are uniquely suited to loaded carries because of rack position carries, bottoms-up carries, and waiter walks
- Loaded carries build "dad strength" -- the real-world work capacity to handle unpredictable physical demands
- The carry is one of five fundamental movement patterns alongside push, pull, hinge, and squat
- Carries can serve as both light warmup activation drills and heavy workout finishers depending on the load
- Barbell complexes paired with carries create simple, effective training programs
- Deprivation and constraint in training equipment leads to better innovation and results than having unlimited options
- Carries develop a unique kind of work capacity that doesn't come from traditional lifting alone
Key Moments
Dan John claims to have invented the suitcase carry
Dan John discusses his role in popularizing loaded carries, claiming credit for inventing the suitcase carry as a deliberate training exercise while acknowledging that farmer walks came from strongman competitions.
"Did you invent this one, Dan, or did you just popularize it? You are, of course, the official inventor of the Goblet Squad. This cannot be denied. But I want to get the record straight on Dan's role. I would say, I don't know. I mean, obviously, people did suitcase carries before. It was just called suitcase carries, carrying the suitcase. But I think I'm the one who invented suitcase carries. I would feel comfortable with that."
Loaded carries build dad strength and work capacity
Dan John explains that loaded carries build the kind of real-world work capacity he calls "dad strength" -- the ability to rip open jars, pull engines out of cars, and handle physically demanding tasks that gym lifts alone don't prepare you for.
"The answer is it builds up work capacity, which allows you to explode more reps than your opponent. Okay. Yeah. And when we talk, remind us again, what you mean when we're talking about anaconda strength, what kind of strength is that? Oh yeah. That's that squeeze. That's that inner tube pressure that you have in your body. Oh, there it is. I want to see my abs. I want to see my abs. Uh, uh,"
Zercher, rack, and bear hug carries are in the same family
Dan John groups Zercher carries, kettlebell rack carries, and bear hug carries together as variations in the same movement family, explaining that mastering the difficult Zercher carry makes everything else feel easy.
"I'll give a little prize. We'll think of a little prize. If you get whatever Dan wants, I've got some of your books and DVDs. If you guess where Dan is, and you can do it in the live stream or after the video. Does that mean we shouldn't reveal it until later then if we want to? Yeah. You know what? Comment on the live stream and after the video where Dan is, and then we'll reveal it next time. I'll give you the first one."
