Get Strong by Training with SANDBAGS!
Updated: Jan 14
D.V.R.T Ultimate Sandbags are another fitness "tool" I like using with my clients, primarily because most of my people find them fun, non-threatening and effective. Like dumbbells, barbells or kettlebells, sandbags are a type of weight that can be used as resistance to train your muscles to get stronger.
They have some key features and benefits that make them unique. First, instead of being made of solid metal, they are indeed bags of sand! These modern sandbags have several handles set in a variety of directions, designed to allow the user to hold the bags in different ways. The bags are made of heavy-duty vinyl, so we can easily wipe them down to keep them clean and sanitary, and they are soft, which allows you to hold them against your body safely and comfortably. This last point about their softness is a big reason why I believe my clients find sandbags to be non-intimidating, easier to learn how to use, and therefore more fun to use.
Inside each Ultimate Sandbag are 2 "bladder" bags partially filled with sand. And that's what makes this fitness tool unique. That extra space in each internal bladder bag allows the sand to move around just a little bit within the outer bag. This creates some variability in how heavy the bag feels as the user moves the bag in space while they perform an exercise.
This little bit of variability creates the feeling that your brain and body have to work a little harder than if the weight was fixed and stable (than, for example, a kettlebell.) This is not a bad thing. Actually, in my experience, it feels like the strength you are gaining is more "real world" strength , not just "gym strength". This concept is one of the reasons sandbags have grown in popularity over the last 15 years with trainers that push the envelope and try to bring new advances in training concepts to their clients.
Please don't misinterpret my enthusiasm for sandbags. Yes I do like them but they are just one tool of several that I have in my "trainer's toolbox". I also love kettlebells and TRX Suspension straps. Each tool has some special advantages. Sandbags are amazing for rotational work. If you play golf, tennis, softball, or pickleball these sports involve a lot of rotating your body with strength, power and speed. Injuries can occur if your body lacks stability and strength when it comes to rotating, as you swing, throw (and don't forget snow shoveling, as another example!)
In conclusion, sandbags are a good fitness tool for a variety of reasons. You won't find them in the "big box" gyms, but I offer them as a choice and am able to show you how to use them effectively to get strong! By the way; the "D.V.R.T" in my first sentence above stands for "Direct Variable Resistance Training". It is a system researched and developed by Mr. Josh Henkin. Check out his website and blog for more information: https://ultimatesandbagtraining.com.
