Ultimate Sandbags are extremely sturdy, highly versatile, and can be adjusted to keep challenging you as you improve.

 The Ultimate Sandbag Testing Conditions

I’m an experienced coach and former gym owner who has holds multiple certifications. The Ultimate Sandbag is specifically designed for use with Dynamic Variable Resistance Training (DVRT), so this is how the bag was tested. Following DVRT movements and workouts, I put the “Power” bag through its paces on carpet, grass, and concrete surfaces for a week.

The “Power” is one of the smaller bags in the USB product range. Described as “Best for “Rotational Training, Movement-Based Exercises, Intermediate Women, and Complex Movements,” the bag’s recommended load range is 10-40lbs. I tested the black one, but this bag is also available in camouflage and pink.

Setting up the Ultimate Sandbag

Upon arrival, the “Power” bag shell is basically a stiff, heavy-duty duffle bag. The outer material is smooth but very think, and the overall quality of construction is excellent. I was glad to find that the bag material is not at all abrasive, and it does not absorb sweat. There are a variety of handles, which allows for a wide range of exercises.

The filler bags that actually hold the sand are separate. These are thick black bags that have multiple sets of Velcro closures. The filler bags are a bit of a wrestling match just to open—there’s a lot of Velcro to deal with. But if you squish them around some, you can get the mouth to stay open and the bag to stand up, making it much easier to fill. I used sand that was leftover from filling “real” sandbags as part of last year’s El Niño prep. This sand is coarser than the recommended “playground sand,” but that did not seem to affect performance. Beginners are actually urged to use rice or other, lighter, filler. So there is definitely room for variation on the fill. The filler bags seal up very well, and seem pretty bullet-proof.

Left: The Ultimate Sandbag unfilled; Right: filler bags (before filled to capacity).

Getting the loaded filler bags into the shell was also a bit of a wrestling match, too, but they do fit. It helped to pick up and drop the bag (on a hard, safe surface) to get the filler bags “settled in.” The shell’s main compartment closes with a heavy-duty metal zipper and lots more Velcro.

I’m a pretty experienced lifter and know a thing or two about exercise, so I figured I could start by loading each of the two fillers supplied to capacity, 20lbs each, bringing the “Power” bag to its maximum (40lbs). At only 40lbs, I figured it would be good to start with the more challenging exercises.

Boy, was I in for a surprise.

Using the “Power” Ultimate Sandbag

I had not trained with sandbags before. But, ironically, I filled nearly a hundred of them before a threatened El Niño rainy season here in southern California last year. I have been curious to try formally training with them, and always imagined they’d basically be used like interesting, but lighter, versions of barbells and kettlebells.

But, because there is some instability due to the shifting sand inside the bag, sandbag training is quite different from barbell lifting and kettlebell work. The USB is slightly unstable—not wildly so, but noticeably so. It’s not like standing on a Bosu or unstable surface; you get to have your feet on the floor. But it is also not like a “slosh pipe” or other highly unstable tool. The degree of instability feels challenging, but manageable.

It is likely this instability that makes the 40lb “Power” bag feel like a whole lot more—maybe what 40lbs would feel like on Jupiter.

I began training by trying some of the more advanced and complex movements, but found myself struggling too hard to keep good form. So I decided to work on more basic movements, rather than reduce the weight and do the more advanced stuff right away. This turned out to be a good decision.

Although the training does involve some familiar movements, like deadlifts and cleans, these are substantially different with the DVRT and the “Power” USB. Compared with the barbell and kettlebell work I was used to, DVRT movements with the “Power” bag had me sore in more and in different places.

DVRT and the “Power” USB have done a good job of challenging my core, balance, and posture. My core muscles seemed especially challenged, even by movements that were not targeting them. DVRT includes rotational movements and dynamic sequences that are unlike my previous barbell and kettlebell training, and these movements with the “Power” bag feel very effective at building stability, resilience, and improving the ability to resist force as well as generate force.

Left: Filler bags filled to capacity; Right: Included training materials.

My Recommendation: Thumbs Way Up

I highly recommend the “Power” Ultimate Sandbag for anyone seeking something new, safe, and challenging that will burn calories, build strength, and increase core strength and stability.

Ultimate Sandbags are a great choice for at-home fitness. You can use them on just about any surface – carpet, wood, concrete, grass – and they require far less room than a barbell and rack set up. The bags are not destructive to floors and surfaces like weight plates and kettlebells can be. But, you will need some overhead room. (From experience, I can tell you it’s not good a good idea to use the USB in a room with a ceiling fan.)

The Ultimate Sandbag offers a complete line of sandbags, each with its own purpose and characteristics. The main lineup includes five sizes, from the “Core” bag recommended for 5-20lbs, all the way up to the “Burly” bag that can handle a hefty 150lbs. There is also a more affordable “Kick-Start” bag, with a load range from 10-40lbs, which is recommended for “home users, boot camps, and first-time users.”

