Here's the program: Mon Sandbag to shoulder (Work up to 15 per side, then add variation) Horizontal Pushups (2 sets of 8-30 reps) Vertical Pushups (2 sets of 8-30 reps) Weds Sandbag Squats (10x3 work up to 10x5/add variation) Horizontal Pushups (2 sets of 8-30 reps) Vertical Pushups (2 sets of 8-30 reps) Fri Sandbag Carries (5 sets to failure) Horizontal Pushups (2 sets of 8-30 reps) Vertical Pushups (2 sets of 8-30 reps)
@@thestonecircle Your video inspired me to get a sandbag of my own. My main goal is to be yoked but because I'm vain I also want broader shoulders. Does your program help with broadening the shoulders? What muscles does it target specifically? If I may ask. Thanks in advance :)
After working as a residential mover I can say nothing will improve your strength and physique like picking up, carrying, and generally wrestling with odd objects. And this video nailed how to do it at home.
Hey glad to hear your experience had been similar! An uncle of mine does that work, I once saw him and one other guy move a grand piano down a couple flights, just crazy!
As a mover, what's your opinion on large mattresses ? I've found those to be perhaps the hardest things to handle, but I'm not a professional mover myself, I'm rather an occasional moving helper. Mattresses are heavy, got very little grip area, and it's a floppy cuboid. Do you have a technique or is it raw strength that I don't have yet ?
Very informative! I like how you mentioned the tendon strenghtening aspect. It's often very overlooked, although plays a massive role in longevity! I'll try and makeshit an odd object I can lift out of some old canvas bags, until I can get my hands on a proper sandbag. The benefits of this style of training really goes beyond regular old bodybuilding. Cheers!
Thanks glad you liked it! For sure, for me at least I swear it worked like magic for the tendons, stones and sandbags made me feel SOLID no other way to say it! And HECK yeah, I'd love to hear what you think of it!
Damn dude you're blowing my mind! This is one of the best fitness vids I've seen on youtube. Solid common sense advice. Very well organized. And achievable by nattys. I would offer one suggestion. Use one bag. Start very light. 25 lbs. And add weight slowly. This is a better saferway way to condition the body. 100 lbs. is a lot for someone just starting w/ a bag.
Thank you!! I appreciate that coming from someone with your wisdom! And definitely I agree on the weight too. I used a 100lb bag at first but by no means should everyone start there, especially if they dont have much experience with lifting!
I agree with everything youve said here. I hadn't ever considered the rep range. It seems like it would be obvious, but i hadnt considered its importance. With a light sandbag, 150lbs, id pick it up, carry it till failure. Same with shouldering. Id Shoulder it until i couldn't for that set. The way you've broken down the proper rep range is far more effective and i see that now. I wish i had a heavier one at home from the beginning. For me, a few static heavy lifts after carries would have been a lot of fun. Thats been my training with natural stones from the beginning. Its been great for physique a d overall strength. If you remember, i was able to carry a 300lb sandbag the first time touching it. I dont know how many sessions id need to Shoulder it, but i think a lower rep range overall would have aided in that better. Youre awesome, I appreciate these videos so much dude!!
Thanks man I'm glad you liked it!! I bet you could get a 300 pound bag to shoulder, that's the one that disappeared from the gym right? It seems like at this point you could become a master at whatever you decide to pursue!
Yea, it grew legs lol. I can't master "Nemesis"!! That SOB. Of course, I haven't tried in a few months. I wonder where I'd be with it at this point. I'm gonna share that second comp with you on Instagram. I'll message ya.
Sandbag lifting really works endurance and stamina as well. A heavy sandbag carry has you blowing out your a**. Ive been working with just a sandbag for 5 months now and ive put on a Decent amount of solid dense muscle, lost fat and it's even improved my posture. I had a hunched over posture from years of boxing training. Great video dude. Appreciate it.
Hey that's awesome!! I noticed the posture thing too, carries seem to strengthen all the important stuff for that. Glad the sandbags have been working for you. Also great to hear from you, I have a comment from you from close to 500 days ago!
@@thestonecircle What was the comment? I've had so much happen in that time, diagnosed with complex ptsd, being in a care home. Business ventures & failures. Be interesting to see what my comment was. Hopefully it was a positive message and nothing negative in any way. Thanks for replying. Its great you are still working hard and posting brilliant videos.
@staytrue5307 That's tough sorry you've had to deal with all that :/ I had posted a calisthenics circuit video and you asked what the song was 🙂 it was lazerhawk overdrive!
For those like me who started as weaklings, and couldn't even lift 100lbs before sandbag training, Rogue fitness sells rubber crumble that can fill a 150lb sandbag while only weighing 50lbs. This can help tremendously, from here progress to removing rubber and adding sand, or adding sand and old shirts. Eventually you'll just have sand, and you'll be stronger than you ever imagined.
This week i begun my sandbag training!! Always had a weak low back, and slowly doing this exercises im feeling it will improve! Made my own sandbag diy its 29Kg ~ 64lb
You motivated me to start trying this. I started my bodybuilding journey at over 240lbs a few years ago. Got down to 160 and have maintained it for several years. Been trying to build muscle the last 6 months because before I was obsessed with losing the fat as fast as I could. I've enjoyed seeing the changes but I feel like I'm only getting so far with only dumb bells. I like the idea of training a skill and I'm also a rock climber and this will absolutely have in impact in that skill as well. Already ordered my first sandbag
Why are you sparring for free, why not just join the military? Maybe you already have though haha. You make a good point, but it's a different thing. Nothing but respect for anyone who can lift smaller sandbags all day, but heavy sandbag lifting has a much different effect than pure strength endurance work. But that point aside, I like the job I have and I like lifting heavy stones and sandbags so I do!
@@thestonecircle My comment was more playful then an attack brother trust me. And i did get paid to spar and fight. I was a coach and a competitor. Regardless, i cant help but feel its risky for your lower back. But I also dont squat or deadlift because i feel the same way about those exercises. I only do hip thrusts and lat pull downs for my back. Be careful out there man because slipping a disc sucks!
@statictech7 that's badass man! No worries I appreciate your reply, I'm doing my best to move up slowly to let my body adjust. Always some risk involved though I can't deny that!
You are spot on, I deadlift around 455 and the 200 lb sandbag was manageable, but my bicep tendons will need improvement before I do anything more than a few sets of carries with it.
Excellent tutorial, well done and thanks for putting this together! I love sandbags and other awkward objects, there aren't any perfectly balanced bars with handles, it just does not cooperate. I'd go as far as to say there is nothing else like it when training for real life function.
Thans I'm glad you liked it!! I agree with you completely, there's something special about odd object lifting. I like the 'partly filled sandbag' for that exact reason, even if I've shouldered the bag 100 times, it can still surprise me. If it's folded just slightly off, I've got a real fight on my hands! Sounds kinda funny but when I first started lifting sandbags I was working at a dog kennel that had stacked crates, and I'd have to pick dogs up all day to get them up there. Also had to carry bags of food up stairs pretty often. I remember when I hit that 3 month mark and I'd conditioned myself to the sandbag lifting, suddenly my job became so much easier. Talk about real life function!
@@thestonecircle that's makes complete sense, there's definitely a big crossover to manual work that doesn't happen when strictly lifting traditional weights only, I'm not knocking weight lifting but I've experienced the difference myself working blue collar jobs. Definitely agree about the partly filled bags, it can feel and react differently almost every time you lift it. Keep these videos coming, they really are top quality content!
@davidstewart954 for sure! That's awesome you've felt the difference first hand yourself, there's nothing else like it! I appreciate the feedback thank you!
I'd love to get my hands on a keg one day! There's some awesome keg lifting motivation in the book 'Dinosaur Training' if you haven't read it already :)
Thank you! Sandbags have been such a game changer in my training. I love the simple approach he used, usually I prefer more of a Conjugate approach to main movements using high exercise selection, it was nice to work with something a bit more straightforward here
Yo man I'm so in love with your videos because my dad is a carpenter and he's so damn strong and with a fantastic body at 50 so this whole carrying heavy stuff many times hits too close to home. No cheesy stuff, no bragging, no bullshit advice and no "Buy my workout program" this does feel like the early days of UA-cam where videos were actually helpful instead of fishing out views I'm doing calisthenics and doing decent so far Any recommendationss on amazon by any chance for a sandbag like the ones on your videos?? Is it comes with the weight already all the better 😂 Keep it up! I'm so happy UA-cam recommended me this at 2 am
Hey so glad to have you here!! That carpenter strength really is on another level! I have my favorite sandbag linked in the description, its the ironmind tough as nails 300lb adjustable bag :) I don't think any of them ship with the weight already inside but you can get some play sand from the hardware store for pretty cheap!
My two cents. I started sandbags in April of this year. I weigh 155 at 5’10. Lean. Weight training for decades. I bought a 100 and a 150 pound bag from Titan. The 100 felt horrifically heavy. I couldnt even stand up with the 150. I find that different moves may require different weights. I also have a 125 which is good right now for squatting and lifting for reps and working on getting it to the shoulder. I have a Cerberus 175 waiting for sand; that is the next jump. 200 by christmas. The sandbags are fun, painful and totally worth it. It feels like no matter what you do with them, every muscle in your body is getting stronger and more powerful by the minute. If you can do the dollars, the Titan and Cerberus bags are great. East to fill with sand and they DO NOT leak. I found to get the jumps of 25 pounds i need to mix cerberus and titan. Playground sand is cheap at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Get sandbags.
