Josh Henkin - Sandbag Fundamentals (2005)

Beyond Functional Training: Training: Sandbag Fundamentals

Beyond Functional Training: Sandbag Fundamentals Fundamen tals

Published and distributed in the United States by : Innovative Fitness Solutions 3034 W. Windsong Drive Phoenix, Arizona 85045 www.ifsfitness.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means or in any form whatsoever, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise copied for public or private use – other than as referenced material in articles and/or reviews – without the written permission of the author. Printed in Phoenix, AZ

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There are a great number of people that have made this book possible. Countless colleagues/friends that were instrumental in inspiring ideas and reviewing the information. Especially Ray D’Alessio, who spent many hours out of his schedule to help model many of the movements listed in this book. He was also a great inspiration in its development and evolution. Thank you also to Zach Even-Esh who would always give me a good kick in the butt whenever needed. Zach was also instrumental in providing valuable feedback upon the books creation and development. I could also not thank my wife, Riann, enough. For all the times I was frustrated or stressed she kept convincing me to finish the book. She has always been my undying supporter even when it has not been easy. I would also like to thank all of you that put your interest towards this book. It has been a long time in the works and a labor of love. I hope it can help bring you all closer to achieving your goals.

DISCLAIMER

The author and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any harm or injury that may occur through throug h following the instructions in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein are for informational purposes only, and may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people. The reader should consult his or her physician before engaging in them.

©2005, Innovative Fitness Solutions│Duplication or Transmission not Permitted

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Published and distributed in the United States by : Innovative Fitness Solutions 3034 W. Windsong Drive Phoenix, Arizona 85045 www.ifsfitness.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means or in any form whatsoever, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise copied for public or private use – other than as referenced material in articles and/or reviews – without the written permission of the author. Printed in Phoenix, AZ

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

There are a great number of people that have made this book possible. Countless colleagues/friends that were instrumental in inspiring ideas and reviewing the information. Especially Ray D’Alessio, who spent many hours out of his schedule to help model many of the movements listed in this book. He was also a great inspiration in its development and evolution. Thank you also to Zach Even-Esh who would always give me a good kick in the butt whenever needed. Zach was also instrumental in providing valuable feedback upon the books creation and development. I could also not thank my wife, Riann, enough. For all the times I was frustrated or stressed she kept convincing me to finish the book. She has always been my undying supporter even when it has not been easy. I would also like to thank all of you that put your interest towards this book. It has been a long time in the works and a labor of love. I hope it can help bring you all closer to achieving your goals.

DISCLAIMER

The author and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any harm or injury that may occur through throug h following the instructions in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein are for informational purposes only, and may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people. The reader should consult his or her physician before engaging in them.


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About Josh Henkin

Josh Henkin has been in the field of Strength & Conditioning for the past ten years. He graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Exercise Science and received his CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Since finishing his formal education, Coach Henkin has been on the cutting-edge of training, receiving certifications in Weightlifting, Russian kettlebell training, corrective exercise and dy namic joint mobility. His desire to provide his clients with the latest training information has helped Josh work with a variety of populations. Coach Henkin has worked with post-rehabilitation clients (hip replacement and neural reeducation) as well as all levels of athletes. One of his greatest joys is helping the average person who wants to make a significant difference in his or her lives. You can read about some of these amazing transformations at www.beyondfunctionaltraining.com.. www.beyondfunctionaltraining.com

Chapter 1: Beyond Functional Training: Ultimate Sandbags The industry is ready for a revolution; people are tired of gimmicks and lies from so called industry “gurus”. Coaches, trainers, and those serious about obtaining fantastic results want to know what works and want to hear honest training advice. When I was creating this manual, I tried to think of some creative, hip way to introduce this concept, but felt I should stick with what the theme of Beyond Functional Training is really all about: honest, real, and accurate information. I am excited about the series of Beyond Functional Training manuals! It is time we get back to what works, and what has made people strong, healthy, and fit! For too long the fitness industry has victimized our desire to improve ourselves both physically and mentally. Too many false promises and ineffective programs have left ©2005, Innovative Fitness Solutions│Duplication or Transmission not Permitted

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Beyond Functional Training: Sandbag Fundamentals

many feeling very cynical. After all, who doesn’t want to feel better about themselves when they have a greater fitness level, lower body fat, and a confidence that they are truly strong? These people know that, there is a significant amount of research available stating exercise helps reduce the stress we all experience from our busy daily lives. People often get away from the fundamentals because they are more challenging than the cute trendy workouts or don’t sound as mysterious as the latest trend. However, for centuries people have used these very basic lifting techniques to accomplish fitness levels that would make many modern day athletes envious, in other words BASICS!

Chapter 2: Developing Extreme All Round Fitness In 1974, John Jesse wrote a landmark book called Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia. In this great book Jesse hits on a key problem that has escalated to an epidemic today! According to Jesse, “In accepting the concept of progressive resistance training with weights the coaching profession in the English speaking countries, particularly America and Canada, were faced with cultural problems. With machines doing most of the work the majority of young men entering athletics were not drawn from a background of labor work in the mines, on the farms, in the forests or on the docks. With increasing affluence, urbanization and mechanization, children were losing the philosophy of hard work and patience to attain a goal.” (Jesse, p. 65) Today’s age has taken this to another level. With physical education programs being cut from school curriculums and child obesity rising every year, we need to take a long hard look at the values physical conditioning provides. We adults have become less and less of a culture that is physically active as well. We now have scooters for mailmen; we order groceries online; so no one is moving. This is causing a serious problem with our cultures health and well-being.

