Sandbag Load

What it is

This is a dynamic, full-body exercise where you lift an unwieldy sandbag and load it onto an elevated platform. It primarily targets your quadriceps, while also demanding strength and stability from your glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles. This movement enhances functional strength and power through a challenging, awkward carry and lift.

Technique tips

• Grip the sandbag as widely as possible to control its shifting weight.
• Drive through your heels, hips, and knees for a powerful initial lift.
• Maintain a strong, braced core throughout the entire movement.
• Move efficiently between lifting the bag and loading the platform.
• Explode through your legs to get the sandbag high onto the platform.
• Control the placement to prevent the sandbag from rolling off.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.