Perhaps the time has come to draw the attention of those interested in sports and fitness to exercising with sandbags as a type of exercise that plays an important role in burning fat and building muscle.
It may seem primitive and heavy, at first glance, but it makes us stronger. Exercising with “sandbags” is ideal in terms of its benefits, especially with regard to burning fat and building muscles, “all muscles from the hips to the buttocks and abdomen, and in a quick way,” according to the certified Canadian trainer. Geoff GervitzFounder of one of the most popular gyms in Toronto.
And “sandbags” are one of the most exercise tools that may not receive enough attention, despite its unique simplicity, as it is just a bag of different weights and sizes, to strengthen your entire body, and burn more calories, in the least time and the smallest space.
“Perhaps this is one of the reasons why sandbags have become a staple in strength gyms,” says celebrity trainer and professional athlete Diego Lopez, who likens the strength that sandbags build—as a soft and flexible tool, compared to other tools and weights—” With the strength that can be obtained from the practice of wrestling.”
This is confirmed by businessman and former American officer Jason McCarthy, saying: “After I spent a lot of time in the gym, and I ran a lot; the sandbag replaced all of this, when I joined the Special Forces.”
Strong body builder
Before its popularity declined in the last two decades, “sandbag training was a staple of military and athletic training around the world,” according to a certified fitness trainer. Nathan Fabiano.
However, the economic conditions that the world is going through today make us recall the important benefits that sandbag exercises can bring to those who wish to improve their fitness. and the most important:
- It can be done anywhere: Indeed, the sandbag can be exercised at home, work, a club, gym, outdoor park, or carried while walking, climbing stairs, or while traveling. “I often take an empty sandbag with me and fill it up when I arrive,” Fabiano says. “I can’t carry dumbbells or a barbell with me on vacation.”
- Important for durability and stability: These exercises build the body’s strength and general stability, as the muscles responsible for stabilization work more, in conjunction with the movement of the sand inside the bag, which “forces the body to recruit more muscles in unison, to implement the full range of motion, and to constantly rebalance during the exercise.” According to a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association Robert Gillanders. These are important benefits for those who need to be stable and balanced, and able to carry out difficult tasks, or carry heavy and dangerous things. Having stronger stabilizing muscles improves speed and prevents injuries.
- Ideal for building a toned body: says an outdoor training expert Andrew Tracy It “works your abs statically and dynamically at the same time, forcing more of your stabilizing muscles to help carry the weight.” It presents the same level of challenge and the same difficulty that arises from practicing strength exercises, carrying weights, and other fitness-enhancing exercises, developing shoulders and legs, and helping to establish a strong body, and a well-rounded structure, so that the center of gravity of the body always shifts as the sand inside the bag moves, back and forth, “Which makes the heart work harder and more effectively for every movement than with fixed weights,” according to the certified trainer Patrick McGrath.
- Strengthen the gripThe noticeable difficulty in gripping the handles on the sandbag, Strengthen your grip To a large extent, your whole arm will be strengthened, and then your core will be stronger.
- economical: Sandbags are some of the cheapest strength training equipment you can buy.
Important instructions for beginners
Before starting for the first time, McGrath recommends:
- Consult a trainer, to help you learn how to hold and position the bag safely and master your exercise variations.
- Adjusting the sandbag to a weight seems a bit tricky, to allow you to get in good shape.
- Select 4-6 exercises that target the upper, core, and lower body. Perform 15-25 reps of each exercise, resting 60 seconds between exercises.
- Complete 3-4 sets, resting 90 seconds apart. Gradually reduce rest time between exercises or rounds, to increase the challenge.
The best exercises for beginners
It is preferable to start with a weight of 60 pounds (about 25 kilograms) – according to Lopez – and this set of exercises:
Good morning exercise: It is one of the best exercises to increase the strength of the back, hamstrings, and buttocks, by carrying a sandbag on your shoulders, then bending over with a stop at the hips, without bending the knees.
Carry the bag over the shoulder: In this exercise, all you have to do is pick up the sandbag and put it on your shoulder, push it back, then turn around and pick it up again.
squatting: And the game here is to keep the sandbag in your hands for a longer period, so you embrace it to do a front squat exercise, or carry it on your shoulders to do a back squat, so it becomes excellent for pushing forward and backward.
Sumo squat: This is a great exercise for hip mobility and leg strength, by grabbing the handles of the sandbag by the handles, opening the legs wide, and pushing the knees out as you squat, keeping the torso as upright as possible.
The curl: Here you can do ripples with small sandbags, to work your biceps.
Russian rolls: A sandbag is a great option for doing Russian twists. The instability of the sandbag inside puts extra stress on your hands and arms.
hip pressure: The sandbag provides enough weight, distributing it on the hips more comfortably, when doing the important hip press exercise for the buttocks.
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