The Velocity Sport Sandbags were featured today in the Calgary Herald by local fitness guru Pete Estabrooks. Thanks Pete for the great article and all of your help, it is much appreciated.
The majority of the article is pasted here. For the entire article please click:
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/reallife/story.html?id=051e10f8-fcba-445a-8529-0f5385d3035a&k=93243
The advantage (or disadvantage) of being my client or attending my regular TKO Sports Conditioning workouts is the Fitness Guy trickle-down theory.
It goes like this: someone contacts me with new fitness equipment or an idea. I try it out for a couple of workouts and make notes of the good, the bad and the ugly parts.
If I find it safe and effective and you trust me to train you, then you're fair game. Note: I said "safe and effective," and nothing about "easy and fun."
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Pete Estabrooks says the deceptively simple sandbag is an ingenious exercise tool.
Dean Bicknell, Calgary Herald
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Font:****My client Alan Ross summed it up best on Monday morning when, 10 minutes earlier than we usually finish, I looked at him and said, "You look like crap. Let's wrap this up."
Ross grinned, nodded and staggered off.
Why? I had totally sandbagged him. I took a fitness tool that looked unassuming and had him use it to perform several commonplace fitness moves. Before long, Ross had the look my grandfather once described as "rode hard and put away wet."
What Is It?
It is a sandbag -- four sandbags, actually -- that make up the Velocity Sport Sandbags System, a product of Calgary's own Velocity Fitness Consulting.
They're straight up, nothing fancy -- just heavy-duty bags filled with sand to weights of 10 pounds (4.5 kg), 25 pounds (12 kg) and (gulp) 35 pounds (17.5 kg).
These ingenious tools give exercisers a deceptively simple method of creating increased resistance for movements as simple and functional as walking, squatting, carrying and throwing.
The fact the bags are not quick, easy and convenient to carry like traditional dumbbells forces the body to recruit more muscle groups and balance strategies to execute the moves. The results? Improved core stability and overall strength with the potential for a whole lot of sweat.
Who Would This Appeal To?
Sandbags are full-body "functional" training tools that allow for movements that simulate both sports-specific and real-life activities and use a variety of movements through a range of motion. Sandbags are great if you want to expand your old jump-on-the-elliptical-for-20-minutes-then-grab-dumbbells-for-three- sets-of-12-reps workout to something much more, um, interesting.
Indoor and outdoor circuit training instructors or personal trainers will be thrilled to have such a simple object with such a broad range of exercise potential at their fingertips.
Who Would Hate It?
The Velocity Sport Sandbag is a thinking person's resistance tool. It is not easy at first to master a grip or an efficient way to hang on to the bag. Taking the time to benefit from sandbag training will require some forethought and practice. If you want a quick and easy fix to your fitness needs, you may want to step away from the bag.
The Klutz Factor
It's a big and often heavy bag of sand. Ignoring your posture and correct lift-with-your-legs-and-core technique is a sure-fire way to ensure your chiropractor may be able to afford a new boat this summer. Remember the big risk/big reward theory applies to fitness. With due care and diligence, carrying, tossing and toting a mass of sand can provide significant fitness gains. Be careful, keep your wits about you and watch your toes. You should be fine.
More coming very soon!
M
Howdy loyal readers......how are you today? I am feeling great and therefore will smite you with a new and devastating workout. Be afraid!
The overhead squat is a severely under-appreciated and under-utilized lift. It is a huge , dynamic, deadly lift that makes most "core" conditioning look like a trip to the salon. Everyone should just take a quick moment to pause and meditiate upon this juggernaut of an exercise. It is very important to warm-up properly and ensure that you do not lift too heavily too quickly. Remember that the arms are wide and should be in line with or preferably behind the ear. This allows the body to balance the load and drive powerfully upwards. The warm-up should consist of (12-15 reps) and a zero load bar (broomstick). Work upwards from there!