In a day and age where everyone is fascinated with technology, CrossFit reminds us that the simplest ideas are often the best. You can seek out state-of-the-art machines that cost $10,000 or more, or you can stick to low-tech equipment that’s been around forever: barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells—or stones.
Carrying a heavy odd object like a keg, sandbag, or Husafell stone (pictured) is a simple and effective way to get fitter, no matter what your goal is. A heavy carry for distance is a demanding full-body exercise that challenges everything from the fingers to the core muscles, and replicates real-life demands in a way machines can’t. The only real technique is finding a way to grip the object; then chalk your hands, grip it tight, and get walking.
Try the CrossFit workout below or add a heavy carry to any of your regular workouts.
The Workout
HOW TO DO IT:
Repeat the following circuit five times through. Don’t rest between exercises or at the end of the circuit. Record your time and try to beat it in subsequent attempts.
EXERCISE REPS
Push-up 10
Stone Carry 50 ft.
Air Squat* 10
Stone Carry 50 ft.
*A body-weight squat in CrossFit parlance.
FACT IS: Modern Husafell stones are replicas of the original, which weighs 419 pounds and is found in the Icelandic region of Husafell. Carrying it around a goat pen has long been considered the ultimate feat of strength in Iceland.
Buy the Stone
You can get your own loadable Husafell stone at hybridathletics.net. Fill it with sand, water, dirt—or whatever you can think of—to vary the load.