Great insight thank you!! I actually just got a cerberus bag, the jump is somewhere between 40-60lbs or so, and I'm having trouble even lapping it haha. I think you're right on with the 25lb jumps
Hello how r u , thanks u for inspiring me to train with sandbag uve sparked interest in me and i am looking forward to train with sandbags, i recently thought of sand bags box squat, my theory is that with sand bags, its gonna force me to: A)valsalva manure, b) keep my shin vertical, c) use the power of hip hinge when accelerating up in the box squat. Thanks
Hey glad you liked the video! A sandbag box squat sounds like a great idea, my one thought would be you might need to hold the bag a bit higher on the chest to make sure it doesn't get in the way at the bottom, which is probably actually a good thing I could see it being a great movement!
This reminds me of being on the farm, as a kid, lifting and carrying bags of feed. Now I have a few sand bags and love them. One is currently filled to 25kg (about 55 lb) and I carry it 5km up our local mountain, across the top, then back again. It’s a killer workout.
@@thestonecircle It’s not as hard as it sounds. I started with 15kg, now up to 25. Aiming to be able to get to 40 by my 60th birthday mid next year. For some fun, I pick up my mrs and do squats. She’s about 50kg, but really I need one of those hug3 bags you have. Getting back in shape feels good after decades of sitting at a desk. btw, I only found your channel recently and love it.
@peter-robinson that's such a great goal to have, probably way more meaningful in the long run than aiming for a basic gym goal too! If you haven't read it already you might enjoy the book 'rock iron steel" by Steve Justa. He did some really insane things like that. Glad to have you here!
@@thestonecircle I don’t know the book but will look it up, thankyou! I was first inspired to do this again when I saw Cameron Hanes and am glad to have found your channel too.
man i got my first workout in with a 150lb and wow…im not as strong as i thought at all. I DL and Squat 315 max and i couldnt even put the 150lb sandbag on my shoulder once. I could only do 1 bear hug carry for 15 seconds. I am floored. How do I proceed from here? Should try a 100 bag instead? Or just keep going with this and progress slowly?
Hey awesome job 150 from the start is no joke!! I think a 15 second bear hug carry is a great place to start. If you're still doing regular weight training too I'd recommend spending 1-3 months adding 2-3 sets of max distsnce bear hug carries once or twice a week at the end of your squat or deadlift days. Once you get conditioned to the awkward lifting you'll probably be able to jump up to 175-200 and move from there! I'd also recommend trying to bring the sandbag as high up on your chest during those carries as you can, hopefully bringing it higher over time
given we are all not in prison :) .. we should also add Sprint workout body weight, plyometrics workout Hills/Hiking $10 jump rope solo Boxing workouts 2 used dumbbells used kettlebells Ruck Sack door frame Chin bar used Tire/Sledgehamner 1 used adjustable bench any low cost pool swimming running biking
Yoooo this video spoke to me man. I'm a few weeks into training 3x weekly sandbags and am absolutely loving it. Some things I've noticed so far: - my back feels SOLID. I'm not really worried about injury in any capacity. - I'm getting noticably thicker. Comments have been made from my wife. Feelsgoodman. Modifications from your template: - each day has a focus (squat, clean, carry) but does not only do that movement. - sandbag days are followed by a few sets of pendlay row volume. Nothing to failure. - I'm using multiple sandbag weights set to set (1 large low volume, 1 small higher volume). - pressing is being done on a separate day entirely. Still calisthenics based but using Cody lefever general gains bodybuilding progression and rep ranges. Thank you for the concept man! Love your content.
Hell yeah!! My back feels like that too, bo better word for it, this stuff makes you feel solid! That sounds like a great program, I have a suspicion that pendlay rows have major carryover to the one motion shoulder! Keep it up I'd love to hear how it goes in another few months!
Oh yeah,there is no light sandbag actually.I started with a 20 Kg and eventually got a 50 kg.Thought that 20's were piece of cake,till I decided to put it on my shoulder and go 60 stairs up and down for 5 min without leaving down the sand bag...
The strongest I've ever been is when I was a decorative gardener in the summer and a wooden boat worker in the winter. The crowning achievement of this was lifting an entire 1800s era wooden life boat off the ground for quite some time on my own (the kind you'd have on a square-sail ship). I mention this because what I'm hearing and seeing in this video seems like a pretty great simulation of a lifestyle like that, a lot of how my body and mobility changed during that time fits the narrative of training that you're describing. Consider me curious! I think I'll take a shot at it, thanks for exposing it to me, I lead a much more sedentary life now and I'm craving some intensity.
I bet those wide sandbag squats absolutely nail the adductors, which is nice because I'm used to narrow ATG front squats with elevated heels that are really quad focused, but my adductors are really lagging One thing I am a little uncertain about is the lack of a rowing and vertical pulling variation. I'm sure this'll work the upper back well, but what about the rear deltoids and lats?
Oh yeah I like them a lot, definitely feel like a good counterpart! I think extra pullups and rows would be a great addition. The main reason I didn't add them was just to stick with the basic idea of a 'one sandbag' program. One thing that really surprised me about sandbags was the lat involvement. For the most part the lats act mainly as stabilizers, but they seem to respond really well to the carries in particular. Especially if you hold the sandbag in a bear hug position when you carry it. The sandbag to shoulder seems to hit the rear delts pretty well too, more so if you start from a horizontal position on the lap. All things considered though it definitely wouldn't hurt to add some extra volume for those areas. Pullups and bodyweight rows aren't usually very expensive either so I don't think it would hurt recovery much
@@thestonecircle Those two sound like interesting (cartoon?) characters. Were can I find them? (But I guess I'm just interfering with an insider joke here 😄)
Hey glad to have you here!! I've actually heard a few people mention sisyphus now, I assumed it was a joke to do with how it feels to constantly lift sandbags and stones over and over, but is it a real channel?
This is fantastic. Great progressions, explanations, and logic. As a coach, I swing between complexity and simplicity. This is beautifully simple, with such a low barrier to entry to begin. To anyone reading this, buy that sandbag and get to work!
I've just started incorperating sandbags to my training. Before I was doing kettlebells and maces. Real game changer sandbags are, after 2 all out workouts my biceps are hurting like hell (the area where bicep and elbow meets) and I can't train since about 1 week. Did anyone else had this ?
Hey awesome!! Yes definitely, my biceps still get sore from lifting sandbags even after a few years now! It can take longer for the tendons to recover though so if you're new to it I'd recommend taking it as slow as you can. I noticed after about 3 months of once a week with sandbags, my bicep tendon was noticeably thicker
Try high rep band exercises to get blood into those areas for faster healing/recovery. I forgot the one for your specific area but I remember there's a video of armwrestler Devon Larrett that showed what he did for recovery, and I believe Alex Leonidas has a video about it as well. I believe I also heard @thestonecircle talk about this in a video with banded good mornings. It does help alot. Whenever I used to work with my hands alot to the point where they started aching (hammering a roof all day or doing electrical work), I learned about rice bucket exercises so I'd do those to get blood rushing into the hands and the pain went away quickly.
After working out with this you honestly feel completely different from calisthenics and weight training. I feel you need both for best strength gains. Very cheap to make your own sandbag too.
I like to think so! There's some record of people lifting stones which is pretty similar. I just imagine people back then were similar to us today, they see a heavy object and just can't help it, they had to see if they could lift it haha
I did a finisher after a workout: Carry a heavy sandbag 400m further and back again. However you want, you can put it down and have a short rest as often as you want, but then you have to pick it back up, just do it. Needless to say I was very very sore all over.
Awesome that's a long way to go with a heavy sandbag nice! I can imagine that soreness haha. I used to end my workouts by taking a pair of 45lb plates and going for a walk with them. Wasn't so bad until I would remember I had to walk back 😄
@thestonecircle great video, I'm subscribed, I'm a truck driver these days with the Teamsters but for 19 years before that I was a Mason, brick block marble and granite, I'd lift bags of portland and sand along with heavy stone all day, but now at 42 I mostly do calisthenics and weightlifting but I'm really wanting to try these sandbag workouts I just need to figure out what size bag to start with.
@@jasonashley4579I’m a 42 yo truck driver too (local). I’m thinking about doing this because of the benefits and minimalism. Working 12 hours shifts being able to get a great workout in 30 minutes is beneficial. Have you don’t these? What’s your experience?
Most of the pre-made sandbags you can buy come with a liner bag that goes inside the actual canvas sandbag. They work surprisingly well! If you make your own I recommend first putting the sand in one of those big contractor garbage bags, or using a bunch of regular trash bags together. With my first sandbag I think I used like 20 cheap trash bags inside a thrift store canvas bag and it held the sand really well for a good 6 months!
They're a great tool but when they get heavy, you need to be very careful as a moment's lapse of concentration can mean injuring your back badly which happened to me pressing a 75 kg bag overhead.
Thanks, mate. Back is better but have scaled my training down a bit as I am almost 49 and I listen to my body more these days allowing more days between workouts@@thestonecircle
Dude your videos are really motivating, you convinced me to add sandbag training to my kettlebell and gymnastic rings routine. I saw you use Cerberus bags, are there any other brands you can recommend?
