The MOST Important Exercise

What makes an exercise great? 

What makes it super important?

What makes it worth spending time getting better and better on? 

I think any good fitness program focuses on the important “stuff”. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of workouts and exercises to play with, but I am guessing you are too busy for that. You want to spend time on exercises that deliver BIG time in the results department. I don’t blame you, to be honest, I am in the same boat!

Sure, time is an issue for everyone, but coming off my back surgeries I can tell you my body has only so much as well. I HAVE to make sure that each exercise is doing something really important and makes me better in some impactful way. That is why when I think what is my “go to”, my “if I was stranded on a desert island” exercise, I lean towards this one!

Most people may think it is just a really cool core exercise, something to spice up their planks, but they would be missing the big picture benefit of this movement. You might be guessing it, it is our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training Lateral Drag. 

When I created this exercise several years ago I wasn’t looking to just have a nice change of pace for your core exercises. Rather, I was trying to figure out how to teach clients how to press overhead better. Huh? How does our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training Lateral Drag relate to pressing overhead? 

One of the toughest things to teach people is when they press to push DOWN into their feet rather than just pressing a weight over their head. By pushing down they keep their core more active so their ribs don’t flare putting stress through their low back and negative stress through their shoulders. Understanding the concept of pushing down also teaches people the important concepts for many other DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training exercises such as deadlifts, cleans, and so much more! The BIGGEST reason people hurt their backs is they try to lift a weight rather than push down into their feet!

Pressing overhead and overall body strength has everything to do with proper core concepts

That wasn’t it though, teaching important concepts like how to brace the core, how to use the lats to keep the shoulder from getting out of place, these were all tough concepts to teach people in their pressing. Solution? You guessed it, that Lateral Drag. 

I share this with you because if you understand the why’s you will also think about how you use it in your training. Let’s face it, I still see a TON of bad Lateral Drags going on. Mostly because a lot of people don’t know the goal of the exercise and just as importantly how to progress it! 

For me, when I came off surgery I couldn’t do a Lateral Drag even with the lightest Ultimate Sandbag, so progression was key. It taught me where so many of my weaknesses were hiding and how much my body was compensating. Interestingly enough my improvements in strength, movement, and stability has corresponded with my ability to progress in my Lateral Drags. Coincidence? I think NOT! 

That is why today’s DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training series is all about how YOU can use the Lateral Drag better so that you can see faster and BETTER results! Check it out!!

Want to gain a MAJOR edge in your fitness? Check out some of our upcoming DVRT educational programs HERE