3 More of the Biggest Misconceptions of Ultimate Sandbag Training
As we continue to grow and see the excitement that is building around our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training system. We also see equally the misconceptions and confusion around this form of training. In fact, that is why I have said many times that hate the idea of sandbag training as it is vague and what most people think is sandbag training is actually sandbag lifting. That is why I wanted to write another series on 3 MORE misconceptions of DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training.
Work that Grip!: Grip work reminds me a great deal of when functional training became popular and “balance training” was hitting. Everyone had to do specific balance training as though people couldn’t walk down the street without falling down! The truth was this balance training was not even functional for daily activities! Grip training is not much different.
Grip training comes in many forms, just ask grip expert, John Brookfield, who has listed three different types of grip strength (crushing, pinch, and wrist). We could make an argument for a fourth of “support” which is commonly used to hold something for extended periods of time. Most people assume crushing is the only type and that everyone needs extreme levels of this type. However, it can vary greatly. Martial artists and fighters are more about pinch with some crushing. Powerlifters and other strength athletes usually need crushing and wrist. The everyday person? It is much harder to say as grip can be also specific.
You Don't Have to Be Superman to Benefit From Grip Training
“…grip strength either increases or decreases depending on the arm position at which the grip strength is being measured. A person’s grip strength usually results in having the strongest grip strength when their arm is extended at 90° before their body, as opposed to the other extreme arm positions, rested at one’s side or held straight up above one’s head. Grip strength is not optimal if one’s arm is extended backwards beyond the resting position at the body’s sides. We can conclude that grip strength is affected via the different arm muscles and their ability to contract.”
When we placed handles for use in our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training hardcore enthusiasts thought we were losing the grip effect of sandbag training. Quite the contrary, with our innovative design of our Ultimate Sandbag we combined all aspects of gripping. Using the strategically placed handles simply allows more progressions as well as the opportunity to challenge different levels of grip strength. Add in a non-abrasive exterior and you may actually have the ultimate tool for training all aspects of grip strength.
Why would the average person care about grip strength? When the grip is trained more muscles in the upper body are activated. So, if you are looking for a more muscular and functional upper body you will definitely want to challenge your grip in all aspects in our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training system.
It’s NOT About Cleans and Squats: It can be tough, people are often infatuated by exercises and not progressions. They believe that even in Ultimate Sandbag Training that certain exercises are a must, they are doing something wrong if they don’t perform THESE exercises. That is a BIG mistake, being a slave to exercises rather than understanding progressive movement can often determine the success or failure of any fitness program. Understanding proper progressions and the why enhance the chance for success, especially with a program like our DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training System where so many options do exist to find a MOVEMENT that works with your current fitness level.
In our Ultimate Sandbag Training System, a squat is not just a loaded lower body exercise. Instead, it is an opportunity to build foundational movement patterns and we can challenge the stability of some of the most important areas of the body (hips and core) with different Ultimate Sandbag Training positions and stances. Working through some or all of the progressions builds not only tremendous versatility and variation in a fitness system, but instead of trying to perform exercises that feel cumbersome or painful we can identify the right Ultimate Sandbag Training exercise for our goals and our bodies!
One of the most common questions I receive is about the clean exercise. “I am struggling to perform the clean”, is a possibly one of the classics that I get. The truth is when I ask people if they have performed our Ultimate Sandbag Training exercises to help teach important components of the clean, people have no idea what I am talking about! That is a shame and another example of people becoming infatuated with an exercise rather than understanding the complexity of a movement. We will be showing a video in the next few posts that really breaks down this idea of progressive Ultimate Sandbag Training movements and how they relate to the clean. Heck I don’t want you doing a “clean”, I want you to learn how to use acceleration in your Ultimate Sandbag Training! Why? Whether you are trying to be more fit or be a better athlete, learning how to perform accelerative Ultimate Sandbag Training progressions.
Beyond Primal: “Primal training” is becoming an increasingly popular training concept. The general idea is good, “using training that our bodies were designed to perform by nature”, sounds good and yet there is massive confusion. Again, people become focused on exercises rather than movement and you can see this form of training range from Olympic lifts, to gymnastics, to tire flipping, to crawling on the ground.
I don’t want to argue the validity of primal or not, rather just think about the needs of the people we work with. That does mean, learning to move better and more efficiently, it does mean losing fat and increasing functional muscle on the body, it does also mean listening to those we make fitness programs for!
Ultimate Sandbag Training is About One Thing..RESULTS!
Whether you want to call it “primal”, or “functional”, our Ultimate Sandbag Training is designed to do all the above in a progressive manner. The truth is people deal with more physical issues, have less time to train, and aren’t as active as we should. That means focusing on an exercise, no matter how good, may or may not be a beneficial exercise for YOU! When we design Ultimate Sandbag Training exercises I don’t think about the exercises only in that workout, but the movement and strength concepts I want to teach over time. Most people get too caught up in the name or idea of a “philosophy” of training and forget that a good training system needs to address the specific needs of an individual. That is what Ultimate Sandbag Training is designed to do!
It may seem odd that a sandbag can do all that we have talked about. The truth is that a sandbag doesn’t! It is what you do and the training programs that you create to solve your fitness needs. Sounds like an infomercial, I know! That is what I would think reading this if I were you, but if you adhere to the principles you will find the results that thousands have and that has changed my own life! With a major low back injury and a spinal fusion in my neck I am in the best shape of my life and want to share these types of results with anyone that has an open-mind and has a desire to “revolutionize their fitness!”
