Quads · Compound movement

Sandbag Load

A compound exercise that targets the quads with secondary work in back, glutes, hamstrings, forearms, abs, biceps, traps. Performed with bodyweight.

Primary muscle

Quads

Secondary muscles

Back, Glutes, Hamstrings, Forearms, Abs, Biceps, Traps

Equipment

Bodyweight

Difficulty

Advanced

How to perform the Sandbag Load

Straddle the bag, hinge with a flat back, and dig your hands under it to get a deep bear-hug grip around the far side.
Brace and lap the bag onto your thighs by extending the hips, then hug it hard into your chest and re-grip higher.
Stand explosively while crushing the bag to your torso, then extend the hips and arms to heave it up onto the platform or over the bar.
Keep the bag pinned to the body and the chest up throughout — a sandbag shifts and sags, so a loose hold instantly drags you forward.
Load for the prescribed reps or for time to the target height, recording the bag weight and the height or reps achieved.

Suggested working range: 1–5 reps. Default progression: manual.

•Taking a shallow grip that lets the bag sag and slip instead of digging deep for a full bear hug.
•Letting the bag drift off the chest, which drags you forward and stalls the load.
•Rounding the back to heave the bag rather than lapping it and driving with the hips.
•Rushing the load without resetting the grip after the lap, so the bag is never high enough to finish.