Workouts Tips

Most standard exercise movements can be replicated and enhanced with a sandbag. Here are just a few exercises that you can execute today to workout your arms, legs, shoulders, back, and core using the MudGear Sandbag

• Deadlifts

  This simple exercise activates your hip extensors and strengthens the lower back to avoid pain.
  
  Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Maintain a straight back as you hinge at the hip, bend down and simply stand back up to lift a heavy ruck. Continue hinging at the hip to place the ruck on the ground and stand up with it again. Repeat for multiple reps.

• Arm Curls

  One of the best ways to strengthen your arms and work your grip at the same time is with sandbag biceps curls. The length of the sandbag lets you work your biceps through a greater range of motion than dumbbells.
  
  Turn your sandbag sideways so that you can easily grab the top and bottom. Keep your body straight (don't rock) as you extend your arms and then curl them up to your chin. Add weight or reps to get those biceps burning.

• Cleans

  A Sandbag Clean is a multi-muscle exercise that will stimulate the entire lower body as well as the core and even some of your upper body as well. It's considered to be a compound exercise, so is a great one for both building muscle strength as well as burning up calories quickly.
  
  SFrom a squat, use your legs to lift your ruck from the ground. As it gathers some momentum, explosively pull the bag upwards into a clench against your chest. Then extend your arms to place, drop, or throw the ruck to the ground. Repeat the process multiple times.

• Lunges

  Start lunging to increase muscle mass, build up strength and tone your body - especially your core, glutes, and legs.
  
  Hold the bag firmly against your chest. Then, go from standing straight to stepping one foot forward and bending both legs so that one knee touches or nears the ground. Bring the front foot back so that both legs are in A straight standing position. Then, alternate the stepping leg while keeping your sandbag high on your torso.

• Pulls

  Similar to an upright row, hold your sandbag at the top so that both hands are fairly close together. Lift your sandbag so that hands touch your chin or higher while standing straight and elbows are pointed out. Pulls help build bigger/stronger shoulders and traps.

• Squats

  Squats are a great strength builder! You're going to feel this especially in your glutes and quads, but your core and back will get stronger too.
  
  Clean and press the sandbag overhead to a resting position against your shoulders. Then, with feet slightly turned out (about shoulder width apart), bend your knees and squat down. Drive the hips back upwards and return to standing. Don't cave. Keep your chest up, feet flat, and knees in-line with your feet.

• Swings

  This is a ballistic exercise similar to a kettlebell swing. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Swing your sandbag up to shoulder height in front of your body and back down so that the sandbag swings back between legs. Swings are a full body exercise with emphasis on glutes, hips, and lower back.

• Overhead Press

  Sandbag Overhead Press is fantastic for building upper body strength including shoulders, arms, upper back and chest. However to really understand this exercise the benefits go far beyond upper body strength. The overhead press requires the muscles of the entire body to work synergistically with one another.
  
  Use a clean method to lift the sandbag to your chest. Then, stand straight and extend your arms to lift the bag overhead. Return to the chest and repeat. For added stability, spread legs into a slight lunge.

• Down Overhead Press

  Get ready to feel this everywhere - arms, abs, legs. It's also just a great way to build cardio endurance. Just remember to breathe!
  
  Lay your sandbag on the ground sideways so that you can grab its top with one hand and the bottom with the other. Pick the sandbag off the ground and extend it over your head and back to the earth. These reps should be fluid - with limited pauses or hard jolts. As you maneuver the sandbag over your head, be careful not to bend too far back.

• Toss

  This has all of the value of cleans but with added chest and arm engagement during the throw. Throw further and step faster for increased intensity.
  
  Clean the sandbag to chest level, and toss it forward. Repeat multiple times.

• Overhead Toss

  This has some of the motions of the deadlift, squat, clean, and even the kettlebell swing but keeps everything very tight to the body. It also forces you to use your core and upper body and not just the legs.
  
  Use legs and hips to toss the sandbag over your head while keeping your core tight. Tossing over the shoulder instead of overhead is a respectable variation.