Do you want to take your training to the next level? Does the idea of building raw, functional strength in the comfort of your own home sound appealing to you?

If the answer is yes (and it should be), then you’re going to love this full-body sandbag workout routine.

Table of Contents

I discovered sandbag training when I was fresh out of college. I had no disposable income at the time, so going to the gym and paying a monthly fee was not an option and neither was putting my workouts on hold.

So I purchased an empty sandbag online and filled it with all-purpose sand from a local home improvement store. It was incredibly simple and cost-effective to create my own versatile training tool, and you can do it too!

Why Sandbag Workouts Are Effective

The biggest benefit of sandbag training is the development of functional strength. ‘Functional training’ or ‘functional conditioning’ refers to exercises that have real-world applications and that translate to everyday activities, outside of the gym.

For example, many boxers jump rope because it translates to nimble footwork within the ring.

When it comes to working with sandbags, the strength developed translates to picking up and/or moving irregular or awkward objects, such as large pieces of furniture on moving day and cars that are broken down on the side of the road.

Sandbag workouts are also perfect for first responders, as increased stamina and endurance makes lifting and carrying other people much less taxing.

Can You Get the Same Results With Free Weights?

I’m not saying that traditional training with free weights isn’t functional. It most certainly is, but training with sandbags offers a new variable: the shifting of the weight itself. This is known as dynamic resistance.

What’s Dynamic Resistance?

With every rep of a given exercise, different amounts of sand constantly shift from one side of the bag to the other. This engages stabilizer muscles that would not be worked as strenuously when using barbells and dumbbells.