Intense Home Workouts

Recently, I purchased some sandbags from Coach Josh Henkin. Sandbag training is sometimes considered a form of "underground training" as they aren't typically found in a healthclub.

If you are looking to burn fat and get in great shape at home, sandbags are a great tool.

I'll be starting some fitness bootcamp classes here shortly and wanted to include the sandbags with sled training, bodyweight exercises, and resistance bands. Again, this can easily be done at home, in your garage or at a local park.

These types of exercises involve multiple muscles, which burns more calories than isolation exercises. Since these exercises are also more athletic in nature, they appeal to us former athletes.

You can do numerous movements with sandbags, all of which work your core for a more efficient fat burning workout. The bags that Josh sells have several different handles for different movements.

One of the benefits comes from the increased core stability. The sand in the bags tend to shift when you lift them. This creates an increased activity in your abs and low back. Added strength and stability in these muscles is always a good thing.

Many years ago, my Summer job was doing concrete construction as an unskilled laborer. This meant plenty of time shoveling dirt and pushing wheelbarrows. Sometimes these wheelbarrows were loaded with wet concrete. Unlike dirt, wet concrete shifts all over the place when you move it.

This created additional stress on my core and I can proudly say that I was the only one of the crew that had never dumped a load of wet concrete while pushing it over rough construction terrain. The shifting load of the sandbag creates a similar effect on your core musculature.

I also occasionally use kettlebells in my workouts. Coach Henkin believes that sandbags are easier for the average person to learn than kettlebells. The technique requirements aren't quite as strict.

Here's an example of substituting dumbbell swings and sandbag swings for the kettlebell.


For more information on this type of training for home fat loss, check out Josh's site Sandbagexercises.com