That's it! Barbells and dumbbells and machines all get the job done, but they do have a lot of that comfort built in. Tough knurling that makes the grip easier, perfectly calibrated plates that let you lift from a platform. Nothing against that stuff but in comparison sandbags definitely don't make things easy on you haha.
here in India tamilnadu, there are Rice mills. where no silos and forklifts are used. so all grains bags and rice bags weighing 50 and 75 kg each will be lifted by a coolie with a hook in his hand. they will load and unload a truck with these bags in a matter of hours. they are strong men. so, your program is no not a joke.
Moving furniture early in my career- heavy mirrors on ladders- helped build my muscle memory for heavy lift. Not Olympic heavy lifting but for sure good core.
Just wondering. Is this sort of thing bad for you back? Looks like it puts a lot of strain on the lower back. I have arthritis so thought I'd ask. Cheers
It's hard to say for sure about the long term effects, but I can say everyone I've talked to who's really into sandbag/stone lifting (myself included) says their back feels stronger than ever! If you look at the Basque stone lifters, many of them lift crazy heavy stones for ridiculous volume for decades without back trouble. I think a lot of it comes down to using proper form, and mastering breathing and bracing. Like I said I can't claim to know the long term effects for everyone, but for me I feel stronger than I ever have
Revisiting this awesome video to try and construct a new programme after some time away from lifting due to injury. As others have said, youre so right about being conservative to begin with re the weight of your sandbag. I have a 250kg deadlift but even a 75kg sandbag at this stage is truly humbling! Just curious as to what you'd move/change if you were to throw in pull ups and dips? I also have a couple of heavy KBs in my garage so wondering whether rows, kb oh press and maybe some kind of single arm chest press are worthwhile additions or just 'trash volume' for the sake of it. Really hope you bring out a book soon, Cody! Your channel is awesome!
Hey glad to hear you're recovering! Yeah sandbags get heavy fast, and they never stop being heavy haha. I think you could easily add a few sets of pullups to the end of any of the workouts and be good on recovery! The extra time spent hanging will probably help after all the heavy lifting too. With dips I'd probably replace the horizontal pushup part of the workout once or twice a week (or every workout if you really like dips!) For the kettlebell work I would take the Dave Tate approach and say once or twice a week if you still have energy left for more at the end of the workout, give yourself 10 minutes to do whatever you'd like. The extra volume probably won't hurt as long as you cap it to 10 mins. If it were me I'd probably spend those ten mins getting some extra work for the Triceps and neck, as well as the rows like you mentioned. But anything could work 🙂 Thanks so much for the encouragement about the book too! I've started one, and if I keep on at this pace it's actually gonna be pretty long. It's a lot more work than I expected but I find writing a lot of fun so I'm enjoying it! Most difficult part is adding another thing to the schedule haha. Slowly but surely it'll get there!
I can row and bear hug my 150 lb, squat with it. Idk if it’s my technique or a lack of strength (likely healthy mix of both) but shouldering it, let alone being stable enough to carry it is damn near impossible. Is it reasonable to use a lighter bag for the shouldering work and shoulder carry, or is it ideal to use the same sandbag throughout the week to prevent and lagging strength/skills?
Totally normal! The sandbag to shoulder will be the weakest of the movements, especially at first because there's a good amount of skill involved. You could work with two different sandbags if you'd like, but I tried to make up for that difference by using a higher rep range for the squat compared to the sandbag to shoulder. It's tough to get exactly right with one sandbag though, if you're significantly stronger on the squat it could be worth taking the rep range even higher to compensate while the sandbag to shoulder strength catches up
I really appreciate the vid. I’ve been training Jitsu for 2 years, looking for a good strength program. I participated in a stone lift with some Māori guys. After I saw their technique and learned the basic lift I became immediately aware that this is not only more effective for me than a barbell, but also funnier. I just need to find a rock I can use at home. Enter the sandbag. I will start today. Hope I get like you in 1-2 years.
After completing my first 5 sets of bear hug carrys today i can feel how the heavy sand bag is unique in it's massive emphasis on the hamstrings , glutes, spinal erectors , lats , traps , core ,biceps and forearms. The regular weight lifting programs (imo) whilst having their own benefits is missing this strongman element . I remember you mentioning Alpha destiny's naturally enhanced method and truly feel this hits basically everything . I soon realised every time you pick up the bag its all posterior chain and what a way to train it. There's something primal and immensely satisfying about lifting and carrying sandbags , my favourite so far is the Bear hug squat . The core engagement needed is extreme and i love exploring these moves as a novice. This is all i love about strength and fitness cheap available to anyone and brutally hard . I'm enjoying every second of it . Keep up the awesome work brother . Also that box squat high pull combo man looks like disgustingly good fun 😂❤
Hey for sure! Just working with the thing works all the best muscles haha. Glad you've been enjoying it, there's really nothing quite like heavy sandbags!! It's a really fun move haha, I need to experiment with it a bit more and hopefully make a vid at some point!
I had an undiscovered groin fracture for 14 years. Should I even do this? It already hurts just by looking at it. Even though, it looks like a great training I could really enjoy, because it seems to be useful. But where do I even get a sandbag?
1. Consult a physician. Nobody here knows your physical condition and thus cannot offer good medical advice. Maybe you should do it. Maybe you shouldn't. Your doctor can help you find out. 2. Google "how to make a sandbag for workouts". If there are construction companies operating in your general vicinity, the supplies needed to make one will also be available.
I think it's awesome but honestly I'm not too sure about how it'd go with the fracture sorry I can't say for sure! I have my favorite sandbag linked in the description, but rogue and cerberus are great too!
I'm a bit of a weakling, so today I filled up my backpack with rocks to use as a sandbag, very draining but feels great. Will enhance the weight as I gain more strength. Thanks a lot for your videos on this subject!
Hey thank you! For starting out you can make a cheap one with a thrift store canvas bag, some trash bags and sand or rocks. Ironmind makes a great adjustable sandbag (that's the one I'm lifting in this vid), and it's cheaper than most others, but the top knot style can get annoying after a while. If you want the best of the best cerberus or rogue are awesome!
This is one of the most efficient workout programs I've seen. Any consideration for a mini sandbag for failure sets? Are you familiar with Qigong? I think combining this program with things like qigong, yoga and meditation can help form development, progression, recovery, and overall efficiency.
Thanks glad you like it! I think a smaller sandbag would work great for that, I usually try to stay as fresh as possible for the heavy sandbag work, just to make sure everything is perfect, but with a smaller bag that sounds awesome. I think you're right, with 4 rest days every week there's a lot of time to add something like that. I'm I huge believer in active recovery, and that seems like a great way to do it!
This is a great program! Thank you for putting out this video, I love the way you put things together in an entertaining and informative way. I'm going to use this as the base of my template for a while. Yesterday I did day one but I am also adding two sets of chin-ups and Rows and some neck work and ab rollouts . Would you change anything with my setup or yours for someone who is also training martial arts 3 to 4 days a week? thanks again for your awesome content
Hey thank you! I think those are great additions! If you can recover from the workouts and the martial arts then I think you'll have all your bases covered!
Hey, so I just started the program outlined in your video and I had a couple questions if you dont mind answering them: 1. I was wondering how to go about weight progression. I'm definitely a complete beginner with strength training in general, although I do run 5-6 miles a day most of the time. I have a refillable Cerberus sandbag and saw in another video of your's that you said to start at 50 lbs as a beginner, so that is what I'm currently at, but I feel I could probably do more. How often should I add weight, and how much weight should I add when I do? 2. Although I'm doing the horizontal pushups, I can't really do the vertical pushups as my hamstrings have the flexibility of a steel bar lol. Is there a substitute excercise I can do while I'm improving hamstring flexibility, or should I just do the vertical pushup with bent knees? Any help would be appreciated, thank you.
Hey that's awesome you're running the program! Typically 50 lb weight jumps work well up until 150-200, usually worth working with 175 for a while too. After that 20 pounds seems to work well for weight jumps! I recommend trying the pike pushups with the feet elevated, that lowers the flexibility requirement a bit. If that's too much the bent knee version is a great variation too 🙂 good luck!
Properly bracing your core (plenty of videos online of how to do this) or using a belt. It also helps to have good hamstring flexibility (think, being able to touch your toes with a straight back)
PS so many single mother raised guys. If not getting straight A;s at school, stop asap and get a trade. spend ur developmental years doing hard physical work and will have a tough body for life. read books at night, do night classes to finish senior pass. When ur school mates starting universtiy you will be on over 100k per year most trades now. if Kept doing night school you are only a year or 2 behind them and university is only 6 months a year. so can still earn 50k a year if wanted whilst studying ""full time". Dispondent youth and tradesmen shortage so i don't see why not.
Excellent video, glad I had this pop up in my feed. I started on the sandbags because after completing my life-saving pool training I looked at the beach lifesaving and one of the things you must pass is carrying a 50kg bag out of the water to shore. I do 45kg shoulder carries up and back times 5 . Such a little bag beats you every time. You are exactly right about starting off lighter- it has taken me a few months just at 40 kg , and then adding 5kg more felt like 15, but now , I am ready to add another 5. keep lifting and thanks
That's awesome! It's great having a purpose for your training like that. Even now I'm lifting heavier things, the 70lb suitcase sandbag i have will still take it out of me quick!
