Overview
One of the great things about the Bulgarian bag is the ability to easily train frontal and transverse plane movements. The key to the Bulgarian bag side clean is charging your weight in the opposite direction to the bag as it moves across the front of the body, this shift in weight from one side to the other will offset the weight of the bag and prevent you from being pulled off balance.
Teaching Points
1. Place the bag on the floor in front of you resting up against your legs and the main handles pointing upwards.
2. With your feet shoulder width apart, hinge the hips and grab the bag by the main handles placing your thumb into the thumb crease, drive your hips forward and clean the bag into the front rack position.
3. Keeping your toes pointing forward, rotate the hips and thoracic spine to one side and cast the bag away from the body.
4. Lock out the elbows and keeping your shoulders packed, let the bag swing until it reaches the other side of the body.
5. At the bottom of the movement sink the weight into the opposite leg, then swing the bag back the way it come.
6. Once the bag reaches the other side of the body, draw the elbows towards the body and gently catch the bag in the front rack position.
Common Problems & Solutions
Error: Don’t let the Bulgarian bag pull you off balance.
Correction: Move your body away from the bag throughout the side swing movement, for example; if you swing the bag to your left, shift your weight to the right to counter the weight.
