Mark, I don't think I could ever stop leaning from you. Nearly every day I can, I watch a video from you. Thank you so much for sharing you knowledge with the world. If my Dad would have had someone like you he would be walking more upright than he is from his spinal injury while working in da mine in da Upper Penninsula of Michigan. Da UP. People from da UP are hard working people called Yoopers. You just reminded me of my childhood picking up rounds of wood after my Dad cut them with chainsaw to carry them with my brother to da back of pick up truck. Take a rest. Then my brother and I would have to pick up the round of wood same way a d clean it to da tailgate of da truck and shove it in to fill the truck. Once we collected all da rounds my dad cut, we switched to playing in da woods climbing trees and whatnot, to the sounds of my Dad running running da chainsaw making more rounds. When the sound of chainsaw stopped it was time to go collect all da rounds he had cut the sane way and pile in da back of da truck. My father, my brother and I worked as team to get firewood to heat our home. As my Dad aged with his spinal injury he could do that less and less. He ran loader at da mine sitting da cab for many hours a week. Since he was not able to do da work of being In da wood like our many gradfathers before us and there was no one like you in the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s, and finally 2020s, we got you, helping us all being the best we can be. To work, play, and thrive for our whole lives. I am 49 going on 50, and thanks to you my body feels like it is getting younger, helping me be able to work hard and provide for my family. As the Finns say, Ketos, which means.... Thanks.
I like what you said about 'poisonous movements.' I work on the production line in a dry foods processing plant and I lift bags filled with 100lbs of beans off the ground just like that every day. Practice this. Good technique prevents injury.
I "work for a living" in a stone quarry in Eastern PA. A 180 lb. stone is bare minimum for cleaning dead off the ground. Mark is right. And none of the guys here are ripped or even in shape - ages from 22-62 but they are all strong. 10 hours a day baby. BTW I lift stones for fun at home and I find sandbags to be much more difficult to exercise with, but I love them. They are ironically "constant" while every stone is a rubix cube as to how the best way to clean it off the ground.
My God, what a wonderful video!! It's like 5 videos combined into one! Mobility training; sandbag training; slam ball training; strength training principles & programming....... Even after 3+ years of watching your videos & experiencing your channel, you still continue to surprise with your excellence & creativity, Mark! 👌👌👌🙏🙏🙏
The mobility and strength demands of a deep sandbag squat really are real world. My mom, who can't get around very well, fell recently, and I was able to do a bridal carry squat to pick her up and put her back in her chair. Also useful for doing judo strength and conditioning training at home. I have one of the longer bags with the handles, so it also can work for back squats, cleans, suitcase deadlifts, etc.
Mark, I'd love to see more conceptual videos - why should you do pressure breathing for a strength training exercise (what's pure strength training anyway?), the significance of squeezing glutes and activating lats and so on. Take those fundamental ideas and explain them by themselves so people understand the why and not just the how.
6:09 “Sandbags are generally annoying” 😂 I needed that. I’ve been training with sandbags for 2 years now, and it’s never been as fun as barbells, just heavy ass unsexy objects
Howdy Mark, I am 68 year old Veteran and in serious need of reshaping my strength and stamina. From 2005 to 2019 I was a care giver to my Veteran father 24/7/365. I stopped working, eventually exercising fell to the way side as well as my eating a balanced meal plan, and a bunch of other things because I took care of getting him up to getting him back to bed at night. When he passed away I was ready to go back to work but C_ovid happened. So I am in a bad way both physically and nutritionally. I spend time reading or watching videos on correcting my nutrition and I found your channel a few weeks ago. My biggest challenge I think is that I am alone and despite I just can't get myself into a good routine so I guess I can ad to my challenges a Mental failure challenge to over come. I watch your videos and think ok I have to do this but I am no closer now than I was when I watched your first video. I have a feeling that I have gone well past anything you can help with but i had to ask. Any suggestions besides calling it quits? (I would never do that buy the way, Its a figure of speech)
Robert, kudos to you for doing the right thing by your father. I hope Mark will reply but in the interval, you might check out his program of overweight and detrained individuals. I'm 60 years old and starting there after 3 years of sitting on my arse due to writing a novel and COVID. Godspeed.