Young man displaying the toughness of sandbags (photo courtesy www.combatgrappler.com)


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We need to shift our paradigm about physical activity. It doesn’t have to be painful, boring, or worst of all UNPRODUCTIVE! The classic methods outlined in the following series will be fun, exciting, and most important, effective. In the early 1900’s, training was viewed more as the development of Physical Culture; it was about becoming a better all around person. We have moved away from that concept and have focused on the exact opposite aspects of exercise. It is time we get back to what is important and the methods to help us get there! Sandbags may be one of the best tools for developing all round fitness. You may have heard people make this claim before, but let me explain why. When most people talk about fitness it is difficult to understand what they mean. Fitness sounds like a vague term. There are however, nine elements that make up fitness.

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Strength - the extent to which muscles can exert force by contracting against resistance. Power - the ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of movements. Agility - the ability to perform a series of explosive power movements in rapid succession in opposing directions. Balance - the ability to control the body's position, either stationary or moving. Flexibility - the ability to achieve an extended range of motion without being impeded by excess tissue, (fat or muscle). Local Muscle Endurance - a single muscle's ability to perform sustained work. Cardiovascular Endurance - the heart's ability to deliver blood to working muscles and their ability to use it. Strength Endurance - a muscle's ability to perform a maximum contracture time after time. Co-ordination - the ability to integrate the above listed components so that effective movements are achieved.

(http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/conditon.htm) Based on the above components of fitness, we can now see that saying someone is “fit” is not as easy as we may have once believed. One cannot simply run, stretch, or bodybuild and expect to be fit. Of course, integrating all the above aspects of fitness may seem overwhelming. It could be hours and hours of training. However, as Jesse implied, great levels of fitness can be achieved through the use of sandbags. Classic strength lifts such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses, and rows can all be performed with sandbags. Various sandbag throwing movements and Weightlifting variations can enhance overall power development. Both agility and balance can be trained by the nonconforming structure of the bags. Unlike any other weight, sandbags do not hold the same shape during lifting. The shape shifts and so does the distribution of load. This definitely teaches body awareness and coordination. ©2005, Innovative Fitness Solutions│Duplication or Transmission not Permitted

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Sandbags are a great for creating some loaded mobility work that greatly assists in the development of dynamic flexibility, whether it is through the use of classic hurdle mobility drills or a mixture of other dynamic joint mobility programs. Don’t be so quick to forgetthat implementation of squats, lunges, deadlifts, and a variety of overhead lifts can also help improve one’s movement capabilities. Repetition lifting or interval-based programs are a fantastic way to improve strengthendurance and the cardiovascular system. Most people assume “cardio” can only be done with jogging, treadmills, or spin classes. However, utilizing full body lifts may be one of the most functional means of improving cardiovascular fitness. There is more blood flow through the body because the movement is not restricted to just one area as in jogging. The legs, hips, core, arms, back, shoulders, EVERYTHING is working while performing many of these lifts. Time well spent. If you are worried about getting into your target heart zone, please perform ten shouldering squats and email me with your heart rate.

Focus and Determination are the keys to sanbag training (photo courtesy of www.combatgrappler.com)

Chapter 3: Who Should Use Sandbags? Athletes Developing the qualities of fitness that are outlined above should be enough to include sandbags into many athletes’ training programs. However, there are some additional benefits that make sandbags a fantastic tool. Strongman training has become the new trend in athletic training. Slowly but surely we see high schools, colleges, and even the pros using techniques from the world of the strongman. Coaches have realized that there may be no more functional way to prepare athletes for their sport than implementing some form of odd lifting. This is nothing new as wrestlers have used heavy stones, heavy clubs, and sandbag-type implements for ©2005, Innovative Fitness Solutions│Duplication or Transmission not Permitted

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centuries. Why it has taken mainstream sports so long to catch on to the benefits is perplexing. What athlete would not want to improve their ability to handle less than ideal circumstances? Athletes usually encounter situations where they must deal with opponents that are moving, not easy to maneuver, and require a great amount of trunk and hip strength. Sounds like the perfect scenario for utilizing sandbags. Sandbags are also a excellent conditioning tool. It is still amazing that coaches have their athletes run miles to get “in shape”. If we examine the qualities of fitness discussed in Chapter 2, it should be obvious that large amounts of aerobic training has little value to most strength and power sports. In fact, it has been shown again and again what most athletes require is to perform at high levels at their lactic acid threshold. This is not the same as aerobic conditioning. In other words, athletes need to be able to repeat near maximal if not maximal efforts within very short intervals. This is the type of endurance most athletes require. How do sandbags work? Try performing some repetition clean and presses, or how about some shouldering and squats, or even better some relay training with sandbags. After you can stand up again and wipe the sweat pouring off of your body, you will realize the benefit of such training. All muscles are trained in these lifts, and they are trained in a similar manner required by the sport. A hard effort followed by a brief rest. You may also use sandbags as a form of interval training. If you have athletes or you are an individual that can knock off work with sandbags with minimal effort, then there should be no question you will dominate your opponents. Sandbags are also an amazingly versatile tool that can be used without a large concern about the athlete learning how to perform the exercises correctly. They are simple to use and can be taught quickly to athletes of all ages. Exercises such as clean and jerks, snatches, squats, deadlifts, and many more that are often a concern technically with barbells can be easily taught to athletes in just a few minutes. This is especially important to coaches who may have large groups working at one time, especially groups with younger athletes. A big key in helping young athletes become successful is to help them attain that feeling of accomplishment. This is easily done when athletes are working as productively as possible. Sandbags allow all ages of athletes to get a superb workout without the brain numbing focus on elite techniques, as can be the case with many other forms of training.

