Anything You Can Do, I Can Do With A Sandbag

It's 2020. You’ve made a Resolution to workout more.

Perhaps you really took charge and devoted yourself to following a specific program:

To follow that Butt and Gut Buster your friend recommended. Or that program your old high school friend has reached born-again fitness salvation through and won’t stop posting about on social media.

Or perhaps CrossFit has been on your mind, so you’re following CrossFit.com workouts.

Whatever program you’ve got your eyes on, you’re ready to work!

But your newfound motivation didn’t come with a whack-load of money with which you can purchase every piece of workout gear you could ever need.

Nope, unfortunately not.

But you DO have a Synergee Sandbag.



This blog post will reveal to you that that is totally a-ok. Better than OK. It’s stupendous!

A Sandbag can do anything dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells can do.

Albeit, it may require a little bit of modification from the original workout. But a Sandbag on its own can definitely be your ticket to making 2020 your healthiest, happiest year yet!

Nearly every exercise described in a workout program can be substituted with a sandbag movement. These substitutions are by no means easier: they will work the same muscles and generate the same sweat and quickened heartbeat!

A successful athlete is a determined, adaptive athlete. Trade your “I don’t have the right tools” excuses in for a “I’m going to make this work” attitude; and you’ll be well on your way to reaching your goals.

Let’s go!

Sandbag Clean (to Front rack)

1. Begin standing with the Sandbag laying in front of you and your feet just outside hip-width. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and maintain a neutral spine as you lower to reach the top Sandbag handles. Hold it with your palms facing you.
2. Keeping your lats engaged and your back in a neutral position, start standing with the Sandbag. Keep it close to your body. When the Sandbag is at your knee, extend your hips quickly and shrug your shoulders to transition into the racked position. Land the bag on your chest under your chin. Your palms will be on the outside of the bag, facing away from you.
3. Stand up fully with the bag in the racked position.

Sandbag Clean (to Shoulder)

1. Begin standing with the Sandbag between your legs and your feet just outside hip-width on either side of it. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and maintain a neutral spine as you lower to grasp either side of the Sandbag.
2. Keeping your lats engaged and your back in a neutral position, start standing with the Sandbag. Keep it close to your body. When the Sandbag is at your knee, extend your hips quickly and shrug your shoulders to pop it to your shoulder.  
3. Stand up fully with the bag in the racked position.
4. Take it from your shoulder and back down to the ground. Complete another clean but this rep will land on the opposite shoulder. Keep alternating shoulders between reps.

Deadlift

1. Begin standing with the Sandbag laying in front of you and your feet just outside hip-width. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and maintain a neutral spine as you lower to reach the top Sandbag handles. Hold it with your palms facing you.
2. Keeping your lats engaged and your back in a neutral position, start standing with the Sandbag. Keep it close to your body.
3. Stand and drag the sandbag up your body until your knees and hips are fully extended.

Swing

1. Hold the sandbag by the top handle so it is vertical between your legs. Set your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend slightly at your knees, but focus on hingeing at your hip. As you do this, the sandbag will swing back behind you to create some momentum.
3. Explosively push your hips forward to open again. This will send the sandbag arching out and up in a swinging motion.
4. Allow the sandbag to travel up until it is at eye level (Russian Swing). Guide it back down to between your legs to start the next swing.

Press – from Front Rack

1. Start with the Sandbag in the front racked position: palms facing out, elbows up, feet hip-width apart.
2. Bend your knees just slightly and quickly come back to standing as you press the sandbag overhead. Fully extend your arms.
3. Bring the bag to your shoulders

Press – From Shoulder

1. Start with the Sandbag on one shoulder, one hand on top and the other on the bottom of the sandbag. You feet will be hip-width apart.
2. Bend your knees just slightly and quickly come back to standing as you press the sandbag overhead. Fully extend your arms.
3. Bring the bag down to your opposite shoulder.

Front OR Back Rack Squats/Lunges

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the Sandbag in the Front or Back Rack. If in the front rack, have your palms facing out and holding onto the front handles. IF back racked, have your hands on either side of the Sandbag on the outside handles, facing each other.
2. Sit your hips back and descend into the squat. Keep your knees tracking over your feet and support the weight by keeping your chest upright and core engaged. Descend until your hips are slightly lower than your knees.
3. OR, if completing a lunge, step one foot back and bring that knee down in a controlled manner.
4. Drive your heels into the ground and return to standing position. IF you are completing a lunge, it will be your front foot that drives into the ground to return to standing.

Snatches

1. Begin standing with the Sandbag laying in front of you and your feet just outside hip-width. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and maintain a neutral spine as you lower to reach the top Sandbag handles. Hold it with your palms facing you.
2. Keeping your lats engaged and your back in a neutral position, start standing with the Sandbag. Keep it close to your body. When the Sandbag is just above your knee, extend your hips quickly and shrug your shoulders to pop the sandbag up over your head.
3. The sandbag will land overhead. Be sure to hold onto the handles throughout. Your hands should be facing forward and knuckles pointed up at the end of the movement. The movement is complete when your knees, hips, and elbows are locked out.
4. Come down by bringing the sandbag to your chest under your chin. Guide it down to the ground to go into the next rep.

Overhead Squats

1. Hold the Sandbag between your hands lengthwise, slid into the handles on the ends of the Sandbag.
2. Get the Sandbag overhead. When it is in place, shrug your shoulders up to your ears and lock your elbows out completely.
3. Have your feet at shoulder width apart. Descend into the squat, keeping your shoulders engaged the entire descent and ascent.

Bent Over Rows

1. Hold the Sandbag at the top handles in front of your body with long arms. Bend slightly in the knee, pinch your shoulders back, and allow your chest to come forward.
2. Hold this bent over position and bring the Sandbag up to your chest and back down to complete a row.

YOU’VE GOT EVERYTHING YOU NEED

If you are looking to sweat and complete comprehensive workouts with the equipment you have on hand – your Sandbag absolutely, definitely, and positively can get you there.

You’re not training to go to the Olympics. You don’t need to execute every single workout, exactly as written. A make-do attitude is 100 x’s more valuable than an all-or-nothing attitude.

You’re setting out to lead a happier and healthier life. Do your honest and absolute best with what you have on hand. And if it’s a Sandbag that you have, luck you; because will do wonders to get you there.

Note: if you love your Sandbag AND you are still very interested in acquiring new fitness equipment, we provide financing options through Affirm / Paybright. Choose to buy now and pay over time with a financing plan that suits your life. To learn more, click HERE.