@@epower8795 Howdy, Thanks for the response. from what you are saying I may not be as odd a case as I thought i was. I wish you God's speed in your path as well. Thanks again.
Hey Robert, I too let it all go, 59 here. Went through the same with my parents and still being a mom but have decided to move more. I'm in the 2nd month of the IOT program and it makes me fell renewed. I believe this program will be life changing for many. I hope you try it. Cheers!
Healthy habits are so rewarding in themselves. Daily exercise and stretching fixes the body and thus does wonders for the mind (and depression or anxiety). I think the hardest part of this is often a motivational problem, a lack of momentum with no torque trying reformulate decades of deeply engrained habits, because these habits are both ruts in our neural pathways and also our atrophied mobility and strength in our joints. Maybe music or a talk show can help fuel the mood to get going.
Yes! Just in time for my leg workout today. I don't care what you say, a 200lb sandbag is not light. At 85 lbs myself, and it is a heart thumper when I throw it repeatedly over my shoulders. Hoping to work up to 200lbs some day.
I got a kettlebell to do squats with it instead of using a barbell on my shoulders. Then I got infected by the kettlebell bug, and now I do inverted goblet squats every day along with the rest of my kettlebell and club exercises. PS: Of course I got the kettlebell bug because I found Wildman Athletica. 🙂
I shoved a 50lb bag of play sand in a nice cheap backpack from Sierra trading post. Been rucking with it almost everyday for a year and use it as a sand bag now and then
I've been training with kettlebells, clubs and slam balls for a couple of years with much of my training being MW programs. Regarding lifting heavy objects, I had one of those WTH moments recently when I was carrying those 40 lb. bags of water softener salt pellets to my basement. I realized that in the past, I dreaded carrying those bags and I would get winded. Now, I throw a bag over my shoulder and scamper down the stairs like it's nothing! I'm 60 years old and I'm seeing some great gains in strength, endurance, and adding muscle with this type of training. Also, my squat depth is now about 3 inches from my tailbone touching the ground. Lastly, I do ocassionally have a little knee pain; however, the pain is substantially less than in the past. Squatting is a benefit to knees, not a detriment as said by some!
Nothing like sandbag work. A 200 lb bag is a load and Mark’s talking while lifting it. He’s a strong dude. On the question of rounded back, I have lumbar herniations as do most people over 30, I find if I breath in and brace through the lift and almost “sip” in breaths if I’m doing a carry or a squat, I’ve never had a problem.
I am skeptical about these, but hear me out: i suffer from degenerative disc disease in my low back, but have been able to get back to training weights somehow over the last couple of years, but am growing more and more concerned about my condition which, even though it's not worsened (MRI scans prove it) it's definitely not getting better either - i can hear my spine crack every time i get into a deep squat, which is something i do to lengthen the spine and release some pressure off the vertebrae. Would training with sandbags / slamballs be a viable option for me? Before you say it Mark, i've talked about this with specialists but sadly where i live they are completely oblivious of this type of exercise and immensely biased. P.S. by the way, love the sound you make at 5:11 - that's a hydraulic lift right there. So strong Mark, well done ;-)
"Poisonous movements" - in my experience, the people who bash certain movements as bad are people who either can't do them, or struggle with them because they're challenging. I'm a regular gym goer, using a variety of machines and free weights. But I set time aside every week to do things that most people today see as unconventional. Easiest to do on the weekends - throw a bunch of gear into the back of the vehicle, go to an empty parking lot of a Mon-Fri business, take out all the gear and do a bunch of stuff until you're worn out. Gear can vary. Sometimes it may involve cycling first, sometimes not. Last go around it started at a football (soccer, I'm originally from England) field and I spent a while kicking a ball around by myself. Shooting, crossing, taking free kicks, running with the ball. From there, on to a parking lot. Speaker on, kettlebell, heavy club, sandbag, slam ball and basketball. Swinging, lifting, throwing and dribbling over and over again until I was exhausted. Going to the gym every day can get monotonous and I need to break it up with other movements so that I don't start getting stiff and "rigid". Doing this alongside gym work also allows me to be active every single day, mostly with some level of resistance and I couldn't tell you the last time I had an injury. It really does help with your overall health and physical wellbeing.
