We know there are plenty of ways to build strength and size, but according to strength coach Cody Janko, one piece of kit stands above the rest: the sandbag. The coach goes as far as to say that if he had to rebuild his physique from scratch, he’d make heavy sandbag training the foundation of his programme.

‘You can bet I’d be lifting heavy sandbags, that’s for sure,’ Janko said in a recent YouTube video. ‘After trying pretty much everything, nothing else really works quite like them. At least nothing has for me. They’re the straight path to getting yoked.’

Alongside Gym Free coach Trevor Hash, Janko shared the lessons they’ve picked up from years of sandbag training, and what they’d do differently to make faster progress.

1. Build Your Capacity

One of the biggest lessons for Hash was learning that sandbags place different demands on the body compared with more conventional strength training. His advice for beginners is to start light and focus on accumulating plenty of work, particularly sandbag-to-lap reps, carries and squats.

Janko concurs: ‘Build the base as wide as you possibly can and never stop. Even into the advanced stages, continue trying to build the base wider.’ Ultimately, the aim is to develop the capacity to handle more work over time.

2. Use Density Training

One way Janko recommends building that capacity is density training. ‘Density is a simple concept,’ explains Janko. ‘Rather than trying to do more reps in one individual set like you would when using the typical straight-set approach, you train to increase the amount of work completed within a given time frame.’

Hash uses this principle with sandbag squats. Instead of three sets of 15, which previously took him around 12-15 minutes, he switched to an EMOM (every minute on the minute) performing six reps every minute for 10 minutes. ‘Now I’m getting 60 squats instead of 45 in less time,’ says Hash.

3. Strengthen Your Weak Points

Finally, Janko recommends paying attention to the muscles limiting your sandbag lifts rather than simply continuing to use the same movements. ‘If I had to start over again today, I’d do everything I could to bring up weak points anytime I spotted one,’ says Janko.

For example, if his biceps were the limiting factor, Janko says he’d add curls to his programme. If his lower back needed work, he’d include good mornings or hyperextensions.

Hash found this particularly useful when he started sandbag training. Despite having a strong conventional deadlift, he found his back wasn’t as well prepared for moving an awkward load.

The Takeaway

You don’t necessarily need to ditch your dumbbells and barbells for a sandbag. Instead, Janko and Hash’s approach highlights some useful training fundamentals to build your capacity before aiming for maximal loads.

In short, their approach is to progressively increase the work you’re capable of doing and strengthen weak points as they emerge. The sandbag may not be the most complex piece of equipment, but it’s a great place to start if you want to build strength and size without a gym.

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