The Sandbag

At a conference i attended this summer, I saw a presentation on the sandbag as an exercise tool. This intrigued me. I'd been dealing with a back issue and was looking for new tool I could use to get back into training. Basic olympic bar exercises like squats and deadlifts, cornerstones to my workouts, were out of the picture. I needed something that would allow me to do compound leg movements without spine compression, but also an approach that would add new variables to my workout.

Enter the sandbag. This particular sandbag was designed for the Dynamic Resistance Variable Training system or DVRT system. This is a well designed program that includes a seemingly endless array of exercises that hit all muscle groups to improve not only strength but flexibility and cardio health as well.

The main idea behind using a sandbag is the fact that it's unstable. The weight is contantly shifting which forces your body to react in ways it's not used to. It's an excellent way to strengthen important stabilizer muscles and can help correct recurring movement issues. Bottom line, the sandbag workouts have been kicking my ass, which is great! Feedback from clients has been positive and I hope you find using the sandbag effective and challenging. More to come...