Sandbag Training: Strenght, Endurance, FitnessWhy sandbag Training?
Sandbags are bulky, not always symmetrical, the sand can shift and become unbalanced, and they can be challenging just to pick up. Sounds like real life, doesn’t it?
No matter what movement you are doing with a sandbag, you will challenge multiple muscle groups in your body simultaneously.
If you are doing a squat with a sandbag on your shoulder, the first challenge is simply to get that sandbag off of the floor and onto your shoulder. That will take strength, technique, and coordination, unlike standard squats which require you to simply walk under a barbell on a rack.
Also, with a heavy sandbag on one shoulder, your trunk, or core, has to work extra hard to keep your upper body straight while you perform the squat movement. Squatting, walking, pressing, pulling, lunging, etc. while holding sandbags in a variety of positions will challenge your core muscles like no other workout. This will force your body to work as a unit and expend more energy, burning more calories in less time. And, since you will be building serious muscle, you'll continue to burn more calories throughout the day, long after your workout is done.
Why Use Sandbags?
The most obvious seems to be the simplicity of their use. One does not need to invest hundreds of dollars into coaching (although I am available for those who are interested) or have to read any complicated books. Grasp, rip, and lift. You definitely want to pay attention to your lifting posture, but outside of that most of the fun is trying to figure out how to lift the bag.
Sandbag lifting shares a lot in common with kettlebells with regard to their ability to challenge not only strength, but endurance as well. A good bag will force the lifter to maneuver and adjust to the awkward weight. This definitely causes the body to use more muscles and expend greater energy as it is hard to get into one consistent groove. Increasing grip strength is another great reason to use sandbags. There is no piece of equipment that frustrates people as much as sandbags. Why? When using sandbags there is no convenient place to grab. You have to constantly search for an open spot and then crush grip.
However, unlike most pieces of equipment, I find that not only is your crushing grip challenged, but your pinching grip is as well. For those who are into grip training, you will appreciate the distinct difference between the two.
Versatility is important when choosing any form of equipment. With common concerns about money and time it is often silly to invest a great amount of money into something that has limited use. Not only are sandbags cheap, but they can be used for any movement that you can think of from common gym exercises like squats, clean & jerks, to jogging, climbing, dragging, and throwing. With such variety it is hard to get bored. Along with the various exercises come the many holding positions one can use with sandbags. If squatting is getting too easy with the bag on both shoulders go to one shoulder, hold it overhead, hold it in your arms like a Zercher, bear hug, etc. You are really only limited by your imagination.
Sandbags easily lend themselves to team or group training. Because of their cost and transportability, they are easy to set up for small or large groups. This is great for those who wish to combine strength and field work and are concerned about time issues. Coaches can concentrate on full-body lifts and challenge various motor qualities such as maximal strength, endurance, and power development.
Finally, the immense amount of trunk training that occurs with sandbag training alone is almost a good enough reason to use them. Try to squat, run, lunge, jump, or any other movement while holding the sandbag/s in various positions. Doing so challenges all of the trunk muscles.
How to Implement Sandbags
As with any other form of training, sandbags training really comes down to one’s goals. If maximal strength, endurance, or speed are your specific goals, then the program has to be designed according to good training principles. However, one can try to improve several components if the program is designed appropriately.
Circuits: Since fatigue can be somewhat specific, creating a program that emphasizes strength on a lift such as a squat can be followed with relatively short rest by an exercise like an overhead press, and so on.
Density Training: Several great coaches like Ethan Reeve and Charles Staley have written extensively about the benefits of density work. There are several variants such as Charles Staley’s EDT program. Using Coach Staley’s program, we can set up a sandbag routine using a squat with the bag over both shoulders and power clean and jerk. Use a weight you can hit ten repetitions with, but you are only going to be performing sets of five. Set a time frame, approximately fifteen minutes, and alternate between these two exercises using only as much rest as needed.
Another option is to use sandbags as a form of active recovery. You can easily change the load to enhance a motor skill and keep mobility without excessively taxing the body. Using a lighter load for your squat will allow you to enhance the groove of the lift and maintaining flexibility without draining the body from the core routines. Odd lifts such as squatting with the bag on one shoulder can increase core strength that may compliment your squatting routine. Some lifts are just a great overall new challenge such as the Turkish get-up bear hugging a bag. While as sick as this may sound, it can definitely stimulate the fun factor that may help training once again. With so many options sandbags are a simple and easy method and tool to implement. It isn’t a miracle technique but will challenge you in new ways and again don’t underestimate the fact fun while training can bring a world of new progress!
Lots of ideas, most of which sound easy until you try them!
Pick up the sandbag and put it down. Try 3 sets of 10 reps of picking-up-putting-down with a heavy sandbag. To pick up the bag, squat down and bear hug it, then stand up with it. Squat back down to put it down.
Carry the sandbag around. Pick up the sandbag in a bear hug and carry it around your backyard. Try to do a few laps or a few minutes. Rest a bit, then try again. You can also try to carry it while holding the sandbag by the handles of the bag (a little suitcase full of sand would be useful here... get one in each hand, even).
Roll the bag end-over-end.
Pick up the bag and press it overhead, or try to bench press it.
If it's a knapsack, try putting it on your back and squatting with it, or doing calf raises. You can also try to squat/calf raise while bear-hugging the bag, or with the bag on one shoulder.
I use a slight lunge stance to squat with the bag but you can also use a regular squat stance - have some fun with it and experiment to see what you like. The weight of the bag will also determine what feels best.
Grab the bag by the handles and try to row it towards you like a bent-over row. Try it with your arms around the bag too, if the bag is not too big.
Deadlift the bag by the handles. Or, if it's a suitcase or duffel bag type, try one-handed deadlifts with the bag to your side.