One of my favorite ways of incorporating this is to do 3 to 5 squats, and then end the set with a 50ft+ bearhug carry, without ever setting the bag down. That gets pretty spicy once you get over 200lbs.
Really like this line of thinking. I'm sick of seeing supposed healthy fitness experts advocate thinking that would never allow you to lift a finger as a farmer, mason, landscaper etc. I'd like to learn and get stronger, but remain a man that can accomplish some useful work. They have everyone scared to death to lift anything heavier than a set of bands at this point.
4:35 - is that safe to do Mark? Getting it up like that is a bit like doing a half deadlift (not so much a stiff-legged deadlift as a half deadlift with the trunk parallel to the ground). I am currently trying to figure out the best way to pick up my sandbag (i have zero experience with them) and i need to be extra careful because i have a bad low back. I've worked with my physiotherapist who's instructed me on how to perform a half deadlift (as well as the kettlebell swing) safely but i am still taking my time because this time i am on my own. Can you tell me if a slight rounding of the spine would be ok when picking it up or that is better avoided? Is the half deadlift pickup proper form? Is it safe to perform with lower back injuries?
3:36 - please tell me Mark, i really need to know this as i am starting sandbag training on my own and wouldn't want to injure myself more than i already am: is that a leg-driven lift or are you lifting the sandbag with your arms or with the back? I've never figured that first lift out, the one where you get it off of the ground and to your lap into a bear hug position. Thanks.
Sandbag squat is full body. Not one part of your body is doing most of the lift. There’s a lot of hinging, hip drive, extension, squatting, squeezing and bracing the core. It teaches your body to work as a unit, bringing multiple stabilizers into play. The more you brace with your core and squeeze the bag to your torso, the less tension on your lower back. Start lighter than you think you can handle, work on form and work your weight up until you start getting into bigger numbers. Like Mark said, it’s a multi year endeavor. When you’re doing a set and your form starts to go or your power or strength output starts to lessen, end your set and rest until you’re fresh enough to tackle the next set.
I am currently going through the slam ball program. I cannot widen my squat enough to get the elbows to track inside. Knees hurt too much, but when my feet are closer I can go all the way down. Do I just keep trying to fight the pain and widen my feet on the squat?
4:35 - again, is this the proper technique Mark? Aren't your hips a bit too high? You're almost performing a sort of stiff-legged deadlift here. Can you please break down the proper technique for lapping a sandbag from ground to lap position?
carefull not to over extend your spine and over arch it. it might feel like its straight but you are then putting a ton of pressure on your lower lubar and this might blow ur back out as fast as you can drop a bag. its more damaging than a rounded back ever can be this was how I injured my back over many years. i have to feel like Im tucking my hips forward to actually get a neutral spine. even had a coach who never noticed this and we could not figure out why my back was weak and in pain all the time.
Mark, I don't think I could ever stop leaning from you. Nearly every day I can, I watch a video from you. Thank you so much for sharing you knowledge with the world. If my Dad would have had someone like you he would be walking more upright than he is from his spinal injury while working in da mine in da Upper Penninsula of Michigan. Da UP. People from da UP are hard working people called Yoopers. You just reminded me of my childhood picking up rounds of wood after my Dad cut them with chainsaw to carry them with my brother to da back of pick up truck. Take a rest. Then my brother and I would have to pick up the round of wood same way a d clean it to da tailgate of da truck and shove it in to fill the truck. Once we collected all da rounds my dad cut, we switched to playing in da woods climbing trees and whatnot, to the sounds of my Dad running running da chainsaw making more rounds. When the sound of chainsaw stopped it was time to go collect all da rounds he had cut the sane way and pile in da back of da truck. My father, my brother and I worked as team to get firewood to heat our home. As my Dad aged with his spinal injury he could do that less and less. He ran loader at da mine sitting da cab for many hours a week. Since he was not able to do da work of being In da wood like our many gradfathers before us and there was no one like you in the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s, and finally 2020s, we got you, helping us all being the best we can be. To work, play, and thrive for our whole lives. I am 49 going on 50, and thanks to you my body feels like it is getting younger, helping me be able to work hard and provide for my family. As the Finns say, Ketos, which means.... Thanks.
