# Special gym bags for carrying heavy equipment?



## Phineas (Aug 7, 2010)

I recently purchased a pair of 60 lb kettlebells. I was inspired by one of Gaz's posted grip training sessions where he did farmers walks around a track four times for a tota of 1 mile. I plan on using my kettlebells for a weekly grip workout just like this.

The problem is the track is 1 mile from my house. I don't have a vehicle, so I would need to transport them some other way.

Are there special heavy duty gym bags that can handle weight like this? My gym bag is big, but it can't hold 120 lbs.


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## PushAndPull (Aug 7, 2010)

Should have saved the money you spent on the kettlebells for a car


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## stepaukas (Aug 7, 2010)

just walk from your house. start by going 1/4 mile out 1/4 back. build up to walking the mile to the track and the mile home.... then some.
the very very short off season i have, i still ride 5 days a week, but do a few more exercises. one was the 60# sand bag carry. i just measured off the distance with my bike and carried it 1/2 mile out and 1/2 mile back. beats going to a track to get your mile time.. 
so if you're doing the out of the box exercises like the farmers walk, consider the overhead walk too. burns your abs and shoulders....military press the weight on a barbell overhead, then walk your route. build up to a mile of the overhead walking, a mile with the sand bag and a mile with the bells..


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## Hoglander (Aug 7, 2010)

Maybe your sister will let you use her tricycle if you do her chores.


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## nova1970sb (Aug 7, 2010)

get your hands on a military issued back pack. i got one for camping at the surplus store, those things are indestructable.


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## fufu (Aug 8, 2010)

Shop at IronMind for Tough-As-Nails gym bags for strength athletes ??? shoulder, tote, gear, duffle


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## Flathead (Aug 8, 2010)

I know Easton makes some heavy duty catcher's gear bags, that "might" work.


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## 2tomlinson (Aug 8, 2010)

Flathead said:


> I know Easton makes some heavy duty catcher's gear bags, that "might" work.




This is exactly what you need, I've had several.  They have wheels, and a pop out handle, so it's like a giant carry-on bag.  You'll have to judge for yourself if the weight can be effectively distributed.


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## Phineas (Aug 9, 2010)

Richard Gears said:


> Why walk a mile to the track with the kettlebells when you could just walk around the block a few times...problem solved. No seriously.....You're gonna walk a mile to the track, walk a mile around the track, then walk a mile back home? I want the gears you're using!



Track: accurately measured 400m laps; smooth surface; straight; isolated.

Sidealk: inaccurately measured; rough, uneven surface; windey; also, in public -- just not really the place I feel like doing an hour of farmers walks


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## Phineas (Aug 9, 2010)

Hoglander said:


> Maybe your sister will let you use her tricycle if you do her chores.



I'm too heavy for it.


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## Phineas (Aug 9, 2010)

fufu said:


> Shop at IronMind for Tough-As-Nails gym bags for strength athletes ??? shoulder, tote, gear, duffle



Thanks


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## stepaukas (Aug 9, 2010)

phineas
why does it have to be exactly a mile? are you training for some compitition that is timed? 
if not, who cares what the neighbors say, and if the sidewalks are uneven where you live..walk in the street close to the curb.
you're doing this exercise to be like the stud strong farmers who carry heavy buckets of slop for the hogs, or heavy water buckets, and you know the surface is super uneven on a farm, so just grab the bells and walk from your house..
there was a timed 60# sand bag carry at the track last year. 1 mile. hell, i only trained a bit for it, but trained on the hilly streets. got to the track and was flying. 
if you have no car, just leave from your house.


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## Phineas (Aug 9, 2010)

stepaukas said:


> phineas
> why does it have to be exactly a mile? are you training for some compitition that is timed?
> if not, who cares what the neighbors say, and if the sidewalks are uneven where you live..walk in the street close to the curb.
> you're doing this exercise to be like the stud strong farmers who carry heavy buckets of slop for the hogs, or heavy water buckets, and you know the surface is super uneven on a farm, so just grab the bells and walk from your house..
> ...



