The World's Simplest Workout

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Strip fat and strengthen your total body with an unlikely fitness plan used

by gridiron warriors

As you might imagine, an NFL weight room sparkles with state-of-the-art

fitness equipment. But as the head strength coach for the Tampa Bay

Buccaneers, I can tell you that our players don't spend their off-seasons

with electrodes slapped to their muscles.

No, they're outside carrying, flipping, and dragging sandbags.

I know that sounds like a miserable summer job, but it's also a highly

effective training regimen. The ever-shifting shape of a sandbag makes it

nearly impossible for you to settle into a lifting groove like you do with

free weights or machines. So every workout is unique and challenging. And

besides, wouldn't you rather sandbag it outside in your backyard than be

stuck inside the gym all summer?

The Sandbag Workout

Your first step, of course, is to bring home a 50-pound sandbag from your

local home-improvement store. Any shape will work. Next, use my four pillars

of sandbag training below to build a stronger, leaner, and more athletic

body. Simply follow the directions and perform the exercises in the order

shown. After you've completed all four, rest a minute or two and repeat the

circuit a total of 3 to 5 times.

1. Shoulder the Load

Like a power clean, shouldering a sandbag — lifting it from the floor to

your shoulder in one explosive movement — requires a coordinated effort from

your core, upper body, and legs. It also challenges your balance, because

the bag's weight distribution shifts as you lift it.

How to do it: Place the sandbag on the ground directly in front of you. Bend

at your hips and knees while maintaining the natural arch in your lower

back, until you can grab the bag by its sides. In one powerful movement,

rise to a standing position and lift the bag to your right shoulder by

forcefully straightening your legs, thrusting your hips forward, and pulling

the bag with your arms. Reverse the movement, and repeat.

Your charge: Do 6 repetitions to your left shoulder, followed by 6 reps to

your right. Rest 1 minute and then proceed to the next exercise.

2. Walk Off Your Gut

With its awkward shape, a sandbag requires you to expend more energy to lift

it. But in addition to burning calories, you can also challenge your

toughness and increase stamina with the bear-hug walk.

How to do it: Wrap your arms around a sandbag (or hold it overhead) and walk

while maintaining perfect posture — that is, standing tall with your abs

braced, chest up, and shoulder blades pulled back and down.

Your charge: After you've completed your 1-minute rest in the first

exercise, perform the bear-hug walk for 30 seconds. Then proceed to the next

movement in the circuit.

3. Grip, Row, and Grow

There's no convenient place to grip a sandbag. To hang onto it, especially

in muscle-making moves like bent-over rows, you must crush the bag with your

hands and pinch it with your fingers. As a result, you'll train all the

muscles in your hands and forearms while intensively training both your back

and biceps.

How to do it: Grab the bag with both hands and stand with your knees

slightly bent. Maintaining the natural arch in your lower back, bend forward

at your waist until your upper body is almost parallel to the floor. The bag

should hang straight beneath your shoulders. That's the starting position.

Now, without moving your torso, pull the bag as close to your lower rib cage

as possible. Pause and then lower the bag to the starting position.

Your charge: Do 8 reps, rest 1 minute, and repeat the bear-hug walk before

going on to exercise 4.

4. Squat for Strength

Sandbag lifts don't have to be complicated to be effective. And few

exercises can compare to the classic squat for building total-body strength

and muscle.

How to do it: Stand holding a sandbag in a bear hug. Initiate the movement

by pushing your hips back. Lower your thighs until they're at least parallel

to the floor, and then press back up. Too easy? Pause for 2 or 3 seconds in

the down position of each rep.

Your charge: Perform 5 reps, rest another minute, and do the bear-hug walk

again. Then start over with the first exercise.

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