Sandbags for the Rest of Us! Of course we have just discussed the application of sandbags to athletes, but they are not the only ones who could benefit. Every day people may actually find sandbags more rewarding than athletes. The general public doesn’t live to train; they need to be working with the most productive methods all the time. They need to train a lot of qualities usually on very restricted time schedules. In my business I am thrilled if I have the opportunity to work with many clients three days a week, while other clients I may only


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see twice a week. Usually on the days that I do not train them, they may not push themselves on their own. This is why sandbags are perfect. Many coaches and trainers have gotten away from the fact that in order to cause change in the body, you must stress the system. Sorry, but standing on one leg pressing five pounds above your head won’t cut it. Spending ungodly amount of time on aerobic machines will make an initial change, but usually won’t get people to where they really want to be. Plus, they are flat out BORING!!! You must stress the body to create a change to the muscle fibers as well as the hormonal system. There is a great deal of scientific evidence that multi-joint lifts such as squatting and deadlifting cause a release of anabolic (building up) hormones. This is especially true with heavy loading. The natural change in people’s hormones may lead to improved strength and body composition, which are goals most of us would like to achieve. Sandbag training fits this bill perfectly. Most of the sandbag drills require using all of the body’s muscles to lift. Try shouldering a heavy sandbag, and you will discover how to wrestle, fight, and do anything possible to get the weight up there. When you finally do you couldn’t even possibly begin to name all the muscles used. Everything from your core, legs, arms, hips, and even hands will feel as though they have been trained for hours in just a few abbreviated workouts a week.

Sports Performance Coach, Keats Snideman, wrestles to clean a 200 pound bag (photo courtesy of www.beyondfunctionaltraining.com)

I often tell clients this is the “infomercial effect”. Infomercials are always bragging in just minutes a day they can transform your body. Well, with sandbags this can actually be the case. You will see that these aren’t marathon workouts. They are relatively short, but highly effective. If you desire more work when you are done, then you are a better lifter than most strongmen and athletes I work with. Sandbag training can actually be fun as well because of the immense variety you can develop with such as simple piece of equipment. I have outlined some of the more common exercises, but in upcoming manuals and videos you will have a chance to really ©2005, Innovative Fitness Solutions│Duplication or Transmission not Permitted

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experience the multitude of drills you can perform with one sandbag. Own a variety of sizes and you will find yourself creating a new routine every workout if you desire.

Chapter 4: Why Sandbags? It would be fantastic if I were the first to use sandbags in training. I would probably be a millionaire and a genius! The truth is that sandbags, and those like them, have been around for hundreds of years. Lifters would use bags of hay, stones, rice, etc. to work on overall fitness development. This form of lifting was especially popular among wrestlers. There are very few forms of training that could serve as both general and specific forms of training, especially for wrestling. Sandbags fit the bill perfectly as they allow wrestlers to develop some of the most important body parts of the sport, the hips and low back. You could also argue that sandbags allow for the most functional development of the arms and upper body muscles. If you want strong abs there may be no better way in achieving this goal! Sandbags are also great specific work because of the round-back type lifting that is common with the use of sandbags. Wait; don’t go running and screaming because I suggested that for once the use of perfect lifting posture might not be best. There is actually a concept known as “imperfection training.” This is an idea that has been around forever, but coined by the Eastern European lifting powers. In essence, once you have achieved a basic level of fitness, it is appropriate to train the body for situations that are less than optimal. In other words, times when you didn’t adopt that perfect posture, or where forced into a less than optimal position, which can commonly happen in sport. This concept is incredibly important in reducing sport-related injuries. According to Jesse, “The use of heavy sandbags and their large circumference forces the lifter to do his lifting with a round back instead of the traditional straight back lifting with a barbell. It is this type of lifting that truly develops a strong back. It develops the back and side muscles in movements that are identical to the lifting and pulling movements of wrestling.” (Jesse, p. 204) All right, you aren’t a wrestler, so how does this apply? The majority of sports still require a similar type of strength. Sports such as American football, rugby, basketball, baseball, hockey, martial arts, powerlifting, strongman, lacrosse, and many more could see the benefits of using such methods. Parents that pick-up kids without ideal posture or try to move the furniture around and don’t want to feel all beaten up will also benefit.

Chapter 5: Get A Grip! One of the more overlooked benefits of sandbag training is the improvement of grip strength. In the era of straps, hooks, and every other device known to man to take the grip out of training, we have forgotten the incredible value of having strong hands.


