I usually train everyday in the the early evening, either using bodyweight, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine ball a mixture of them all or I may go for a run, no matter what I train, I have one or two days off a month, but most days I exercise. Just recently I went for a run which consisted of about 5 miles that was a mixture of running on the road and cross country. On the cross-country portion of a run I came across a log about 4 feet long and a foot wide. Looking at it I thought that would be a great piece of equipment for a whole host of exercises, from step ups to presses. Anyway I picked it up, ran with it, dropped it, did a few push-ups with my feet resting on it, jumped up did a few steps then astride jumps. Lay down on the floor and pressed it. I carried on for a few more minutes doing as many exercises as I could think of and no surprise here, you can perform just about any exercise with a log that you can with a conventional barbell, its just the grip that’s a little difficult. Anyway I was a few miles from home so decided to carry on with my run.
Just recently I was browsing a well known internet auction site looking for a new exercise mat when I came across a listing for a sandbag, a “20 kg powerbag” actually, what I’d call a “posh sandbag”. It was very cheap compared to the price of a new one and not much more expensive than if I’d made my own, so I bought it and then began to look about for exercises to perform with it, you can use a sandbag for just about any exercise that you can can perform with a barbell, Clean and Press, Snatch, Push Press, Get Ups, Lunges, Dead lifts, Squats and Rows to mention just a few.
I put together a circuit including all of the exercises mentioned above and a couple more, performing each exercise as fast as possible with good form for 1 minute time, with only a few seconds rest between exercises and a couple of minutes to grab a drink between circuits. I ran through the circuit 3 times, after the first circuit I was gassed, after the second I was wasted, after the third I was on my knees gasping for breath and ready to puke and this is only with a 20 kg sandbag remember.
A sandbag is the most uncooperative and unpredictable piece of exercise equipment. It requires you use every muscle possible to hold and lift it. Working with a sandbag is like fighting an opponent who is constantly changing, moving and adapting. You aren’t pushing, lifting, holding and gripping at straight angles similar to a barbell or dumbbells. This means that with a sandbag your typically only able to lift 40/50% of what you would typically lift with traditional weights.
Due to the inherent instability of the sandbag the lifter must use more muscles, making each exercise more beneficial and efficient. Sandbags are easily manipulated for use at any fitness level from beginner to the advanced athlete. Because of these benefits, sandbags are perfect for shedding body fat, in fact they won’t just help you shed fat they’ll rip it away.
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