Lifting Sandbags for Manliness (and Womanliness)!

Recently I've been going through some of the articles stored in my 'Writing' folder on the computer and I found something I'd written for Art Of Manliness (www.artofmanliness.com) a year or so ago. They didn't want it (perhaps it was too manly for them) so I'm giving it to you guys instead!

The article is a little gimmicky (after all, isn't manliness subjective?) but I think you guys will enjoy it. For me, I don't like to really categorise anyone as being manly or womanly but I know that being fit and healthy makes me a nicer person and, or so I like to think, a better human being all round. So here goes!

Lifting Sandbags For Manliness

By Matt Palfrey

The last time I really stepped foot in a commercial gym facility was in 2009 - it was some awful place called �Celebrity Fitness� (or something like that) and it was the kind of venue that you just wouldn�t ever see any celebrities in (except maybe D-listers and below). I was training hard and they told me off for lifting too much weight. Seriously. I was flabbergasted. To make things worse I was told by someone who would have looked more at home in a toothpaste commercial - he was basically white teeth and a ridiculous �fashion haircut�, all dressed up in a tracksuit.

It�s my opinion that there are 2 things that a person should never be interrupted during:

1. Sex.

2. Hard physical exercise (see also �1. Sex�)

I left the place feeling like a lion whose hunt has just been put on hold by an antelope who was complaining that the run was making him sweat and it was ruining his fur. It made me think just how far the commercial gym market had slipped. They had become horrible, overly sterile environments where the key focus was to wear the best clothes, strut around the place and generally act a little metro-sexual. Wasn�t that the reason to go to nightclubs?

At that point I pretty much decided that I was done with the commercial gym. At the time I was short on funds - I had just funded a 9 month adventure around the globe. I needed to get fit and, as my exercise of choice is weight training, I needed to find some inexpensive �weight� to lift. As it turns out, sand is about as inexpensive as you can get. And, in many instances, you can also get it for free. So I headed down to the hardware store and purchased 250 lbs of sand for about $10. I started off with a simple set up - a big canvas bag stuffed full of smaller sandbags.

I�d follow similar workouts to those that I always had done - the only real difference being that I was lifting sand instead of traditional barbells or dumbbells. At first it wasn�t easy. Handling a sandbag is considerably harder than I expected but I persevered and started making improvements. After a few workouts I realised that it was seriously hard work and not just some poor excuse for a real workout.

I started to wonder how many other people were out there in a similar position to me - unable or unwilling to get to the gymnasium, or just simply time/financially poor individuals. A little more research and I found out that people had been training with sandbags for quite a long time.

I started this blog, Sandbag Fitness, to share my experiences with others. I just write about the workouts that I�ve done in my garage and people seem to enjoy following them - we now get a few thousand hits per month so there�s obviously plenty of people out there who are tired of the traditional gym environment.

How Will Lifting Sandbags Help With Manliness (or womanliness)?

• You�re lifting something real - not some modern machine designed to optimize your exercise experience. That big bag of sand could just as easily be an elk you�ve just killed or a loved one that you�re rescuing from a burning building. It�s this reason that lots of athletes are now using sandbags as part of their training.
• You can follow your sandbag training program anywhere. I use mine in the garage but you could just as easily train with yours: in a field/up a mountain/on a beach.
• The sandbag is built for manly use. You can throw it, slam it and even start punching it in a fit of rage - it will generally stand up to the abuse. Try doing that with anything at your average gym and they�ll probably ask you to leave, and maybe even call the cops.
• Sandbag training is tough and is used by the military, strongmen/women and elite athletes the world over to develop great strength and conditioning. It gets results quickly and with the minimum of investment - meaning that you can focus on the other important things in life. You don�t need to turn into that guy who is at the gym for 2-3 hours per day.
• Is Sandbag Training the best thing since sliced bread? Read here

I�m Ready To Start!

• Get yourself a sandbag - either construct one at home using a holdall, duffel bag or something similar (good guide here) or get a custom made sandbag like the Sandbag Fitness sandbag (click here) or the Brute Force Sandbag (click here for UK/Europe or click here for US)
• Follow the workouts posted at Sandbag Fitness
• Prepare yourself for new found levels of strength, conditioning and general bad-ass status
• Astound friends, colleagues and family members by displaying your ability to throw around everyday objects with ease

How To Succeed With A Sandbag Strength & Conditioning Program

Just because you�ve traded your traditional dumbbells and barbell for a bag of sand it doesn�t mean that you should ignore the basics. Your training should focus on big, full body compound lifts like Deadlifts, Squats, Presses and Pulls. I also like to throw plenty of bodyweight conditioning in there for good measure.

The intensity of your program will generally yield better results than the volume. Focus your efforts on working hard with a sandbag weight that challenges you.

My Favorite Sandbag Exercises

Sandbag Zercher Squats

Hold a sandbag at chest height in the crook of your arms (as pictured). Keeping your head and chest high, squat down until your hips are lower than your knees. Be sure to keep your spine and core braced and keep your feet flat. The Sandbag Zercher Squat will build powerful legs and a strong core.

Sandbag Windmill

Hold a sandbag overhead in one hand - either hold a handle or the fabric of the bag. Keeping the arm straight, push your hip out to the side to initiate the movement. Slowly reach down towards the ground and touch your opposite foot. The Sandbag Windmill is a great exercise for core strength and shoulder stability.