Same to the first bit. Mark you’re awesome
I like what you said about 'poisonous movements.' I work on the production line in a dry foods processing plant and I lift bags filled with 100lbs of beans off the ground just like that every day.
Practice this. Good technique prevents injury.
An AtG, 200lb sandbag squat while giving clear, concise instruction is legit.
I "work for a living" in a stone quarry in Eastern PA. A 180 lb. stone is bare minimum for cleaning dead off the ground. Mark is right. And none of the guys here are ripped or even in shape - ages from 22-62 but they are all strong. 10 hours a day baby. BTW I lift stones for fun at home and I find sandbags to be much more difficult to exercise with, but I love them. They are ironically "constant" while every stone is a rubix cube as to how the best way to clean it off the ground.
Why do you lift stones for fun when you are literally doing it all day at work?😅
@@woffordwolf2071He wrote ”work for a living” with quotation marks, I think he just loves picking up stones, lol
Awesome
YES!! More sandbag content!
Mark: "This is not really heavy, but it is 200 lbs..."
There's not a more valuable content maker for me than MW. I'll come back to this one when ready
My God, what a wonderful video!! It's like 5 videos combined into one!
Mobility training; sandbag training; slam ball training; strength training principles & programming.......
Even after 3+ years of watching your videos & experiencing your channel, you still continue to surprise with your excellence & creativity, Mark!
👌👌👌🙏🙏🙏
The mobility and strength demands of a deep sandbag squat really are real world.
My mom, who can't get around very well, fell recently, and I was able to do a bridal carry squat to pick her up and put her back in her chair.
Also useful for doing judo strength and conditioning training at home. I have one of the longer bags with the handles, so it also can work for back squats, cleans, suitcase deadlifts, etc.
Mark, I'd love to see more conceptual videos - why should you do pressure breathing for a strength training exercise (what's pure strength training anyway?), the significance of squeezing glutes and activating lats and so on. Take those fundamental ideas and explain them by themselves so people understand the why and not just the how.
As my mother always told me whenever I had a question about something "because I fucking said so".
6:09 “Sandbags are generally annoying” 😂 I needed that. I’ve been training with sandbags for 2 years now, and it’s never been as fun as barbells, just heavy ass unsexy objects
Sandbag training is a game changer.
Great video good sir 👍.
Thank you so much . Functional strength is the key to real strength . 👍
Howdy Mark, I am 68 year old Veteran and in serious need of reshaping my strength and stamina. From 2005 to 2019 I was a care giver to my Veteran father 24/7/365. I stopped working, eventually exercising fell to the way side as well as my eating a balanced meal plan, and a bunch of other things because I took care of getting him up to getting him back to bed at night. When he passed away I was ready to go back to work but C_ovid happened. So I am in a bad way both physically and nutritionally. I spend time reading or watching videos on correcting my nutrition and I found your channel a few weeks ago. My biggest challenge I think is that I am alone and despite I just can't get myself into a good routine so I guess I can ad to my challenges a Mental failure challenge to over come. I watch your videos and think ok I have to do this but I am no closer now than I was when I watched your first video. I have a feeling that I have gone well past anything you can help with but i had to ask. Any suggestions besides calling it quits? (I would never do that buy the way, Its a figure of speech)
Robert, kudos to you for doing the right thing by your father. I hope Mark will reply but in the interval, you might check out his program of overweight and detrained individuals. I'm 60 years old and starting there after 3 years of sitting on my arse due to writing a novel and COVID. Godspeed.