Hi there mate from Australia... I am sorry if i missed it, but how do you calculate the initial starting weight? Appreciate the time you have put into this video and your other content. Kind regards
Great video man, just got into sandbag training because of ur videos and starting with a 150lb. I had a question, for the sandbag to shoulder is it ground to shoulder in one motion every rep? Or do i lap it then shoulder it?
@@Chucky55 hey thank you that's awesome you're getting into sandbag training too! Initially it would be ground to lap, lap to shoulder on every rep. (Or ground, lap, chest, shoulder) eventually you can start doing ground to shoulder in one motion as a progression too!
Hey thank you! Not stupid at all, in this video I'm using the Ironmind 300lb capacity adjustable bag. It's indestructible I think haha. I have rogue and cerberus bags too and they're both top quality!
I used to use suitcases. Tore both them. Even a boxers punching bag is great option. Good grip strength. Overall power.. Excellent. But getting the cuts and definition for me was not.
How heavy is your sandbag in the video? I have three sandbags, two by Rogue and one by MiraFit. My two Rogues are 100lbs and 150lbs and my MiraFit is 220lbs. None of those bags are anywhere near the size of your bag. My point I guess is that my 220lb bag feels very blocky and not so sausage like so I’m a way it feels easier to lift.
I think in this video it was actually still at 200! It's at 250 now. The ironmind bag is pretty unique compared to others I've seen, it really does have that 'sausage' look haha. It's narrower but taller. How has the mirafit bag held up for you?
Love the channel my friend ! Just finished my first day of shouldering the bag , i managed 8 per side with a 80 kg sand bag and i think im hooked. Love the wrestling and lifting elements combined. Be careful you're mistaken for sasquatch with all those gains carrying logs and rocks in the woods 😂 Great job brother 💯👏
To start, buy one of the bigger sandbags, fill it with crumb rubber or landscaping rubber mulch. When you get stronger add sand until all the rubber is no longer needed and then fill the whole bag with sand.
Great video man, will definitely start doing sandbag training. For the conditioning part of the program, should we use a sandbag in addition to whatever weightlifting training we are already doing until we are used to the sandbag, and then start the program?
Hey heck yeah thank you! You could jump right in but it could be worth slowly working up to it. I'd recommend 2-3 sets of max distance bear hug carries done 1-2x per week at the end of a leg day for a while if you want to give the body some time to adapt!
Thanks a lot, I have another question on your opinion of this training in regards to muscle imbalances. Would it be good at fixing muscle imbalances? Love the content, keep it up
I like the program. Although it seems like the routine will take forever. I am a Jiu Jitsu athlete and I have 60-90 minutes every Monday and Wednesday to get an effective workout in. My question is, how long does this routine take?
Hey thanks! Once you work up to 15 shoulders per side, that workout might take up to an hour. The other two shouldn't take longer than 45 mins though! I will say now I've been lifting heavier sandbags, my own sessions rarely last longer than 30-45 minutes with decent rest times, just because it doesn't take much for sandbags to take it out of you!
I’m just discovering your channel. This is excellent content. My sandbag work dropped off drastically but now I’m motivated to bring it back! Thanks! That bag is massive! How many pounds is it?
Hey thank you so glad to have you here, I hope the sandbag training goes well!! I think in this video it was a little under 200, working on shouldering 275 at the moment! :)
I was wondering what you think of this workout program? Will it build hypertrophy? Is it complete in your opinion? How often would be good to do it?t? Clean and Press (light sandbag or dumbbells) 3x6 360 rotation (light sandbag or dumbbells) 3x6 Squat (heavy sandbag) 3x6 Sandbag shouldering (heavy bag) 3x6 Situps 3x6 Side bends and rotation twist (light sandbag or dumbbells) 1x10 Horizontal swing (light sandbag or dumbbells) 1x10 Clean and press (heavy sandbag) 3x3
I'm from Germany any suggestions for Bags, that aren't that expensive, I thought of using a simple Army Canvas Bag, thanks for the Videos, I never knew about sandbagtraining but somehow this feels natural and convinicing, ### okay just saw it in your notes... Thanks anyway
The cheapest one I've used is the ironmind sandbag it's pretty great! I know there are some cheaper options I just haven't tried them myself sorry about that. You can also sometimes find good canvas bags at a thrift store which works great! That's how I made my first sandbag
Ich nutze einen 60L Seesack aus PVC. Kostenpunkt ca. 25-30€. Als Füllung habe ich Spielsand aus dem Baumarkt. Die Bundeswehr Seesäcke sind so groß, dass diese schwer zu befüllen sind. Viel Spaß!
Hey brother, for the sandbag to shoulder, is it from ground to shoulder, every lift? sorry it was probably easy to figure out from the video but I'm a bit slow.
@@thestonecircle Thanks for the reply! means a lot. I've been copying the workout in this vid weekly, I really enjoy how quickly you can recover while still getting a great pump as apposed to going to the gym and doing traditional weights.
Here's the program:
Mon
Sandbag to shoulder
(Work up to 15 per side, then add variation)
Horizontal Pushups
(2 sets of 8-30 reps)
Vertical Pushups
(2 sets of 8-30 reps)
Weds
Sandbag Squats
(10x3 work up to 10x5/add variation)
Horizontal Pushups
(2 sets of 8-30 reps)
Vertical Pushups
(2 sets of 8-30 reps)
Fri
Sandbag Carries
(5 sets to failure)
Horizontal Pushups
(2 sets of 8-30 reps)
Vertical Pushups
(2 sets of 8-30 reps)
no pull-ups?!
@MonkeyBarsEveryday I know right 😮 Would def be a great addition but then the program would require more equipment
I was thinking you could definitely add in some sit ups supersetted with the push ups, get some core assistance in.
@@tsa6394 couldn't hurt!
@@thestonecircle Your video inspired me to get a sandbag of my own. My main goal is to be yoked but because I'm vain I also want broader shoulders. Does your program help with broadening the shoulders? What muscles does it target specifically? If I may ask. Thanks in advance :)
After working as a residential mover I can say nothing will improve your strength and physique like picking up, carrying, and generally wrestling with odd objects. And this video nailed how to do it at home.
Hey glad to hear your experience had been similar! An uncle of mine does that work, I once saw him and one other guy move a grand piano down a couple flights, just crazy!
Yep, looks like a form of isometrics. Strengthens the tendons. The real key to strength.
@@mathiso01 I agree
As a mover, what's your opinion on large mattresses ?
I've found those to be perhaps the hardest things to handle, but I'm not a professional mover myself, I'm rather an occasional moving helper.
Mattresses are heavy, got very little grip area, and it's a floppy cuboid. Do you have a technique or is it raw strength that I don't have yet ?
I never found any appeal going to the gym, calistenics is the way for me. So much fun and creative way to challenge yourself.
Very informative! I like how you mentioned the tendon strenghtening aspect. It's often very overlooked, although plays a massive role in longevity!
I'll try and makeshit an odd object I can lift out of some old canvas bags, until I can get my hands on a proper sandbag. The benefits of this style of training really goes beyond regular old bodybuilding. Cheers!
Thanks glad you liked it! For sure, for me at least I swear it worked like magic for the tendons, stones and sandbags made me feel SOLID no other way to say it!
And HECK yeah, I'd love to hear what you think of it!
For about a year I used a 50lbs sandbag a 30lbs kettlebell and a 25lbs sledgehammer & tire as my home gym. Felt great!
That sounds like a great combo! I've been thinking about getting a sledgehammer for a while now, seems like a really fun way to train!
Damn dude you're blowing my mind! This is one of the best fitness vids I've seen on youtube. Solid common sense advice. Very well organized. And achievable by nattys. I would offer one suggestion. Use one bag. Start very light. 25 lbs. And add weight slowly. This is a better saferway way to condition the body. 100 lbs. is a lot for someone just starting w/ a bag.
Thank you!! I appreciate that coming from someone with your wisdom!
And definitely I agree on the weight too. I used a 100lb bag at first but by no means should everyone start there, especially if they dont have much experience with lifting!
I agree with everything youve said here. I hadn't ever considered the rep range. It seems like it would be obvious, but i hadnt considered its importance. With a light sandbag, 150lbs, id pick it up, carry it till failure. Same with shouldering. Id Shoulder it until i couldn't for that set. The way you've broken down the proper rep range is far more effective and i see that now.
I wish i had a heavier one at home from the beginning. For me, a few static heavy lifts after carries would have been a lot of fun. Thats been my training with natural stones from the beginning. Its been great for physique a d overall strength. If you remember, i was able to carry a 300lb sandbag the first time touching it. I dont know how many sessions id need to Shoulder it, but i think a lower rep range overall would have aided in that better.
Youre awesome, I appreciate these videos so much dude!!
Thanks man I'm glad you liked it!! I bet you could get a 300 pound bag to shoulder, that's the one that disappeared from the gym right? It seems like at this point you could become a master at whatever you decide to pursue!
Yea, it grew legs lol.
I can't master "Nemesis"!! That SOB. Of course, I haven't tried in a few months. I wonder where I'd be with it at this point.
I'm gonna share that second comp with you on Instagram. I'll message ya.
@@unknownstrongman that Nemesis stone yeah! I bet you're closer than ever!
This is so cool dude, can't wait to finish watching at breakfast. Good work Cody!!
Thank you, I hope you like it!!
