Build Muscle Fast With Sandbag Training

If you’re interested in building strength, muscle, and raw power quickly, but aren’t prepared to shell out tons of money for a gym membership or expensive Olympic weights for a home gym, consider sandbag training. Sandbags, the stuff construction companies use to prop up fences and coastal cities to prevent flooding during hurricane season, can be had on the cheap, and the discomfort of handling them makes them perfect for tough workouts that engage your core and build muscle fast. Today too many people take the easy way out. They’d rather do bicep curls with twelve-pound dumbbells than really work their bodies. Sandbag training works your body by engaging muscles you didn’t even know you had, leading to rapid functional strength gains, as well as being a great weight loss workout.

The best part about sandbags as a training tool is their low cost. You can get empty sandbags at your local hardware store for less than a dollar each, and then it’s just a matter of finding sand or gravel or buying cement to fill your sandbag. Once you’ve filled your bag, close the top with a zipper snap (usually found next to the sandbags at the hardware store). Sandbags are malleable and shapeless, so they fit just about anywhere in the house. If you plan to keep them indoors, you may want to place two litter bags in your litter bag to prevent leakage. For a permanent sandbag, you can always fill a duffel bag or even use a special sandbag designed specifically for exercise (although they will be considerably more expensive). Whichever you choose, you’ll have high-quality home exercise equipment at a low price.

Two great primary strength sandbag workouts can be done in the privacy of your own home that will challenge your system and build strength and muscle fast. The first is the sandbag thruster. Hold the sandbag up with both hands, one on each side, using your chest to push and hold the bag. Perform a squat, and when you return to the starting position, press the punching bag over your head. Bring it back to the starting position and squat again. Repeat. Now, because the sandbag will be around sixty pounds max, you need to do a lot of repetitions and a high intensity. Doing so will work your shoulders, core, lower body, and chest, all while working up a sweat and increasing your muscular endurance. For an added kick, throw the punching bag overhead instead of just pressing it down.

Next up is the sandbag burpee. First, get into the pushup position, with the sandbag directed under your head. Perform a push-up, and then jump into a squat. Grab the sandbag and then get into a sandbag booster, pushing up with your legs and pressing the sandbag over your head (or, again, even tossing it into the air). Lower yourself back down and return to the pushup position. Repeat, as fast as you can, and you’ll be building stamina and building muscle fast in no time. For a visual example, check out this sandbag burpee video… but be warned, it’s pretty intense!

So if you can commit to spending a few bucks and taking about fifteen minutes out of your busy day, you can have an intense, primal workout that builds power and muscle fast.