You are ready to begin Unstable Load/Odd Object training. The best place to start is to obtain a sandbag. You can do the vast majority of your training with this one piece of equipment.
We will start on the inexpensive/low quality end of the spectrum and move up in quality and price. Perhaps the cheapest way to make a sandbag is with duck tape. This is also the bag that will last the shortest time and have the highest chance of breakage. Here are the steps:
1. Buy a bag of play sand from your local hardware store, these usually weigh about 50 pounds.
2. Remove sand to get to your desired weight (I do not recommend trying this method with a full bag of sand, it needs some room to shift).
3. Tape the top closed with duck tape. To improve the longevity of the bag, you will want to tape up the rest of the bag as well.
4. Get to work!
Materials:
Bag of Play Sand
Roll of Duck Tape
Cost:
~$6.00
If you are looking for something that will last longer, a dry bag filled with sand is a good choice. These bags are easily obtained and are sealed to be waterproof, which means they won’t leak sand either. The steps are similar to the steps above:
1. Buy a dry bag and bag of sand. I recommend at least an 8L bag, Sea to Summit makes a quality one (pictured above).
2. Pour the sand into the dry bag until you achieve the target weight.
3. Seal the bag in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, making sure to remove excess air.
4. Get to work!
Materials:
Bag of Play Sand
Dry Bag
Cost:
~$40-$50
Finally, if you want a sandbag that can stand up to the abuse you will undoubtedly dish out, you need a Brute Force Sandbag. These bags are as bullet proof as you can get. They also allow you to quickly change the weight of your bag by simply changing out inner sand tubes. There are cheaper options out there but none of them compare to what Brute Force offers. I use my bag daily and it’s still in great shape (I also change the weight almost daily). Here are the steps for a Brute Force bag:
1. Buy a Brute Force Sandbag and bag of sand. I recommend the Athlete Bag for most people, the Mini Bag works well for small framed folks.
2. Pour the sand in the inner sand tube until you achieve the target weight.
3. Seal the sand tube and place it in your sandbag.
4. Zip up the bag and get to work!
Materials:
Bag of Play Sand
Brute Force Sandbag
Cost:
~$100-$150
If you have other ideas, please leave them in comments! Once you have your sandbag, click on the WODs link for functional sandbag workouts.
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