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It doesn’t matter if you play football, baseball/softball, basketball, or martial arts, a person with a strong grip can dominate their opponents. We have all faced that person that seems to have a crushing grip that just demoralizes any attempt we have at defeating them. You want gym strength to transfer to everyday strength? We have all heard or seen those guys in the gym that have outrageous gym numbers, yet seemed to be completely futile in any sporting activity. One of their key weaknesses is their hands. Sure the straps, hooks, and other contraptions will allow you to lift more weight in the gym, but your weaknesses are exposed as soon as you hit real life situations. In every day life a strong grip is equally important. We could theorize that problems such as carpal tunnel would not be as prevalent if we trained our arms and hands to handle the stress we place on them. It is also my assertion that we could reduce neck, shoulder, and elbow injuries with improved hand strength. It is common sense. When a link in the chain is very weak, the other joints in the chain will have to make up for this weakness. If we look at common hand weaknesses, it becomes obvious that those areas that are most affected are the elbow, shoulder, and neck. We can reduce the stress in these areas with stronger hands. When we are talking about grip though, it is important to realize that we are not talking only about the crushing type grip that most of us associate with strong hands. Strength legend, John Brookfield, speaks about several types of hand strength, one of the most neglected being pinch grip strength. Classic examples of this form of training include pinching weight plates together and performing classic exercises such as curl, clean and press, and many more. Sandbags also help in this respect as you get the best of crushing and pinching strength. During a lift with a sandbag, you will find your grip shifting. The bags will work to actually fall out of your hands, and you will have to fight with all your might to keep a grip on them. This means you may start with a crush grip, but as the bag shifts during movement you will use a strong pinch grip as well. You will even find that the stress on the fingers changes constantly when using a sandbag. This gives a “real-world” training effect like no other piece of equipment.

Chapter 6: “It’s All About The Core” While training at a local high school, my training partner and I were approached by a “sports performance” coach working with some high school and pro athletes. He began to ramble about the power of the CORE!! You see, he had all of his athletes rolling, bouncing, and flipping on Swiss balls, wobble boards, sit-fits, and a host of other toys. He was convinced that the whole sports performance industry had missed the boat on training athletes, as they didn’t place proper emphasis on the “core.”


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For those of you that still might not be familiar with this reference, many so-called experts are calling the abdominal region the core. Some more educated people are including the low back muscles. Few even make mention of the hips that help stabilize the pelvis. Yes, while the core of the body—for our purposes include all trunk muscles as well as those of the hips—should be trained, the problem arises from how people train this area of the body.

Women can equally enjoy the benefits of sandbag training (photo courtesy of www.beyondfunctionaltraining.com)

This gentleman who was so convinced that his techniques were the right ones allowed me to borrow one of his athletes. Of course I was trying to make a point so we grabbed a nice size college linebacker. Since they had spent so much time on their idea of core work, I thought I would have him perform a relatively simple core exercise that I often use. His task was to take a 32kg (70 pound) kettlebell and snatch it overhead. Snatches aren’t only a core exercise, but are a great demonstration of the integration of the “core” with the extremities, a truly functional way of training. Don’t worry, I showed him proper technique and even let him practice some easier drills. Even with this instruction, when he went to attempt to snatch, the weight only got to about knee height before he dropped it right to the ground. He was far too intimidated by the weight and the movement to even attempt an all out effort on the lift. For a guy his size, twenty reps with a truly strong core should have been no challenge. On the other hand, I recently met a young man that just earned his pro-card for strongman. At about 6′4″ and 240 pounds he is far from the massive guys you see on TV. Yet, he is very strong and has used odd lifts for much of his training. I asked him to try to snatch a 90-pound kettlebell. After showing him the same instruction as the football player, he began knocking off repetitions as though the bell weighed 20 pounds. Why? His core is actually strong enough to handle the demands of sport and life. He has worked countless hours developing his low back, abdominals, and hips to function as one unit. This strongman had taught his body how to work as one and not just perform some cool circus tricks.


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I could go on a long anatomy lesson and try to convince you of how this neural pathway leads to stabilization of the vertebrae and so forth, but that would be useless and futile to our goal. Instead, let me have you think about what used to be considered strong. There was a time when men could press four hundred pounds overhead, squat six hundred pounds with no belt, and perform one-arm overhead lifts with over bodyweight weights. In my personal opinion the truth is in the pudding. How does this relate to sandbags? Sandbags are the perfect tools for developing a truly functional core. All the muscles of the core have to be working to lift up a heavy awkward weight. There are no ways to cheat the movement, you can’t use the wrong muscles, and your weaknesses will be exposed quickly. You can train from many different positions and angles, you can work on strength or power, you can load the body unilaterally, which places a unique stress to the body, and try to pull or push a heavy weight to test how stable your core really is. As Brooks Kubik (author of Dinosaur Training) says, “you will find that the bags (sandbags) substantially increase your back strength, with a resulting carry-over to all conventional barbell movements and all athletic endeavors.” (Kubik, p. 117) Don’t be afraid to be different! I know core training is a hot topic and everyone seems to have the answer. Let the results of your training be the answer to all your questions.

