5 Game Changing DVRT Exercises

Greg Perlaki (DVRT UK Master Instructor) 

Today I’d like to highlight some of the most influential, powerful and game changing DVRT `Classics` that truly represents why this unconventional training method is so much more than just “sandbags”. Sure, it is easy to look at DVRT and think it is just a clever way of talking about Ultimate Sandbag Training, but it is so much more.

The below 5 DVRT exercises have changed the way I think about training and how I coach people to get better not just in fitness but everything they do. This means better movement, improved mobility, purposeful training, serious conditioning and using the whole body in a way you’ve never thought possible. They need to be experienced though it’s much harder to explain.

Lateral Drag

No matter what level of the lateral drag we use, the concepts and methods stay the same.

One of the most underestimated DVRT exercises, but ironically popular too! It’s a pure strength drill from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head. It’s way more than just dragging the Ultimate Sandbag across the body. It integrates the whole body and teaches different segments to work together. This is an Anti-Rotational movement meaning that we try to create stability when performing the drag. The time we spend under tension is really important to master the Lateral Bag Drag. I recommend going for 3 to 5 seconds each drag. Instead of lifting the Ultimate Sandbag try PRESS the handle down and create tension in the lats. This not only makes the exercise more demanding but creates better stability in the body. This drill exposes all your weaknesses when its done correctly. Arms should be locked, feet are in a wide base, glutes are tight, the sandbag is below the belly button and has constant friction with the ground and most importantly no movement in the hips.

Do as many good reps as possible with 3-5 seconds each drag. Remember no lifting the Ultimate Sandbag allowed and no movement in the hips!

Front Loaded Good Mornings

It’s probably the most demanding drill of these 5 DVRT exercises. The Front Loaded Good Morning is a hip hinging exercise that challenges both the anterior and posterior side of the body. Adding sandbag Good Mornings to your workout routine is a great way to improve real world strength. Hip hinge is one of the primal movement patterns that we do in life and it teaches us how to lift things off the floor safely. Particularly the Front Loaded Good Morning work on the glutes and hamstrings alongside with the trunk and it’s very useful for preventing lower back, knee and hip problems. To get better at your Kettlebell Swings do the sandbag Good Morning first and see how much more power you can generate from the glutes and stabilize through the core when performing the more ballistic, fast moving Swing.

It’s one the cornerstones of DVRT educational process. All Level 1 attendees need to complete the Clean and Press `Test`. It’s 40 or 50 repetitions (depending on bodyweight) in 5 minutes. The Clean and Press is a full body lift and highly technical. It teaches how to hinge through the hips, create tension in the lats and core before doing the Clean. Due to the sand being constantly moving in the bag, every repetition is different and this is one of the reasons why it’s so technical. The power comes from the feet, glutes and hamstrings first and not only pulling with the arms. This is the exercise that you don’t want to `muscle` it through. DVRT is about teaching efficiency of movement as much it is pure strength!

Pressing the Ultimate Sandbag over the head is also full body as we don’t want to solely rely on the shoulders to take all the load instead engaging the lower body and pushing through the feet and engaging the glutes is the way to go. Keeping the tension in the handles is key on the way down as well as catching` the Ultimate Sandbag with the hips.

Set a timer and do 8 reps every minute on the minute and see how many rounds you can do.

Up Downs

As the name says you’re going down to the floor and then back up again. It’s nothing complicated first.

However this exercise teaches a very important movement pattern, lunging. A lot of people have a hard time with lunges as they bring out many imbalances like stability issues, mobility in the hips and even strength. If you caught DVRT Master, Cory Cripes, post on lunging HERE you will see how valuable Up Downs can be to your movement, mobility, stability, and strength training!

Often times us fitness professionals make lunging more complicated as it should be and we introduce lunging forward first. Whereas going backwards makes the deceleration part so much easier. So much so that the lifter can rest their knees on the floor and learn how to decelerate with the load as well as come back up by using both feet actively.

The Ultimate Sandbag plays a huge role here to activate the core and allows the lifter to maintain an upright posture. Wrapping the legs around builds that mobility in the hips that most people are lacking, so you want to take your time and do it slowly to get the most out of this great drill. Fatigue builds up over time so don’t be surprised if you feel exhausted after a little while.

Try to do as many quality reps in 60 seconds then rest for 30 seconds and see how far you can go.

Press Out Squat

Squats are probably the second most hated exercises after lunges. Not all the squats are equal though.

A lot of people cannot do squats because their back hurts or have pain in their knees or hips. The problem starts that they have been taught squats in a wrong way. Squatting is a full body movement and this means proper core/lats engagement as well as activating the feet and taking the pressure off the knees. Pressing a light Ultimate Sandbag out teaches how to brace the core and engage the lats. Adding mini bands to the knee and even to the feet helps to prevent knee collapse and engage the glutes and core better. This completely changes how to create better movement with proper tension rather than loading dysfunction with heavy load. Squats don’t need to hurt and this DVRT method can make you successful in your training program sooner whether you use it to learn how to do the movement or as a warm up drill if you’re more experienced.

You can check out everything including Greg’s great programs HERE and at DVRT Fitness this week with code “save20” HERE