The bottom line is that the combination of the DVRT system and “Power” sandbag is a smart and safe way to boost your fitness at home and on your own schedule. It will be effective and challenging for any level of fitness. Despite the testing period being over, I’m going to continue with DVRT and the “Power” bag as part of my training.

Get your cardio training going with a new pair of running shoes:

A Racing Flat with an Appetite For Dirt

The post The Ultimate Sandbag Delivers Core Value appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I was at J & D Fitness in Las Vegas, Nevada to interview Josh Henkin, the guy behind Dynamic Variable Resistance Training (DVRT) and the Ultimate Sandbag. After being there for several minutes, I suddenly realized that J & D is a different kind of place. At first, it seems unremarkable and familiar. Like many gyms, there’s a pull up rig with rings and TRX straps, and there’s a substantial rack of kettlebells. Unlike most gyms, nearly half of the floor space is artificial turf. And then there’s that small mountain of sandbags… As it turns out, there is also only one barbell for the entire facility. But Josh, as you’ll see in our interview, makes you realize how sensible and smart this unconventional setup actually is.

Josh is tall, amiable, and damn smart. He’s been around long enough and he’s had enough success that he’s not out to constantly score points in our conversation or jump in to prove his point at every pause. His answers are thoughtful and considered. Straightforward and confident, Josh often weaves his responses into tidy narratives. It’s a gift that allows Josh to be engaging and plainspoken while explaining complex concepts.

Josh is also clearly passionate about DVRT and the Ultimate Sandbag.

Believe me, I get what you’re thinking: “DVRT” is hardly the sexiest-sounding or trendiest name you can give something. And then, when it comes to the “Ultimate Sandbag,” you’re trying to imagine what the heck could possibly be “ultimate” about a sandbag? Isn’t that something like, you know, the Ultimate Cinder Block?

But hold on. You’re about to see that, in the right hands, these things are actually very interesting, progressive training tools. So much so that DVRT and the Ultimate Sandbag have been featured by Details, The Wall Street Journal, Shape, Men’s Health, Oxygen, and even Access Hollywood, and the DVRT system has been rolled out in over 80 countries with ongoing certification programs in 15. Sounds a little sexier now, doesn’t it?

In our interview, Josh explains all this. And by the end, you’ll not only understand why this is impressive stuff, you’ll be eager to try it yourself. There are also some demo videos below that will take you from theory to practice in understanding DVRT and the Ultimate Sandbag.

Demo Videos

Because DVRT and the Ultimate Sandbag offer a complete approach that synergistically integrates a specific training tool and a comprehensive movement system, I asked Josh to also give a quick demonstration. He kindly grabbed a couple of victims to demonstrate—one of whom turned out to be the gym owner and NSCA State Director for Arizona, Doug Sheppard. (Remember that gym without barbells? Yeah, that’s where the NSCA State Director is training a new generation of outstanding coaches. But more on that in another article.)

Is DVRT be the Next Big Thing?

Day in and day out, I talk to a lot of people in the fitness industry. Quite a few suspect that gyms and fitness facilities are going to get smaller, not bigger. Just as CrossFit moved people out of big-box chain gyms, the era of big-box CrossFit and strength and conditioning gyms may be waning, as the fitness industry moves toward both more personalization and a more intimate redefinition of what a coach does. If that’s even partly true, DVRT and the Ultimate Sandbag are positioned for real success. The system is impressive in any setting, but for small facilities, garage gyms, home gyms, and any place where space is a premium, it’s not just a really sensible approach, it’s a no-brainer.

More ways to get fit without ever touching a barbell:

Of Muscles and Might: The Workman’s Conditioning Program

The post DVRT: How an Overlooked Tool Delivers Extraordinary Results appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

When children play, and indeed animals, they learn vital skills that prepare them for the rigors of life. It’s a way to develop physical and mental skills that can’t be beaten. If you’ve long since forgotten the art of playing then you might be be missing out on an important part of your physical training program.

What Are You Playing At?

I spend a lot of time looking at other people’s training programs either during coaching sessions or if I’ve been asked to re-program a session for someone. It can make pretty depressing reading. Why? Nine times out of ten it is so sterile that I wonder how people ever managed to stay motivated enough to do it. Of course it’s a great thing to put yourself through some hardship to achieve a bigger goal, but maybe you’re focusing on the hardship too much? And, while it’s easy to mentally equate hard work with great results it doesn’t always work out this way. Sure, I enjoy tough training sessions that I know other people would shy away from. But, for most people, I think a training program needs to be enjoyable on many levels for it to be effective.

Defining Play

Play can be defined as “a range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities normally associated with recreational pleasure and enjoyment.”¹ But this can give an unfair representation of the true value of play. Some see it that anything done purely for recreation cannot then also hold value in terms of achieving a particular aim. I disagree and believe sometimes we can achieve goals in a somewhat oblique manner.

Flow, as described by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, is “the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.”² That sounds a lot like how fitness training should be to me. And I think flow represents the perfect example of how we should approach play within our training sessions.