Chapter 7: This IS Functional Training Right up with “core training” there may be no bigger buzzwords in the industry than “functional training.” What started out to be a good idea to focus on movement and not muscles has transformed into a cult of trainers and coaches making their unsuspecting clients stand, roll, bounce, and lift on very unstable surfaces or performing classic lifts on one leg. What was a good idea in getting people back to free weight movements and performing more lifts in a standing posture has turned to madness. People are getting away from great lifts like the bench press so that they can perform single leg cable standing presses. People don’t deadlift anymore; instead, they stand on one leg and try to touch their toes. The result? Not much for the people implementing these techniques. Sandbag training represents true functional training. In an era where there is such great focus upon building stabilizers of the body, we rarely see people actually getting stronger from these concepts. Using tubing, or trying to “isolate” a muscle is not a way to make people stronger through better stabilization. In fact, I have yet to see this form of training have a positive transfer outside of initial stages of rehabilitation. Brooks Kubik explains the power of using sandbags to improve the stabilizers of the body in his book Dinasour Training, “you feel sore because the bags (sandbags) worked your body in ways you could not approach with a barbell alone. You got into the muscle areas you normally don’t work. You worked the “heck” out of the stabilizers.” (Kubik, p. 115)


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No better test of core strength than the zercher squat (photo courtesy of www.combatgrappler.com)

One of the greatest lessons I learned about true functional training came after meeting my good friend/colleague Ray D’Alessio. I met Ray after he had participated and implemented many of the ideas that the functional training gurus had promoted. He had overcome Stage IV cancer, but was left with severe nerve damage and compensation throughout his body. Ray had tried implementing these methods with himself and his clients without much success. Within two weeks of working with Ray, he started to regain movement in his feet. He hadn’t been able to squat even to parallel with his bodyweight because of the nerve damage and now almost two year later at a bodyweight of 175 he can parallel squat 275 and keeps getting stronger! This is functional training!

Chapter 8: Choosing the Right Size There are plenty of resources that cover how to make a sandbag. It does not have to be complicated. I prefer keeping the bag a little “loose” so that the weight can shift and the grip is challenged to a greater degree. You will find packing a bag really tight will lose some of it awkwardness. If this occurs, I would suggest you purchase a bigger bag, or use less sand. One of the easiest methods to create your own sandbag is to buy an army type duffel bag. Fill sandbags with double bound trash bags. Tape or clinch each sandbag to a weight. You might think about adjusting your bag so you can open the duffel bag and change the weight quickly. Such sandbags can be purchased at www.brutestrength.com. Lighter bags up are excellent for rotational, circular, and teaching proper lifting technique. Always error on the side of too light as most people will be shocked at the weaknesses they possess in the hands and trunk. Sometimes you will be able to use the sandbags sold by construction companies for smaller weights. I would suggest you load the bags yourself to again keep them a little bit loose. These bags do have a tendency to rip and leak so you would be best using a small duffel bag. ©2005, Innovative Fitness Solutions│Duplication or Transmission not Permitted

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Women and younger athletes (ages 10-14) will do well with bags from 25-50 pounds. Average men should begin with a bag from 75-100 pounds and super athletes should work 150 and up. Of course the specific goal of the training session will dictate the size of the bag. Conditioning days should use the lighter side because fatigue will accumulate very quickly. Maximal strength and power development should employ heaver bags.

You don’t always have to go heavy to reap the benefits (photo courtesy of www.beyondfunctionaltraining.com)

Chapter 9: The Exercises Athletic Lifts: One of the most fundamental aspects of sandbags is their role in explosive strength development. The standard sandbag lifts are very similar to those in Olympic weightlifting. The lifts in weightlifting include the clean and jerk and snatch. These two basic movements hit the entire body so no muscle is left untrained. They also teach the body how to work in an athletic manner where movement is highly integrated and done with the purpose of acceleration. Such training has been shown to have a profound effect on the nervous system, which results in better carryover to real world strength as well as sports performance.

Although weightlifting is a fantastic form of resistance training, it usually requires some high quality coaching and equipment. Since fulfilling both requirements is rare for most trainees, sandbags solve such problems. Sandbag exercises are very easy to learn and due to their affordability, allow one to make several with different shapes and sizes. When first learning sandbag lifts, it is important to learn a good start to pulling the weight (pulling is the term for bringing the weight from the floor upwards). This is key to properly driving the weight upwards and avoiding injuries.


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Keys to Proper Lifting Posture: a. Weight on the heels. b. Hips are driven back. c. An arch is placed in the lower back. d. Chest is pushed out as shoulders are pulled down and back. e. Eyes should be focused straight ahead or slightly upwards. Deadlift : The deadlift is a classic strength training movement. It has been used for centuries in building outstanding hip and low back strength. The deadlift is also a great exercise for teaching beginners how to set up in the right lifting posture.This is one of the most valuable exercises as it will strengthen postural muscles, teach proper movement execution, help with injury prevention, and serve as the foundational drill for many other exercises


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Round Back Deadlift


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Suitcase Deadlift


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Single Leg Deadlift


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Goodmornings


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Romanian Deadlift


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Beyond Functional Training: Sandbag Fundamentals High Pulls: Taken from weightlifting, this lift teaches how to now accelerate the weight and continue the pull up to the proper clean or snatch position. With sandbags, this movement is ideal for athletes in ripping and battling opponents on the field. The drill is performed the same as the deadlift, but now the focus changes to speed! Your legs will explosively snap, as in jumping, to drive the weight up towards the chin. The arms will continue to direct the weight upwards. However, unlike an upright row, the weight should be made to feel almost weightless in the arms. Drive with the hips!

