Back · Compound movement
Keg Load
A compound exercise for the back, with the quads, glutes, hamstrings, forearms, abs, biceps and traps working too. No equipment needed.
Progression
Progression: manual
- Primary muscle
- Back
- Secondary muscles
- Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, Forearms, Abs, Biceps, Traps
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Advanced
How to perform the Keg Load
- Set your feet either side of the keg, hinge deep with a flat back, and grip the rims or hug the barrel with your chest against it.
- Brace hard and lap the keg to your thighs by driving the hips, then re-grip and hug it tight, feeling the liquid shift inside as you move.
- Extend the hips and stand explosively, keeping the keg crushed to the chest, then push it up and over onto the platform.
- Ride the shifting weight by staying braced and keeping the keg close; the moving contents punish any pause or loss of position.
- Load for the prescribed reps or for time to the target height, and record the keg weight with the platform height or reps completed.
Default progression: manual.
Common mistakes
- •Fighting the shifting contents by pausing mid-lift instead of moving smoothly through the load.
- •Hugging the keg loosely so the moving weight peels it away from the chest.
- •Lapping the keg with a rounded back rather than a braced, flat-backed hinge.
- •Not finishing the hip extension, so the keg stalls short of the platform height.
Variations & alternatives
Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or the main lift has stalled.
Use this exercise in a program
The Keg Load fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize back volume.
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