Straight to the Bar

All Things Strength

HELPING YOU GET STRONGER SINCE 2004

How to Make a Sandbag for $10
Posted By Scott Bird
Sandbag Materials

Sandbag Materials.

DIY workout gear doesn’t come much cheaper than this. If you’ve got 10 bucks in your pocket and an hour to spare, pop down to the nearest hardware store and grab the following :

  • 8-10 heavy-duty freezer bags (the ‘snap lock’ ones are great if you can get them)
  • large hessian sack
  • large heavy-duty garden sack (to fit inside the hessian one)
  • roll of cloth tape
  • ball of twine
  • about 20kg(45lb) of sand (any kind with a fairly small grain)

Assembly
Assembly is a straightforward process.

Making Mini Sandbags

Making Mini Sandbags.

Half fill each of the freezer bags with sand (until you run out of sand – I used 6, but it’s good to have spares).

Mini Sandbags Taped Up

Mini Sandbags Taped Up.

Seal and tape each bag tightly – make sure you squeeze all the air out.

Completed Sandbag

Completed Sandbag.

Place the garden sack inside the hessian one, and fill it with the small sandbags.
Tie up the sacks with twine.
That’s it! Obviously there’s a bit of trial-and-error involved, but you really can’t go too far wrong.


Changes I would make
I’ll use it a few times before I really start changing things, but a couple of likely culprits :

  • I’d probably double-bag the smaller sandbags. Just in case.
  • I may increase the cost slightly and start with more than 20kg of sand. It’s a good weight to start with, but a couple of weeks may suggest that more is necessary.


Further Reading
You may be wondering what to do with your new toy. Here are a few ideas.
Sandbag Training for Ultimate Abs And Core
Josh Henkin
Effective sandbag training
Josh Henkin
7 Reasons Why You Should Incorporate Sandbag Training Into Home Gym Trainees [.pdf, 207kb]
Josh Henkin
Sandbag Lifting
John Brookfield
Videos
273lb Sandbag Clean and Press

Sandbag Assault Movie

Over to you. Drop us a line on Twitter ( @scottbird ), or add a comment below.

Cheers.

 

NB : if you love talking about strength-training as much as I do, you might also like to check out the weekly newsletter (there's also a daily version available). A regular dose of fitness-focussed discussions, absolutely free.

0 Comments

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Monday, 5 Apr 2021 – Strength & Fitness Newsletter - […] Gem From The Vault : How to Make a Sandbag for $10Scott Andrew Bird | Follow @scottbirdA great DIY…

Leave a Reply

What's This?

Straight to the Bar is the online home of fitness enthusiast Scott Bird, and looks at the many training approaches, essential techniques, uncommon exercises and superb equipment to help you become as strong as humanly possible. In short, this site is the home of all things strength.

images of strength

Strong.

Want to see (and learn) more Feats of Strength like this? Dive in.

Just Joined Us? Try These.

There are some incredible writers on the team here. To give you an idea, check these out :

If you enjoyed these, check out the complete ‘Best Of Straight to the Bar‘ list. Fantastic.

setting up a home gym?

If you’re getting ready to put together a solid Home Gym (fantastic thing), here’s how.

For more, swing by the full guide. Absolutely free.

And of course, you’ll find everything you need over in the SttB Strength Store. Massive range.

Ever Tried Kettlebells?

If you’ve seen people using them but never taken the plunge yourself, here are the ones I use personally. You can also pick up a book/DVD/course if you want to learn how to put them to work.

Ready To Learn Even More?

I love learning new skills, and the many seminars & workshops available are a great way to do that. If you’re looking for a specific type of workshop nearby, check out the ones on Dragon Door. Great mix of kettlebell and calisthenics-based offerings.

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program

The Precision Nutrition Certification Program.

If you’re a fitness professional and love the Precision Nutrition approach, check out their certification offering. To say it’s comprehensive is an understatement.

Wherever You Are, We Are.

In addition to the main site, you can share your strength-training passion with a like-minded community on :

Wherever you like to hang out, get your regular dose of strength. Straight to the Bar.

Written By Scott Bird
Scott is a long-time fitness enthusiast (Jan 2004!), writer and photographer living in Sydney, Australia. If you share the passion for spending a bit of time under a bar, welcome. Love hearing how everyone else trains. You can connect via X (Formerly Twitter), Facebook and the various networks listed in the sidebar.
Drawing of Scott Andrew Bird performing a deadlift. Artwork by Vince Palko.