Although you can use a sandbag as an alternative to most free weights, there are certain exercises and activities that itʼs better suited to. And to get the very best from this training tool youʼre going to want to make sure you choose the most effective approach. Below youʼll find 2 of the most successful ways to utilise sandbag training as part of your overall strength and conditioning program.
Utilising Sandbag Training

You might be asking why you should even bother with sandbag training, right? After all, youʼve done just fine without it for all these years. Well Iʼm not going to tell you that itʼs the new must-have training tool - not least as thereʼs nothing new about it, having been used for centuries. Yes, you could build awesome levels of strength and conditioning with nothing but a sandbag training program but I actually think that it works best as part of a bigger overall approach.

Hereʼs what you can expect from adding some sandbag training into your routine:

1.A killer grip.
The sandbag will not cooperate with you and youʼll be fighting hard for each and every lift (and failing on plenty of them too). The fact that itʼs tough to hold onto means that youʼll develop amazing strength, and not just in your hands. Your entire upper body will have to work exceptionally hard to hold onto and stabilize the sandbag.

2.Versatile strength and conditioning.
The unique size, shape and properties of the sandbag make it ideal for a whole range of exercises and drills, including:

• Drags
• Carries
• Throws
• Sport specific drills

Not only does this keep your training interesting but youʼll be able to build competency in a number of different physical tasks - applicable to daily life and sports performance.

3.Strong stabilizers.

If youʼve never lifted a heavy sandbag from the ground to overhead then it is difficult to appreciate the challenge involved. Unlike barbell training, the sandbag is a tricky tool to be highly efficient with. Sure, youʼll get better and being able to handle the bag but the constantly shifting centre of mass will always require that you stay highly focused.

Protocol 1: Sandbag Accessory Lifts

If youʼre following a standard barbell strength program then the sandbag makes for an awesome tool for accessory lifts. Irrespective of the template youʼre following, these sandbag accessory lifts can help to improve your main lifts:

Sandbag Overhead Press, as an accessory for the Overhead Press.
Sandbag Floor Press, as an accessory for the Bench Press.
Sandbag Deadlift, as an accessory for the Deadlift.

Grip the sandbag itself, rather than any handles, for an additional challenge to your grip strength.

This Week on Straight to the Bar

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

• Gem From the Vault : The Step-up : a Real Squat Alternative?
  Scott Andrew Bird
  A possible addition to your leg training arsenal.

  
  

• Looking At : Jun 2, 2013
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.
NB : If you'd like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Low Back Quick Test

Another great insight. Nice one Kelly.

Gymchat 203 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ etc) shortly; here are the various ways to watch/join in.

However you take part, enjoy.

btw, Kirk's offline for a couple of weeks - I'll let him fill everyone in on the details when he gets back. In the meantime, we'll be presenting a couple of guest-hosted Gymchats. And if you'd like to help moderate one of them, just let me know.

---

Details -

Who : TBA
Topic : TBA
When : Wednesday Jun 5, 9pm EST
How : Google+ Hangout. If you've never been to one, here's how to take part.
URL : We'll be announcing this shortly - both on the blog and on Google+ itself.

NB : If this is the first time you're joining us for one of the Video Gymchats, welcome. There are three basic ways to watch this (depending on whether you want to join us on the Hangout and ask a question or two, or just sit back and take it all in) - full details here. However you like to do it, we've got you covered.

---

Coming Up : In upcoming Gymchats we'll be discussing CrossFit, Rope Training and the Fitness Future of technologies such as Google Glass. Get your questions ready.


And if you'd like to suggest a topic for a future discussion - or volunteer to be interviewed on the show - just drop us a line. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Try a Caffeine Nap

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.

---

I initially wrote this back in 2006 during a brief period without coffee (I tried giving it up, but ultimately switched to the current 'one cup per day' routine), and it's still a very intriguing idea. Although I take the occasional nap and get a regular caffeine fix, I rarely combine the two.

For a start, they take place at different times of the day.

I'm curious though - has anyone here sampled a Caffeine Nap? I'd love to hear your thoughts; particularly if it's a regular thing.