Playing With The Sandbag

Play itself is, by definition, free from the constraints of many traditional gym activities. In fact, it’s a great excuse to get outside of the gym if you’ve become a little too habitual. With that in mind, you could argue that play shouldn’t actually be defined by any one training tool. I’m inclined to agree with this but we can use select tools to make our play more appropriate to the overall goal of the session.

If you want to improve your ability to move well, along with significant improvements to your strength and conditioning, then the sandbag is a good option. On the other end of the spectrum, trying to go through a play drill on a fixed resistance machine like the leg press or lat pulldown just isn’t going to work.

When I think about play with the sandbag, the following are key points:

• Try to actively avoid going through your normal exercise patterns, especially avoid long sets that just turn every session into circuit training.
• The aim is to be creative. If you feel like doing something different, then go for it!
• Think of your play session as a game with very loose rules.
• Games can be played alone, but work best in groups. So get out there and find some people to play with!

Sandbag Play Drills

These drills have been designed to get you to approach your training in a different way. While ideas have been given below, you should also try to get creative and modify the sessions. What other things could you add to your training sessions to make them spontaneous, yet still effective?

The suggestions below will work best with training partners, teams, or groups. Remember, play should retain an element of fun while still being challenging, so don’t be afraid to scale any session to suit your current fitness levels.

Play Drill 1: Sandbag Volleyball

Set out an area of 10m x 10m and designate a center line (or put up a net). Divide into two teams. Start by chest passing the sandbag from one side of the court to the other. A member of the opposite team should chest catch it and then pass it back to the other side of the court again. Each time the sandbag drops to the ground the opposite team gets a point. If you’re not using a net make sure you try to clear the imaginary net line with each pass.

Play Drill 2: Sandbag Casualty

Oh no! Your best friend has been injured and you’re going to need to get him or her to safety. Unfortunately this is one heavy friend, so you’re going to need to load the sandbag up as heavy as you can – 200lbs or more is ideal. Work in teams of two or three people to carry the sandbag around an obstacle course or up a big hill. Carry it as a team or take turns.

Play Drill 3: New Exercise Generator

Get into a group of five or so people and each take turns to come up with a new exercise. Teach that new exercise to the others in the group. Once you’ve come up with ten or more exercises put them together into a circuit training session. Are you trying to come up with long-term replacements for the squat and deadlift? No, this drill is designed to get you to think about different things you can try. Who knows, you might just find your new favorite exercise.

Play Drill 4: Sandbag Relays

Get into teams of four people and set out a course of 20m or so. Pick four different ways to take the sandbag from the start to the finish line and back. You could try dragging, flipping, throwing, putting it across your shoulders and lunging, or putting it on your back and crawling. Really try to think outside of the box here! Run the relay as normal until every member of the team has done the course using each different method.

In Summary

In many ways this was a difficult article to write, as suggesting that people add more play into their training programs can come across as a little vague. It’s not as scientific as technique advice, or as immediately recognizable as being effective like a ten-minute met-con workout, but that’s definitely no reason to avoid incorporating play. Regular play sessions will add a level of enjoyment, creativity, and recovery everyone can benefit from. And it’s often in these freeform sessions that you’ll discover things that’ll really propel your strength and conditioning onto the next level. As the saying goes, if you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

Check out the rest of the series:

5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 1 – Get Started

5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 2 – Building Strength

5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 3 – Planes of Motion

5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 5 – 10 Killer Workouts

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post 5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 4 – Play Time appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Although I briefly touched on the concept of biomechanics in part one of this series, this article will delve deeper into exactly why sandbag training works and how you can maximize your results.

Welcome to the third part of this five-part weekly series on sandbag training. Today I’m going to be discussing the basic biomechanics of sandbag training and further advancing your competency with another three workouts for you to try.

Although I briefly touched on the concept of biomechanics in part one of this series, this article will delve deeper into exactly why sandbag training works and how you can maximize your results.

Hold Up, What Are Biomechanics and Why Should I Care?

If you want to be able to critically assess the programming and exercise options available to you, then you need to take an interest in biomechanics.

Even a basic understanding of biomechanics will put you head and shoulders above those who blindly pick and choose their exercise options on a whim. Plus, when things go wrong, like picking up an injury, then you’ll be in a far greater position to figure out how to fix it.

Biomechanics is described as the application of mechanics to biological organisms, and the relationship between the two. In this context we are using it to figure out how and why exercises and programs work or don’t work.

We want to know how to move more efficiently and more effectively – this is exactly where the value of biomechanics lies. We can use the sandbag to both demonstrate this and also add an extra level of functionality to programs.

Planes Of Motion

The planes of motion might best be described as invisible sheets of glass that your body can pass through. There are three of them, and many movements require that your body move through multiple planes at the same time.

A movement in which your body passes through two planes is called multi-planar, and a movement that passes through all three is called tri-planar. Planes of motion are not unique to sandbag training and the theory is applicable to a wide range of training tools and methodologies.