Doesn't necessarily have to be a mile. Just wanted an accurate, tangible distance.

Yes, uneven surfaces matter. I'm not doing it for some out in the woods strongman competition. It's grip training. After carrying 120 lbs in my hands for 30 minutes I don't want to run in holes in the road, or cross walks where I need to wait, or joggers, or bikers.

I understand everyone's logic in that why not just do it around my house. But, this isn't an afternoon jog we're talking about.

I might just end up doing it up and down my street. I just also thought it would be a little more atmospheric and enjoyable to do it on a track in an empty university stadium, as opposed to just outside my house. But, you gotta do what you gotta do.


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## unclem (Aug 9, 2010)

Phineas said:


> Thanks


 
 are you training for that strongman competition coming up? it has the farmers walk the tire flip and the bus pull. if so the guy told me that if you can deadlift 225 you can flip the tire. flathead that would be good for you to enter it. you probably would do awesome brother.


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## Phineas (Aug 9, 2010)

unclem said:


> are you training for that strongman competition coming up? it has the farmers walk the tire flip and the bus pull. if so the guy told me that if you can deadlift 225 you can flip the tire. flathead that would be good for you to enter it. you probably would do awesome brother.



No, I'm just looking for some brutal grip training is all. I think Gaz said he's entering a strongman soon.


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## suprfast (Aug 17, 2010)

Sick, I want to enter one.  

Do you have a bike you can ride to the track?  This might sound silly but get a wooden stick(thick closet stick or the sort) and just tie the kettle balls to that and put it on your back.  They do it in africa for moving objects.





Or some sort of variation of that.


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## Phineas (Aug 18, 2010)

suprfast said:


> Sick, I want to enter one.
> 
> Do you have a bike you can ride to the track?  This might sound silly but get a wooden stick(thick closet stick or the sort) and just tie the kettle balls to that and put it on your back.  They do it in africa for moving objects.
> 
> ...



Thanks, but I figured it out. Just gonna go with my street. Turns out to the end of my street and back is exactly 400m, so 4 laps is 1 mile. Did my first session Sunday night. Went very well.


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## stepaukas (Aug 18, 2010)

you timing you mile walk?
keeping track of how many times you set the bells down?
try and beat the previous weeks time and the times you put the bells down..


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## Phineas (Aug 18, 2010)

stepaukas said:


> you timing you mile walk?
> keeping track of how many times you set the bells down?
> try and beat the previous weeks time and the times you put the bells down..



That's the idea.

The first week was a test run to see how I wanted to go about it. I'm going to start with four 400m laps and time myself and record how many times I need to reset grip. I haven't decided when but I'll eventually merge laps so instead of 4 laps of 400m it's 2 laps of 800m, recording grip resets and time. 

The ultimate goal is just to generally increase my static grip strength, which will come with simply doing it. So, my main gauge for progress will be how well I handle my heavy deads, squats, cleans, pullups, etc. However, because I'm addicted to progress, and Sunday's session was so damn intense and fun, I'll definitely be recording adamantly --as I do with everything else -- to track progress and improve mindfully. I'm thinking down the road I'll purchase a set of much heavier kettlebells, like 100s, and start the process over again.


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## stepaukas (Aug 18, 2010)

save your money and use a barbell. 
the long barbell works wonders. 
this is kinda hard to describe, but the weights are so far in front and behind your thigh,
(and your arm is even with your thigh) that each step you take the weights on the barbell kinda move up and down. in the down motion, it feels like you're going to drop the barbell, so it takes more grip strength to hold it.. you probably wont use as much weight...
with the bells, the weight is all concentrated in one small area.
either way, barbells or kettlebells, its a great exercise.


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## unclem (Aug 18, 2010)

Phineas said:


> No, I'm just looking for some brutal grip training is all. I think Gaz said he's entering a strongman soon.


 
 good luck gaz as i didnt know you were a powerlifter. good luck just the same. are you entering the one in sc or nc i cant remember.


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