Every day, more and more people are turning away from boring traditional gym weights and machines and turning to more primitive training methods for massive strength gains. This can include sandbag training, tire flipping, heavy carrying and lifting, and rope pulling. In my opinion, the most versatile training tool is the punching bag.
Combat athletes, sports teams, fire departments, the military, and Cross Fitters and Seal Fitters are quickly realizing the benefits of sandbag training. With sandbag training, the lift is never truly “linear.” For example, in a clean and press, lifting a bar is easier with the weight balanced and centered. This is not so with a constantly changing punching bag. It requires the load to be really muscular, activating the large muscles as well as the small stabilizing muscles. The sand is also spread over a wider surface. To illustrate this point, the next time you visit a hardware store, grab a 50-pound bag of sand and lift it over your head. It feels almost twice as much as a loaded 50-pound bar.
The sandbag’s versatility is also what makes it a great training tool. They take up virtually no space and can be stored in the corner of a room or in the trunk of your car. No more missed workouts on the go, or when you’re pressed for time. A 15 minute circuit will absolutely explode your muscles unlike a weight workout at the gym. One of my favorite circuits with a sandbag looks like this:
-5 minute warm up for jump rope
5 rounds
– 10 BURPEE PRESSES WITH SAND BAG (Drop down with the sand bag in your hands, do a push up, clean and press the sand bag)
-10 ON EACH SIDE WITH THE SHOULDERS (hold the sandbag on each side of the head, lift it up and lower it to the other shoulder)
-10 SANDBAG SQUATS (hold sandbag behind head over shoulders, squat as low as you can and come back up – be sure to maintain good form)
-10 SANDBAG COLLECTION (Place the sandbag vertically in front of you, lean over and pick up the sandbag, lift it up to your shoulder and replace it. Do it again on the other side.
-Sandbag Ruck (2-5 minutes, take your sandbag, put it on your shoulder and walk or jog with it. Trust me, it’s a lot harder than it looks!)
With sandbag training, a lot can be accomplished with almost no equipment and in a very short time. A virtually indestructible 1000 denier sanity punching bag will give you many years of excellent training and faithful service. Feel free to email me for a free sandbag exercise pdf file at: [email protected]
Happy training!