What Does Being Strong REALLY Mean?

What does being strong really mean?-DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training

It is something we have tackled here at DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training many different times. The challenge really comes from the fact that “being strong” really depends on your point of view. I have seen people that can lift great huge weights struggle to be strong in very simple ways. That is why I think while it is easy to think of strength simply in terms of what we lift, I really believe that is an oversimplification of the concept.

I think strength is really a function of several things…

-How much force you can produce (how much you basically can lift, but not just up and down at any angle or position)

-How much force you can resist (your ability to maintain alignment and posture against different stresses)

-How well you integrate your body’s natural kinetic chains

These concepts may seem new to some which is cool, I think you are going to see some amazing improvements. Others that may find this ideas familiar my question is, “how are you using them in your training?”

The truth is that you can train “strength” within these ideas very simply. While we often get known for doing a lot of movement and working in different planes of motion, DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training does plenty of work in the sagittal plane.

Why? Well, the sagittal plane is our foundation to doing other movement progressions so if we don’t move well when we are most stable, being unstable is going to be a hot mess or at the very least a great social media video;)

Now, you may be thinking, “hey, you are the guy that told us not to stick with the basics!” Ah, no young skywalker, I said don’t END with the basics in mind. I hate the term basic too, that is why I like to think foundational. Yes, seems like semantics, but I think it changes how we see exercises rather than individual but rather building blocks to one another.

ANYWAYS, you should get really good at foundational movements and my idea in general is there are ways to challenge them more than just going heavier. This idea from DVRT Master, Troy Anderson, might be one of the BEST!

Coach Anderson and I have been talking a lot about “compression” of load as both as a means of improving conditioning, but overall strength as well. Kinda makes sense when you think about how we generally program exercises like planks, or even how martial artists or gymnasts use super slow speeds to build incredible strength.

Don’t worry, this isn’t a super slow workout, although you may wish it was! Rather looking at taking really definitive pauses to stress different aspects of your strength and fitness.

So, the program is pretty simple, we are going to use Fist Squats, Overhead Presses, and Fist Holds (fist is much different from front load, just warning you!). Very simply the following…
-5 Front Fists Squats
-20 second hold on fists
-5 Overhead Presses or Push Presses
-20 second hold on fists
-4 Front Fists Squats
-15 second hold on fists
-4 Overhead Presses or Push Presses
-15 second hold on fists
-3 Front Fists Squats
-10 second hold on fists
-3 Overhead Press or Push Presses
-10 second hold on fists
-2 Front Fists Squats
-5 second hold on fists
-2 Overhead Presses or Push Presses
-5 second hold on fists


NOW you rest! Yes, the goal is to perform the ENTIRE series without putting down your Ultimate Sandbag. If you do have to place it down on the ground you will have a small penalty. That’s right, after this you will perform 10 Clean to Fists. If you set the Ultimate Sandbag down you have to add 2 repetitions to the Clean to Fists for every time you put the Ultimate Sandbag down. Good motivation right?!

Simple workout, but incredibly powerful. However, only one way to know for sure. Try it and post your results HERE in our DVRT Fitness Group to inspire so many others striving to reach their best. Incredible fitness doesn’t have to be overly complex!