​Sandbag Workout: Benefits, Exercises, and More

Looking to add something new to your fitness routine? Sandbag workouts are a fantastic way to build strength, improve balance, and increase endurance. They are versatile, easy to use, and perfect for all fitness levels.

Unlike traditional weights, sandbags are less stable, which means your body has to work harder to control the movement. This makes sandbag exercises perfect for a full-body workout that targets multiple muscles at once. 

In this article, we will explore the benefits of sandbag training and provide you with some great workout ideas to get started.

[Related Article] Tabata Workout: Benefits, Examples, and More

Short Summary

• What is Sandbag Training? A dynamic workout using sandbags to challenge your muscles in unique ways.
• Benefits of Sandbag Workouts: Increased strength, improved endurance, enhanced power, better balance, and functional fitness.
• Essential Sandbag Exercises: Learn how to perform key exercises like sandbag squats, lunges, presses, and carries.
• Creating Your Own Sandbag Workout Routine: Discover tips on designing effective workouts tailored to your fitness goals.
• Ready to Try Your Sandbag Workout? Get our top pre-workout, Wild Thing, to support your workout output and improve your results.

What is a Training Sandbag?

A training sandbag is a durable bag filled with sand, used as a versatile tool for strength and fitness training. A sandbag's weight shifts and moves as you lift it, creating an unstable load that challenges your muscles in unique ways. 

This shifting weight engages your core and stabilizer muscles, helping to build real-world strength and balance. Workout sandbags come in various sizes, shapes, and weight capacities, often with handles or grips to allow for a wide range of exercises, from lifting and carrying to pressing and squatting.

Benefits of Sandbag Workouts

Sandbag workouts offer a multitude of benefits for people of all fitness levels:

• Builds Strength: Using a sandbag helps you develop muscle strength. The resistance from the sandbag challenges your muscles, making them work harder.
• Improves Balance: Because the weight inside the sandbag shifts, you need to work harder to keep your balance. This can help enhance your stability and coordination.
• Enhances Core Stability: Many sandbag exercises engage your core muscles, improving your posture and helping prevent injuries.
• Improved Endurance: Sandbag exercises require sustained effort, boosting your cardiovascular endurance and stamina.
• Enhances Functional Fitness: Sandbags mimic real-life movements, such as lifting and carrying heavy objects. This type of training helps improve your everyday activities and athletic performance.
• Versatile Training: You can use sandbags for a wide range of exercises, including lifting, carrying, and throwing. This variety keeps your workouts interesting.
• Convenient for Home Workouts: Sandbags are easy to store and use at home or outdoors. You don’t need a lot of space or expensive equipment to get a great workout.
• Affordable Option: Compared to other fitness equipment, sandbags are often more affordable. They provide a cost-effective way to enhance your training without breaking the bank.

Best Sandbag Exercises

Sandbags are great for a variety of exercises that can help you build strength, boost endurance, and enhance your overall fitness. 

Here are some of the best sandbag exercises to include in your workout routine:

Sandbag Squat

Hold the sandbag close to your chest with both hands or rest it on your shoulders. Now, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then lower into a squat by bending at the hips and knees. 

Keep your chest up and core engaged to support your lower back. This exercise targets the quads, glutes, and core, helping you build leg strength and stability.

Sandbag Deadlift

Place the sandbag on the ground in front of you. Now, bend at your hips and knees, grip the sandbag firmly, and push through your heels to lift it up, straightening your legs and hips as you rise. 

This move is great for building hamstring and glute strength, as well as lower back stability, which is crucial for everyday movements.

Sandbag Lunges

Hold the sandbag in front of your chest or on one shoulder, and step forward with one foot into a lunge position. Lower your back knee toward the ground while keeping your torso upright, then push back up to the starting position. Sandbag lunges improve balance and strengthen your legs, especially your quadriceps and glutes.

Overhead Press

Clean the sandbag to shoulder height using both hands. Now, press it overhead until your arms are fully extended, then lower it back down. The overhead press targets your shoulders, triceps, and core, enhancing upper body strength.

Bent Over Rows

Bend slightly at the hips while holding the sandbag with both hands hanging down. Pull the bag towards your chest while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Bent over rows strengthen your upper back, and biceps, and improve posture.

Zercher Squats

Hold the sandbag in the crooks of your elbows, keeping it close to your body. Now, lower into a squat while keeping your back straight and chest up. Zercher squats target your quads, hamstrings, and core, helping to build your lower body strength and stability.

