Fun with Heavy Bags

I really enjoy using non-standard weights during my workouts. My favorite is an old duffel bag that I have filled with about 150 lbs of sand, dirt, etc. I use it as a great alternative to my Olympic weights for everything from clean and press to long distance walks with the bag on my shoulder. You'd be surprised how hard your body has to work to move a weight that isn't balanced, doesn't have handles, and can't be kept centered on the body. You may be able to do a nice set of 200 lb cleans with your Olympic weights, but after a set of cleans with my 150 lb heavy bag your stabilizer muscles, forearms, and back will be hurting in new and exciting ways. Another way that the heavy bag works you is that since it is a non-standard shape and balance, your can't keep strict form during the lift. My lower back is always a lot more fatigued after a heavy bag lift, because I usually have to bend my back to handle the weight. I used to be worried about this. Everything you read about in the standard fitness materials speaks very ill of bending your back during lifts. That is, everything except the good stuff. In Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur Training, he has a whole section on using non-standard weights. Not only does he not speak ill of the bent back, but he actually says it will greatly improve your overall strength and power. He points out that most of the time that you have to exert strength/power in life is with a bent back...be it in a football tackle, a grappling move, picking up a large bag of groceries, etc. It is just another one of Kubik's awesome revelations of common sense training.
The use of heavy bags and other non-standard weights is also very practical. An old duffel bag is about $15 at an army surplus store. If you know someone in the Army, I'll bet they have at least 6 of them and will be willing to give you one. I know I do. Go to Home Depot or the like and buy a few 50 lb bags of the cheapest dirt, seeds, saw dust that you can find. Put a couple heavy duty trash bags on each bag of sand/dirt to ensure that it doesn't leak anywhere. You now have everything you need to make a 50 - 150 lb heavy bag. If you don't want to mess with the dirt/seeds, the just find fill the duffel with heavy stuff from around the house: books, tools, standard weight plates, etc. The more awkward the better.
In Iraq I obviously didn't have access to a weight set all the time. When we were in a combat outpost for months at a time, we would need to stay strong somehow. We used sand bags, duffel bags, a couple sets of body armor tied together....whatever we could get our hands on. Not only did it keep us strong, but I made a lot of great gains in strength, flexibility, and overall coordination that I wouldn't have experienced using balanced weights. Non-standard weights also give you a great connection with the strongmen of the past. As you lift and toss around these large bags, boulders, and logs you can't help but feel connected to ancient warriors of the past. In my mind I can see men like Hercules and Hector growing up using whatever weight they could find and becoming some of the greatest heroes of all time. Give it a try, and while you're at it check in with Brooks Kubik and CrossFit. Both are great sources for information on the use of non-standard weights and on strength and fitness in general.

Also, a shout out to my friend Chris! Thanks for reading the blog. You could probably use me as a non-standard weight, you damn giant.