Let’s Lift the Sandbags
New month and new fitness challenge , friends. Time to get the sandbag! Then put it down. Then take it again. Yeah, go on. A few more reps.
Sandbags are ideal for home workouts because, firstly, they are cheap and readily available, and secondly, they are not among the specialized equipment – barbells, kettlebells, etc. for the state on Craigslist. And best of all, you can load themas heavy as you like . If you’re tired of push-ups and tiny dumbbells, treat yourself to a large sandbag.
How to find or make a sandbag
We have instructions for making a sandbag from play sand (or wood pellets) and any old sports bag. The trick is to wrap the sand or granules in multiple layers of trash bags and duct tape. Pens are good, but not necessary.
In fact, if you are very lazy, you can just buy a bag of play sand and wrap it with a few extra layers of garbage bags, no external bag needed. It may not be the nicest sandbag to use, but it definitely does the job.
For something bigger or more durable, you can buy special sand filling bags. Here’s one from Mountain Tactical Institute for $ 65, andRogue has them up to $ 125 for a bag holding 220 pounds of sand. The Strength Shop has some in a similar price range , with a top price of £ 300+.
What to do about it
Once you have something big enough to do heavy lifts … do some heavy lifts! Take a moment to learn how to properly lift the sandbag , and then practice lifting and lowering it.
If your sandbag has handles, so much the better. You are now doing sandbag deadlifts, and if you repeatedly move them from your knees to a standing position, you are essentially doing front squats with a sandbag.
You can also grab a bag and carry it – hobble as fast as possible or jog on your shoulder if it’s lightweight. Try as many reps as you like and come back next week when we talk about other fun things we can do with our sandbag.