Planes Of Motion: Sagittal Plane

The sagittal plane of motion runs from side-to-side and you pass through it when moving forwards or backwards. Imagine the sheet of glass dissecting your body from shoulder to shoulder. The vast majority of exercises and human movements work in the sagittal plane Examples include walking, swings, deadlifts and sit ups.

Planes Of Motion: Frontal Plane

The frontal, or coronal, plane of motion runs down the center of your body and you pass through it when moving from side-to-side. Imagine the sheet of glass dissecting your body from your nose to the back of your head. Examples of frontal plane movements include lateral lunges, sidestepping, lateral raises and side bends.

Planes Of Motion: Transverse Plane

The transverse plane of motion sits through the center of the body and you pass through it when rotating. Imagine the sheet of glass dissecting your body horizontally. Examples of transverse plane movements include wood-chops, round-the-worlds, and T-push ups.

Movement or Stress?

Planes of motion are often confused as only being applicable if a person is physically moving through space. But it’s also important to realize your ability to stop yourself moving through a particular plane of motion is a very important thing.

Standing on one leg is an example of your ability to withstand stress in the frontal plane. This ability is a vital component of sandbag training because the bag does not remain balanced throughout an exercise.

While you are fighting to maintain the position of the sandbag you are also effectively stabilizing through multiple planes of motion. In this respect the sandbag forces an element of multi-planar instability into your exercise program, and that’s no bad thing.

Multi-planar stability is also highly correlated with a lower incidence of injury, principally in non-impact injuries. This is primarily due to an improved ability to resist against external stresses and improved joint health and function.

Multi-Planar Sandbag Workouts

The following workouts have been selected to encourage either movement or stability in all three planes of motion. You should also take a look at your current sport (or daily activities that you want to improve) and examine where you might need to develop improved movement and stability. Are there elements of your programming that could do with some fine-tuning?

Workout 1

• 10 x Sandbag shoulder squats (sagittal movement with stress in the frontal/coronal plane)
• 10 x Sandbag lunge and twist (sagittal and transversal movement)
• 10 x Sandbag round-the-worlds (transversal movement with stress in the sagittal and frontal/coronal plane)

Rest for 1 minute and repeat for a total of 4 rounds, switching sides/direction each round.

Workout 2

• 5 x Sandbag get up/windmills on each side (tri-planar)
• 5 x Sandbag single arm/single leg overhead press on each side (sagittal movement with stress in the frontal/coronal plane)
• 5 x Sandbag shoulder lunges (sagittal plane movement with stress in the frontal/coronal plane)

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes. Rest as needed.

Workout 3

• 25 x Sandbag shoulder-to-shoulder overhead press (sagittal movement with stress in the frontal/coronal and transversal planes)
• 25 x Sandbag bear-hug good mornings (sagittal plane movement with stress in the transversal plane)
• 25 x Sandbag Zercher lateral lunges (frontal/coronal movement with stress in the sagittal plane)
• 25 x Sandbag wood-chops (transversal movement with stress in the frontal/coronal plane)

Complete the workout as quickly as possible.

In Summary

The sandbag, although unique in its own right, shares a number of characteristics with other odd-shaped objects. Principally, you’ll find that regular sandbag training will improve your ability to move and stabilize in all three planes of motion.

This will have a dramatic effect on sporting performance, your ability to perform daily activities, and help you to avoid injury. With an understanding of some simple biomechanical principles you’ll be able to train smart, as well as hard, and make your exercise program even more effective.

Check out the rest of the series:

• 5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 1 – Get Started
• 5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 2 – Building Strength
• 5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 4 – Play Time
• 5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 5 – 10 Killer Workouts

Anatomy graphic courtesty of Rhetth at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons.

The post 5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 3 – Planes of Motion appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Strength Building 101, 6th Century BC Style

As an industry, we’re a little guilty of making strength seem like it’s a bit out of reach for many people. With marketing that proclaims “secret systems” and a myriad of programming options it’s really no surprise that many people are left confused when it comes to building strength. There are plenty of ways to maximize your strength, but the basics are really, really simple.

The story of Milo of Croton illustrates it perfectly. Milo of Croton was a famed wrestler in the 6th Century BC. A legendary figure, he was said to have performed the feat of lifting a fully grown 4-year old bull from the ground and up onto his shoulders. How did he accomplish this feat? He simply lifted the bull every day, from birth. As the bull got bigger, he got stronger. Like many of these stories, we don’t know exactly how true this is but it remains an excellent example of a progressive strength training program.

Have you ever actually approached your strength training in this way? I know many of the clients and individuals that I’ve spoken to over the years have never considered something so simple. They get bogged down in reps, sets, and exercise selection when many would get amazing results from just adding a little weight to the basic exercises from session to session.

Sandbag Strength Workouts

Developing strength with the sandbag, as opposed to a traditional free weight like the barbell or dumbbell, requires some adaptations to your programming. As I mentioned in part one of this series, sandbag training necessitates that you get good at transitioning between positions. But the bottom line is, it is going to be very tough to hit your max back squat with a sandbag if you can’t even get it onto your shoulders, so you need to be a little creative.