@@epower8795 Howdy, Thanks for the response. from what you are saying I may not be as odd a case as I thought i was. I wish you God's speed in your path as well. Thanks again.
Hey Robert, I too let it all go, 59 here. Went through the same with my parents and still being a mom but have decided to move more. I'm in the 2nd month of the IOT program and it makes me fell renewed. I believe this program will be life changing for many. I hope you try it. Cheers!
Healthy habits are so rewarding in themselves. Daily exercise and stretching fixes the body and thus does wonders for the mind (and depression or anxiety). I think the hardest part of this is often a motivational problem, a lack of momentum with no torque trying reformulate decades of deeply engrained habits, because these habits are both ruts in our neural pathways and also our atrophied mobility and strength in our joints. Maybe music or a talk show can help fuel the mood to get going.
How are you doing now? ❤
More videos on sandbag training, please. Mark, you're awesome!
I’m a simple man. I see a new Mark Wildman video, I click.
Pure gold. Like always Mark.
You made that 200lb bag look light. I have the 150 and the squat is still beyond me.
Yes! Just in time for my leg workout today. I don't care what you say, a 200lb sandbag is not light. At 85 lbs myself, and it is a heart thumper when I throw it repeatedly over my shoulders. Hoping to work up to 200lbs some day.
I got a kettlebell to do squats with it instead of using a barbell on my shoulders. Then I got infected by the kettlebell bug, and now I do inverted goblet squats every day along with the rest of my kettlebell and club exercises.
PS: Of course I got the kettlebell bug because I found Wildman Athletica. 🙂
I shoved a 50lb bag of play sand in a nice cheap backpack from Sierra trading post. Been rucking with it almost everyday for a year and use it as a sand bag now and then
I've been training with kettlebells, clubs and slam balls for a couple of years with much of my training being MW programs. Regarding lifting heavy objects, I had one of those WTH moments recently when I was carrying those 40 lb. bags of water softener salt pellets to my basement. I realized that in the past, I dreaded carrying those bags and I would get winded. Now, I throw a bag over my shoulder and scamper down the stairs like it's nothing! I'm 60 years old and I'm seeing some great gains in strength, endurance, and adding muscle with this type of training. Also, my squat depth is now about 3 inches from my tailbone touching the ground. Lastly, I do ocassionally have a little knee pain; however, the pain is substantially less than in the past. Squatting is a benefit to knees, not a detriment as said by some!
Nothing like sandbag work. A 200 lb bag is a load and Mark’s talking while lifting it. He’s a strong dude. On the question of rounded back, I have lumbar herniations as do most people over 30, I find if I breath in and brace through the lift and almost “sip” in breaths if I’m doing a carry or a squat, I’ve never had a problem.
proper instruction, sir. thanks and kind regards from Texas.
Thank you very much! Great video!
I am skeptical about these, but hear me out: i suffer from degenerative disc disease in my low back, but have been able to get back to training weights somehow over the last couple of years, but am growing more and more concerned about my condition which, even though it's not worsened (MRI scans prove it) it's definitely not getting better either - i can hear my spine crack every time i get into a deep squat, which is something i do to lengthen the spine and release some pressure off the vertebrae.
Would training with sandbags / slamballs be a viable option for me?
Before you say it Mark, i've talked about this with specialists but sadly where i live they are completely oblivious of this type of exercise and immensely biased.
P.S.
by the way, love the sound you make at 5:11 - that's a hydraulic lift right there. So strong Mark, well done ;-)
"Poisonous movements" - in my experience, the people who bash certain movements as bad are people who either can't do them, or struggle with them because they're challenging. I'm a regular gym goer, using a variety of machines and free weights. But I set time aside every week to do things that most people today see as unconventional. Easiest to do on the weekends - throw a bunch of gear into the back of the vehicle, go to an empty parking lot of a Mon-Fri business, take out all the gear and do a bunch of stuff until you're worn out.
