3 Ways Ultimate Sandbag Workouts Are Different

The ride we have had with putting out DVRT Ultimate Sandbag workouts since 2005 has been a fascinating one. When I began putting out DVRT Ultimate Sandbag workouts, there really was no model to follow. I had one book that had a few ideas, but they were all just mostly barbell lifts with a sandbag. At that time in my life, our Ultimate Sandbag workouts were much more “hard core”. I was doing competitive strongman and thought our Ultimate Sandbags were a perfect compliment. It is funny to see some of our videos way back in the day!

You can see back in 2005 my home gym was a reflection of this more “hard core” attitude. 

What far fewer people know is that I was close to getting rid of my homemade sandbags. In all seriousness! If it wasn’t for a friend asking me, “what would you do differently?” I would have dumped sandbag workouts from my programs.

Why?

For one, I didn’t think they were as good as the other tools I had. As you can see in the picture above I had plenty of other “toys” and if I was going to use sandbag workouts then they had to provide me something unique. Since I was using them like a barbell why would I need to really focus upon them?!

Second, I couldn’t tell you what benefit they were providing me. As with everything in life, if you give energy to one thing, you have to take away that energy from something else! How was I knowing if the sandbag workouts I was performing was actually benefitting me?

Then there was the biggest change, being “hard core” for me, went from how much I could abuse my body to how could I make myself healthier and transfer that to the people I was trying to help!

That meant I started to really examine, try, experiment, work with, and fail quite a bit on finding how could Ultimate Sandbag workouts provide unique results. In fitness most people usually interchange tools, methods, and programs without much thought of COULD something do better than something else? The answer is a resounding YES and it doesn’t JUST apply to our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag workouts, but be something you ask for everything you do!

So, I wanted to discuss some of the BIGGEST myths about DVRT Ultimate Sandbag workouts that still hurt the results you COULD be achieving.

Myth 1: They Are Just Unstable

I was this person, so I get the idea that most people think about DVRT Ultimate Sandbag workouts being “unstable training”, or “unconventional”. My response to people is, “what does that mean?” In other words, how does being unstable or unconventional actually give you the results you want?

Things like these terms are just internet soundbites, they don’t mean anything but they get people excited. That is frustrating to me because it takes people away from actually working in a productive manner to their goals!

Ultimate Sandbags can be unstable, but there are times they are stable. Many of the great benefits of Ultimate Sandbag workouts don’t have a lot to do with instability at all. Rather, other variables that most people don’t consider.

-They have dimension: By having a dimensional attribute that we actually use we can create tension and give better feedback so people can learn exercises faster, unlock their mobility quicker, and understand how to perform exercises better.

-The handles are a big deal!: I’ve talked for years that we didn’t just slap handles on our Ultimate Sandbags and putting handles on them didn’t take away from the fact you didn’t have to use them either. The design of our handles are set forth to match the exercises that those size of Ultimate Sandbags are going to be used.

For example, our Strength and Burly Ultimate Sandbags are going to be used a lot for deadlifts, presses, cleans, etc. The handles are both a distance and length that allows us to perform those movements at the highest levels. Doing deadlifts in Ultimate Sandbag workouts allows us to manipulate the handles so we teach how to use the lats and core in a better way (you can read more specifically about that HERE).

Conversely, we have outside handles on our Power and Core Ultimate Sandbags for drills like Around the Worlds, Lateral Drags, and so much more! You see, when people ask me what the BIGGEST difference of our Ultimate Sandbags are they are surprised to hear, “they are designed for our DVRT system”.

Myth 2: That’s cool can I use THIS instead?

It is probably hard for many people to imagine, but I hate SELLING our Ultimate Sandbags. That is because they were never meant to be something I wanted to sell. I literally had two made for myself, had a buddy see them and wanted one. Got him his own made, then HIS buddy wanted some. That is where the whole idea of making this a business came into play. However, at the end of the day, it was HOW we were using DVRT Ultimate Sandbag workouts to create very special results that drove me into having other people use them.

On a daily basis I get tagged in dozens of pictures and videos on social media. About 80% of the time (the other 20% I either get a bit exhausted or frustrated) I private message people about things they are doing wrong in their performance of the Ultimate Sandbag. I don’t tell you that to embarrass people, but rather to help you understand that if my goal was to just “sell some sandbags”, then I wouldn’t care.

EVERYTHING we do in our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag workouts is done with very particular purpose and thought to it. Does that mean you have to use the Ultimate Sandbag for all the exercises you perform? You COULD, but we don’t expect that, however, I do hope you know what makes the exercise and tool you use unique and right!

For example, many people don’t realize that holding a barbell in a Zercher position and an Ultimate Sandbag in our Front Load is COMPLETELY different. Why? Because of what we are doing to the Ultimate Sandbag in this position and what that does to our outcomes.

DVRT Master, James Newman, shows how we have very specific intent when we are performing our Ultimate Sandbag workouts. 

Same thing when you at the “little things” that make such a profound difference in our Lateral Drags. It isn’t good enough to just use an Ultimate Sandbag, but what we do with it! That is why no, kettlebells, dumbbells, bands, are NOT the same thing!

Myth 3: They aren’t heavy enough to get strong right? 

To be fair, if your plan is to perform Ultimate Sandbag workouts in the exact same manner you would a barbell, then the answer is probably no, they won’t. However, that isn’t what we do in DVRT! Don’t get me wrong, there are times we will perform exercises that appear very similar, but the nuances, the progressions, and ultimately, our intent is quite different!

DVRT Ultimate Sandbag workouts like Jon-Erik Kawamoto demonstrates gives you an idea of how Ultimate Sandbag Training is not the same type of strength training workouts you MIGHT be thinking! 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had sport strength coaches think the same thing then when we show them what to actually do with them their attitudes completely change!

Recently Strength Coach Matt Durant shared with me that at first his guys didn’t know what the Ultimate Sandbags could actually do, after he showed them a few things it became the tool they feared the most. As you can see, Strength Coach, David Padilla found how many great ways that Ultimate Sandbag workouts could benefit his athletes!

If the Ultimate Sandbag was just an “unusual” barbell, it wouldn’t mean very much. However, those that get into how we actually build and use DVRT Ultimate Sandbag workouts see the much bigger world that opens up for their strength training. Great facilities like 30 Minutes of Everything base so much of what they do on DVRT Ultimate Sandbag workouts. They aren’t alone as we see coaches in over 80 countries worldwide doing the same. However, it always starts with the same question, what’s your purpose?

Learn how to get the edge in the fitness industry that makes a real difference. Save 25% on our DVRT Online Education HERE and for a limited time if you purchase an Ultimate Sandbag for 25% off you get our Body Armor Programs that help you learn the way to get incredible functional fitness results. Just use coupon code “save25” HERE for a limited time!