Sandbag Clean and Press

The Sandbag Clean and Press is a very tough exercise that will challenge everyone due to the difficulties in handling the constantly-shifting load. Start with the sandbag in front of you on the ground. Take a firm grip of the sandbag and lift it up to chest height in one powerful movement. Then, without leaning back too excessively, press the sandbag over your head. Arms should go to full extension. Shouting something manly at this point is optional but recommended.

Drop the bag back onto the ground and repeat.

Try The Following Workouts

1. 10 Sandbag Overhead Presses

10 Sandbag Back Squats

10 Knees-to-Elbows

Repeat for a total of 5 rounds.

YouTube video link here

2. 10 Sandbag High Pulls

10 Push Ups

10 Box Jumps

Repeat for a total of 5 rounds.

YouTube video link here

3. With a sandbag over your shoulders, complete a hill run. At the top complete 10 Sandbag Back Squats.

Repeat for up to 10 �hills�.

Todays Workout - The Art of Expressing the Human Body

10 Sandbag Cleans, 10 Sandbag Walking Lunges, 10 Sandbag Thruster Burpees. As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.

Record your score.

Train hard!

Proper Push-ups (post pregnancy, c-sections and/or core dysfunction)

Are you struggling with your push ups? I have to admit most people who come to see me for a session, including men, do not perform their push-ups correctly. In fact many people are causing more damage with the way they are currently doing push-ups. May as well avoid them altogether if you're not doing them correctly.

Common mistakes:

• Hands are too wide
• Lower back sags 
• Elbows flare out way to far
• Zero lat engagement throughout
• Neck and shoulders take over
• Incorrect head positioning
• abs completely shut off and not functioning
• Leading with the head and neck

Here is a quick video I put together on what a proper push-up is suppose to look like along with an easy progression. Even if you know what one looks like, you may be incapable to perform a solid push-up on the floor until you increase your core activation, trunk stability, and overall core strength.  For the ladies who have had kids, C-sections, suffered from diastasis recti or any sort of abdominal surger, will need to retrain your brain on how to hold a plank properly. Once you can hold a solid plank, you can then work on the moving planks (which I cover in the video) on a higher surface.  Once you can perform 6-10 on the surface you are practicing on, you can then move to a slightly lower surface. If you have a sloppy push-up on the floor all you'll do is injure yourself.  Humble yourself and begin your push-ups higher up until you can eventually go lower and lower over time.  Be patient, there is no rush!

 I will be releasing many more tutorials that will enhance your overall training, including kettlebell training, now that I've found a pretty cool editor for my little videos. ;)

Note: If you are unable to move properly through an elevated push-up, please start with this Mini Plank video instead here


I filmed this push-up video on my youngest daughters 5th birthday. Here is how I looked exactly 5 years ago to remind all of you. I know, I looked so enthusiastic at 9 months pregnant! :)

Photo 1: Ready to pop with baby #2
Photo 2&3: Filmed UBSC Vol. 2 DVD 6 months after Chloe was born, via C-section. (still nursing)

You can go to my main youtube channel to subscribe and get the updates for the next videos to come here.  

p.s. To workout with me on a regular basis check out my new online classes designed for all levels. I even have a beginner section. Learn more about Lauren's Playground here

Kettlebells for Injuries?

For the last several years I've shifted my training focus on rehabilitating people. When I first got in to the fitness industry 15 years ago, my main focus was on fat loss, strength, getting lean etc... While it still is a large part, I've learned that I don't have to focus just on those aspects. In fact, by zoning in on real life movement patterns and injury prevention exercises, the fat loss and strength still HAPPEN! My point is, rather than merely train for physical appearance, people are thriving consistently by sticking to their programs to reverse the aging clock, stay injury free and enjoy a new found quality of life. This has been proving to be much more rewarding!  If you suffer from back pain and injuries it does not mean it's the end for you.    I just received this beautiful testimonial from one of my students, mother of 2, who suffered a major back injury, that no one could diagnose.  Proper patterning and strength, along with kettlebells saved the day for Kathryn!  I'm sharing this to inspire you to find someone that understands how the body works and to strengthen any dysfunction that you may suffer from.  Even if you feel perfect, train with a purpose.

Here is what she said:

Lauren is simply amazing, as a trainer and person.  When I first started kettlebells eight months ago I could not lift a bag of groceries, container of cat litter, or my six year old.  I had a very painful lower back injury that no one could quite diagnose or fix (I had seen doctors and pain specialists and I tried acupuncture, massage, pain medication, ointments, physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, heat, and cold--nothing was making me feel any stronger). When I first started working out with Lauren I refused to swing a tiny 2 � kilo bell I was so scared of the pain in my back.  Well, Lauren fixed that.  She was patient but she encouraged me to try many different strengthening exercises (go deadlifts).  She also helped me work through moderate pain and discomfort by facing it in carefully controlled circumstances. Lauren has amazing expertise and the uncanny skill of knowing exactly how much you are capable of doing without pushing it past the breaking point. Within a couple of months I was swinging 16 kilo bells and have graduated from there.  I am so much stronger and I no longer fear the pain in my back because there is no more pain.  I can lift multiple bags of groceries and the cat litter. Best of all, two weeks ago I lifted my six year old for the first time (in a year and a half) without fear.  She said to me, �mommy, you can do this every day now.� And you know what, I can.  Thank you Lauren, for everything.  I am so grateful.

Dr. Statler  -  Encinitas, California

Todays Workout - Sandbags 'n' Stuff

10 Sandbag High Pulls,
10 Push Ups,
10 Sandbag Goblet Squats,
10 Sandbag Overhead Press.

Complete 5 rounds as fast as you can.

Record your score.

Train hard!