The Sandbag Strength workout below gives some of my favorite sandbag substitutions for the key barbell strength exercises of deadlift, back squat, overhead press, and bench press. Like a standard strength program, you can break these up into one or two lifts per session, with accessory work if required. And, as with any strength work, you need to be adding small incremental increase to the weight of your sandbag. This can happen from session-to-session, week-to-week, or month-to-month, but it needs to happen.

Workout 1: Sandbag Strength

Left photo: Bear Hug Squat. Right photo: Open Grip Deadlift.

Sandbag Bear Hug Squat 3 x 5

Grip your sandbag in a bear hug so it rests high on the chest. The placement of this sandbag makes this more of a front squat variation, but it does mean that you can complete the exercise without the need to have to press the bag overhead as well.

Sandbag Open Grip Deadlift 3 x 5

You may well be able to add enough sand to your bag to make a sandbag deadlift comparable to a regular barbell deadlift. But for those who are stronger, you can maximize the benefit of using your sandbag by adopting an open grip – using the fabric of the sandbag itself rather than any handles. This places additional stress on the grip, as you won’t be able to fully close the hand. This can be a particularly important variation for judokas, jiu jitsu athletes, and anyone who wants to improve their grip strength.

Sandbag Floor Press 3 x 5

You can perform a sandbag bench press if you have access to a bench. Otherwise, the floor press is a great alternative. I prefer to start the exercise with the sandbag across my hips and then bridge to lift it up onto my chest. Take a firm grip of the sandbag from underneath, this way you’ll be able to maximize your range of motion if the bag begins to sag.

Sandbag Overhead Press 3 x 5

The overhead press is one of the few sandbag lifts that can be done without too much adjustment, principally as most individuals are able to clean their overhead press weight fairly comfortably. You will have to contend with a greater degree of multi-planar stress at full arm extension. The sandbag, much like dumbbells or a Swiss bar, also allows for a more pronated grip – excellent if you have any issues with shoulder impingement.

Rest 2-4 minutes between sets.

Workout 2: The Milo Sandbag Challenge

This workout is designed to replicate the famed wrestlers feat and, who knows, you could be lifting a bull by the end of the year. We’ve added a little more volume to the program, but it remains essentially the same. The aim is to continually add small daily increments of weight to your sandbag. This requires commitment, but the results can be fantastic. I’ve personally achieved a 100kg sandbag ground-to-overhead lift at a bodyweight of 82kg and I continue to make progress with it.

Perform 5 ground-to-overhead lifts with your sandbag. Take as much rest as you need in between lifts. You should start with a moderately heavy sandbag and add 1lb of sand to your bag each day. Perform daily until you can no longer complete the lifts.

Workout 3: Sandbag Medley

Sandbag Drag

Sandbag Loading

Drag a heavy sandbag 20m before lifting it onto (or over) a platform at around chest height. This could be an actual platform, a wall, a fence or even a tree branch. Rest for 2-4 minutes and repeat for a total of 5 rounds. You should be working with the heaviest sandbag you can handle.

In Summary

The sandbag is a free weight, albeit a little tougher to control than some others, but a free weight nonetheless. So there is absolutely no reason you can’t utilize it for the strength component of your fitness training program. The type of brute strength you’ll develop with the bag is unlike any other, so it warrants a place in any program. If you apply some of the standard principles of a progressive strength training program to your sandbag training you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve. Until next time, train hard.

Check out the rest of the series:

5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 1 – Get Started

5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 3 – Planes of Motion

5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 4 – Play Time

5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 5 – 10 Killer Workouts

The post 5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 2 – Building Strength appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I realize some people may believe that instability training is unnecessary and just focusing on the standard big lifts of cleans, squats, press, and pull-ups is more than enough to build a really strong foundation. However, this does go against most of what we know about Eastern European training methods, which are now the basis of many strength and performance programs.

One of the fathers of periodization and the introduction of the concept into the U.S., Tudor Bompa spoke specifically about an important phase called “anatomical adaptation” (AA). The purpose of this phase according to Dr. Bompa is:

The AA phase represents the foundation on which the other phases of training are based. The name of this phase has been specifically selected to illustrate the fact that the main objective of strength training is not an immediate overload, but rather a progressive adaptation of an athlete’s anatomy. The objectives of the AA phase are focused around “prehabilitation” with the hope of preventing the need for “rehabilitation.” In other words, focusing on a higher volume of training with low to medium loads will aid in the adaptation level of an athlete’s muscle tissue, ligaments and tendons, and prepare the body for the more challenging program inherent in the following phases of training. Furthermore, a methodologically structured AA phase will aid in the improvement of inter-muscular coordination (i.e. balance, coordination and neural firing patterns), and increase the bone mineral content and proliferation of connective tissue that surrounds the individual muscle fibers.⁴

Bompa even goes on to discuss a key concept of “exercises that train muscles from multi-angles should be incorporated along with an overall flexibility program.” Unfortunately an idea that many trainers get lost in when they think they are doing the right thing of “doing the basics.”

