Are These Ultimate Sandbag Exercises Healthy?

I’ve really enjoyed the work Jessica has done the last few blogs. I wanted not just a different topic, but a different way of looking at training. As someone who came through the ranks in the field of strength and conditioning as well as spending a majority of their time in fitness, I might see the role of our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises a bit differently.

Shockingly, when Jessica and I talk about DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises (yes, this is a thing we actually do!), we are generally on the same page. That is where my history of going through severe injuries helps me relate to many people better. After all, most of the plateaus I see in people’s fitness programs are far more related to injury or pain the feel than they just hit the infamous fitness wall.

That is why social media cracks me up (or sometimes cry, depends on the day), because when people look at many of our Ultimate Sandbag exercises from the outside, it can freak them out. They are stuck in the old mentality of just lifting weights, rather than how we are moving the body to create the lift. It sounds like a subtle difference but it is pretty profound. Here are a few examples that may make you change how you see these Ultimate Sandbag exercises.

Clean and Press

Of course not every exercise is right for every person. However, many people think powerful moves like and a clean and press is DEFINITELY not for them. However, the combination of power, stability, strength, and mobility makes for a pretty good exercise. As with all of our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises it isn’t how much you lift that we watch for, but how you lift it!

DVRT Master, Ian Vaughn, does an outstanding job showing how our Clean and Press can help the shoulders by building strength throughout the entire body!

Around the Worlds

This of all our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag exercises seems to be confused by so many people. Some can instantly see the benefits to the mobility of the thoracic spine and shoulders, while also creating stability through the core and pelvis.

It probably doesn’t help that we confuse some because there are two forms of the Around the Worlds. One where we learn to RESIST rotation and another that we produce rotation. Both are excellent, but sometimes by using the rotational version first we learn to build the ideas of fluidity and stability at the same time!

Jessica does a great job of breaking down the rotational version of these Ultimate Sandbag exercises. You can also grab the outside handle if you aren’t sure about the range in your shoulders!

The anti-rotational version can be powerful as well, but people miss a lot of the “little things” that make a big difference!

Lateral Drags

One of our most popular Ultimate Sandbag exercises is STILL the most misunderstood. That may because people see it, think it is cool, and start doing it with anything they can find.

At first glance you may think hat the Ultimate Sandbag doesn’t bring anything special to the movement and I’m just trying to sell you on the idea. Man, after 15 years almost of trying to share the uniqueness of what we do, trust me, if it didn’t make a difference I wouldn’t go down that rabbit hole.

The big difference stems from how we connect the glutes, lats, and core with our grip as well as the friction the Ultimate Sandbag creates. Many people focus on just trying to move a weight from one side to another, but the value, the REALLY good stuff comes in doing it as we break it down below.

The power of our training doesn’t come from some mystical power that the Ultimate Sandbag provides. In fact, I am one of the strongest proponents of the idea that if you aren’t looking to really understand what our DVRT system does, you are probably better off not using Ultimate Sandbags. The power is never in the tool, but what using the tool wisely allows you to accomplish!

Learn more about how our DVRT system is changing functional fitness with our online educational programs for 25% off for a limited time HERE. Just use coupon code “shoulder” to learn how to transform how you train!