Top 10 DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Exercises Part 1

If there is one thing that I think is something I wish I could be better at is helping people understand where to start with our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises. Trust me, I know how important it is to know where to even begin and if you don’t, the chances of you actually using this great tool is greatly diminished.

So, if I know that you need more information on where to start with our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises, why don’t I do a better job of it? Well, there are things you need to understand…

-Not everyone is starting at the same point.

-Our Ultimate Sandbags have each size designed for specific exercises. We can’t say that everyone should use THIS weight for a drill or starting point.

-Knowing where to start is also based on understanding our system. The system helps you determine why we are starting there and equally as important, where are we going.

With all that said, I think I can accomplish answering the question about which DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises people should start with, but also help give a bit more important info. Let’s try to take this Top 10 style, in no particular order.

1. Dead Bugs

We use to be known for some pretty intense exercises (we still are but have grown quite a bit) and those are awesome, but a lot of people couldn’t do them (or do them well!). As we really went with the goal of helping people and finding ways to help make people be stronger but also move better than developed a whole new system of DVRT.

Now dead bugs, are rather “unsexy” core exercise, is one of our most popular drills. The dead bug is a great way to teach pelvic control and the foundation of good core strength. However, with just bodyweight, most people don’t know how to control their bodies and they don’t get anything out of the exercise. Enter the Ultimate Sandbag!

2. Bird Dog Drags

Originally our plank lateral drag was definitely one of our king DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises. However, after teaching them even to many fitness professionals, we quickly realized it was too much for most people. The point isn’t which exercise you can survive, but which ones help you thrive!

Many people miss the actual intent of dragging the Ultimate Sandbag to make better connections in important chains of our core, but once you do it changes everything!

3. Half Kneeling Arc Presses

Hopefully you are seeing that we are building drills off of the same concepts of creating “linkage” of the chains of the body and as we progress to more complex environments the demands grow. The half kneeling Arc Press is one of my absolute FAVORITE drills because it teaches how to use the ground right, the importance of grip, it is a dynamic side plank, we learn proper pushing/pulling, in other words, there is A LOT going on. Of course at first glance there doesn’t seem like a lot, but DVRT Master, Cory Cripe does a great job of breaking down the importance of such DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises.

4. Resisting Rotation Around the Worlds

Many of our exercises, like Around the Worlds, can be done from a host of positions once you learn the concept behind the movement. Yes, this is a resisting rotation exercise like a kettlebell halo, but the range of motion is SO much greater we get much more of a dynamic lift/chop as well as this drill is far easier on the shoulders. Learning to do this drill from half and tall kneeling postures first really clean up core stability issues and helps to build rapid mobility in the shoulders and hips. A powerhouse of our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises that is easy to overlook.

Understanding the point of DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises like the Around the World definitely allows us to build to more dynamic core strength as Cory and Megan Berner show!

5. Hip Bridges

Probably of all the DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises that really get an eye brow raised it is our hip bridge progressions. Why? Simply because we don’t put the weight on our hips. Madness right?! That is until you understand that your glutes are driven by your feet and something called the Posterior Oblique Sling (POS). This chain is used to create stability when you do every day actions like walking where you are unstable but need to stabilize your spine!

The glutes work with the core and opposing lats to develop this stability through  creating tension on the thoracolumbar fascia and force closure of the SI joint. In other words, if you want your glutes to LOOK and functional great, then you need to integrate this chain. That is why we start with press out hip bridges as Cory breaks down.

This opens the door to making our glute training smarter and more effective as in DVRT we base our movements off the science of the body, not the burn of the muscle. Like DVRT UK Master, Greg Perlaki shows, we can go lots of great places once we have that foundation!

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