By Nick Nilsson

When it comes to training equipment, there's nothing more low-tech than a bag of sand (except maybe a rock!). Could sandbag training be the key you're looking for to take your physique to the next level? Find out here.

The first time I worked with a sandbag was actually many years ago...I was a short-track speedskater when I was a teenager and one of the training techniques I used was a slideboard...then I'd have a tiretube filled with sand slung across my back (which weighed about 50 lbs). I'd slide back and forth in a skating motion to build back and leg strength.

That was GREAT training, let me tell you.

So when I first came across Josh Henkin's sandbags, I knew exactly how effective sandbag training could be.

(Yeah, I know...I just gave away the ending to the review...sandbags are excellent).

Josh is a strength coach down in Scottsdale, AZ - very knowledgeable and very creative in his training methods (you won't find any machines in his facility...ropes, sandbags, clubs, maces, Olympic weights, yes).

Back to the bags...

I'll tell you right up front, you can't go wrong with Josh's sandbags. These things are built rock-solid. And sandbag training is truly some of THE most functional training you can do.

Here's the thing...sand is VERY unstable. Lifting a sandbag is NOT like lifting barbells or dumbells. Sand shifts constantly as you're lifting it - it slides around and changes shape.

Therefore EVERY exercise you do is an exercise in stabilization training.

This means more practical strength can be built AND more overall calories will be burned in a given workout.

You can do a multitude of exercises with sandbags, ranging from almost all the conventional stuff like presses, curls, rows, etc. to exercises that can ONLY be done with sandbags, like bearhug walking, pizza tosses, shouldering, that kind of thing.

I have to say, for a person like me who LOVES unique training methods, the sandbag has been a GOLDMINE of cool stuff. I even got one of these for my 74year old father (and he loves it, too!). I'm going to share a few of those with you later in this review so you can see what I'm talking about.

The Pros of Sandbag Training

First, let's talk about the "pros" of sandbag training in general.

1. Unstable

I mentioned this above. Whenever you use the sandbag for an exercise, the sand never stays in the same position. If you've ever gone for a run in the sand, it's a similar concept. The shifting of the sand requires MUCH greater activation of your stabilizer muscles.

2. Functional

Sandbag training is about the most functional training you can do. Forget standing on a Bosu ball catching bean bags. Stand on the floor and heave a sandbag up to your shoulder then bring it down to your midsection, then heave it up to your other shoulder. THAT is functional.

3. Practical and Safe

If you train at home, the sandbag will soon be your best friend. It takes up very little space (it's a bag of sand!) and you can do a TON of exercises with it. You can also drop it without breaking it AND without breaking your floor. You can also drop it on your foot and your toe won't shoot across the room (which is always nice!).

The sandbag is also excellent for training while travelling (more so by car than by plane, of course, unless you empty the sand out and fill it back up again when you arrive at your destination). Just throw the sandbag in your trunk and you're set. It has the added bonus of being very useful if you're travelling in the winter and find yourself stuck in the snow!

4. Versatile

The number of exercises and movements you can do with a sandbag is staggering. Josh has a TON of exercises you can work with just on his YouTube channel. I've been busy coming up with all kinds of unique things. And I have to say, I'm sure I've only just scratched the surface of what can be done with it.

5. Fun!

To me, machine training is boring. There's no challenge to it other than moving the handles forward and backward against resistance. Dull as dirt.

With sandbag training, you have to get your mind into it. If you don't, you drop the bag. It's challenging AND athletic. To me, that's fun. You have to constantly keep your mind on what you're doing and you're constantly challenging your body to react and adapt.

6. Targets the Right Muscle Fibers For Maximizing Results

Here's the thing...when you heave a bag of sand off the floor, you're working the explosive Type II muscle fibers. These are the fibers that have the most growth and strength potential. Certainly, you can do some endurance work with sandbags but for strength-building, THAT is where they shine.

7. Works Your Body as a UNIT

One of my favorite things about sandbag training is that it works your body as a complete unit rather than in parts. When you push-press a sandbag or clean it off the floor or heave it over your shoulder, you're not doing a shoulder exercise...you're doing a total-body exercise. This means you're getting more done in your workouts, you're burning more calories, boosting your metabolism AND teaching your body how to function as a whole, not as a bunch of separate, isolated parts.

The Cons of Sandbag Training

There are a few negatives when it comes to sandbag training...not many, though, and you should definitely NOT let them stop you from trying this stuff.

1. It CAN Be Messy If Your Bag Leaks

It is, after all, a bag of sand. This can easily be solved by using a good quality bag (I'll tell you later what Josh did to make sure his sandbags don't make a mess).

2. Learning Curve

Heaving a sandbag off the ground and up to your shoulder isn't something you do the first time you use a sandbag, especially if you've been more used to machines and more "linear" movement like bench press and pulldowns.

Sandbag training takes some getting used to and it's important to learn proper form, especially considering how unstable the bags can be. There's a lot of room for error when doing a simple dumbell curl - when you're heaving a sandbag from the floor up to your shoulders, learning proper technique is important for safety and best results.

3. You WILL Get Sore

This can be a pro or a con, depending on your outlook :) Because sandbag training is so radically different than machines and even a lot of free weight training, soreness will happen. It IS a good thing, though, because it means you're working muscles that rarely get worked and you'll be a stronger person for it.

So those are your pros and cons...time to talk more specifically about Josh Henkin's sandbags.

Josh has done a masterful job of maximizing the pros and minimizing the cons of sandbag training with his bags.

To keep the sand from spilling out, even during the toughest abuse, Josh uses a tightly-sealed inner bag where the sand actually goes into, and a heavy-duty canvas zippered outer bag, where all the straps and handles are.

This combination really minimizes spillage. I do get an occasional puff of dust out of the bag when I drop it from high up but it's hardly anything at all.

The multitude of handles and straps on the bags make them EXTREMELY useful for any number of exercises...much more so than the tiretube full of sand I used when I was younger.

And when it comes to toughness and quality of materials, Josh has definitely NOT taken any shortcuts. You can beat the crap out of these bags and they won't break. I've literally held my bag at arms-length overhead and slammed it to the ground as hard as I could and it came away just fine (the impact did set off the sump pump in my basement home-gym, but that's about it).

This is top-quality workmanship that'll last you a LONG time.

Josh's sandbags are also available in a number of sizes and potential weights (I say potential because they don't ship with sand included - you can just go to a home improvement store and buy playground sand for about 3 bucks per 50 lb bag).

I have a medium bag, which holds a filler bag of 50 lbs and a filler bag of 20 lbs (70 lbs total). This is a great place to start - you can do a LOT of exercises with this size of bag.

My next purchase is going to be the large bag that holds up to 140 lbs. Josh also has small bags which hold up to 30 lbs (a 20 lb filler bag and a 10 lb filler bag).

So basically, he's got bags for EVERY level of trainer and every range of weight you need. These bags and filler bags are available in package deals.

He's also got plenty of information available on HOW to use the sandbags, both on his free YouTube channel and in several instructional books and DVD's that he offers on his site.

CONCLUSION:

If you haven't gathered by now, I'm a big fan of sandbag training. As training equipment goes, I'd say having at least one in your arsenal is a MUST.

Even if you normally train at a commercial gym, having a sandbag available at home is perfect for days when you can't make it to the gym but still want to get in a challenging workout. Heck, maybe you can convince your gym to get some sandbags for members to use!

Bottom line, I HIGHLY recommend sandbag training and Josh Henkin's bags are the best in the business.

Click here to go get your
sandbags now!

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