Below are two different variations. The first is the more standard version that will teach proper movement for the majority of the other lifts. The second version will involve more grip and upper body strength. Start


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Finish


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High Pulls Grip Emphasis


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Beyond Functional Training: Sandbag Fundamentals Positions of Pull: There are four major positions in which to start the various pulls. Working from the floor will allow you to lift the greatest amount of weight while shorter ranges in the pull, such as the hang, will increase how fast one can produce force. Pulling the weight by the heels allows for increased hip extension, which is crucial for developing speed and power. This is a unique aspect of sandbag training that cannot be reproduced by a barbell.

Floor Position


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Hang Position

High Hang Position


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Heel Pull

Snatch: Surprising to most people the snatch is actually very easy to learn. With sandbags, you don’t have to consider flexibility in the shoulders as much as with the bar. The pull is directly up the body to above the head without any interruption of movement. The legs will snap the weight upwards similar to that of high pulls, but the movement is then continued straight above the head. The goal is not to press the bag out but rather to have it feel weightless as it gets above head. The term “grip and rip” helps many get the idea of this concept. Power/Full/Split: There are three classic variations of the snatch, power snatch, full snatch, and split snatch. The power version refers to the lifter catching the weight in a quarter squat position. This is the easiest technique to learn and can serve as a great base into which perform complexes (drills that combine more than one movement into one).

The full snatch is most difficult skill to execute, as it takes great timing and flexibility. Being able to perform this variation will provide you with a whole new feeling of athleticism and transfers well to sporting excellence. Much of this may be related to the power generated as well as the flexibility development. During the full snatch, the weight is propelled to chest height and then the lifter drops underneath the bag into an overhead squat position. A little deviation from the right technique will make this a very difficult lift. The split version is a long forgotten method of snatching that was once a standard in weightlifting. The same hip drive initiates the pull but then one foot stomps as they split the legs. The key is to get under the weight as quickly as possible while splitting the legs. This specific version is very applicable to sporting performance. ©2005, Innovative Fitness Solutions│Duplication or Transmission not Permitted

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Power Finish Position

Split Finish Position


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Full Snatch Finish

Snatch Variations The above exercises are the classic versions of the snatch. There are other variations though that fit in between the classic snatch and clean. Such exercises include swings, rotating snatches, and half moon snatch. These exercises change the direction of the pull as well as the trajectory of the sandbag. The benefits of these drills include:    

Greater dynamic grip training Shoulder stability in various planes of movement Rotational power through the trunk Improved conditioning


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Rotating Bag Snatch Key Points:  Snap the hips through to project the bag out in front of the body.  Rotate the bag as it travels above the head.  Twist the bag to the opposite direction on the way down.


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Half Moon Snatch


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Cleans: The clean is very similar in execution as the snatch. The catch of the clean with sandbags can actually be much easier than the bar. The variations are many as well allowing for changes in loading patterns and force absorption. One of the key movements, shouldering, allows one to train a unique “grip and rip” technique that is highly applicable to sports such as wrestling, football, and all contact sports.

Cleaning the sandbag also positions the bag perfectly for combination movements such as the classic clean and jerk. Other combinations will be expanded upon in an upcoming manual on sandbag hybrid training.

Power Clean Explosive Pull Phase


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Power Clean Finish Position Power Clean Zercher Finish ©2005, Innovative Fitness Solutions│Duplication or Transmission not Permitted

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Squat Clean; Start, Pull, Finish


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Power Shouldering


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Diagonal Power Shouldering


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Beyond Functional Training: Sandbag Fundamentals Fundamen tals Squatting: It has long been known that squatting is the “king” of leg exercises. That could be debated with some other great lifts such as deadlifts, but you can’t go wrong squatting. There may be a few of you hesitant about squatting because of orthopedic problems. I am often reminded of a great quote from throwing coach, Dan John, “squatting doesn’t hurt your knees, the way YOU squat hurts your knees.”

As with any type of exercise, there a few pointers to performing the squat with greater proficiency. 1. As strength expert Pavel Tsatsouline explains, “You must pull yourself down into the squat position using your hip flexors.” This sensation may feel foreign to many lifters, but Pavel recommends a simple wall squat drill to help emphasize this point. 2. Keep the upper back arched upwards so that the eyes look forward. Rounding of the upper back will lead the body falling forward. 3. During the lowering phase, push the knees outwards and keep the weight of the body on the heels. 4. Upon rising, squeeze the butt cheeks and try to corkscrew the legs upwards. This will give increased strength in the hamstrings and glutes. Varying the placement of the load during the squats will change the movement drastically. Having the weight on the shoulder is a unique method of unilaterally loading the squat. Bear hugging, zercher, and front squatting are great challenges to developing true core strength.

Zercher Squat ©2005, Innovative Fitness Solutions│Duplication or Transmission not Permitted

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Bear Hug Squat


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Shouldering Squat


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Overhead Squat


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Back Squat


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Front Squat


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Hack Squat


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Headlock Squat


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Single-Leg Training: Step-ups, lunges, and pistols can be viewed as “assistance squatting” movements. They are helpful for those who don’t feel comfortable squatting. Single-leg training is also invaluable in improving stability of the hip, knee, and ankle. For most these have been issues at one point or another. This form of training will also helps coordination and body awareness in the form of falling from a “wrong” step is very common in sport and real life.