Many believe the AA phase to be the same as the General Physical Preparation (GPP) period in training cycles. They may definitely be the same; their purposes seem to be very similar.

According to Dr. Michael Yessis’ book, Secrets of Russian Fitness and Sports Training, the correct use of GPP places, “emphasis on many different kinds of exercises for all the joints of the body, movements that require twisting, bending, leaning, and swinging are part of the schedule…”

Unfortunately many coaches are making GPP programs very high volume specialized training phases rather than the initial intent of this phase of training. I believe sandbag training is one of the best forms of GPP training, but not because of the reasons most would believe.

Most coaches would think because sandbags have a tendency to be far more unstable than other strength training tools, instability of the sandbag is the reason they would fit into the role of GPP. Yes, this is a good reason, however, far from the only one.

The that fact we can load our body in so many different patterns, and sandbags allow themselves to move in all planes of motion, means we have a training tool that if used properly can address some really unique outcomes.

Is there a more practical example of how changing stability can go a long way in enhancing our conditioning?

We wanted to quantify the difference with two real world tests. In our first case study, we had a young lady well versed in kettlebell lifting and our Dynamic Variable Resistance Training program perform two different movements on different days.

The first was the 100 kettlebell swings with a 35-pound kettlebells, trying to perform the repetitions in the shortest amount of time possible. On the next training session she performed 100 Rotational Lunges with a 17-pound sandbag. The results?

If we standardize time we get the following data:

• Heart Rate: +20 beats on average higher for rotational lunge
• Calories (Standardizing Time): kettlebell – .157 a second rotational lunge – .206 a second
• Over 30 minutes and you get: kettlebell – 282.60 versus rotational lunge – 370.80

To make sure this wasn’t just a fluke we had a male perform the same challenge with a 70-pound kettlebell and 33-pound sandbag. We standardized time and got the following results.

Because time was standardized it is easier to see we got very similar results, especially when we consider they didn’t even complete all 100 rotational lunges in the time period. The surprise is the fact we see such changes in our standards with less than half the load. The difference was the instability that the rotational lunge provided.

A believer? That is why I wanted to outline four sandbag drills most people never use that fulfill both our goals of improving movement, muscle balance, coordination, mobility, joint integrity, and working in multiple planes.

Drill #1: Rotational Lunge

Think of the rotational lunge as a more complex version of a kettlebell swing. The drop lunge that occurs in the movement creates single leg hip extension and a projection of the weight. The unstable body position makes it difficult not to focus on using the posterior chain to develop the necessary force.

The movement of the sandbag across the body challenges our strength, as we have to absorb the continually moving load. Finally, the deceleration to the opposing side is one of the most important aspects as eccentric loading is where most injuries occur.

Drill #2: Rotational High Pull

In the rotational lunge the name “rotational” refers to the movement of the sandbag. In the rotational high pull, the body moves in the transverse plane to load and create force.

Moving in different planes and learning how to both produce and absorb force definitely fits into our above discussion of proper GPP training. Only working in our strongest and stable position leaves a hole in the other movement patterns.

Drill #3: Arc Press From Half Kneeling

Most overhead pressing drills only allow our center of gravity to move up and down, again, very stable. There are mild frontal plane forces that occur during one-arm movements, but we can increase this challenge by using the arc press and a less stable body position.

The arc press causes the sandbag to move from side to side, placing far more emphasis in resisting side bending by the body. The half-kneeling position places us in an unstable body position, placing stress on our ability to resist leaning and side bending.

This makes single arm pressing far more important and if we slow down speed, we can build some serious pressing strength by identifying the gaps in our performance.

Drill #4: Lateral Lunge Clean to Balance

We just showed developing and absorbing force in the transverse plane, the lateral lunge clean to balance allows us to emphasize the frontal plane.

What is unique about this drill is the amount of deceleration that occurs because of not just the movement of the body, but the sandbag as well. Adding in the balance step increases our need to create hip extension and resisting the frontal plane forces.

My hope is that we change the sandbag from a tool that we throw on our shoulder or run around with, to a tool with effective solutions. This will provide not just another tool to the coach or athlete, but a much more effective system.

The post Sandbag Drills: Instability Builds Balance and Strength appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I’m not going to bore you with the history of the sandbag, After all, just because something is old doesn’t automatically make it valuable. What intrigues me is the means in which the sandbag has been used in the more modern era. Some may argue that trying to systemize something like a sandbag seems too complex for what outwardly seems like a simple implement. Yet, how do we expect to achieve specific outcomes or see the value of this training method if we have no particular thought process behind the training?

What’s Unique About the Sandbag

I became a big believer in sandbag training because I felt the unique aspects of this style of training from the instant I tried to lift one. My interest drove me to learn everything I could about sandbag training, just as I had with many other forms of physical training. The more I searched, however, the more I found very little written on the topic. There was mention of sandbags in a host of books such as John Jesse’s Encyclopedia of Wrestling Conditioning, Brooks Kubik’s Dinosaur Training, or other books with bits and pieces, but nothing that really answered programming, implementation, or coaching/cueing questions.

