Sandbag training is a cost-effective way to get a total-body workout. For fitness enthusiasts with limited shoulder mobility or who just plain don’t like using barbells, sandbags serve as an effective joint-friendly alternative.While do-it-yourself sandbags are ideal for some, it’s a worthwhile investment to purchase a durable sandbag lining to fill with sand such as Brute Force or Ultimate Sandbag. Another option is to get a pre-filled sandless sandbag, such as Wreck Bag or Bulgarian Bag. Regardless of the sandbag type, try to get one with handles to add even more exercise possibilities than the typical tied flood barrier bags.Incorporate these 10 sandbag exercises into your workouts to improve stability, increase core strength, burn a bunch of calories, and build muscle.
2 of 11
Mikolette / Getty Images
Wreck Bag Clean
How to do it: Stand tall holding the sandbag by its handles or ends with the weight in front of your hips. Bend your knees and bring the bag toward the ground in front of you. Quickly throw the bag vertically toward the ceiling, catching it on top of your chest with elbows pointed up. Since this isn’t a power clean, there’s no need to jump off the ground to bring the weight from the ground to chest, nor is there a press overhead at the end. Return the weight back to the front of the hips after it has landed on the chest.
3 of 11
Mikolette / Getty Images
Front Squat
How to do it: While standing tall with knees straight, hold a sandbag across your chest using an underhand grip. This is the starting position. Squat down by pushing your hips backward and bending at the knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Drive your hips vertically at this point until you’re standing again. The bag stays in the same position the entire time.
4 of 11
Shutterstock
Burpee Squat
How to do it: Stand holding a sandbag in front of your hips. Squat down and place the bag on the ground in front of you so your palms are on the top of the bag, then step or jump your feet backward so you’re in the top of a pushup. Do a pushup with palms on top of the sandbag. Next, step/jump feet back toward hands, grab the bag, flip with your wrists as you get in the bottom of a squat (this is essentially a squat clean after a pushup). Now, jump vertically with the bag held close to the body and land softly. That’s one rep.
5 of 11
Matthias Drobeck / Getty Images
Reverse Lunge
How to do it: Place a sandbag on your right shoulder so it’s perpendicular, meaning it’s laying on top of your shoulder with the long ends in front and back of you. Take a big step backward with your right foot, keeping the bag in place, until your right knee is 1-2″ off the ground. Explode up with your right glute to step forward, and return to the starting position. Now, switch the bag from your right shoulder to the left shoulder by shifting it over your head. Lunge backward with your left leg, then bring the leg forward. That’s one rep each side.
6 of 11
Mikolette / Getty Images
Around The World
How to do it: Hold a sandbag by its ends or widest handles in front of your hips. Leading with your left shoulder, swing the bag up and around the back of your head in a clockwise direction which means your left hand is reaching across your face. Once you’ve made a circle around the back of your head, bring the bag back to the front of your hips. That’s one rep clockwise. Do 10 reps then switch to the other direction, which would require your right arm to reach across your face to swing the bag behind your head.
7 of 11
Mikolette / Getty Images
Alternating Split Squat Jumps
How to do it: Stand holding a sandbag behind your head so it’s lying across your traps/on top of your back. Perform a forward lunge with your right foot forward and left knee 1-2″ off the ground. This is the starting position. From here, jump up and switch legs in mid-air so you land with the left foot forward and right knee 1-2″ off the ground. That’s one rep.
8 of 11
Mikolette / Getty Images
Bentover Row
How to do it: Stand with torso parallel to the ground while holding a sandbag at its ends/by its handles with arms extended straight down toward the ground. This is the starting position. Using just your back muscles, bring the bag toward your mid-section, stopping just below your chest. Pause here for a second, then slowly release the bag back down until your arms are hanging straight while holding it. That’s one rep.
9 of 11
Westend61 / Getty Images
Reverse Curl
How to do it: Stand with knees slightly bent holding a sandbag in front of your hips. If your bag has handles, hold them using an overhand grip, so your palms are over the top of the handles. If your bag doesn’t have handles, this will be a hammer curl, since you’ll be holding the bag by its ends using a neutral grip. Curl the bag toward your shoulders, stopping until your hands are at shoulder level. Squeeze at the top of rep then return the bag down to the starting position. That’s one rep.
10 of 11
SolStock / Getty Images
Cross Body Chop
How to do it: Stand with knees slightly bent holding the sandbag in the middle, so its top and bottom are above and below your hands respectively. Bring the bag to the outside of your right ankle as you’re still standing. That’s the starting position. Chop the bag diagonally across your body and over your left shoulder until your arms are fully extended toward the ceiling. As you do this, pivot your feet toward the left. Once the bag is as high as possible, pivot your feet toward the right as you chop it diagonally across your body to the starting position. That’s one rep right to left. Do 10 reps then reverse directions, chopping the bag from the outside of the left foot to the top of right shoulder for 10 reps.
