Intro to Sandbag Training: How to build a sandbag and basic lifts

Functional training hit mainstream thanks in part to the movie 300.  A spin off type of training that has gained popularity relies on sandbags instead of weights.  Now it is not unusual to see sports teams adding sandbag drills to their strength programs.  The main reason for this is due to how effective sandbags are as a training tool.

Building Your Sandbag

The great thing about sandbags that it is easy to add into your training because at its simplest you just pick up the sandbag.  As simple as it sounds this lift will provide endless variation as the sand shifts.  The first step requires choosing a bag to hold your sand.  There are a number of DIY ideas available but for a high quality bag click here.  The next thing to consider is the type of sand and how it is packed into the bag.  I use play sand that comes in 50 pound bags for $3-4 because it is cheap and free of debris.  Buy some heavy duty contractor trash bags (the key is to look for at least 3 milimeters of thickness) to use as fill bags.  Then pour roughly 25 pounds into one trash bag and seal it with duct tape.  For extra mess preventing protection place the 25 pound bag into another trash bag and seal with duct tape (you do not want to have to try vaccuuming fine sand).   Some people use 50 pound fill bags and some use smaller increments.  It is personal preference, but I find 25 pounds gives plenty of flexibility for adjusting the weight.   A note, by leaving room in your fill bags to allow the sand to shift will increase the difficulty of each lift.

Now Comes the Lifting

There are a number of lifts possible but they all depend on how you set the sandbag on the ground.   The easiest is to place the bag on its end allowing you to get your hands under it.  Increase the difficulty by laying the bag on its side between your legs.  The next level is placing the bag on its side lengthwise running in front of you.  Here are the primary lifts you will use:

1. Deadlift
2. Clean and Jerk
3. Snatch
4. Walk and Carry

Walking while carrying the sandbag has several variations:

1. Bear hug
2. On your back
3. At your side or on your shoulder
4. In  front, in a Zercher hold
5. Pressed overhead

The progression of lifts start with the deadlift which transitions into the clean and jerk.  This combination does not resemble the fluid olympic lift but has several stages.  First lifting the sandbag to your lap which will allow you to change hand positions so you can stand up.  Once you are standing you will push press the sandbag overhead into a lock out position.  Return to the rack position or all the way to the ground.  That completes one repetition.  Don’t worry about perfecting the technique because every lift will be different due to the shifting sand.  Remember sandbag training is supposed to be unpredictable.

One of the best ways to utilize the dynamic nature of sandbags is the walk and carry.   First find a location to do this exercise such as your house, the park, a football field, etc.  Then pick one of the five holds above.  Choose whether to increase distance or increase weight depending on your personal goals.  If you are trying to build endurance stick with one weight like 100 pounds and try to increase the distance walked each week.  If you want to increase strength keep the distance the same and increase the weight each week.  Each hold will change the difficulty and start lighter than you think because you will be using stabilizer muscle that are not accustomed to the movement yet.

My preferred holds are the bear hug and the Zercher.  The bear hug is basically wrapping your arms around the bag and walking.  The bear hug is straight forward, but does provide great application for the contact sport athletes that require clenching skills.  The Zercher hold is carrying the bag lengthwise in front of you with most of the weight balanced between your chest and the crooks of your elbows.  This hold really blasts your biceps.

I would caution you on using the back carry and the side carry as they have the highest injury risk.  The back carry allows you to go very heavy.   This puts your ankles and lower back at risk for sprains and strains while walking over uneven terrain.  For the side carry go lighter than you think because few people have the oblique strength to start heavy.

The above are the basics to  sandbag training for a more in depth look at the movements you can train with sandbags check out this article on the 6 Degrees of Freedom.

Here is a brief accompanying video:

Go get your sandbag, get outside, and start training!