Issue 056
November 2009
When I first heard about this tool I thought it was just another money-making scam, the brain-child of a hungry fitness professional who had thought of a new twist on a sandbag. Well, like the man in the orthopedic shoes, I stand corrected!
Barry Gibson is a kettlebell and fitness instructor as well as a 3rd dan black belt in judo. A strength and conditioning trainer to some of the UK’s top MMA fighters (including TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson), he is available for seminars and workshops upon request. For details or to contact him with any questions or queries, email [email protected]. Check out his DVD ‘Train Hard, Fight Easy and Win’, available from grapplefit.com.
This bit of kit blew me away – the Bulgarian bag is designed to add resistance to any and all exercises in one way or another. Drills such as squats, reverse lunges and bridging all take on a new meaning when performed with this bad boy!
Some of you may remember the article I wrote on barbell training featuring the Dave Starbrook circuit. I routinely perform this with a sandbag as it stresses the grip in the same way holding on to a gi would, plus I like my grip training (as some of you may have guessed)! Anyway, I was messing around with the bag for a review and came up with this circuit:
Bulgarian bag swings – 6 reps
Around the worlds – 6 reps each way
Jump squats – 10 reps
Lateral lunges – 6 reps each leg
Push-ups – 10 reps
Neck bridging – 15 reps.
Go through the above like crazy and don’t stop until you’ve completed all the reps. After the neck bridges, rest for 60 seconds then repeat for another three or four rounds.
This was a good little complex to do when short on time, and worked the anaerobic system nicely. I started to think about making it more taxing for myself, and came up with the idea of tweaking the Starbrook circuit. The various handles on the bag made performing the Starbrook circuit with this tool a real puker!
My variation on the Starbrook circuit is as follows:
Shoulder press – 10
Tricep extension – 10
Reverse curls – 10
Bent over rows – 10
Hammer curls – 10
Pullovers – 10
Jumping squats / lunges – 10
Around the worlds – 10 each way
Go through this little lot three times completely without rest to see what you’re made of. It’s great to perform when you’re short on time, and people always use that excuse!
There you have it. Whichever circuit you do, ensure the weight is challenging enough. It should be no more than one-third of your bodyweight. Too heavy and you won’t complete the round, too light and you’re not gaining anything!
