Freshman Sandbag Training

This is the first of several posts/articles I hope to do over the years.

**EDIT**Ths is the first part of an article I hopeto creat over the years, as I become more versed with the practical aspects of sandbag training. I’m posting this short little bit for now just tohave in writing somewhere. Feel free to offer suggestions, corrections ofr questions. It is my desire to someday come upwith a useful document that people who want to try sandbag training can refer to that will carry them from the initial decision to start all the waythrough their first few sessions****

I’ve been doing a pretty fair bit of sandbag training lately. I am using the ironmind bags. For me, it has been nice. I can’t train in my apartment so I go down to the park several times a week. I take the outer bag and several smaller bags so I can adjust the weight of the overall bag. I may only be able to do my longest bearhug walk with 100lbs but I may want to work on cleaning 200lbs. No problem, I chuck in a pair of extra bags in between. The sandbag seems to start to get stressed at about 200lbs. I haven’t yet gone for 250 but I suspect that I will have to use more packed bags than I currently am and that may change the nature of the training overall.
Most people that I have read about using the duffle bags are using fixed weight bags. I don’t have the space to have four or five bags 100lb – 250lb laying in the back of my car. You don’t have to use the duffel that way, you could keep it flexible like I am doing right now. I could be wrong but I think military duffles are a little smaller, volume wise than the Ironmind bag, so the bag may tighten and become inflexible at 175 or 200lbs instead of 250.
I have considered the military duffle. You have to admit they are dirt cheap. I suspect with all they can take more drops and more damage than the Ironmind bag can. The metal lock on most of them would be a mixed blessing, it would be nice to have the added security but if you did it wrong, you could take pieces out of yourself easily.
If you want an easy, all in one package, buy the Ironmind bags. If you want the cheapest and probably most durable route, go with the military bags and buy regular sandbags at Lowes, McMaster Carr or wherever.
No matter what you buy from the tenets of sandbag training remain. Keep the sand loose so it can move on you. Secure your bag very well when it is full. Use liner bags. If you use flexible, loadable bags like me, that means large ziplocks or small trash bags in each laodable, inner bag. If you use one large, fixed weight bag, use several heavy duty trash bags, preferably going opposite directions inside your bag.

good luck and happy training.