Variations of single-leg exercises will also help provide some insight into muscle imbalances and possible compensation patterns. In this case use these exercises to become more aware of such issues, but do not rely on them to provide all the answers. Try to work for symmetrical stepping and movement; watch for large deviations.

Shouldering Lunges


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Overhead Lunges


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Lateral Lunges


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Side to Side Step-ups


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Side to Side Step-ups with S uat


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Beyond Functional Training: Sandbag Fundamentals Overhead Pressing: There may be no more of a “functional” exercise for the upper body than overhead pressing. Pressing weight overhead used to be the standard of upper body strength before the popularity of bench pressing took over. Since then, most people have forgotten about many of the great lifts that use to be a standard in training. In commercial gyms, you are lucky to see anyone overhead pressing especially if they aren’t leaning into a chair with a thick belt.

Become proficient at overhead pressing, and you will be rewarded not only with great shoulder, but upper back, arms, and trunk as well. When I attended one of Pavel’s excellent Russian Kettlebell Certification programs, I truly understood how one could become a great overhead presser. Following these key points listed below, I learned how to not only increase my strength in these lifts, but also how to properly protect my shoulders and back. When you apply these principles you too will laugh at those that say pressing overhead is “dangerous”. In addition to proper technique, you will find rowing variations following the pressing movements. Training the upper back muscles will help keep muscular balance between the pressing muscle and pulling muscles. Key Points: 1. When performing strict presses, no legs involved, you must lock the legs. 2. Squeeze the butt cheeks as tightly as possible. 3. Brace the abdominals. 4. “Press” with the lats and tighten the arms as much as possible.

ilitar Press ©2005, Innovative Fitness Solutions│Duplication or Transmission not Permitted

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Push Press Key Points   

Begin with an explosive ¼ dip. Accelerate from the dip to drive the weight overhead. Do not rely purely on the shoulders, use the legs!


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Power Jerk Key Points   

Same initial dip as the push press, however, an explosive drive to get “underneath” the weight. A double dip should exist, first to drive the weight, second to get underneath the weight. More of a leg drill than the push press.


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Split Jerk

Split Jerk: Two Bags


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Shoulder to Shoulder Pressing


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Leverage Press


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One Arm Press


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Windmill


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Side Press

Push Press Toss


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Bent-over Row


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Renegade Rows

lternating Rows


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Single Arm Row

From the Ground Up One of the classic exercises that have been completely forgotten is the Turkish Get-up. Done since the beginning of time, but popular ized by Turkish wrestlers, the Turkish Getup is an exercise that should be included in everyone’s program. At the most fundamental level, it teaches people how to get off of the ground. Whether you are an athlete or working with elderly clients this is a drill that needs to be implemented.

For most people, they can use some load that will add stress to the core region unlike any other movement. The changing angles, body positions, and leverage points train the core as it would be needed in more real life situations. You learn how to create selective tension and efficient movement patterns that builds a strong body. Athletes and coaches will love the overall body conditioning and functionality of this drill. Wrestle, fight, and overcome this weight and you will be rewarded with gladiator type strength. You will be able to avoid injury during times when safety is compromised and learn how to overcome unpredictable forces. Now enjoy these variations!


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Overhead Turkish Get-ups


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Shouldering Turkish Get-up


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Zercher Turkish Get-ups


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Double Shoulder Get-ups ©2005, Innovative Fitness Solutions│Duplication or Transmission not Permitted

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Carrying and Dragging: There may be no better fundamental training method than carrying and dragging a weight. “Running with weight, either a barbell behind the shoulders, dumbbells or kettlebells in hand, or a sandbag on one or both shoulders, is a great exercise to build strength in areas that no other lift can,” states iron legend Steve Justa (p. 38, Rock, Iron, Steel: The Book of Strength) Do it once and you will realize how much truth there is to what Steve Justa writes about. In fact, this statement probably does not do the movements justice!

We do carrying and dragging in every-day activities, including laundry, holding chldren, groceries, and other chores around the house. In sport, such training will reward you with an iron core, stronger lungs, and hips that will never quit. This is a great way to finish off a routine or for team building. You may aim for a specific distance or time. I must warn that you should always begin on the easier side, as you will be shocked at how your body feels the next few days. This is far more taxing than many realize. So, enjoy the pain! If you find this to be on the easy side you are more than welcome to add some additional challenges. One way to increase the level of difficulty to these drills is to set up a small obstacle course that you can weave in and out. You may also find changing direction such as walking backwards can add another useful variation.

Backward Drag


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Forward Drag

Lateral Drag


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Bear Hug Walk

Zercher Walk


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Shouldering Walk

Uneven Loaded Walk


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Headlock Walk

Overhead Walk


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Suitcase Farmer’s Walk

Deadlift, Carry, Load


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Chapter 9: Routines There are of course no right way to use sandbags in routines. All routines should be based upon your individual goals. While there are no wrong ways to train, there are more optimal protocols to implement. In the following chapter, I will outline some different strategies to achieve maximal results with sandbags. Once you have experimented with many of these variations, start coming up with your own. Then drop me an email ( [email protected]) and let me know how you are using your sanbags in training. There are endless variations so make sure to visit www.beyondfunctionaltraining.com to see updated workouts. Power Circuits Circuit training has long been a method of improving strength and endurance. The classic form of using circuits has been to perform a large number of exercises typically of a re petition range of 8-20. Power circuits simply modify this concept to create more strength and power while still increasing strength-endurance capabilities.

