Tip: Sandbags for Lower-Body Strength & Size Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip Sandbags for Lower-Body Strength & Size Train anywhere and pack muscle onto your legs with this cheap tool by Bradford Cooke July 24, 2020August 17, 2020 Tags Training A heavy sandbag is an underrated tool for lower-body strength training. The awkward size and shifting nature of the load stresses the body in a unique way that demands engagement and focus. Sandbag training offers positions that can't be replicated with traditional free weights. The bag needs to be wrestled into position for each set which adds to the challenge. That said, training with sandbags is nothing new. Their simplistic nature and functionality have made them a staple training tool of grapplers, strongmen, and tactical personnel. Sand is accessible, cheap, and heavy. A trip to the local hardware store to pick up some sand won't break the bank. No bag? Just make your own by filling up an old duffel bag. The Best Sandbag Lifts for Bigger Quads Zercher Squat Don't like the feeling of the bar in the crook of your elbows? This Zercher position will still tax the arms without the searing pain of a barbell in your elbows. Shoulder-Loaded Squat Squatting with a sandbag on one shoulder will challenge the body to resist lateral flexion as the weight attempts to pull to you to one side. It will quickly identify any gaps between the left and right. Shoulder-Loaded Split Squat For unilateral exercises like split squats and lunges, the bag can be loaded on the same or opposite-side shoulder of the working leg. Experiment with each option to see what feels best. You may find one feels smoother or stresses hip and core stability more. Master split squats before moving to reverse lunge variants. Sandbag Bear Hug Reverse Lunge A heavy bag held at the chest will make generating tension and bracing the midsection automatic. It'll also make you mindful of how you breathe with the weight pressing against you. The Best Sandbag Lifts for Glutes and Hams Bear Hug Good Morning For hip hinge movements like the good morning, the bear hug is the ideal grip. Positioning the load against your torso will encourage core bracing and make it difficult to hyperextend through the lumbar spine. Keeping the bag against the body during the hinge also demands that the lats stay engaged. This also encourages a stable midsection. Bear Hug Kickstand Good Morning The kickstand stance will allow you to place more stress on one leg for higher reps without having to focus on balance. Bear Hug Single-Leg Good Morning This one will demand focus with a high stability requirement. Make sure you've got the kickstand version mastered first. Bear Hug Kang Squat The standard Kang squat is a nice hybrid between hinging and squatting. It'll hammer the posterior chain and groove a solid squat while sparing the knees. The anterior load of the bag really makes this movement feel natural. Simple and Effective Sandbag work can be surprisingly humbling. Depending on your ability and weight available, some of these variations can be substituted in as a main or accessory lift as part of your regular training. Adjust your reps based on the difficulty of the exercise. Single-leg exercises will be more challenging whereas regular-stance squats and good mornings can be pushed into the higher ranges. Training doesn't need to be fancy to be effective. This simple implement may be just what your legs have been missing. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Tip The Viking Row Workout Get shredded fast with this tough metabolic conditioning workout. Here's how to do it, if you dare. Metcon, Tips, Training Adam Vogel July 23 Training Get Ripped Get Walking This is not your mama's workout. Get to the nearest treadmill and incinerate fat while leaving muscle completely intact. Fat Loss Training, Metcon, Training Tim Henriques August 31 Training 5 Things Only Dedicated Lifters Understand You know a lot about working out, but do you possess training wisdom? Find out here. TJ Kuster September 12 Training Tip Master the Extreme Range Split Squat Not only is this is a great exercise the lower body, it'll also improve your squat. Here's how. Exercise Coaching, Tips Christian Thibaudeau February 1