Sandbag lifting really works endurance and stamina as well. A heavy sandbag carry has you blowing out your a**. Ive been working with just a sandbag for 5 months now and ive put on a Decent amount of solid dense muscle, lost fat and it's even improved my posture. I had a hunched over posture from years of boxing training. Great video dude. Appreciate it.
Hey that's awesome!! I noticed the posture thing too, carries seem to strengthen all the important stuff for that. Glad the sandbags have been working for you. Also great to hear from you, I have a comment from you from close to 500 days ago!
@@thestonecircle What was the comment? I've had so much happen in that time, diagnosed with complex ptsd, being in a care home. Business ventures & failures. Be interesting to see what my comment was. Hopefully it was a positive message and nothing negative in any way. Thanks for replying. Its great you are still working hard and posting brilliant videos.
@staytrue5307 That's tough sorry you've had to deal with all that :/ I had posted a calisthenics circuit video and you asked what the song was 🙂 it was lazerhawk overdrive!
For those like me who started as weaklings, and couldn't even lift 100lbs before sandbag training, Rogue fitness sells rubber crumble that can fill a 150lb sandbag while only weighing 50lbs. This can help tremendously, from here progress to removing rubber and adding sand, or adding sand and old shirts. Eventually you'll just have sand, and you'll be stronger than you ever imagined.
That's a great idea! And you're right, getting stronger with sandbags makes you strong period!
This week i begun my sandbag training!! Always had a weak low back, and slowly doing this exercises im feeling it will improve! Made my own sandbag diy its 29Kg ~ 64lb
Hey awesome good luck with it!!
@@thestonecircle Thanks bro!!
You motivated me to start trying this. I started my bodybuilding journey at over 240lbs a few years ago. Got down to 160 and have maintained it for several years. Been trying to build muscle the last 6 months because before I was obsessed with losing the fat as fast as I could. I've enjoyed seeing the changes but I feel like I'm only getting so far with only dumb bells. I like the idea of training a skill and I'm also a rock climber and this will absolutely have in impact in that skill as well. Already ordered my first sandbag
Hey that's a great transformation, props! I think you'll like the sandbag lifting, good luck with it!
You need these lifts for lifting that Pyrenees! I'd lift my Berner at least once a week, mostly to annoy him. Great video, bud!
Hahah yes! She gets annoyed if I pick her up too 😄
Lol bro just get a job in construction. Why are you lifting sand bags for free 😂
Why are you sparring for free, why not just join the military? Maybe you already have though haha. You make a good point, but it's a different thing. Nothing but respect for anyone who can lift smaller sandbags all day, but heavy sandbag lifting has a much different effect than pure strength endurance work. But that point aside, I like the job I have and I like lifting heavy stones and sandbags so I do!
@@thestonecircle My comment was more playful then an attack brother trust me. And i did get paid to spar and fight. I was a coach and a competitor. Regardless, i cant help but feel its risky for your lower back. But I also dont squat or deadlift because i feel the same way about those exercises. I only do hip thrusts and lat pull downs for my back. Be careful out there man because slipping a disc sucks!
@statictech7 that's badass man! No worries I appreciate your reply, I'm doing my best to move up slowly to let my body adjust. Always some risk involved though I can't deny that!
You are spot on, I deadlift around 455 and the 200 lb sandbag was manageable, but my bicep tendons will need improvement before I do anything more than a few sets of carries with it.
Hey awesome you're getting into sandbags, time for some new gains!!
Imma have to make one of these and start doing this. great video dude!
Hey thank you good luck!!
Excellent tutorial, well done and thanks for putting this together!
I love sandbags and other awkward objects, there aren't any perfectly balanced bars with handles, it just does not cooperate. I'd go as far as to say there is nothing else like it when training for real life function.
Thans I'm glad you liked it!! I agree with you completely, there's something special about odd object lifting. I like the 'partly filled sandbag' for that exact reason, even if I've shouldered the bag 100 times, it can still surprise me. If it's folded just slightly off, I've got a real fight on my hands! Sounds kinda funny but when I first started lifting sandbags I was working at a dog kennel that had stacked crates, and I'd have to pick dogs up all day to get them up there. Also had to carry bags of food up stairs pretty often. I remember when I hit that 3 month mark and I'd conditioned myself to the sandbag lifting, suddenly my job became so much easier. Talk about real life function!
@@thestonecircle that's makes complete sense, there's definitely a big crossover to manual work that doesn't happen when strictly lifting traditional weights only, I'm not knocking weight lifting but I've experienced the difference myself working blue collar jobs.
Definitely agree about the partly filled bags, it can feel and react differently almost every time you lift it.
Keep these videos coming, they really are top quality content!
@davidstewart954 for sure! That's awesome you've felt the difference first hand yourself, there's nothing else like it! I appreciate the feedback thank you!
Great video good sir
Many people will not do sandbag training because it is difficult, but that is what makes it superior.
Thank you! I agree it's really hard work but it is so effective!
do you have a video that showcase the one motion sandbag shoulder?
I don't yet but that's a great idea thank you!!
I might try this with kegs. I run a bar so I’m already handling them regularly and being more skilled would improve my quality of life.
I'd love to get my hands on a keg one day! There's some awesome keg lifting motivation in the book 'Dinosaur Training' if you haven't read it already :)
100 percent, sandbag training is the best overall training barnon.
100% agree!
Great content. Sandbags are amazing tools. Also love to see the Hepburn method mentioned, one of my favorites.
Thank you! Sandbags have been such a game changer in my training. I love the simple approach he used, usually I prefer more of a Conjugate approach to main movements using high exercise selection, it was nice to work with something a bit more straightforward here
That's one truly unique and cool program 👍
Thank you!! Basic but fun
Yo man I'm so in love with your videos because my dad is a carpenter and he's so damn strong and with a fantastic body at 50 so this whole carrying heavy stuff many times hits too close to home.
No cheesy stuff, no bragging, no bullshit advice and no "Buy my workout program" this does feel like the early days of UA-cam where videos were actually helpful instead of fishing out views
I'm doing calisthenics and doing decent so far
Any recommendationss on amazon by any chance for a sandbag like the ones on your videos?? Is it comes with the weight already all the better 😂
Keep it up! I'm so happy UA-cam recommended me this at 2 am
Hey so glad to have you here!! That carpenter strength really is on another level! I have my favorite sandbag linked in the description, its the ironmind tough as nails 300lb adjustable bag :) I don't think any of them ship with the weight already inside but you can get some play sand from the hardware store for pretty cheap!
My two cents. I started sandbags in April of this year. I weigh 155 at 5’10. Lean. Weight training for decades. I bought a 100 and a 150 pound bag from Titan. The 100 felt horrifically heavy. I couldnt even stand up with the 150. I find that different moves may require different weights. I also have a 125 which is good right now for squatting and lifting for reps and working on getting it to the shoulder. I have a Cerberus 175 waiting for sand; that is the next jump. 200 by christmas. The sandbags are fun, painful and totally worth it. It feels like no matter what you do with them, every muscle in your body is getting stronger and more powerful by the minute. If you can do the dollars, the Titan and Cerberus bags are great. East to fill with sand and they DO NOT leak. I found to get the jumps of 25 pounds i need to mix cerberus and titan. Playground sand is cheap at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Get sandbags.
Great insight thank you!! I actually just got a cerberus bag, the jump is somewhere between 40-60lbs or so, and I'm having trouble even lapping it haha. I think you're right on with the 25lb jumps
Hello how r u , thanks u for inspiring me to train with sandbag uve sparked interest in me and i am looking forward to train with sandbags, i recently thought of sand bags box squat, my theory is that with sand bags, its gonna force me to: A)valsalva manure, b) keep my shin vertical, c) use the power of hip hinge when accelerating up in the box squat.
Thanks
Hey glad you liked the video! A sandbag box squat sounds like a great idea, my one thought would be you might need to hold the bag a bit higher on the chest to make sure it doesn't get in the way at the bottom, which is probably actually a good thing I could see it being a great movement!
And I agree, sandbag squats feel a lot more hinge dominant vs a barbell squat I like your thinking!
i need a sandbag asap this is sick
Hell yeah good luck!!
Great video! Thank you for the program.
Thanks I'm glad you liked it!
This reminds me of being on the farm, as a kid, lifting and carrying bags of feed. Now I have a few sand bags and love them. One is currently filled to 25kg (about 55 lb) and I carry it 5km up our local mountain, across the top, then back again. It’s a killer workout.
That's a long way to go with 25kg awesome! Sounds like a dream
@@thestonecircle It’s not as hard as it sounds. I started with 15kg, now up to 25. Aiming to be able to get to 40 by my 60th birthday mid next year. For some fun, I pick up my mrs and do squats. She’s about 50kg, but really I need one of those hug3 bags you have. Getting back in shape feels good after decades of sitting at a desk. btw, I only found your channel recently and love it.
@peter-robinson that's such a great goal to have, probably way more meaningful in the long run than aiming for a basic gym goal too! If you haven't read it already you might enjoy the book 'rock iron steel" by Steve Justa. He did some really insane things like that. Glad to have you here!
@@thestonecircle I don’t know the book but will look it up, thankyou! I was first inspired to do this again when I saw Cameron Hanes and am glad to have found your channel too.
@@peter-robinson glad I could help inspire!! Good luck with your goal 🙂
This is how to train if you want to be able to throw grown men.