Best Full-Body Sandbag Workouts

If you’re looking for a complete workout that targets multiple muscle groups, full-body sandbag workouts are an excellent choice. These routines combine various exercises to work your arms, legs, core, and more. 

Here are some of the best full-body sandbag workouts:

Sandbag AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)

Set a timer for 15-20 minutes and try to complete as many rounds as possible of a series, like 10 sandbag deadlifts, 10 sandbag cleans, 10 shoulder presses, and a 30-second sandbag carry. This type of workout challenges you to push your limits and builds endurance while working all major muscle groups.

Sandbag Circuit Workout

Combine a few basic moves like squats, lunges, presses, and rows into a circuit. For example, do 10 sandbag squats, 10 lunges on each leg, 10 overhead presses, and 10 rows. 

Rest for a minute and repeat 3-4 rounds. This circuit will work your entire body and improve both strength and endurance.

Sandbag EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute) Workout

Set a timer for one minute. At the start of each minute, complete a set of reps for a specific exercise, such as 10 sandbag deadlifts or 8 sandbag cleans. Use the remaining time to rest before the next minute starts. 

Rotate through exercises like sandbag squats, lunges, and presses for a full-body workout that keeps you moving and improves endurance.

Sandbag Tabata Workout

Tabata workouts involve 20 seconds of intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 8 rounds. Choose a single exercise like sandbag squats or rows, or switch between two or three exercises. This high-intensity format is ideal for targeting your entire body and increasing endurance in a short time.

Sandbag Total Body Strength and Power Workout

• Warm-up: 5 minutes of light cardio, followed by dynamic stretches.
• Workout:
  • Sandbag Squats: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
  • Sandbag Lunges: 3 sets of 8-12 reps per leg
  • Sandbag Overhead Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
  • Sandbag Rows: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per arm
  • Sandbag Farmer's Carry: 3 sets of 30-60 seconds
• Cool-down: Static stretches, holding each for 30 seconds.

Sandbag Workout for Functional Fitness

• Warm-up: 5 minutes of light cardio, followed by dynamic stretches.
• Workout:
  • Sandbag Farmers Walk: 3 sets of 30-60 seconds
  • Sandbag Thruster: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
  • Sandbag Front Squat: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
  • Sandbag Lateral Lunge: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per side
  • Sandbag Turkish Get-Up: 3 sets of 5 reps per side

How to Build Your Own Sandbag Workouts

Creating your own sandbag workouts is a great way to customize your training and target specific fitness goals. Here are some tips to help you design effective workouts:

Choose Your Goals: Decide what you want to achieve. For strength, use heavier weights and fewer reps (e.g., 6-10 reps per exercise). For endurance, choose lighter weights and higher reps (e.g., 12-20 reps).

Pick 4-5 Exercises: Include a mix of exercises to target your different muscle groups. For a full-body workout, select moves like sandbag squats, lunges, deadlifts, rows, and overhead presses.

Structure Your Workout: Organize your workout into a warm-up, workout, and cool-down. The warm-up should prepare your body for exercise, the workout should focus on your specific goals, and the cool-down should help your body recover.

Determine Reps and Sets: For strength building, aim for 8-12 repetitions per exercise and do 2-4 sets. For endurance, try higher reps (15-20) with fewer sets (2-3). Adjust the weight of the sandbag as needed to match your fitness level.

Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the weight of your sandbag or the number of repetitions and sets to continually challenge your muscles.

Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how your body feels and adjust your workout accordingly. If you're experiencing pain, take a break or reduce the intensity.

Best Supplements to Improve Your Sandbag Workout

1. Best Pre-Workout for Sandbag Workout: Wild Thing
2. Best for Building Muscle and Endurance: Anafuse
3. Best for Strength and Muscle Size: AlphaBulk
4. Best Recovery Supplement: SuperHuman Post by Alpha Lion
5. Best Amino Acids to Feed Muscles: PerfectAmino by BodyHealth

1- Wild Thing by Assault Labs

Wild Thing is a top-rated pre-workout supplement designed to enhance your performance during workouts. This product contains essential amino acids, creatine, and other nutrients that help nourish your muscles during exercise. 

It includes advanced nootropics that aim to enhance focus and energy levels, potentially improving your workout experience. The product contains a blend of caffeine, including patented ZumXR® and Infinergy®, which provides an initial energy boost and a gradual release to sustain your energy throughout the workout.

