Sandbag workouts use a sand-filled bag in place of a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell — you can clean it, jerk it, press it, snatch it, swing it, and carry it, and you can fill it on location and dump it out to travel. This one came from a listener question on Instagram, and sandbags are absolutely something I use often — they were a huge part of getting ready for GORUCK selection and SEALFIT. In this Physical Friday I explain why I never travel without one, how to make a sandbag for a few dollars, and two of my favorite sandbag workouts, including 60 sandbag get-ups for time.
Watch now: press play in the player above and follow along.
A quick note: the original podcast audio feed for this episode is no longer available, so the video above is the best place to watch and listen to this Physical Friday.
A sandbag can be used in place of a barbell — anything you can do with a barbell you can do with a sandbag, meaning cleans, jerks, overhead presses, snatches, and even kettlebell-style swings. It is one of the simplest forms of training there is: picking up something heavy and using it to enhance your fitness. I leaned on sandbags heavily preparing for GORUCK selection and SEALFIT, because I knew there would be no barbell at those events.
No — don't let price be a factor. You can go to the army navy store and pick up a three dollar surplus duffle bag, line it with plastic bags of sand, tape it up, and train. You can even use a bag of hardware store sand in its plastic, though it will eventually break. If you want something nicer, Rogue, GORUCK, and Brute Force make proper training sandbags with interior liners, double or triple Velcro closures, and outer shells with handles.
It is similar to a Turkish get-up: you lie on the ground with a sandbag on your shoulder, do a forceful sit-up, drive your hips up, get a knee under you, and stand. Then you lie all the way back down — shoulder blades flat — switch sides, and repeat. It is one of the best core strengthening movements there is, in my opinion.
The simplest one is also my favorite: sandbag get-ups for time. We do 60 get-ups with a 60-pound bag and record the time. Do 20 or whatever your fitness allows. If you finish 60 in twelve minutes, then ten, then eight, then six, you are getting better — through technique, strength, or stamina, all of which mean you are becoming a more capable person. Too easy? Increase the weight.
You can pack an empty sandbag in your luggage, fill it with beach sand when you arrive — I can make mine 60 pounds — and dump it out when you leave. You certainly don't want to take a kettlebell on an airplane. They are also quiet and forgiving: you can drop a sandbag at a hotel, on a driveway, or in your house early in the morning without breaking anything or waking anyone.
It comes from my friend Ross Enamait. On roughly a 400 meter loop, run the lap carrying the sandbag, drop it and run the lap unloaded, then return to the bag and clean and press it overhead 10 times — repeat three times, for time. He calls for a 120-pound bag because he is an elite athlete; go at your level with 20, 40, 60, 80, or 100 pounds and work your way up.
Two complete workouts from the episode — one single-movement grinder and one circuit that earns its name.
If either workout gets too easy, add weight. For more ideas, GORUCK and Rogue publish sandbag workouts, and you can search sandbag at tomrowlandtraining.com. The full demonstrations are in the episode above.
I always take a sandbag when I am driving somewhere, especially to shoot the TV show — they are great to train with, and they are great for holding the lights down when it is windy. The crew has gotten so used to me bringing sandbags that they no longer bring their own. I tell that story, and what we do with them on location, in the episode above.
If I am flying somewhere with a beach — which is often, because we are usually going fishing — I pack an empty cylinder bag I can fill with beach sand up to about 60 pounds, plus one shaped like a kettlebell. Fill it on arrival, dump it when you leave, roll it up, and it fits in your luggage nicely. I explain the setup in the episode above.
Sandbags were central to my preparation for GORUCK selection and SEALFIT, because I knew those events would use them and there would be no barbell anywhere. Mark Divine of SEALFIT demonstrates the get-up with what looks like about a 100-pound bag in the video. What that preparation taught me about simple heavy training is in the episode above.
When you are working out early at a hotel — or right under your wife's bedroom window, like I do a lot of times — dropping sandbags instead of dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells keeps the peace. They are also forgiving on your driveway and safe to drop in the house without breaking anything. I cover all the reasons I am a big sandbag fan in the episode above.
Listen or watch: the full breakdown, with every detail, is in the episode above.
Sandbag training strips fitness down to its essence: pick up something heavy and use it. Three dollars at the army surplus store buys you a gym you can fly with, drop anywhere, and never outgrow.
Next week we keep the sandbags out — and bring a friend, your kids, or a training partner along, because the whole episode is partner sandbag workouts. See you then.
sandbag workouts · sandbag get-ups · Turkish get-up · carry, run, press and puke · Ross Enamait · Mark Divine · SEALFIT · GORUCK selection · Rogue Fitness · Brute Force · army navy surplus duffle bags · clean and press · tomrowlandtraining.com · Fishing Dad x2 · Instagram listener questions · Physical Friday · Saltwater Experience
Physical Friday is my weekly fitness series for fishing guides, anglers, hunters, and outdoorsmen — the training, nutrition, and mindset to stay in the game for life. Watch and listen to every Physical Friday episode from Tom Rowland.
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's Physical Friday series I share the training formats, nutrition habits, and mindset tools I use to stay strong enough to fish, hunt, hike, and keep up with my kids — short, practical episodes built for guides, anglers, and outdoorsmen who want to stay in the game for life.
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