Haha yes
man i got my first workout in with a 150lb and wow…im not as strong as i thought at all. I DL and Squat 315 max and i couldnt even put the 150lb sandbag on my shoulder once. I could only do 1 bear hug carry for 15 seconds. I am floored. How do I proceed from here? Should try a 100 bag instead? Or just keep going with this and progress slowly?
Hey awesome job 150 from the start is no joke!! I think a 15 second bear hug carry is a great place to start. If you're still doing regular weight training too I'd recommend spending 1-3 months adding 2-3 sets of max distsnce bear hug carries once or twice a week at the end of your squat or deadlift days. Once you get conditioned to the awkward lifting you'll probably be able to jump up to 175-200 and move from there! I'd also recommend trying to bring the sandbag as high up on your chest during those carries as you can, hopefully bringing it higher over time
given we are all not in prison :) .. we should also add
Sprint workout
body weight, plyometrics workout
Hills/Hiking
$10 jump rope
solo Boxing workouts
2 used dumbbells
used kettlebells
Ruck Sack
door frame Chin bar
used Tire/Sledgehamner
1 used adjustable bench
any low cost pool swimming
running
biking
All great additions!
When are you gonna fit all those into you workouts while holding a job and having friends/a family?
I pick things up and put them down
Oh yeah!
Yoooo this video spoke to me man. I'm a few weeks into training 3x weekly sandbags and am absolutely loving it.
Some things I've noticed so far:
- my back feels SOLID. I'm not really worried about injury in any capacity.
- I'm getting noticably thicker. Comments have been made from my wife. Feelsgoodman.
Modifications from your template:
- each day has a focus (squat, clean, carry) but does not only do that movement.
- sandbag days are followed by a few sets of pendlay row volume. Nothing to failure.
- I'm using multiple sandbag weights set to set (1 large low volume, 1 small higher volume).
- pressing is being done on a separate day entirely. Still calisthenics based but using Cody lefever general gains bodybuilding progression and rep ranges.
Thank you for the concept man! Love your content.
Hell yeah!! My back feels like that too, bo better word for it, this stuff makes you feel solid! That sounds like a great program, I have a suspicion that pendlay rows have major carryover to the one motion shoulder! Keep it up I'd love to hear how it goes in another few months!
Oh yeah,there is no light sandbag actually.I started with a 20 Kg and eventually got a 50 kg.Thought that 20's were piece of cake,till I decided to put it on my shoulder and go 60 stairs up and down for 5 min without leaving down the sand bag...
Haha heck yeah that weight gets heavy quick!
The strongest I've ever been is when I was a decorative gardener in the summer and a wooden boat worker in the winter. The crowning achievement of this was lifting an entire 1800s era wooden life boat off the ground for quite some time on my own (the kind you'd have on a square-sail ship). I mention this because what I'm hearing and seeing in this video seems like a pretty great simulation of a lifestyle like that, a lot of how my body and mobility changed during that time fits the narrative of training that you're describing.
Consider me curious! I think I'll take a shot at it, thanks for exposing it to me, I lead a much more sedentary life now and I'm craving some intensity.
That sounds like a great life, I can only imagine the strength required to lift something like that! I think you'll love the sandbag lifting
I bet those wide sandbag squats absolutely nail the adductors, which is nice because I'm used to narrow ATG front squats with elevated heels that are really quad focused, but my adductors are really lagging
One thing I am a little uncertain about is the lack of a rowing and vertical pulling variation. I'm sure this'll work the upper back well, but what about the rear deltoids and lats?
Oh yeah I like them a lot, definitely feel like a good counterpart!
I think extra pullups and rows would be a great addition. The main reason I didn't add them was just to stick with the basic idea of a 'one sandbag' program. One thing that really surprised me about sandbags was the lat involvement. For the most part the lats act mainly as stabilizers, but they seem to respond really well to the carries in particular. Especially if you hold the sandbag in a bear hug position when you carry it. The sandbag to shoulder seems to hit the rear delts pretty well too, more so if you start from a horizontal position on the lap. All things considered though it definitely wouldn't hurt to add some extra volume for those areas. Pullups and bodyweight rows aren't usually very expensive either so I don't think it would hurt recovery much
I use sand kettlebells, jerry can, and a duffelbag. You can buy tough sand tubes for loading those duffelbags. Great way to scale up over time 👍
Great idea thanks!
this vid was on my homepage (;
The youtube intelligence has my back today! I'm glad to welcome the original creator of Sandbag Sam and Muddy Marvin to this video about sandbags 😁
@@thestonecircle 💀💀💀💀🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@thestonecircle Those two sound like interesting (cartoon?) characters. Were can I find them? (But I guess I'm just interfering with an insider joke here 😄)
Subbed. I learned about your channel through Sisyphus.
Hey glad to have you here!! I've actually heard a few people mention sisyphus now, I assumed it was a joke to do with how it feels to constantly lift sandbags and stones over and over, but is it a real channel?
@@thestonecircle No, it is not a channel. It is like when people say God brought me here.
@jimba6486 Oh nice thank you!
I heavily encoirage you to look upon an Indian club, it is a fuctional tool that i feel fits your style
I definitely plan on getting one!
Why is this background music so epic
Haha gotta have it!
This is fantastic. Great progressions, explanations, and logic. As a coach, I swing between complexity and simplicity. This is beautifully simple, with such a low barrier to entry to begin. To anyone reading this, buy that sandbag and get to work!
Thank you I really appreciate it!!
One of your dogs is totally baffled regarding what you're doing, lol.🐕💪
Hahah yes 😁
Brilliant video thank you
Glad you liked it!
Okay this is actually the kind of lifting/carrying I'd like to try, and I'm mostly calisthenics, not into gyms at all.
Sandbags and calisthenics is the perfect combo good luck!!
“Novel stimulus” is one of the best low-key insults I’ve seen 🤣
Workers are doing that everyday and they have strong muscles
Most worker are not in so much great shape, so there is something else in charge of what make us realy strong and healthy
@@viviengrandjean7926 yes, but other workers have great shapes too
I've just started incorperating sandbags to my training. Before I was doing kettlebells and maces. Real game changer sandbags are, after 2 all out workouts my biceps are hurting like hell (the area where bicep and elbow meets) and I can't train since about 1 week. Did anyone else had this ?
Hey awesome!! Yes definitely, my biceps still get sore from lifting sandbags even after a few years now! It can take longer for the tendons to recover though so if you're new to it I'd recommend taking it as slow as you can. I noticed after about 3 months of once a week with sandbags, my bicep tendon was noticeably thicker
Try high rep band exercises to get blood into those areas for faster healing/recovery. I forgot the one for your specific area but I remember there's a video of armwrestler Devon Larrett that showed what he did for recovery, and I believe Alex Leonidas has a video about it as well. I believe I also heard @thestonecircle talk about this in a video with banded good mornings. It does help alot.
Whenever I used to work with my hands alot to the point where they started aching (hammering a roof all day or doing electrical work), I learned about rice bucket exercises so I'd do those to get blood rushing into the hands and the pain went away quickly.
@@duchaneaux you're 100% right about that, band curls and goodmornings have been key!
@@duchaneaux thanks for the advice, that makes a lot of sense. I sure will try it
After working out with this you honestly feel completely different from calisthenics and weight training. I feel you need both for best strength gains. Very cheap to make your own sandbag too.
For sure it makes you feel SOLID!!
Wonder if the Vikings, Greeks or Spartans used this method……
I like to think so! There's some record of people lifting stones which is pretty similar. I just imagine people back then were similar to us today, they see a heavy object and just can't help it, they had to see if they could lift it haha
I did a finisher after a workout:
Carry a heavy sandbag 400m further and back again. However you want, you can put it down and have a short rest as often as you want, but then you have to pick it back up, just do it.
Needless to say I was very very sore all over.
Awesome that's a long way to go with a heavy sandbag nice! I can imagine that soreness haha. I used to end my workouts by taking a pair of 45lb plates and going for a walk with them. Wasn't so bad until I would remember I had to walk back 😄
Greek's and Roman's worked out like this.
I love that imagery too, definitely gets me motivated!
@thestonecircle great video, I'm subscribed, I'm a truck driver these days with the Teamsters but for 19 years before that I was a Mason, brick block marble and granite, I'd lift bags of portland and sand along with heavy stone all day, but now at 42 I mostly do calisthenics and weightlifting but I'm really wanting to try these sandbag workouts I just need to figure out what size bag to start with.
@@jasonashley4579I’m a 42 yo truck driver too (local). I’m thinking about doing this because of the benefits and minimalism. Working 12 hours shifts being able to get a great workout in 30 minutes is beneficial. Have you don’t these? What’s your experience?
SANDBAGS! 😍
The king has arrived!!
What can you use so it will not spread the sand all over you?! Everything breaks and leaks sand... 😢
Most of the pre-made sandbags you can buy come with a liner bag that goes inside the actual canvas sandbag. They work surprisingly well! If you make your own I recommend first putting the sand in one of those big contractor garbage bags, or using a bunch of regular trash bags together. With my first sandbag I think I used like 20 cheap trash bags inside a thrift store canvas bag and it held the sand really well for a good 6 months!
@@thestonecircle Thank you!
I will try the garbadge bags trick, to make one on a limited budget.
🏆
@@vladcraioveanu233 No problem, I hope you enjoy the sandbag training!!
