Gyms provide a wide selection of dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells for their members to use for all sorts of strength training exercises. At more and more gyms today, you'll see additional forms of resistance, including sandbags. Sandbag workouts are increasingly popular, and you might be eager to try some exercises if you've heard people talking excitedly about their own sandbag workouts. It's possible to use sandbags in all sorts of ways, allowing you to increase the strength of many major muscle groups. Here are some benefits that you'll get from working out with sandbags.
Improved Hand Strength
It's common to experience an increase in your hand strength as a result of repeatedly working out with sandbags. Although there are several different ways to hold the sandbag, you'll commonly just take hold of it with both hands — allowing your fingers to dig into the outer fabric and form a grip. Doing so requires more hand strength than holding a weight that has a handle. You might find that your hands feel tired from various sandbag exercises, which is a good sign that you're strengthening the many small muscles in each hand.
No Pinching
If you lift conventional weights enough, there's a good chance that you may occasionally pinch yourself. For example, you can pinch a finger between two weight plates on a barbell or pinch a finger between a dumbbell and the floor when you set the weight down. While these incidents are mostly minor, they can be unpleasant. Another benefit of working with sandbags is that because they don't have any hard surfaces, you don't have to worry about pinching yourself. Even if you were to set a sandbag down on your hand, it wouldn't have the same feeling as setting a traditional weight on your hand.
New Exercises
A lot of workout enthusiasts are constantly looking for new exercises that will invigorate them. If you've been lifting barbells and dumbbells for a prolonged period, you might feel that you need a change. Using a sandbag opens up all sorts of different exercises that you can try. While you can replicate lots of traditional strength training activities with sandbags, their unique size and shape allow you to explore other exercises. For example, you can hold a sandbag on each shoulder while you do lunges. Look for a selection of sandbags at your local gym and give them a try during your next workout.
