My best friend, Melissa, is getting married in May (HOORAY!!) and her bridal shower is tomorrow. She wanted a couples shower so guys are invited as well. (more fun)

Pretty huh?

She and her future husband are quite enamored with Finland and would like to move there. One of the national games of Finland is… wife carrying. I’m not kidding, check it out! Obviously, there will be a wife-carrying contest (though not as extreme) tomorrow.

Soo, in honor of the to-be newlyweds, this post is how to train for a wife-carrying contest (or wife-to-be carrying).

Husband:

Prowler pushes/aerobic hill sprints- this will be the best way to prep his cardiovasuclar conditioning for the 253.5 meter (277.2 yards for us non-metric folks) dash. Should they want to compete in the sprint, this will also cover his prep for that.

Sandbag carries- find a 45-60 pound sandbag (like we have here at SAPT) and carry it for long distances. I recommend 2 types: bear (hug the sandbag at your chest) and over-the-shoulder carry.  Walk about 40 feet or so… maybe longer. 4-6 trips per workout. This will help him learn how to carry an odd-shaped object (though don’t call your wife that).

Squat, deadlift and press- do these as you know you should. These make you strong, need I say more?

on your mark.... get set...

Wife:

Pull ups- (un)assisted pull ups will help with grip strength (to lock your arms around your hubby’s neck or waist),upper body strength (to hang on to your running husband so you don’t fall off) and increase general awesomeness (which define wife-carrying contests).

Plank variations- the stronger your midsection is, the easier it’ll be to stabilize and minimize your movement as your husband runs. This will make it easier for him to run as he’ll expend less energy trying to keep you stable.

Squat, deadlift and press- these will make you stronger and you should be doing these anyway. Strong girls win right?

Oh yeah….

HAVE FUN!

HOORAY!!!