Use gravel
Use gravel
They're a great tool but when they get heavy, you need to be very careful as a moment's lapse of concentration can mean injuring your back badly which happened to me pressing a 75 kg bag overhead.
Hey hope your back is doing okay. Even with lighter sandbags that brace is really important! The same goes for barbells too
Thanks, mate. Back is better but have scaled my training down a bit as I am almost 49 and I listen to my body more these days allowing more days between workouts@@thestonecircle
@franksaunders6534 glad things are better now!
Dude your videos are really motivating, you convinced me to add sandbag training to my kettlebell and gymnastic rings routine. I saw you use Cerberus bags, are there any other brands you can recommend?
Hey thank you heck yeah good luck with the sandbag training! The ironmind tough as nails bag is my favorite, but cerberus and rogue are both great too
My downstairs neighbors are gonna love me
Haha heck yes
Walk down the sidewalk, you'll get weird looks but who cares!
after watching this video, i just realize that every gym exercise are designed to be too comfortable
That's it! Barbells and dumbbells and machines all get the job done, but they do have a lot of that comfort built in. Tough knurling that makes the grip easier, perfectly calibrated plates that let you lift from a platform. Nothing against that stuff but in comparison sandbags definitely don't make things easy on you haha.
Not only that but to standardize it to actually keep track of weights for progressive overload etc.
That's the point
Beast! I think the power lines must help muscle growth!
Haha possibly, those things hang dangerously low over all the yards around here I swear 😄
here in India tamilnadu, there are Rice mills. where no silos and forklifts are used. so all grains bags and rice bags weighing 50 and 75 kg each will be lifted by a coolie with a hook in his hand. they will load and unload a truck with these bags in a matter of hours. they are strong men. so, your program is no not a joke.
Those guys must be seriously strong!
@@thestonecircle
Ironically, they dont have access to fancy diet as they are from poor background....
Those guys look beach ready every single day...
@@ssheikh3598 just shows how overhyped a lot of modern fitness is aha
Moving furniture early in my career- heavy mirrors on ladders- helped build my muscle memory for heavy lift. Not Olympic heavy lifting but for sure good core.
That stuff is no joke I believe it set you up for success with heavy lifting!
Is this good for buildong strenfth for wrestling snd grappling?
Definitely!
Just wondering. Is this sort of thing bad for you back? Looks like it puts a lot of strain on the lower back. I have arthritis so thought I'd ask. Cheers
I'd like to hear an answer to this, too. Just replying so that your comment is more visible in the comment section.
It's hard to say for sure about the long term effects, but I can say everyone I've talked to who's really into sandbag/stone lifting (myself included) says their back feels stronger than ever! If you look at the Basque stone lifters, many of them lift crazy heavy stones for ridiculous volume for decades without back trouble. I think a lot of it comes down to using proper form, and mastering breathing and bracing. Like I said I can't claim to know the long term effects for everyone, but for me I feel stronger than I ever have
@@thestonecircle Thank you for your reply. I will give it a go but with a lite bag. See how I get on. Cheers.
@@newton1937 good luck!
We used to do these with hay bailes when i was a kid, This is one of the best full body constant tension movements
Revisiting this awesome video to try and construct a new programme after some time away from lifting due to injury.
As others have said, youre so right about being conservative to begin with re the weight of your sandbag. I have a 250kg deadlift but even a 75kg sandbag at this stage is truly humbling!
Just curious as to what you'd move/change if you were to throw in pull ups and dips?
I also have a couple of heavy KBs in my garage so wondering whether rows, kb oh press and maybe some kind of single arm chest press are worthwhile additions or just 'trash volume' for the sake of it.
Really hope you bring out a book soon, Cody! Your channel is awesome!
Hey glad to hear you're recovering! Yeah sandbags get heavy fast, and they never stop being heavy haha. I think you could easily add a few sets of pullups to the end of any of the workouts and be good on recovery! The extra time spent hanging will probably help after all the heavy lifting too. With dips I'd probably replace the horizontal pushup part of the workout once or twice a week (or every workout if you really like dips!) For the kettlebell work I would take the Dave Tate approach and say once or twice a week if you still have energy left for more at the end of the workout, give yourself 10 minutes to do whatever you'd like. The extra volume probably won't hurt as long as you cap it to 10 mins. If it were me I'd probably spend those ten mins getting some extra work for the Triceps and neck, as well as the rows like you mentioned. But anything could work 🙂
Thanks so much for the encouragement about the book too! I've started one, and if I keep on at this pace it's actually gonna be pretty long. It's a lot more work than I expected but I find writing a lot of fun so I'm enjoying it! Most difficult part is adding another thing to the schedule haha. Slowly but surely it'll get there!
I can row and bear hug my 150 lb, squat with it. Idk if it’s my technique or a lack of strength (likely healthy mix of both) but shouldering it, let alone being stable enough to carry it is damn near impossible. Is it reasonable to use a lighter bag for the shouldering work and shoulder carry, or is it ideal to use the same sandbag throughout the week to prevent and lagging strength/skills?
Totally normal! The sandbag to shoulder will be the weakest of the movements, especially at first because there's a good amount of skill involved. You could work with two different sandbags if you'd like, but I tried to make up for that difference by using a higher rep range for the squat compared to the sandbag to shoulder. It's tough to get exactly right with one sandbag though, if you're significantly stronger on the squat it could be worth taking the rep range even higher to compensate while the sandbag to shoulder strength catches up
I really appreciate the vid.
I’ve been training Jitsu for 2 years, looking for a good strength program.
I participated in a stone lift with some Māori guys. After I saw their technique and learned the basic lift I became immediately aware that this is not only more effective for me than a barbell, but also funnier. I just need to find a rock I can use at home.
Enter the sandbag.
I will start today. Hope I get like you in 1-2 years.
Hey that's so awesome good luck with the sandbag work!! I'm definitely the same way, way more fun lifting sandbags!
After completing my first 5 sets of bear hug carrys today i can feel how the heavy sand bag is unique in it's massive emphasis on the hamstrings , glutes, spinal erectors , lats , traps , core ,biceps and forearms. The regular weight lifting programs (imo) whilst having their own benefits is missing this strongman element . I remember you mentioning Alpha destiny's naturally enhanced method and truly feel this hits basically everything . I soon realised every time you pick up the bag its all posterior chain and what a way to train it. There's something primal and immensely satisfying about lifting and carrying sandbags , my favourite so far is the Bear hug squat . The core engagement needed is extreme and i love exploring these moves as a novice. This is all i love about strength and fitness cheap available to anyone and brutally hard . I'm enjoying every second of it . Keep up the awesome work brother . Also that box squat high pull combo man looks like disgustingly good fun 😂❤
Hey for sure! Just working with the thing works all the best muscles haha. Glad you've been enjoying it, there's really nothing quite like heavy sandbags!! It's a really fun move haha, I need to experiment with it a bit more and hopefully make a vid at some point!
Good for Jiu Jitsu
Thats what I've heard! Makes sense as you're essentially throwing the weight if a person onto your shoulder over and over haha
I had an undiscovered groin fracture for 14 years. Should I even do this? It already hurts just by looking at it. Even though, it looks like a great training I could really enjoy, because it seems to be useful. But where do I even get a sandbag?
1. Consult a physician. Nobody here knows your physical condition and thus cannot offer good medical advice. Maybe you should do it. Maybe you shouldn't. Your doctor can help you find out.
2. Google "how to make a sandbag for workouts". If there are construction companies operating in your general vicinity, the supplies needed to make one will also be available.
I think it's awesome but honestly I'm not too sure about how it'd go with the fracture sorry I can't say for sure! I have my favorite sandbag linked in the description, but rogue and cerberus are great too!
This is pretty badass, you look like a ninja or shoalin monk in training lol
Haha hell yes thank you! 😁
I'm a bit of a weakling, so today I filled up my backpack with rocks to use as a sandbag, very draining but feels great. Will enhance the weight as I gain more strength. Thanks a lot for your videos on this subject!
Hey that's so awesome good luck with everything!
About to add this to my calisthenics Thank you for the video
Awesome good luck!!
I love this. My gym doesnt have sandbags heavy enough so it may be time to invest in my own
Hey thank you, I think getting a heavy one is well worth it!!
Sorry if you explained this already but where do you get your sandbags? Love the videos!
Hey thank you! For starting out you can make a cheap one with a thrift store canvas bag, some trash bags and sand or rocks. Ironmind makes a great adjustable sandbag (that's the one I'm lifting in this vid), and it's cheaper than most others, but the top knot style can get annoying after a while. If you want the best of the best cerberus or rogue are awesome!
This is one of the most efficient workout programs I've seen. Any consideration for a mini sandbag for failure sets?
Are you familiar with Qigong? I think combining this program with things like qigong, yoga and meditation can help form development, progression, recovery, and overall efficiency.
Thanks glad you like it! I think a smaller sandbag would work great for that, I usually try to stay as fresh as possible for the heavy sandbag work, just to make sure everything is perfect, but with a smaller bag that sounds awesome.
I think you're right, with 4 rest days every week there's a lot of time to add something like that. I'm I huge believer in active recovery, and that seems like a great way to do it!
This is a great program! Thank you for putting out this video, I love the way you put things together in an entertaining and informative way. I'm going to use this as the base of my template for a while. Yesterday I did day one but I am also adding two sets of chin-ups and Rows and some neck work and ab rollouts . Would you change anything with my setup or yours for someone who is also training martial arts 3 to 4 days a week? thanks again for your awesome content
Hey thank you! I think those are great additions! If you can recover from the workouts and the martial arts then I think you'll have all your bases covered!