From the article 'Caffeine Napping' :

Sleep researchers at Loughborough University were looking at various ways to keep motorists awake on long journeys. The winner - perhaps somewhat surprisingly - was the 'caffeine nap'.

The idea is simple : drink a cup of coffee and immediately take a brief (15-20min) nap. This helps clear the body of adenosine, a chemical commonly believed to make you drowsy.

Very interesting indeed.

Checking Out : Becoming a Supple Leopard

This is one of the books we mentioned the other day, in our discussions of 'cataloging the fitness shelves' - Kelly Starrett's 'Becoming a Supple Leopard'. Looks great.

We'll be posting a full review shortly, but suffice to say it's well-and-truly Kelly Starrett. If you've seen any of his videos, you'll understand what I mean.

For now, a quick overview on what the book's all about :

In short, it's Kelly's approach to mobility. A detailed understanding of how the body works, in order to improve athletic performance, reduce injury time and a whole lot more.


From the Amazon page -

If you are like me you won't put this thing down. I am going through it a second time as I write this. I have already recommended it to all my patients, and this will be a staple in my office and it is a must read for anyone that has a BODY - I guess that covers all of you reading this. In closing I have spent thousands of dollars on seminar after seminar. I can say unequivocally that this book has more information in it, which by the way is very simplistic for you to implement, than all of the education I have received on the dynamics of the human body.

Becoming a Supple Leopard. Fantastic.

---

Quick update on the Renaissance Fitness Supplement Kits we mentioned recently - superb idea.

As we noted, we'll be reviewing these shortly. And if you missed the announcement, here's a brief video to explain the basic idea :

For more information, head on over to the official site - renaissancefitnessinc.com.

During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, Facebook and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

As part of a 'moving to the cloud' project, I've spent a little time recently adding books to Goodreads. This article details the what, why and how when it comes to cataloguing your library.

NB : You'll notice that I'm cataloguing all of my books, not just the training-related ones. If you see other works on areas you're interested in personally, feel free to delve a little deeper - check out the ratings, read the reviews. In particular there's a lot on photography, travel and futurism. There's also quite a bit of science-fiction there - love the stuff.

What is Goodreads, and what are you actually doing?

Goodreads is an online catalog for your books, recommending other books to read based on the ones you already own (and like). And yes, the recommendations are surprisingly good.

( I tried it a few times when I was only part-way through adding my own list of books, and it frequently recommended stuff that was in the yet-to-be-added part of the collection. Books I already knew well, and really enjoyed. )

What I'm doing is scanning the barcodes (more on that in a sec), importing lists of audiobooks and ebooks, and manually typing in the remaining few. In short, I'm listing all of the books I own (and have read) in Goodreads.

Why are you doing this?

For a few reasons.

First, the recommendations are - as I touched on above - really, really good. If you're ever looking for a book on a particular subject and you don't particularly want to describe in detail the kinds of books you like and those you don't, something like Goodreads is ideal.

Second, creating a catalog - anywhere, using any tool you're familiar with (a spreadsheet is absolutely fine) - is a great way to spot 'gaps'. You'll quickly see that some of the authors you really like have other books on subjects you care about, or that you don't have any books on a particular topic that you keep getting asked about.

Finally, it's a great way to share your 'books to read' list. I'm currently looking at books like 'Becoming a Supple Leopard' by Kelly Starrett, and a number of others on various training-related and photography topics. You'll find the complete list here.

This Week on Straight to the Bar

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

• Gem From the Vault : I Love the Smell of Coffee in the Morning
  Scott Andrew Bird
  How about you - is coffee a part of your daily routine? Shortly before workouts, or perhaps a quick nap?

  
  

• Looking At : May 26, 2013
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.
NB : If you'd like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Squat Pre-Workout Sequence

Fantastic. Cheers Kelly.

Gymchat 203 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ etc) shortly; here are the various ways to watch/join in.

However you take part, enjoy.

btw, Kirk's offline for a couple of weeks - I'll let him fill everyone in on the details when he gets back. In the meantime, we'll be presenting a couple of guest-hosted Gymchats. And if you'd like to help moderate one of them, just let me know.

