Today we added five sandbags to the cage; two 40lb. bags and three 80lb. bags. In the very near future we'll be adding an additional 80lb. bag and two additional 40lb. bags. To clarify, they aren't actually sandbags. They are sea bags filled with wood pellets. The link below explains how they are made.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j6yE8LbQTg
Working with sandbags is considered odd object training. An odd object can be defined as a non-rigid implement who's center of mass is not fixed and is ever changing. The more it shifts the harder your muscles work to adapt.
The link below is a brief montage of several sandbag exercises.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWH5YkMnkDY&feature=player_embedded
These are by no means the only exercises in which the bags can be used. Search youtube and see what you can find. The most challenging exercise I have found is the half-moon with the 40lb. bag. The link is below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKkRW_xTUsA
Some things to know about the sandbag:
- Don't use the handle sewn onto the bag. It won't support the weight and if it tears it will likely tear the bag as well.
- The bag will emanate a small amount of wood dust for the first couple of weeks.
- The 80lb. bags may be fairly rigid but that will change with use. They'll eventually begin to lose their rigidity which will increase the amount of work your muscles will need to do to control the load.
- These aren't MMA bags. Avoid tossing or repeatedly dropping them from any height greater than your waist. They'll create a dusty mess if they break.