@@thestonecircleawesome. Thanks for the feedback!
Switching to Sandbag training due to having to cut my gym membership
Heyy awesome good luck!
Hey, so I just started the program outlined in your video and I had a couple questions if you dont mind answering them:
1. I was wondering how to go about weight progression. I'm definitely a complete beginner with strength training in general, although I do run 5-6 miles a day most of the time. I have a refillable Cerberus sandbag and saw in another video of your's that you said to start at 50 lbs as a beginner, so that is what I'm currently at, but I feel I could probably do more. How often should I add weight, and how much weight should I add when I do?
2. Although I'm doing the horizontal pushups, I can't really do the vertical pushups as my hamstrings have the flexibility of a steel bar lol. Is there a substitute excercise I can do while I'm improving hamstring flexibility, or should I just do the vertical pushup with bent knees?
Any help would be appreciated, thank you.
Hey that's awesome you're running the program! Typically 50 lb weight jumps work well up until 150-200, usually worth working with 175 for a while too. After that 20 pounds seems to work well for weight jumps!
I recommend trying the pike pushups with the feet elevated, that lowers the flexibility requirement a bit. If that's too much the bent knee version is a great variation too 🙂 good luck!
@@thestonecircle Thanks man, appreciate it.
I am using 100 pound heavy bag for now
Awesome good luck with it!!
These videos are really well made for so few subs! You'll definitely get a lot more
Hey thanks I really appreciate it!
1:29, how can i lift something like that without hurting my lower back?
Properly bracing your core (plenty of videos online of how to do this) or using a belt. It also helps to have good hamstring flexibility (think, being able to touch your toes with a straight back)
Yeah that's great advice! Start slow and master the valsalva maneuver
@@nedquigglio Thanks!
PS so many single mother raised guys. If not getting straight A;s at school, stop asap and get a trade. spend ur developmental years doing hard physical work and will have a tough body for life. read books at night, do night classes to finish senior pass. When ur school mates starting universtiy you will be on over 100k per year most trades now. if Kept doing night school you are only a year or 2 behind them and university is only 6 months a year. so can still earn 50k a year if wanted whilst studying ""full time". Dispondent youth and tradesmen shortage so i don't see why not.
Use Maxwell Maltz in order to maximise personal potential.
Start this with a bro and eventually you will need no equipment 😂
Haha it's a good plan
Excellent video, glad I had this pop up in my feed. I started on the sandbags because after completing my life-saving pool training I looked at the beach lifesaving and one of the things you must pass is carrying a 50kg bag out of the water to shore. I do 45kg shoulder carries up and back times 5 . Such a little bag beats you every time. You are exactly right about starting off lighter- it has taken me a few months just at 40 kg , and then adding 5kg more felt like 15, but now , I am ready to add another 5. keep lifting and thanks
That's awesome! It's great having a purpose for your training like that. Even now I'm lifting heavier things, the 70lb suitcase sandbag i have will still take it out of me quick!
Hi there mate from Australia... I am sorry if i missed it, but how do you calculate the initial starting weight? Appreciate the time you have put into this video and your other content. Kind regards
Hey from US! This should help :) ua-cam.com/video/ZlXPac951jY/v-deo.htmlsi=sOdb0KcY8PO4URal
Great video man, just got into sandbag training because of ur videos and starting with a 150lb. I had a question, for the sandbag to shoulder is it ground to shoulder in one motion every rep? Or do i lap it then shoulder it?
@@Chucky55 hey thank you that's awesome you're getting into sandbag training too! Initially it would be ground to lap, lap to shoulder on every rep. (Or ground, lap, chest, shoulder) eventually you can start doing ground to shoulder in one motion as a progression too!
Awesome but one stupid question man where do you get those bags? Do you build them yourself?
Hey thank you! Not stupid at all, in this video I'm using the Ironmind 300lb capacity adjustable bag. It's indestructible I think haha. I have rogue and cerberus bags too and they're both top quality!
I used to use suitcases. Tore both them.
Even a boxers punching bag is great option.
Good grip strength.
Overall power.. Excellent.
But getting the cuts and definition for me was not.
Ended up buying one for 60 bucks for 100 pounds and I am dying already 😂 so humbling no doubt it will give crazy strength if I can reach 200 pounds
How heavy is your sandbag in the video? I have three sandbags, two by Rogue and one by MiraFit. My two Rogues are 100lbs and 150lbs and my MiraFit is 220lbs. None of those bags are anywhere near the size of your bag. My point I guess is that my 220lb bag feels very blocky and not so sausage like so I’m a way it feels easier to lift.
I think in this video it was actually still at 200! It's at 250 now. The ironmind bag is pretty unique compared to others I've seen, it really does have that 'sausage' look haha. It's narrower but taller. How has the mirafit bag held up for you?
Love the channel my friend ! Just finished my first day of shouldering the bag , i managed 8 per side with a 80 kg sand bag and i think im hooked. Love the wrestling and lifting elements combined. Be careful you're mistaken for sasquatch with all those gains carrying logs and rocks in the woods 😂
Great job brother 💯👏
Hahah heck yeah!! Once you get that sandbag to shoulder it's hard to stop haha I know the feeling, hooked instantly!!
To start, buy one of the bigger sandbags, fill it with crumb rubber or landscaping rubber mulch. When you get stronger add sand until all the rubber is no longer needed and then fill the whole bag with sand.
That's a great idea!
Great video man, will definitely start doing sandbag training. For the conditioning part of the program, should we use a sandbag in addition to whatever weightlifting training we are already doing until we are used to the sandbag, and then start the program?
Hey heck yeah thank you! You could jump right in but it could be worth slowly working up to it. I'd recommend 2-3 sets of max distance bear hug carries done 1-2x per week at the end of a leg day for a while if you want to give the body some time to adapt!
Thanks a lot, I have another question on your opinion of this training in regards to muscle imbalances. Would it be good at fixing muscle imbalances? Love the content, keep it up
I like how your grounding while working out. That must feel awesome to be barefoot while working out outside. Awesome!
Yeah sounding feels pretty good
Definitely! I'd go barefoot 24/7 if I could!
I like the program. Although it seems like the routine will take forever. I am a Jiu Jitsu athlete and I have 60-90 minutes every Monday and Wednesday to get an effective workout in. My question is, how long does this routine take?
Hey thanks! Once you work up to 15 shoulders per side, that workout might take up to an hour. The other two shouldn't take longer than 45 mins though! I will say now I've been lifting heavier sandbags, my own sessions rarely last longer than 30-45 minutes with decent rest times, just because it doesn't take much for sandbags to take it out of you!
I’m just discovering your channel. This is excellent content. My sandbag work dropped off drastically but now I’m motivated to bring it back! Thanks!
That bag is massive! How many pounds is it?
Hey thank you so glad to have you here, I hope the sandbag training goes well!! I think in this video it was a little under 200, working on shouldering 275 at the moment! :)
@@thestonecircle best of luck shouldering 275! That’s unfathomable for me to even think about! Just deadlifting that is hard enough!! 😂😅
I was wondering what you think of this workout program? Will it build hypertrophy? Is it complete in your opinion? How often would be good to do it?t?
Clean and Press (light sandbag or dumbbells) 3x6
360 rotation (light sandbag or dumbbells) 3x6
Squat (heavy sandbag) 3x6
Sandbag shouldering (heavy bag) 3x6
Situps 3x6
Side bends and rotation twist (light sandbag or dumbbells) 1x10
Horizontal swing (light sandbag or dumbbells) 1x10
Clean and press (heavy sandbag) 3x3
When you say 360 rotation do you mean around your head like a 'halo' movement?
@@thestonecircle I think so. It's described as kind of like how a hammer toss athlete spins the hammer around the body before throwing it
Enjoying the content man. Im currently training for a natural stone lift. Got a sandbag to help prepare
Hey thank you! Natural stones are so much fun, good luck!
I'm from Germany any suggestions for Bags, that aren't that expensive, I thought of using a simple Army Canvas Bag, thanks for the Videos, I never knew about sandbagtraining but somehow this feels natural and convinicing, ### okay just saw it in your notes... Thanks anyway
The cheapest one I've used is the ironmind sandbag it's pretty great! I know there are some cheaper options I just haven't tried them myself sorry about that. You can also sometimes find good canvas bags at a thrift store which works great! That's how I made my first sandbag
Ich nutze einen 60L Seesack aus PVC. Kostenpunkt ca. 25-30€. Als Füllung habe ich Spielsand aus dem Baumarkt. Die Bundeswehr Seesäcke sind so groß, dass diese schwer zu befüllen sind. Viel Spaß!
There’s no exercise more useful for real life than this
I agree 100%!
Hey brother, for the sandbag to shoulder, is it from ground to shoulder, every lift? sorry it was probably easy to figure out from the video but I'm a bit slow.
Hey no worries at all! Yeah ground to shoulder every lift
@@thestonecircle Thanks for the reply! means a lot. I've been copying the workout in this vid weekly, I really enjoy how quickly you can recover while still getting a great pump as apposed to going to the gym and doing traditional weights.
@mbill6954 hey that's so awesome! I hope it keeps working well 🙂