---

Details -

Who : TBA
Topic : TBA
When : Wednesday May 29, 9pm EST
How : Google+ Hangout. If you've never been to one, here's how to take part.
URL : We'll be announcing this shortly - both on the blog and on Google+ itself.

NB : If this is the first time you're joining us for one of the Video Gymchats, welcome. There are three basic ways to watch this (depending on whether you want to join us on the Hangout and ask a question or two, or just sit back and take it all in) - full details here. However you like to do it, we've got you covered.

---

Coming Up : In upcoming Gymchats we'll be discussing CrossFit, Rope Training and the Fitness Future of technologies such as Google Glass. Get your questions ready.


And if you'd like to suggest a topic for a future discussion - or volunteer to be interviewed on the show - just drop us a line. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Tie Your Water Consumption to the Number of Calories You Burn

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.

---

I drink a lot of water (mostly in the form of green tea, unless it's during a workout). Still, how do you work out how much you need?

From the article 8 Glasses of Water Per Day?, a bit of history that'll make the whole thing a lot clearer :

Most people are aware that the drinking of plenty of water is advisable, and anecdotal evidence suggests that more = better (up to a point). However, where did the current guideline of '8 cups per day' come from?

According to Valtin (i) the origin is probably the 1945 recommendation made by the Food and Nutrition Board of the US National Research Council. This stated :

A suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 liters daily in most instances. An ordinary standard for diverse persons is 1 milliliter for each calorie of food. Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.

The 2.5 litres was changed to 8 x 8 fluid ounce cups in later recommendations, but is otherwise unchanged.

Incidentally, if you're wondering how to work out the number of calories you're burning these days - here's how to work it out.

Re-reading : Never Let Go

I love this book.

As part of a project I'm currently working on (full details shortly), I ended up spending a bit of weekend time adding books to Goodreads. Scanning in the barcodes.

The result? A full inventory of my library. And yes, there are one or two fitness books in there.

I'll post a complete list on the main site tomorrow (still got a couple of new ones to add), but in the meantime, a quick look at a book we first noted quite some time ago :

Never Let Go: A Philosophy of Lifting, Living and Learning

And as you'll quickly see, it's packed with incredible insights that Dan John delivers in a, well, Dan John sort of way.


Love it.

---

Quick update on the Renaissance Fitness Supplement Kits we mentioned recently - superb idea.

As we noted, we'll be reviewing these shortly. And if you missed the announcement, here's a brief video to explain the basic idea :

For more information, head on over to the official site - renaissancefitnessinc.com.

During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, Facebook and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

This Week on Straight to the Bar

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

• Gem From the Vault : Soothing Music and a Handful of New PRs
  Scott Andrew Bird
  What sort of music do you listen to whilst training?

  Incidentally, I wrote this one more than 7 years ago. My numbers have gone up slightly since then :)

  
  



• Looking At : May 19, 2013
  Scott Andrew Bird
  We've been discussing some very interesting techniques, products and services recently. Here are the highlights.

  
  

Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.


NB : If you'd like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Iso Hold Bench Training

From Mike :

Holds as close to chest as possible without touching. Last set of 250 5X3 and last set of close grip with 185 (legs up). These things suck, but man they work.

Good stuff.

Gymchat 203 - TBA

We're still finalising the details for this week's discussion. I'll post them on the blog (and Twitter, Google+ etc) shortly; here are the various ways to watch/join in.

However you take part, enjoy.

btw, Kirk's offline for a couple of weeks - I'll let him fill everyone in on the details when he gets back. In the meantime, we'll be presenting a couple of guest-hosted Gymchats. And if you'd like to help moderate one of them, just let me know.

---

Details -

Who : TBA
Topic : TBA
When : Wednesday May 22, 9pm EST
How : Google+ Hangout. If you've never been to one, here's how to take part.
URL : We'll be announcing this shortly - both on the blog and on Google+ itself.

