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SANDBAG
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STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

USING A DIY SANDBAG

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

@outcastswansea @bagwod

crossfitswansea.com
THE PROGRAMME

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n 8 weeks
n 3 sessions a week
n 12 strength/hypertrophy sessions*

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n 12 conditioning sessions

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*Optional short conditioning sessions also

The whole programme is based around principles of hypertrophy

(muscle building) rep ranges and tempo training. This isn’t about
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moving heavy weights, it’s about moving whatever weight you have
under complete control and getting a load of time under tension.

It’s about helping you become aware of muscles, where you feel
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weaker so you can help build some balance through your

movements. A weak muscle is a muscle more susceptible to injury.

The first 4 weeks is to build some strength endurance so that the

following 4 weeks will allow you to push your conditioning harder.

The hypertrophy phase follows a simple template each week of:

 Squat/lunge day
 Pull/push day
 Posterior chain day

SANDBAG
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Work hard stay humble
THE PROGRAMME contd.

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Sandbag 101 is based around using a 25kg homemade
bag but you can use heavier if you have it. A minimum of
8 reps must be achievable in every movement. We are utilising

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controlled tempo and slow eccentrics (the lowering phase of
each movement), the slower the eccentric, the larger stress

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to the muscles, we recommend a 3-5 sec eccentric portion
for each rep....more is not better, BETTER is better.
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The levels system allows you to choose the movement variation that
challenges you most, so give them all a go to allow you to determine
the best option for you.
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We’ve been using sandbags in our regular gym programming for the
last 4 or so years and teaming up with the guys @bagwod who have
an awesome instagram page with loads of really challenging sandbag
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workouts has been epic. Be sure to follow them.

If you wanted to purchase a legitimate bag to train with, we highly

recommend Tfench, we have 28 of their bags ranging from 20kg up to
90 kg and they get used constantly by our members and in the 18
months of using them haven’t hada single one rip or tear.
Check them out at www.tfench.com

SANDBAG
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Work hard stay humble
MAKiNG your BAG

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YOU WILL NEED:

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Bag of sand
SA Roll of gaffer tape Bin bag
usually 20 or 25kg 50m minimum
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Click the image above to check our video on putting your bag together

You can make you bag lighter by removing some sand or heavier by
taping bags together (you would need multiple rolls of tape for this).

@outcastswansea
LET's GO!

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OPTIONAL TEST/RETEST
Z press ‘Bring Sally up’ (see Z press demo HERE)

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Download Moby song ‘Flower’, every time you hear ‘Bring Sally up’
press the bag overhead, each time you hear ‘Bring Sally down’ bring

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the bag back to front rack. See how far you can get into the song,
if you think you can last the whole song reverse it so your rest
position is overhead. SA
MOVEMENT DEMOS
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All movement demos can be found on our YouTube channel,

click the image below to go to the movement playlist.
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@bagwod
WEEKS ONE-FOUR

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Hypertrophy/strength endurance
This phase is 3 sessions a week, we recommend a days
rest between each session.

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The programme is designed to be performed with your DIY

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sandbag but if you already own a heavier bag you can use that
if you so wish. However, you must be able to perform a minimum
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of 8 reps for each movement in the hypertrophy phase.

If you are already following some conditioning workouts then

this phase can be performed alongside it, just don’t do the
optional short conditioning pieces.
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YOU are in control of how difficult these movements are, the

point is to perform the sandbag exercises creating as much
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tension through your body as you can (just remember

to breath;)

A few of the movements have difficulty levels with level 1 being

the simplest, and level 3 being the most difficult to perform.
See next page for a list of the levels with links to each
movement video.

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MOVEMENT LEVELS

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SQUAT

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Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Z PRESS
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Level 1 Level 2
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GLUTE BRIDGE FLOOR PRESS

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Why join the navy when you can be a pirate?

week ONE (hypertrophy)

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Session one
A) Tempo front squat superset
4 rounds

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8-15 sandbag front squat with 3-5 sec eccentric each rep
(level 1,2 or 3)

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12 jumping lunge

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Rest approximately 60 - 90sec between rounds

B) Optional conditioning
5min AMRAP
10 bearhug squat
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20ft leopard crawl

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Click thumbnails to take you to our YouTube movement demos

crossfitswansea.com
week ONE (hypertrophy)

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Session two
A) Tempo Z press
4 rounds

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8-15 sandbag Z press with 3-5 sec eccentric each rep
(level 1 or 2)

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10 inverted row with 3-5 sec eccentric

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Rest approximately 60 - 90sec between rounds

B) Optional core conditioning

Tabata (8 rounds of 20sec work/10sec rest)
Captain Morgans
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Alternate L to R side each round

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Click thumbnails to take you to our YouTube movement demos

Work hard stay humble

WEEKS FiVE-EiGHT

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Conditioning
Now we have spent 4 weeks on movement quality it’s time to test
our intensity tolerance and fitness.

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3 workouts a week over 4 weeks split into 3 types:

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n Short (7min and under)
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Medium (up to 15min)
Long (Over 15min)
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The shorter the workout, the higher the intensity should be!
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RETEST
If you performed the Z press ‘Bring Sally up’ challenge at the start
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once you have completed this 4 week conditioning phase, give it

another go and see if you can beat it.

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crossfitswansea.com
week FiVE (conditioning)

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Session 1 (short)
For time
‘Fran’ bag

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21-15-9
Sandbag thruster

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Burpee

Session 2 (medium)
The Grace’s
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6 rounds
10 sandbag GTOH
20 sandbag bearhug squat
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Why join the navy when you can be a pirate?