Ultimate Sandbag
What’s the benefit of training with an Ultimate Sandbag?
I know, you are probably thinking, “it’s unstable, so the demand of a sandbag exercise will be harder because you have to work harder to stabilize.” At least, that’s often what I hear or read when people refer to training with sandbags. While there may be some truth to the statement it’s a less important variable to consider when training. So here’s some real benefits for training or training your clients with an Ultimate Sandbag (USB).
USB’s have a plethora of handles that offer many options for hold position. Each handle or set of handles offers a different use for exercise variation or best ergonomic option.
The dimension of the USB’s matter. Smaller USB’s are better used for core and activation work where bigger dimension USB’s will challenge you more pound for pound on power exercises like cleans or snatches (the distance you need to make the USB travel in order to get under the load).
As a coach a USB is a unique training tool that can decrease skill acquisition time because of the feedback that the user experiences. For example, because the USB is built from nonabrasive material you can use the broad side of the USB for tactile feedback when learning a hinge (as the USB slides up the front of the shins and thighs keeping close to the centre of gravity).
Where you position the USB matters. The handles and bag itself offer many positions in which to hold it during exercise. For example, a skilled coach may use the bear hug to elicit a squat with a vertical spine or in contrast position the USB on one shoulder for you to work hard to stabilize the load in the frontal plane as you navigate the movement.
This doesn’t even scratch the surface. There’s a whole training system developed specifically for the USB. If you are interested in more, contact us.