NB : If this is the first time you're joining us for one of the Video Gymchats, welcome. There are three basic ways to watch this (depending on whether you want to join us on the Hangout and ask a question or two, or just sit back and take it all in) - full details here. However you like to do it, we've got you covered.

---

Coming Up : In upcoming Gymchats we'll be discussing CrossFit, Rope Training and the Fitness Future of technologies such as Google Glass. Get your questions ready.


And if you'd like to suggest a topic for a future discussion - or volunteer to be interviewed on the show - just drop us a line. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Dynamic Thumb Training with the Titan's Telegraph Key

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.

---

I love a dose of grip work; it's a great way to challenge yourself. It's also a particularly fun way to train.

Still, there's always a different way of looking at things. Here's an excellent example of that - Jedd shows just how a piece of equipment like the TTK can be put to a slightly uncommon use. I'll let him explain.

From the article Getting the Most out of Your TTK :

Thumb training can be broken up into at least four different types: Dynamic, Static, and Extensor, and Multi-Planar.

The focus of this article will be Dynamic thumb training with the Titan's Telegraph Key, or TTK.

One way to mix things up a bit is to make the Range of Motion longer by adding something underneath the finger-side handle. A catalog is a perfect choice for this. This makes the hand work through a longer range of motion the muscles are not used to. The first time I did this, I was sore for several days from the new stimulus. This technique has worked great for me in my quest for lifting heavier and wider block weights.

A brief demonstration :

Love it.

Checking Out : Push and Crush

This looks great.

'Napalm' Jedd Johnson's Push and Crush shares a somewhat unorthodox (but extremely effective) way to train with grippers. It involves a mix of both gripper training and specific multi-joint lifts. Sounds great.

Full details of the course are over on The Grip Authority site; suffice to say though, it's comprehensive. And if you've been lucky enough to check out any of Jedd's other work, you know you're in for a treat.

Push and Crush.

---

Quick update on the Renaissance Fitness Supplement Kits we mentioned recently - superb idea.

As we noted, we'll be reviewing these shortly. And if you missed the announcement, here's a brief video to explain the basic idea :

For more information, head on over to the official site - renaissancefitnessinc.com.

During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, Facebook and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

Welcome to Google+, it's great to see you here.

Here's a quick guide to getting you up-and-running in just a few minutes - that's really all it takes.

Dive in.

1. Fill out your profile. It's all pretty straightforward; and the benefit is simple : parts of your profile are shown on various parts of the site (typically when someone hovers over your name in a post), and it just gives people instant assurance that they've got the right person. It also gives you a chance to present yourself the way you'd like to be seen, and to mention any projects you're currently working on or promoting.

NB : Photos really stand out on Google+; be sure to add a couple. Particularly the large one at the top.

2. Join the Straight to the Bar Community. This is a fantastic place to talk about all kinds of strength training, from a number of angles - looking at techniques, research, equipment, training logs and a whole lot more. Come and join us at :

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/100569524789778696565

3. Watch some of the previous Gymchats, and suggest topics / interviewees. Volunteer to be interviewed on an upcoming show.

Details of who/when/what over here :

http://straighttothebar.com/gymchats/

4. +1, share and comment on other posts, by people you admire and on topics you enjoy. It's the quickest way to encourage that other person to come and check out your profile, and your site(s).


5. Search for people, techniques and equipment you're interested in. You'll find some fantastic pages and communities this way. As an example, here's a search for :

'strongman'

NB : Across the top you'll see various types of searches - this one's for Photos.


And finally, ask questions. If you're ever not quite sure how to do something, just ask. You'll find some incredibly helpful people on Google+.

Look forward to seeing you there. Welcome.

Looks great.

Although the finished book won't be out for a few weeks (more details as they arise), if you've checked out any of Don's work you know you're in for a treat.

And to give you an idea of what's contained in Couch to Commando, here's a quick blurb from Don's site :

[Couch to Commando] contains over 20 programs divided into 5 levels designed to take people literally from Couch Potato to Commando ready. All of the programs have been developed and thoroughly tested over the last 5 years from programs used by my clients to achieve their military fitness goals.

Sounds great.