Quads · Compound movement
Sandbag Load
A compound exercise for the quads, with the back, glutes, hamstrings, forearms, abs, biceps and traps working too. No equipment needed.
Progression
Progression: manual
- 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.
Default progression: manual.
Common mistakes
- •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.
Variations & alternatives
Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or the main lift has stalled.
Use this exercise in a program
The Sandbag Load fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize quads volume.
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