As many strength coaches seem to do when they seek answers to their deepest questions, I began to use my training facility as a laboratory. Clients of varying abilities with different needs became my test subjects and would be the inspiration to answering these very questions I had about how to use the sandbag.

In order to understand the systemization of sandbag training, we first need to appreciate the unique attributes of sandbag training. As we begin to delve into sandbags, the differences to our more common training techniques become quickly evident.

Instability

The role of instability is the most important and beneficial factor of sandbag training. When most lifters think of sandbag training they think of an implement that shifts, moves, and well, is unpredictable. This aspect of sandbag training alone has intrigued coaches and athletes, as the great majority of training implements are stable and predictable in their movement.

The unpredictability of sandbag training has been thought as a bridge from the weight room to actual sport. Sport itself is wildly unpredictable, especially those that deal with live opponents and aren’t able to predict where loads, forces, and positions are going to be coming from or set. I have used this concept as a means to make the Soviet notion of “imperfection training” more relevant for the modern athlete and coach. Old time strength athletes often said that sandbags “fill in the holes” of the more common forms of training, but can it be much more?

Great, they can be unstable, but how does that impact programming, exercise selection, and purpose? The instability of the sandbag itself is only one means of addressing the stability component. Understanding the relationship of the following other ideas will help us answer how we can actually benefit and program sandbag training.

Dimension

One of the more unique aspects of sandbag training is the role dimension plays. Most iron sports go a long way to standardize the dimensional component of an implement. Barbells for powerlifting and Olympic lifting are carefully standardized and coaches will often pay a small fortune to get an approved barbell in order to perform these lifts. Kettlebell sport is adamant about having kettlebells of equal size so that dimension doesn’t alter the technique of lifting. Yet, in sandbag training, altering the dimension is of paramount importance in setting forth progression.

The dimensional changes are not just means to alter load. Changing the dimension of a sandbag allows one to manipulate instability. In other words, two sandbags can be the same weight, but depending upon the size of the sandbag, it may move a lot or very little. Having a more stable sandbag is appropriate when introducing more challenging movement patterns, holding positions, or planes of movement. More unstable sandbags are perfect when the body is in a more stable lifting posture and working in a more dominant plane such as the sagittal plane. Therefore making dimension a vital variable in the training system.

Sandbag Placement on the Body

How you hold a sandbag can completely change how you train. Rarely do coaches program the placement of the load. Most think in terms of exercises such as back squats, deadlifts, power cleans, and so on. The way these exercises are performed automatically dictates where the load is placed in relationship to the body. Sandbag training doesn’t adhere to one singular idea. Sandbag squats can be performed with the weight placed on the body many different ways, all with a specific purpose.

For example, the Bear Hug Squat places the weight in a position where we can handle the most amount of weight and actually can counterbalance our body. For this reason, the Bear Hug Squat can be used as a corrective drill, mobility exercise, posterior chain movement, and strength training all at once.

Another of the most popular positions is the Zercher hold. Many believe the Zercher position to be the same as the front squat, but it is very different because the weight is much lower and not supported by the entire frame of the body. Therefore, the Zercher position is a strong anti-flexion position and far closer to the front hold plank that it is the front squat.

The Shoulder position is one that is most commonly thought of in sandbag training, but inappropriately applied. Sandbags are far from the only implement that can be used with an asymmetrical load, but sandbags are unique in the fact that the Shoulder position applies axial loading. This means that more than other asymmetrical loading positions, the sandbag really challenges the ability of the body to maintain its postural alignment during various exercises. As the Zercher position applies strong anti-flexion stresses upon the body, the Shoulder position provides strong lateral flexion stress. We can think of it as more frontal plane stress during some of our more common sagittal plane dominant movements. Unfortunately, most lifters simply throw a sandbag on their shoulder and pay very little attention to their posture or alignment.

Once we begin to appreciate and understand these foundational components we find ourselves with far more options in designing programs. These variables challenge us to become better coaches by becoming more thoughtful in how we apply stress to the body and ultimately how we can use sandbags not as a tool to be hardcore, but to be a problem solver.

The post The Most Misunderstood Training Tool: The Sandbag appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Compounding this is the fact that developing strength and conditioning for MMA and the martial arts can be confusing because the needs of these athletes are varied. Your individual style, physical attributes and abilities will determine the proper way that you should develop your training program.

My approach to this dilemma is simple. I develop programs that support the training needs of these athletes rather than developing fitness for its own sake. I generally set the following guidelines regarding strength and conditioning for MMA athletes:

• Will the activity directly improve an athlete’s performance in training and/or competition?
• Will the activity enable faster (and better quality) skill learning?
• Will the activity reduce the incidence of injury and/or encourage recovery?

This article will cover some of the training principles and practices I include when working with MMA athletes – all using the humble sandbag.

A Multi-Disciplined Approach To Training

Much like the blend of styles required for today’s high-level MMA competition (boxing, muay Thai, wrestling, jiu jitsu, and more), it’s also important to take a balanced approach to your fitness.

