Military Muscle: Worth the weight – vary your workout with sandbags - Off Duty, Military Health and Fitness - Navy Times

Military Muscle: Worth the weight – vary your workout with sandbags

Weighted bags or “sandbags” make you work in multiple planes, engage core muscles on almost every exercise, improve forearm and grip strength and challenge your balance.

General person-to-bag rules:

• 100- to 150-pound person: 18-pound bag.

• 150- to 190-pound person: 25-pound bag.

• 190- to 280-pound person: 35-pound bag.

• Very physically fit person: 50-pound bag.

I use time rather that repetitions in sandbag workouts — 30 seconds working up to 45 seconds. Here’s a strength endurance workout that can be performed after attaining a solid strength base.

5-shooter

Perform 30 seconds on each exercise with no rest between exercises. Do the repetitions quickly.

Halo: Grip the bag with hands at shoulder width and raise it just over your head, with elbows slightly bent. Rotate your arms in a circle so the bag travels from in front of your head to behind. Reverse directions with each circle.

Hammer curl: Grip the bag at shoulder width, palms facing in. Perform in the same manner as with dumbbells.

Upright row: Grip the bag with hands close. Lead with your elbows and raise the bag to the top of your chest, then return to below the waist.

Shoulder press: Grip the bag at shoulder width and perform a normal press.

Triceps press: If you’re using a commercial bag, grip it by the handles that allow the bag to hang below your hands. Raise the bag above and behind your head, arms extended. Flex your forearms at the elbows, lowering the bag until it touches your shoulders. Raise the bag back to the extended position and repeat.

Frog jumps

With the bag across your shoulders, perform several consecutive standing broad jumps.

Throw

Start with the bag on the floor. Squat and grip the bag at just wider than shoulder width. Keeping the bag close to your body, explode upward, raising the bag with the same movement as in the upright row. As the bag passes your chest, continue the explosive lift and throw the bag straight into the air. Your hands will finish just above your head.

After you master this technique, increase weight one level.

Heavy bag get-up

This one is my personal favorite. Do five to 10 minutes depending on your fitness level.

Start with the bag across one shoulder. Stand up, then get down any way you want until you’re lying flat on your back, shoulders touching the floor, then return to your start position. Change shoulders at the halfway mark.