One of the best pieces of equipment for developing functional strength for grapplers is including the sandbag in your mma workout routine.

When you’re grappling an opponent, his weight is a constantly shifting, uneven, and awkward form of resistance. Unlike throwing strikes or executing quick and explosive take downs, often when you are grappling you are utilizing your isometric and stability strength.

Whether you are holding your opponent in the guard, fighting for a submission, or fighting out of one, you are using your core and your stabilizer muscles isometrically to control your opponent.

This type of strength is developed to a much more functional degree when you include sandbag training in your mma workout routine.

Traditional resistance equipment such as barbells and dumbbells are excellent for developing and increasing strength in lateral and vertical movements.

However, where they are limited is how well this type of strength development transfers over to the type of grappling strength experienced wrestlers or jui-jistsu fighters have.

This is where sandbag training comes in. Most people can probably clean and press a 100 pound barbell from the floor to over their head. Take those same people, and probably well over half of them couldn’t clean and press a 100 pound sandbag.

This is because the weight is uneven and constantly shifting it’s weight, like an opponent. Carrying a heavy sandbag is a great way to mimic the muscles and how they are used when grappling.

Try carrying a heavy sandbag in your next mma workout routine using various holds, such as bear hugging it, letting it hang down at arms length, or cradling it like a baby.

All three of these holds mimics the type of strength and muscles you are using when you are controlling your opponents head, arms, and/or legs on the ground, as well as fighting for or out of a submission.

Here’s a simple way to incorporate some sandbag training in your mma workout routine. Keep in mind that you want to be carefull of over-training, so if you are currently following a specific mma workout routine then it’s probably not a good idea to add any more to it until you complete the program

Otherwise, if you are up for some experimenting, after you finish a standard resistance training workout, add the following to work on developing your grapplers strength:

Sandbag Carry MMA Workout Routine for Grapplers Strength

Set up a cone (any marker will do) about 100 feet away. Start off with the sandbag on the ground in front of you, and perform the following routine.

The goal is to continuously beat your time and/or continue adding weight (sand) to the bag. Also, try to get to the point where you can complete the circuit without putting the sandbag down. One lap = walking to the cone and back.

Here’s the Routine:

1) 5 laps bear hugging sandbag
2) 1 lap with the bag over your right shoulder
3) 1 lap with the bag over your left shoulder
4) 3 laps with the bag across your back
5) 3 laps cradling the bag (arms bent at 90 degrees)
6) 2 laps carrying the bag in front of you at arms length

Total Laps: 15

In short, this workout will kick your ass, especially after finishing up a workout with barbells or dumbbells. Depending on how heavy the sandbag is and how good your conditioning is this should only take between 5 and 15 minutes.

You’ll feel the same burn in both your legs, core, hips, arms, and grip as well as your cardio and conditioning as you feel when you are engaged in a fast paced and intense grappling match.

Train hard, fellow fighters and fans,

Derek Manuel
MMA Workout Routine