Circuit A: A1. Power Clean+Front Squat+Press A2. Goodmornings A3. Shouldering Lunge A4. Turkish Get-up Zercher


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Circuit B: A1. Deadlift A2. Clean+Split Jerk A3. Swings A4. Woodchoppers B1. Bear Hug Walks Circuit C: A1. Snatch+Overhead Squat A2. Bent-Over Row+Romanian Deadlift A3. Floor Pressing A4. Diagonal Shouldering Combining Tools Although sandbags can be a complete workout upon themselves, they don’t have to be the only tool in the box. Barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and other implements have long been a standard in strength training, and you can still implement them along with sandbags.

Workout A: A1. Back Squat: 5/5/3/3/1/1 B1. SB Power Clean+Push Press: 6/6/6/6 B2. Pull-ups: 6/6/6/6 C1. Shouldering Step-ups: 6/6/6 each shoulder D1. Janda Sit-ups: 5/5/5 Workout B: A1. SB One Arm Snatch: 8/12/15 each arm B1. Front Lunges: 6/6/4/4 C1. SB Rounded Back Deadlift: 5/5/5/5/5 D1. Power Curls: 6/6/6 E1. SB Backward Drags: 100 feet 3 times Workout C: A1. Deadlift: 5/5/3/3/3 B1. Overhead Squat: 5/5/5/5 C1. Pistols: 6/6/6 each leg C2. Shoulder to Shoulder Press: 6/6/6 each side D1. Burpee+Push-up+Power Snatch: the least amount of sets needed to perform 50 repetitions


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Density Training

In the fitness/spor ts industry it is very difficult to create something new. However, Coaches like Charles Staley and Ethan Reeve have done just that. They have taken the old concept of density training, the amount of work done in a specific amount of time, and created new protocols to achieving great results! If this style of training appeals to you, then you must check out Coach Staley’s EDT program at www.edtsecrets.com. I will outline several methods of density-style training. Density is perfect for people who want the best of both worlds, increased strength, decreased body composition, and great endurance specific to speed and power sports. This method is also helpful for people who don’t have the opportunity to change weights a great deal. Many times this will apply to home trainees. Sandbags EDT Style In EDT training you will use a weight that you can handle for ten repetitions. However, you will only be performing sets of five repetitions. This will keep the quality of your work at a much higher level. You will work in what are known as PR Zones. These zones can usually r un from 10 to 15 minutes. The fifteen-minute zones should be used for core lifts and at the beginning of the routine. The shorter time zones can be utilized if additional work is desired and is reserved f or assistance training.

Exercises should be organized in an antagonistic manner, for instance, a bench press would be alternated with a row. Some exercises are not so clear like squats. We could say squatting though is a quadriceps dominated movement and can be alternated with Romanian deadlifts. Don’t worry about using a large number of exercises. You will probably need no more than four and sometimes fewer than this. Program A: Lower Body Emphasis PR Zone A: 15 minutes A1. Split Snatches A2. Zercher Squats B1. Forward Drags 100 ft. B2. Backward Drags 100 ft. Repeat 3-4 times Program B: Upper Body Emphasis PR Zone A: 15 minutes A1. Clean and Press A2. One-arm Rows P R Zone B: 10 minutes B1. Windmill B2. Turkish Get-up bag on shoulder


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Coach Reeve Denisty Training For those that are not familiar, Coach Ethan Reeve is currently the head strength coach at Wake Forest University. In the last few years he has brought various forms of density training to the mainstream. Below you will find several programs inspired by his ideas. Very similar to Coach Staley’s program the focus is getting a lot of work done while maintaining a very high quality of performance. The repetitions are usually on the lower end of the spectrum (1-5) and rest intervals are brief (30-60 seconds). The weights should not be maximal and speed of movement should be the focus rather than the load. Make sure not to compromise the quality of the movement.

Program A: frequency would be two days a week A1. Clean + Zer cher Squat Perform sets of 3 perform a new set every sixty seconds. The actual set should last approximately fifteen seconds. The total number of sets should be twelve. A2. Push Presses Same as above B1. Shouldering Lunges 4 sets of 6 B2. Romanian Deadlift + Rows 4 sets of 6 (B1. and B2. should be alternated) C1. Bearhug Walk 100 yards 3 sets Program B: Frequency of two days a week A1. Snatches A2. Pull-ups Use the above protocol for density work B1. Shouldering Cleans 5 sets of 6 C1. Round Back Deadlifts 5 sets of 5 D1. Turkish Get-up weight overhead 3 sets of 5 each side The Busy Man’s Density Training This form of density training is simple and perfect for people that are in a rush to get in a good workout and don’t want to have to think about putting together much of a routine. Although simple, this style can be very brutal and I would not recommend performing it more than once a week.

You will take a fixed number of repetitions, this number will usually be between 50-100. Then, you will select one exercise and perform the designated number of repetitions as quickly as possible. Record the time and for the following workout you will try to beat this time. For those that are a glutton for punishment you may select two drills to perform. Make sure the lifts are compound in nature, meaning, cleans, squats, or combination lifts. Oh, and make sure to have a towel to wipe the drool from you mouth and a bucket for your stomach.


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Josh Henkin - Sandbag Fundamentals (2005)

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