Despite its name, the Sandbag shoulder toss is a full body exercise that requires both upper and lower body strength along with core stability. The aim of the exercise is to pick up a sandbag and throw it over your shoulder.

The skills and strength acquired in this exercise can be transferred to several different sports, however it is most commonly used in Strongman. The motion of lifting a sandbag is similar to picking up an Atlas stone in Strongman competitions.

Sandbag to Shoulder Toss Step By Step Guide

A sandbag shoulder toss can be performed at your home gym or outdoors as long as there are no sharp objects on the ground that could damage the sandbag. Make sure there is plenty of room around you when dropping the bag from your shoulder.

• Begin with the sandbag on the floor in-between your legs and stand behind it.

• Squat down and pick up the sandbag from either side. If the bag is heavy, you might need to wrap your arms around it in a hugging motion to get a better grip.

• Brace your core and lift the sandbag off the ground, keeping it close to your body.

• Lift the sandbag onto one shoulder and then throw it over your shoulder onto the floor. Turn around and repeat the movement on the other side. 

If your main goal is strength, work with a heavier sandbag and perform fewer repetitions with longer rest breaks. This exercise can also be used as a form of conditioning to elevate your heart rate and improve muscular endurance. If this is your goal, choose a lighter sandbag that you can perform more repetitions with and reduce the rest time. You can also complete this movement as part of a circuit or bootcamp session to increase the intensity.

Written by guest author Eryn Barber.

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Tags: Equipment > Sandbags ; Exercise Type > Strength