Overview

The sandbag is also ideal for swinging laterally. There are two types of sandbag side swing, the Low to high and the high to high. For the purpose of this video, I’ll be demonstrating the ‘Low to High’ side swing, to perform the ‘High to High’ side swing follow the same cues except end the movement with the bag at shoulder height.

Teaching Points

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and the sandbag resting against your legs and the handles facing upwards.
  2. Hinge the hips whilst keeping your chest proud and core braced, your torso should be at a 30–45-degree angle with your knees slightly bent.
  3. Grab the sandbag by the wide handles keeping your shoulders packed down, arms locked out and a straight line between crown and coccyx.
  4. Keep your core braced and your spine neutral throughout the movement.
  5. Swing the sandbag laterally just outside of one leg, rotate the thoracic so your midline stays centred to the bag.
  6. Focus on the opposite hip sway, so as the bag swings to the left of your body, counter the movement by swaying your hip to the right.
  7. Powerfully driving the hips forward at a 45-degree angle, as the bag passes the front of the body at the bottom of the swing, charge your weight in the opposite direction to counter the weight.
  8. Note: It’s the hip drive back and forth that powers the sandbag to move laterally, we’re not trying to swing the bag through our shoulders.
  9. The sandbag will swing laterally up and down in a straight line, move your body around the bag (not vise versa).
  10. Stop the sandbag when it reaches shoulder height at the top.

Common Problems & Solutions

Error: Trying to swing the sandbag with your arms.
Correction: This movement is a hip hinge like the swing, power the movement with your hips not your arms.