Key Benefits

• It increases your energy levels for your Sandbag workout.
• It boosts your focus.
• It enhances your strength.
• It improves your muscle pumps.
• It helps improve your mood and overall cognitive function.
• It reduces muscle fatigue.
• It accelerates your muscle recovery.

Key Ingredients

• DiCitrulline Malate/Infinergy®
• Beta-Alanine
• Alpha-Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline
• Agmatine Sulfate
• Creatine Anhydrous
• L­-Glutamine
• Choline Bitartrate
• Caffeine Anhydrous
• L­-Tyrosine
• L-Norvaline
• ZumXR®
• Huperzine A
• Infinergy®
• Cocoabuterol®
• Thinkamine®

Customer Reviews

 Wild thing indeed

“Best Pre-workout I have taken by far. I usually use total war by Redcon1 but this is definitely a better option in every way.”

-Tunde S.

 Precisely Crafted

“Excellent preworkout. Assault labs created this one perfectly! Great pump, energy that lasts the duration of my workout. Fantastic flavor and taste.”

-Will D.

 Wild Thing

“Good flavor and great energy boost.”

-Paige T.

2- AnaFuse by Vital Alchemy

Anafuse is a dual agent aulking stack designed to help users gain and maintain muscle mass. This product features a combination of advanced anabolics that work synergistically to support muscle growth without the common side effects associated with many other supplements. 

Anafuse aims to provide a comprehensive formula that addresses all the essential factors for adding lean, hard muscle to your physique.

Key Benefits

• It enhances your mass gains.
• It helps reduce your body fat.
• It boosts your muscle hardness.
• It increases muscle endurance.
• It improves your pumps.
• It boosts your strength.
• It reduces muscle soreness.
• It speeds up your muscle recovery.

Key Ingredients

• Epicatechin
• Ajuga Turkestanica
• HICA
• Eriobotrya Japonica
• Vitamin D3
• Quercetin

Customer Reviews

 Stuff works great

“I have noticed being much leaner and just look toned since taking it..”

-Gary B.

 Great Stuff

“This is by far the most complete natural muscle builder on the market. You get great strength gains and fast recovery on this stuff. I will be buying again!”

-Jay B.

 Anafuse

“This stuff is top notch. I’ve used it a few times now and saw results every time. A clean diet, a solid plan and anafuse will definitely elevate your gains vs not taking it.”

-KyleB

3- AlphaBulk by Olympus Labs

AlphaBulkis a supplement designed to support significant lean mass gains while promoting fat loss. This product features α-Cedrene, an innovative anabolic agent dosed at clinically effective levels. 

Research has shown that α-Cedrene can enhance skeletal muscle mass and strength while simultaneously aiding in fat loss. In addition to α-Cedrene, AlphaBulk includes α-Ionone in its most potent liquid form, which is known for its ability to drive muscle protein synthesis. 

This combination not only promotes muscle growth but also acts as a potent anti-catabolic and lipotropic agent, helping to preserve muscle mass during fat loss.

Key Benefits

• It enhances anabolic signaling.
• It increases lean muscle growth.
• It helps increase your strength.
• It enhances myogenesis.
• It improves your lipolysis.
• It enhances exercise performance.
• It accelerates your muscle recovery.

Key Ingredients

• α-Cedrene
• α-Ionone
• Tectochrysin PhytoFUSE
• Urolithin B

Customer Reviews

 Quality supplement

“I’m using this a in my pct and it’s been 3 weeks and I haven’t lost any weight.”

-DJ

 Stellar Pumps and Vascularity!

“About 3 weeks in and man the pumps in the gym are incredible. Feel like Alphabulk really is starting to bring out my physique. Noticing it feels better when I am in a caloric surplus. Also I am just now seeing the strength increases. Each week the weight and reps are going up on my bench and squat. Excited to see how 8 weeks treats me.”

-Tony H.

 Alpha Bulk

“I recently purchased Alpha Bulk two weeks ago and all I can say is WOW!!!! The only up downside about the pills are the taste, I’m taking 3 pills daily on an empty stomach. I like to train that way. They give me more endurance and can get out an extra rep or two before failure. No size yet, I’m only two weeks in. I ordered 2 bottles to run so I’m hoping to get a bit vascular full size.”

-LaMichael W.

