How to Add a SandBell into Your Workout Routine

Whether you’re a gym newbie or a fitness veteran, the SandBell is a great tool for shaking up your workout routine or traditional movements.

We all know that January is the time for resolutions, healthy-living commitments and embracing new fitness routines. But what can we do to ensure that the path to our goals doesn’t end before the snow melts?

When setting goals and envisioning your future progress, it is so important to take into account a realistic picture of your starting point. You can set sky-high goals, but the roadmap to getting there has to be tailored specifically to you.

Are you a workout newbie with dreams of dropping the holiday weight gain? Are you an on-again, off-again gym-goer determined to run an adventure race next year? Or are you a fitness veteran wanting to push past plateaus and see more results?

Only when you realistically assess your current strengths, weaknesses, habits and routines can you chart an effective course to reaching your resolution. Once you’ve set your end goal and accounted for your starting point, you can adapt any fitness tool or training regimen to meet your specific needs.

Take the SandBell, for example. This versatile, sand-filled neoprene free weight delivers the benefits of kettlebell strength training, slam-ball power training and sandbag weighted-carry training, all in one. But your approach to the SandBell and its use in your individual training regimen will be different, depending on your starting point and your end goal.

How to add a SandBell into your workout routine

For the workout newbie

Multi-joint compound exercises with weight are extremely effective for getting your heart rate up, building lean muscle and increasing your metabolism. They are also challenging to master right off the bat. The SandBell, however, is much safer and more approachable than hard metal weights when you are learning how to move your body in new ways. It’s also soft, pliable and easy to grip and hold.

If you’re new or just starting your workout routine, try swapping out traditional weights for the SandBell in these popular movements:

• Rest it on your shoulder for lunges
• Hug it to your chest for squats
• Slam it on the floor to develop power

For the occasional gym-goer training for a race

If you want to train for an unconventional activity, you have to embrace unconventional training tools.

The SandBell is the perfect complement to a routine that will prepare you to master the unexpected obstacles you might find in an obstacle-course race, like a Spartan Race.

Training athletically means keeping your body guessing, rather than executing controlled movements in a controlled environment like using weight machines or performing standard dumbbell bicep curls. The dynamic sand weight of the SandBell forces you to activate more muscles and move athletically through every exercise.

If you’re looking to challenge your body and prepare it for the unexpected, try swapping out traditional weights for a SandBell in these movements:

• Toss it over your shoulder and run sprints
• Use it for renegade rows
• Throw it up in the air between sets of burpees

For the fitness veteran ready to push past plateaus

The key to getting out of a gym rut is variety. Sticking with the same tools you have always used won’t challenge your body and create real change.

The SandBell will activate those muscles you’ve been overlooking, and re-engage your imagination so you can stay motivated. Its dynamic sand weight and flexible soft exterior make it safe to integrate into any routine, to accelerate the results.

Want to get out of your rut? Add the SandBell with these workout staples:

• Perform a set of SandBell slams in between treadmill intervals
• Use it for a combined burpee, deadlift and overhead press
• Rest it on your legs to amp up the intensity while you do bench dips

Whatever your goal is this New Year, make sure you take into account where you are starting before you create a plan to get there. This will help you set realistic timelines and figure out what new tools you want to use and how you want to use them. With self-assessment, thorough planning and dedication, the sky truly is the limit!

Photo credit: Courtesy of Spartan