Fresh air and scenery! What better way to train than being able to take your training into the outdoors? Studies have shown a variety of health benefits to training outdoors. Not only are you getting closer to nature but you will get a natural boost of vitamin D and serotonin levels helping to develop stronger bones and reducing anxiety and stress. Let’s not forget the abundance of fresh oxygen to breathe in. In short, outdoor exercise can improve your health and leave you feeling more relaxed and invigorated than its indoor counterpart.

The only problem with this is the lack of access to gym equipment. Outdoor training becomes far less appealing if you have to transport an entire gym outside with you every time that you want to train. Luckily there is an all-in-one solution. Power bags or sandbags are the ideal companion to your outdoor training and can be used to replace barbells, kettlebells and medicine balls all in one piece of equipment.

What is a Power Bag?

Power Bags are simply bags that are filled with sand. Typically these bags range in weight from 5 kg up to 60 kg and have multiple exterior handles to allow the bag to be held in different positions to provide multiple exercise options. Power bags differ from Sandbags by having an easy to clean surface and are also more rigid than a Sandbag. Both these types of bags offer a range of exercise options and are relatively inexpensive.

The Benefits of Training with a Powerbag

Versatility

Power bags come with a number of different exterior hands to grip the bags with. These handles allow you to mimic holding a barbell in various positions to do exercises such as a snatch with the sandbag. Most Barbell exercises can be performed with these bags. They are also made of highly durable material allowing you to drop or slam a bag similar to a medicine ball. The compact size means that it is easy to transport and you don’t need to worry about adding Weight Plates to make it useful.

Functional Fitness

Due to the power bag’s size and shape, you are able to move the bag through multiple planes of motions. Regular strength equipment generally limits you to a single motion. The ability to move through multiple planes develops functional fitness which better translates into everyday life activities.

For example, the power bag rotational deadlift helps strengthen the posterior chain which moves in a forward and backward motion while at the same time doing a rotational movement that involves left to right motions. This can have a direct translation into movements such as picking up a box and turning to put it on the counter.

Stability, Core Strength and Rotational Training

Going hand-in-hand with functional training is core, stability and rotational training. As mentioned above, adding a rotational movement into power bag training is easily done. This also requires your core and stability muscles to be activated. While you are moving the weight from one side of the body to another your core and stability muscles need to prevent you from falling over, providing these muscles with a training stimulus.

How to Train with a Power Bag

A weight bag allows you to train anywhere so take advantage of that and set yourself up in your favourite part of the garden or park. While you can use these bags for conventional training, they do lend themselves to metabolic conditioning or HIIT style training. This will ensure that you get a cardio workout at the same time. I would suggest selecting exercises that require large muscle groups that work through a range of motions. However, it is recommended that you have mastered the basics of the motions first before you try to include too many other elements.

Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) Power Bag Routine

Set up a timer to beep every minute. Start the timer for the first minute and start the first exercise. Complete the required number of reps. Whatever time is left at the end of the required number of reps is your rest. When the second minute starts, start the second exercise, once again using what is left of the minute as a rest. Continue in this way for the remainder of the exercises. If the circuit is too easy you can increase the weight of the powerbag or increase the number of reps being done.

1 - Power Bag Front Squats - 20 Reps

Hold the power bag in front of you, resting on your chest. In this position push your bum back and lower yourself into a squat position before pushing through the heels and glutes to return to the starting position. This exercise is not only good for quad and glute strength but with the weight in front of you it helps perfecting your squat form otherwise you would be pulled forward.

2 - Power Bag Shouldering - 15 Reps on Each Side

Grip the power bag around the middle and lift it up onto one shoulder. Lean forward and drop the bag on the floor before bending down and lifting it up onto the other shoulder. Keep your shoulder blades pulled down your back and your spine neutral. Bend your knees to get closer to the bag. This exercise is great for developing posterior chain strength of the hamstrings, glutes and back.

3 - Power Bag Windscreen Wipers - 10 Reps

Lie on your back and hold the Power bag up above your face with your legs straight out on the floor. Tighten your abs and lift your feet with straight legs towards the bag. Then drop the legs to the floor towards the right of the midline, keeping control of the movement and your abs tight. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side by dropping the legs towards the floor to the left of the midline.

4 - Reverse Lunge with Power Bag Rotation - 15 Reps on Each Side

Hold the bag with an overhand grip on the handles in front of you with your arms straight. Step backwards with the left leg and bend the left knee towards the ground to perform a lunge. At the same time rotate your chest and power bag to the right. Return to the starting position. This exercise combines leg strength with a rotational movement which requires core strength and stability

5 - Power Bag Good Morning - 20 Reps

Lift the bag onto your shoulders, holding a handle with each hand. Tighten the abs and with a straight spine, lean forwards as far as you can go by hinging at the hip. Try to get your spine parallel to the floor. Drive through the heels and glutes to lift your chest back to the upright position. This is a great alternative to the deadlift and works the muscles in a different way by shifting the weight further forward, activating the erector spinae more

6 - Power Bag Rotational Deadlift - 20 Reps

Hold the power bag as you would for a deadlift. As you perform the deadlift, rotate your chest so that the bag touches the ground to the outside of one leg. Stand back up to the starting position and repeat the exercise to the opposite side. The lower back rotational muscles of the quadratus lumborum are activate in addition to the glutes and hamstrings

7 - Power Bag Burpee and Snatch - 15 Reps

This is a great exercise for quickly increasing heart rate by incorporating a snatch weightlifting movement and burpee. Hold the bag in front of you with an overhand grip and straight arms. Lean forward into a quarter deadlift position before exploding upwards with high elbows. At the top of the movement flick the bag above your head. Return to the starting position but now drop into a burpee with your hands on the power bag.

8 - Power Bag Deadlift and Upright Row - 20 Reps

Perform a deadlift by leaning forward from the hip and lowering the weight to the floor keeping your spine straight. Drive through the heels and glutes to a standing position. Once in this position lift the power bag towards your chin by keeping high elbows. This combines glute and hamstring strength of the deadlift with shoulder strength of the upright row. The upright row has also been shown to require a high degree of core strength as the core has to prevent the upright body from falling forward.

9 - Power Bag Shoulder Press and Squat - 10 Reps on Each Side

Hold the power bag with two hands around the middle and rest it on one shoulder. Lower yourself into a squat and stand back up again. At the top of the motion, straighten your arms up above your head to perform a shoulder press and then lower the power bag to your other shoulder. This exercise combines leg strength and shoulder strength but also has the benefit of training muscle imbalance. By having the power bag on one side for the squat, that side has to work harder. When you switch it to the other side then the opposite leg has to work harder.

10 - Power Bag Deadlift Row Combo - 20 Reps

Perform a deadlift but at the bottom of the deadlift ensure that your spine is in a straight position. Then pull the sandbag towards your chest and slowly lower it back down again. Once this is done, complete the deadlift motion by returning to the upright position. This combines the back muscles, specifically the lats with glute and hamstring strengthening.

Whether you want to do conventional strength exercises such as back squats or you would like to combine movements to create functional training, the Mirafit Sand Filled Power Bag can be your solution. Take it outside with you to get that high of training outdoors or use it in your garage gym for functional training. The versatility of the power bag will help you develop strength, power, core and rotational training while providing a fun training stimulus.

Written by guest author Brendan McBirnie.

For more content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and on our official Mirafit Facebook page.

Tags: Equipment > Sandbags ; Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Workout