Meet Our First Sandbag Challenge Winner! Could you do it?

Gabriel from Madrid, Spain recently completed the Sandbag Fitness Bronze Challenge and won 2 of my ebooks. Plus, the honour of being the first person on the Wall of Fame! Do you think you could match or beat his performance?

This challenge is to be completed with the following sandbag weight:

Males - 40% of your bodyweight.

Females - 25% of your bodyweight.


For example, a 200lb man would need to use a sandbag weighing 80lbs (200 divided by 100 x 40).


Sandbag Deadlift x 20 reps
Sandbag Back Squat x 20 reps
Shouldering x 20 reps
Sandbag High Pull x 15 reps
Overhead Press x 15 reps
Sandbag Floor Press x 15 reps
Sandbag Walking Lunge (sandbag at chest height) x 20 reps
Sandbag Shoulder Get Up x 5 reps each side

More info about our challenges here

Featuring Ida: Amazing Weight Loss Story and NOW Beautiful Fit Kettlebell Instructor.

Always extremely touched and honored with testimonials and success stories such as this one!  Here's a story of a woman that was severely overweight, had babies via C-section and suffered from hormonal issues. Fast forward to today she is now a kettlebell instructor getting her Strong First Kettlebell Certification (SFG). Read her story that she wrote to me. If you needed some inspiration this is the real deal!


Hi Lauren -

A little over 5 years ago I found your name as I was researching how to recover core strength after having a c-section.  At that time, I was severely overweight due to general poor diet, hormonal issues, pregnancy, and hormonal medications I had to take to become pregnant. I had always been physically active, but still overweight. I weighed 216 pounds. I am 5'2".

Your research led me to kettlebells, and my very first kettlebell workout was with your DVD The Ultimate Body Sculpt and Conditioning with Kettlebells. I studied your YouTube videos and your blog to make sure my form was good and to make sure I was using the kettlebells correctly.  With your email advice, I started with an 18 pound kettlebell.

After that c-section in 2008, I had another in 2011 and recovered so quickly because I continued to use kettlebells during that pregnancy. Even my doctor was impressed!


Fast forward to today. Using your DVDs as a springboard, I started using kettlebells as my primary form of exercise. Eventually, I started training at FIRE-BELLZ and then with Zar Horton, Master SFG.

I am now a ketttlebell instructor at FIRE-BELLZ. (I also have a professional career, so kettlebells are my part-time passion!) I will be attending the October SFG I cert in San Diego this year.  My weight hovers between 140 and 145 pounds, and has for almost 3 years. I am stronger than I have ever been in my life. My normal swinging bell is either a 20kg or 24kg bell. I turn 40 this year, and feel the best I have ever felt in my life. 

I continue to follow your blog and do your workouts. You are an inspiration to me and many many others. 

Even though I train now with Zar and at FIRE-BELLZ. I will always credit you for starting me on this path. When I signed up for the cert, I knew I had to reach out to you and share my story. You started this! And I thank you so very much for doing so!

So, if you happen to be at the October cert and see a short, dark curly haired chic running up to you to give you a big hug, do not be afraid. It's just me!!!

With lots of thanks and tons of kettlebell love,

Ida Hernandez 

Todays Workout - Fight the Power

Complete as many heavy Ground-to-Overhead sandbag lifts as you can within a 15 minute time period.

Record both the weight of your sandbag and the number of repetitions you perform.

Train hard!

Turkish Get Up Tutorial Part 1 - Lauren Brooks

Part 1 of my favorite exercise - The Turkish Get Up

Practice this before moving on to the next sections. Next step coming soon....

For more free videos and tutorials subscribe to my youtube channel right here 

Enter to win a copy of The Complete Guide to Sandbag Training in paperback!

Win The Complete Guide to Sandbag Training in paperback!

The Top 25 Fitness Blogs 2014

I know that a lot of you guys who follow the blog on a regular basis appreciate the fact that I don't stand for:

a. General marketing BS and hype.
b. Half-assed attempts to influence others with big words and charts.
c. Anything that I don't believe is in the best interests of the general public.

I'm also often asked who else I recommend that people read up on when it comes to fitness. Hence this little competition that I've put together. This is squarely aimed at fitness-focused blogs, run by individuals, for the betterment of the readers. There is no prize, except for you guys who get to find some new killer fitness blogs to follow.

The competition is simple - I'd like your help in finding these people. Put your nomination in the Facebook comments field below, ideally also including a website address and tagging the Facebook individual or page in question.

The competition will close on Friday 8th August.