Sandbag training offers certain benefits that you don’t receive from using free weights or exercise machines. Lifting and manipulating a sandbag during various exercises strengthens your grip while targeting the particular muscle groups associated with each exercise. Manufactured bags, which are popular in many gyms, boast the ease of increasing or reducing weight by adding or removing filler bags. You can avoid the expense of a manufactured sandbag by making one or more bags with supplies found at building material outlets or home centers.
Step 1
Fill a dozen or more zip-lock freezer bags with clean sand. Fill each bag just enough so it is firm but not bulging or you risk rupturing a bag during exercises. Seal the openings and secure each with a strip of duct tape folded tightly across the top of the bags.
Step 2
Stack layers of the filled freezer bags in a canvas sandbag. Lift the sandbag as you go until it is the desired weight. Stage the remaining filler bags nearby.
Step 3
Cut a 24-inch-long piece of 1/4-inch nylon rope with fabric shears or a sharp utility knife. Wrap each end of the rope with a strip of duct tape to prevent the ends from fraying.
Step 4
Gather the opening at the top of the sandbag. Twist the gather until it is tight.
Step 5
Wrap the nylon rope tightly around the gather at the top of the sandbag. Tie the ends of the rope in a double overhand knot.
Tips and Warnings
- Add or remove filler bags to make the sandbag heavier or less resilient and easier to handle. Double the filler bags when heavy mil bags are not available.
Things You'll Need
- Zip-lock freezer bags
- Clean sand
- Duct tape
- Canvas sandbag
- 1/4-inch nylon rope
- Fabric shears
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