4 Core Bag Exercises to Master This Month

Working double the muscles in half the time is far from a pipedream. Core bag exercises – those performed with a sandbag – save the amount of time it takes to get sculpted and achieve sharpened functional fitness. Stable weights, such as kettlebells or dumbbells, just can’t compete with this kind of effectiveness.

As the name glaringly suggests, these moves tax your core – which goes way beyond aesthetics. Of course, they do give you more definition in the midsection, but these core bag exercises also improve everything from your sex life to lifting heavy shopping bags, making you stronger, more mobile and preventing injury. Practice and perfect these 4 core bag exercises and feel your body get stronger by the second.

4 functional and effective core bag exercises

The bag’s unstable, sandy inners move around during core bag exercises, constantly shifting the center of gravity when you’re working out. Your lats and abs have to come to the rescue to keep the bag – and you – stable as you perform each exercise. Try them yourself:

1. Core bag squat

If you’re not familiar with this move, you should become familiar. You’ll feel some serious muscle-activation from the core bag squat.

• With your palms facing away from you and the sandbag cradled in your elbow creases, hinge your hips and lower your butt into a squat, as though you’re sitting on a low chair.
• Keep your weight in your heels.
• Rise and repeat.

2. Core bag deadlift

You can do this after the core bag squat if you want to be extra efficient. However, it might help to master these both separately, before you combine the two.

• To begin, stand with your feet just wider than hip-width apart.
• Hold the core bag by its side handles, palms facing your body.
• Keep your bag straight.
• Hinge at the hips and send your butt back as you lower the bag to the ground.
• Push through your soles and the back of your legs to rise back up.

3. Core bag clean and press

Lift like an Olympian – invite the core bag clean into your training regime. This time, with an additional press.

• Start with the core bag against your shins.
• Then grab both handles with each hand (palms facing each other) and hinge back your butt.
• In one explosive lift, catch the core bag on your fists, lining it up with your shoulders.
• Push through your feet, activate your core and drive the sandy weight over your head.
• Finish off by bringing it back down to the floor via your chest and repeat.

4. Core bag reverse lunge

• We’re racking the core bag behind our necks this time, grasping its side handles.
• When you’re ready and have your feet hip-width apart, step your right foot back and lower into a lunge.
• Push through your left heel to return to the starting position.
• Give it 20 reps and repeat on the other leg. Boom.

Want more for your core? The EVO blog is crammed with functional fitness tips and workouts to shake up your routine. There are sandbag exercises if you’re on a midsection mission.