For a well-rounded approach you should include some agility, endurance, strength, power, mobility/flexibility, and speed work. Much of this can come through skills-based work, but it’s also vital to include some supplemental strength and conditioning.

Using strength and conditioning exercises that also have some functional parallels in your sport is a great idea.

Why Sandbags? An Alternative Resistance Training Option

Although used by serious athletes for decades, the sandbag has struggled to go beyond being an alternative option in strength and conditioning. Most people add in some sandbag training for a change when their existing program becomes stale. I hope I can go some way toward convincing you that it has a place in your training year round.

A key point to remember is that sandbag training is resistance training. You’ll get many of the same benefits associated with traditional forms of resistance like barbells and dumbbells. The sandbag does also have a number of other distinct advantages though:

• It’s incredibly tough to work with. The sandbag is an awkward load that will make you work for each and every lift. While this means you won’t necessarily be able to lift as much weight as you can on a bar, it will be a truer representation of how you can handle a “real-life” load – like an opponent.
• The sandbag will naturally develop your grip strength. Rather than including a lot of additional grip work, the very nature of the sandbag means you’ll develop an iron grip just trying to hold onto it.
• The sandbag is malleable and will mold to your body shape. This makes it a great tool for carries, sprints, throws, and a range of partner exercises. You can also use the sandbag to simulate grappling with an opponent.

Getting Started

One of the biggest benefits of sandbag training is that you can get started with the bare minimum of investment.

When I originally started training with sandbags I used a homemade bag that literally cost me nothing to make. I just took an old bag of sand, put it inside a duffel bag, and I was good to go.

You can also invest in a custom-made sandbag that has specifically been designed for strength and conditioning use (my personal favorite is the Brute Force Sandbag.

By far and away the simplest way to construct a homemade sandbag is by using a duffel bag or holdall.

You can then add contractor/builders bags of sand directly into this outer shell. These bags of sand are generally sold in 25kg/55lb weights so you may need to adjust the weight before you can start.

To do this, make a small slit in the bag of sand and remove what you don’t need. You’ll then need to tape up the bag to avoid any leakage (use strong tape for this).

Whatever option you go for, sandbag training is an accessible and affordable training method. In this respect it trumps many of the traditional resistance training options that either require gym membership or costly equipment.

With so many existing barriers to exercise it’s important that you understand that your results are not dependent upon your budget.

My Top 3 Tips For Integrating Sandbag Training

1. Use sandbag training as a supplemental activity.

Sandbag training is not a magic formula, nothing is. You’ll get consistent results by applying hard (and smart) work over time. With that in mind, I’d recommend adding in some sandbag training to your existing program rather than trying to replace everything.

Try integrating one or two sandbag conditioning sessions per week. The following exercises have been taken from my book Sandbag Training For MMA & Combat Sports.

Try this workout – Complete as many repetitions as possible in 1 minute per exercise. Rest for 1 minute between each set of 4 exercises and repeat for a total of 2-4 rounds:

1. Bear Hug Squats (see photo #3)
2. High Pulls (see photo #2)
3. Floor Press (see photo #1)
4. Backwards Drags (drag for 20m, turn, and repeat – see photo #4)

2. Use exercises that are sandbag specific.

It is entirely possible to replace a number of key barbell strength and conditioning exercises (like deadlifts, squats and presses) with the sandbag.

There are many benefits to doing this, but I still recommend that the sandbag be used for exercises that make the most of its inherent benefits. These are some exercises that I’d class these as being fairly unique to the sandbag:

• Shouldering – Lifting a sandbag up onto your shoulder is a surprisingly tough exercise, despite its simplicity. Done for reps this is a serious conditioning work.
• Bear Hug Movements – Anything where you’re holding the sandbag in a Bear Hug (or similar position) is a great way to develop the strength and conditioning required for grappling. Try it for squats, lunges, or load carries and experiment with different grips on the sandbag. There are very few training tools that work as well as the sandbag for this – except perhaps the atlas stone.
• Load Carries, Drags and Throws – The sandbag is perfectly suited to being carried, dragged, and generally abused. You can add heavy sandbag drags into your agility work or try incorporating throws with a partner.

3. Apply sound training principles.

No matter what the training tool you should be applying sound training principles. Aim to base the majority of your program on compound (multi-joint, multi-muscle) exercises that will have a greater transfer into your sporting performance.

A blend of strength (higher weight, lower repetitions, long rest periods) and conditioning (lighter weight, higher repetitions, shorter rest periods) work is vital for high-level MMA performance. So this is also something you should emulate in your sandbag training program.

In Summary

Sandbag training, properly implemented, can be a great fit for anyone involved in combat sports and the martial arts. Like any form of resistance training it can be used to improve your strength and conditioning, but with the added benefit that the sandbag will also help you to improve a number of sport-specific attributes.

You can read the Breaking Muscle book review of Sandbag Training for MMA & Combat Sports.

The post How to Use Sandbag Training For MMA and Combat Sports appeared first on Breaking Muscle.