4- Alpha Lion SuperHuman Post

SuperHuman Post is a post-workout supplement designed to optimize recovery and support muscle growth. It contains key ingredients such as Creatine Monohydrate, Betaine Anhydrous, and Velositol® to help replenish muscles, speed up recovery, and maximize gains after each workout. 

This formula is created to address all stages of the recovery process, allowing you to recover quickly and train harder in the gym. It combines muscle-building ingredients with absorption enhancers, ensuring that every scoop effectively fuels your muscles.

Key Benefits

• This supplement enhances your muscle growth.
• It accelerates your muscle recovery.
• It increases your strength.
• It helps replenish lost electrolytes and supports better hydration.
• It also reduces your muscle cramps.

Key Ingredients

• Creatine Monohydrate
• Betaine Anhydrous
• Velositol®
• AstraGin®
• Electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium, Calcium)

5- Perfect Amino Tablets by BodyHealth

Perfect Amino is a cutting-edge protein supplement containing all eight essential amino acids. This unique formula is designed for optimal absorption and utilization by the body. 

This unique formulation allows 99% of the ingredients to be used by the body, promoting protein synthesis and aiding in muscle growth and recovery after intense workouts. In addition to muscle building, Perfect Amino also helps boost energy levels and supports a healthy immune system.

Key Benefits

• It supports your muscle recovery.
• It helps build muscle.
• It enhances your energy levels.
• It boosts your immune system.
• It helps improve your gut health.
• It enhances quality of sleep.

Customer Reviews

 Easy and effective

“I take these throughout the day especially on workout days. They never give me the burps and help me to be less sore. After reading all the info on this stuff it looks really good and I am glad I got it.”

-LDACHAMP

 Perfect for me

“I started taking perfect aminos right after going back to the gym after taking some time off. I noticed that my recovery was much quicker, my joints were not as achey as they usually were and overall I am less sore. The dose is super easy on my stomach, whether I take it with food or on an empty stomach. No burps, gas or bloating. Its now a staple in my supp regiment. Thanks”

-Victor C.

 Love this products

“I’ve been taking it for a long time now and have found it to be super useful for both my recovery and my ability to lift and gain more strength. Definitely suggest to anyone who wants a vegan healthy amino protein”

-Daniel S.

FAQs: Sandbag Workout

Q: What types of exercises can I do with a sandbag?

A: You can perform a variety of exercises with a sandbag, including squats, lunges, presses, rows, carries, and slams.

Q: Are sandbag workouts effective for building muscle?

A: Yes, sandbag workouts are highly effective for building muscle. The constant shifting of the sandbag challenges your muscles in unique ways, leading to increased strength and size.

Q: How often should I do sandbag workouts?

A: The frequency of your sandbag workouts will depend on your fitness goals and schedule. It's generally recommended to do 2-3 sessions per week, with at least one rest day in between.

Q: Can you build muscle with just a sandbag?

A: Yes, you can build muscle using only a sandbag. The resistance provided by the sandbag allows for various strength-training exercises that target different muscle groups, promoting muscle growth.

Q: What weight should I use for sandbag training?

A: The ideal weight for sandbag training depends on your fitness level and the specific exercises you plan to do. Beginners may start with 10-20 pounds, while more experienced individuals can use 30 pounds or more.

Conclusion

Sandbag workouts are an effective and versatile option for improving fitness. It provides a complete home gym experience with just one piece of equipment. 

They help build strength, increase endurance, and support muscle growth. Sandbags can be used for a wide range of exercises, making it easy to create varied and engaging workouts at home or outdoors. 

Incorporating sandbags into your training routine allows you to target multiple muscle groups and enhance functional training. With the right weight and a focus on proper form, you can achieve significant results. 

Overall, sandbag workouts provide an accessible way to enhance your fitness journey and reach your health goals. 

Sources:

https://www.goruck.com/blogs/news-stories/sandbag-workouts?srsltid=AfmBOooMQZJ48q1Eaa1QtPkwG1PSsgfinuLgn-Q-mLshW0xQvdcSb_CV

https://www.garagegymreviews.com/best-sandbag-workouts

https://hyperwear.com/blogs/blog/top-12-sandbag-moves-the-benefits-of-sandbag-training?srsltid=AfmBOoprrNH8D10Ipw9sQQe3JFc28rV1VKm3DTZaNBIjW_5ucgO3Qsdc

https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/sandbag-workouts