11 of 11
Mikolette / Getty Images
Isometric Press Out
How to do it: Stand holding the bag with your hands in the middle of it with the bag held close to your chest. Get in the bottom of a squat. This is the start position. Press the bag straight out in front of you while holding the squat position. This will require you to engage your core greatly. Do 10 reps.
Sandbag training is a cost-effective way to get a total-body workout. For fitness enthusiasts with limited shoulder mobility or who just plain don’t like using barbells, sandbags serve as an effective joint-friendly alternative.
While do-it-yourself sandbags are ideal for some, it’s a worthwhile investment to purchase a durable sandbag lining to fill with sand such as Brute Force or Ultimate Sandbag. Another option is to get a pre-filled sandless sandbag, such as Wreck Bag or Bulgarian Bag. Regardless of the sandbag type, try to get one with handles to add even more exercise possibilities than the typical tied flood barrier bags.
Incorporate these 10 sandbag exercises into your workouts to improve stability, increase core strength, burn a bunch of calories, and build muscle.
Wreck Bag Clean
How to do it: Stand tall holding the sandbag by its handles or ends with the weight in front of your hips. Bend your knees and bring the bag toward the ground in front of you. Quickly throw the bag vertically toward the ceiling, catching it on top of your chest with elbows pointed up. Since this isn’t a power clean, there’s no need to jump off the ground to bring the weight from the ground to chest, nor is there a press overhead at the end. Return the weight back to the front of the hips after it has landed on the chest.
Front Squat
How to do it: While standing tall with knees straight, hold a sandbag across your chest using an underhand grip. This is the starting position. Squat down by pushing your hips backward and bending at the knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Drive your hips vertically at this point until you’re standing again. The bag stays in the same position the entire time.
Burpee Squat
How to do it: Stand holding a sandbag in front of your hips. Squat down and place the bag on the ground in front of you so your palms are on the top of the bag, then step or jump your feet backward so you’re in the top of a pushup. Do a pushup with palms on top of the sandbag. Next, step/jump feet back toward hands, grab the bag, flip with your wrists as you get in the bottom of a squat (this is essentially a squat clean after a pushup). Now, jump vertically with the bag held close to the body and land softly. That’s one rep.
Reverse Lunge
How to do it: Place a sandbag on your right shoulder so it’s perpendicular, meaning it’s laying on top of your shoulder with the long ends in front and back of you. Take a big step backward with your right foot, keeping the bag in place, until your right knee is 1-2″ off the ground. Explode up with your right glute to step forward, and return to the starting position. Now, switch the bag from your right shoulder to the left shoulder by shifting it over your head. Lunge backward with your left leg, then bring the leg forward. That’s one rep each side.
Around The World
How to do it: Hold a sandbag by its ends or widest handles in front of your hips. Leading with your left shoulder, swing the bag up and around the back of your head in a clockwise direction which means your left hand is reaching across your face. Once you’ve made a circle around the back of your head, bring the bag back to the front of your hips. That’s one rep clockwise. Do 10 reps then switch to the other direction, which would require your right arm to reach across your face to swing the bag behind your head.
Alternating Split Squat Jumps
How to do it: Stand holding a sandbag behind your head so it’s lying across your traps/on top of your back. Perform a forward lunge with your right foot forward and left knee 1-2″ off the ground. This is the starting position. From here, jump up and switch legs in mid-air so you land with the left foot forward and right knee 1-2″ off the ground. That’s one rep.
Bentover Row
How to do it: Stand with torso parallel to the ground while holding a sandbag at its ends/by its handles with arms extended straight down toward the ground. This is the starting position. Using just your back muscles, bring the bag toward your mid-section, stopping just below your chest. Pause here for a second, then slowly release the bag back down until your arms are hanging straight while holding it. That’s one rep.
Reverse Curl
How to do it: Stand with knees slightly bent holding a sandbag in front of your hips. If your bag has handles, hold them using an overhand grip, so your palms are over the top of the handles. If your bag doesn’t have handles, this will be a hammer curl, since you’ll be holding the bag by its ends using a neutral grip. Curl the bag toward your shoulders, stopping until your hands are at shoulder level. Squeeze at the top of rep then return the bag down to the starting position. That’s one rep.
Cross Body Chop
How to do it: Stand with knees slightly bent holding the sandbag in the middle, so its top and bottom are above and below your hands respectively. Bring the bag to the outside of your right ankle as you’re still standing. That’s the starting position. Chop the bag diagonally across your body and over your left shoulder until your arms are fully extended toward the ceiling. As you do this, pivot your feet toward the left. Once the bag is as high as possible, pivot your feet toward the right as you chop it diagonally across your body to the starting position. That’s one rep right to left. Do 10 reps then reverse directions, chopping the bag from the outside of the left foot to the top of right shoulder for 10 reps.
Isometric Press Out
How to do it: Stand holding the bag with your hands in the middle of it with the bag held close to your chest. Get in the bottom of a squat. This is the start position. Press the bag straight out in front of you while holding the squat position. This will require you to engage your core greatly. Do 10 reps.
