STIRLING : Lifts & Lunges

This is a short and simple sandbag workout. We are focusing on six moves, and the goal is to do them with perfect form. This workout is going to really work on your glutes, hamstrings and quads today.

Your sandbag weight should feel challenging.

What gear do I need?

  • Ruck
  • Sandbag
  • Tennis/Lacrosse Ball
  • Foam Roller

What exercises do I need to know?

Sandbag Good Mornings Wearing your ruck, get the sandbag up on your shoulders so it's resting on your ruck and against your head. Grab the sandbag by both sides. Brace your core, hinge at the hips, and use your glutes and hamstrings to control the movement. Pause at the bottom of the movement and then reverse.

Ruck Overhead Squats Stand, feet hip width apart, your ruck horizontally on the ground. Bring it up to a clean and raise it above your head. Tuck your shoulders "in their pockets" for stability. Go down into a squat. Focus on keeping your posture upright and do not dip forward. Bring your body back to standing. If your ruck is too light, but your sandbag is too heavy, add temporary weight to your ruck.

Rotational Dead Lifts Wearing your ruck, place your sandbag vertically along the outside of your foot. Squat slightly in deadlift position, hamstrings firing. Twist to the side to grab the handles of your sb. Rotate forward as you stand. Twist to the opposite side to reverse the deadlift and bring the sandbag back down to the floor. That's one rep. Stand for a beat, then deadlift-twist to the sandbag side and repeat the rep.

Down and Back Sandbag Side Lunges You'll need a drive-way length for sandbag side lunges. Wearing your ruck, hold your sandbag by it's handles at hip height. Side lunge down as you bring the sandbag down. Lift the sandbag up, side lunge out again. Do only one leg at a time as you lunge down the driveway, and do the opposite leg as you lunge up.

Sandbag Single-Leg Romanian Dead Lifts (both left and right legs) Wearing your ruck, begin by standing with soft knees. Your sandbag should be laying on the ground horizontally at your feet. As you hinge forward at the waist, bring one leg up off the ground. Make sure your hips are level and stable - straighten any hip twist or opening. Focus on your glutes, hamstrings and the standing legs quad muscle as you tighten your core. With both hands, take your sandbag handles and lift the sandbag as you rise, gently touching your toe to the ground behind you. Bring the bag back down with control, leg raising again. 

Plank Pulls with Sandbag In plank position, wearing your ruck, your sandbag should be on the ground next to you near your hand. Reach the opposite arm underneath your body and pull the sandbag across and to the other side of your body. Place that hand on the ground and complete the move with the opposite hand.

START HERE

Roll out today, in this order:

  • Take shoes off, and roll feet with a tennis ball - under arch and along the inside and outside of the foot
  • Calves
  • Hamstrings
  • Quads
  • Hip/Glutes (be very careful NOT to press your hip joint into the roller)
  • Chest/Shoulders/Traps
  • Upper back and Lats (never roll your lumbar spine)

10 x Wall Squats

3 x PVC Pipe Drills

  • 10 x PVC Pipe Pass Through Hold your PVC pipe wider than shoulder width. Your arms should feel slight tension as you hold the pipe. Raise your arms up overhead and bring the PVC pipe behind you, the PVC pipe bumping your behind and then bring it overhead and bumping the front of your thighs
  • 10 x PVC Pipe Around the Worlds
  • 10 x PVC Pipe Deadlifts Perform with body tension as though the pipe were heavy.
  • 10 x PVC Pipe Overhead Squats Hold pipe overhead and perform squats
  • If you do not have a thin PVC pipe, a dowel, broomstick or mop handle works just as well.

WORKOUT x 3 Rounds

Rest 1-3 minutes between rounds.

1 minute - Sandbag Good Mornings

1 minute - Ruck Overhead Squats

1 minute - Rotational Dead Lifts

Driveway Length - 4 minutes - Down and Back Sandbag Side Lunges

1 minute - Sandbag Single-Leg Romanian DLs - Left Leg

1 minute - Sandbag Single-Leg Romanian DLs - Right Leg

1 minute - Plank Pulls w Sandbag