Gear can vary. Sometimes it may involve cycling first, sometimes not. Last go around it started at a football (soccer, I'm originally from England) field and I spent a while kicking a ball around by myself. Shooting, crossing, taking free kicks, running with the ball. From there, on to a parking lot. Speaker on, kettlebell, heavy club, sandbag, slam ball and basketball. Swinging, lifting, throwing and dribbling over and over again until I was exhausted.
Going to the gym every day can get monotonous and I need to break it up with other movements so that I don't start getting stiff and "rigid". Doing this alongside gym work also allows me to be active every single day, mostly with some level of resistance and I couldn't tell you the last time I had an injury. It really does help with your overall health and physical wellbeing.
7:14 If it feels like your hip is being ripped apart, you're probably doing it right.
Well the 50kg sandbag “this will do for a warm up” just gave me a huge slice of humble pie 😂
One of my favorite ways of incorporating this is to do 3 to 5 squats, and then end the set with a 50ft+ bearhug carry, without ever setting the bag down. That gets pretty spicy once you get over 200lbs.
Nice truck and property
My hips need this program.
Yes sandbags my jams
Very interesting!
Thanks mark !!! Great stuff do you try stone lifting?
Really like this line of thinking. I'm sick of seeing supposed healthy fitness experts advocate thinking that would never allow you to lift a finger as a farmer, mason, landscaper etc. I'd like to learn and get stronger, but remain a man that can accomplish some useful work. They have everyone scared to death to lift anything heavier than a set of bands at this point.
Algorithm prod
I like how he’s just chilling with a 200lbs bag, like it’s nothing.
4:35 - is that safe to do Mark? Getting it up like that is a bit like doing a half deadlift (not so much a stiff-legged deadlift as a half deadlift with the trunk parallel to the ground). I am currently trying to figure out the best way to pick up my sandbag (i have zero experience with them) and i need to be extra careful because i have a bad low back. I've worked with my physiotherapist who's instructed me on how to perform a half deadlift (as well as the kettlebell swing) safely but i am still taking my time because this time i am on my own.
Can you tell me if a slight rounding of the spine would be ok when picking it up or that is better avoided? Is the half deadlift pickup proper form? Is it safe to perform with lower back injuries?
Hey Coach, where does this sand bag come from?
How to warm up and cool down when pressed for time?
3:36 - please tell me Mark, i really need to know this as i am starting sandbag training on my own and wouldn't want to injure myself more than i already am: is that a leg-driven lift or are you lifting the sandbag with your arms or with the back? I've never figured that first lift out, the one where you get it off of the ground and to your lap into a bear hug position.
Thanks.
Sandbag squat is full body. Not one part of your body is doing most of the lift. There’s a lot of hinging, hip drive, extension, squatting, squeezing and bracing the core. It teaches your body to work as a unit, bringing multiple stabilizers into play. The more you brace with your core and squeeze the bag to your torso, the less tension on your lower back. Start lighter than you think you can handle, work on form and work your weight up until you start getting into bigger numbers. Like Mark said, it’s a multi year endeavor. When you’re doing a set and your form starts to go or your power or strength output starts to lessen, end your set and rest until you’re fresh enough to tackle the next set.
@@DevinCooper-p1h Very helpful indeed. Thank you, so very much!
@@wadsworth2351 Anytime!
I am currently going through the slam ball program. I cannot widen my squat enough to get the elbows to track inside. Knees hurt too much, but when my feet are closer I can go all the way down. Do I just keep trying to fight the pain and widen my feet on the squat?
Goals💪🏻👍🏻
4:35 - again, is this the proper technique Mark? Aren't your hips a bit too high? You're almost performing a sort of stiff-legged deadlift here.
Can you please break down the proper technique for lapping a sandbag from ground to lap position?
I wrote a program on the topic. Slam ball
Anyone have equipment tips for this ?
Last time I heard the term "slam balls" I quickly realized I was in the wrong nightclub 😳😬
I know he doesn’t reply but did he weigh that sandbag because my 90kg sandbag is WAY bigger than that one tbh
carefull not to over extend your spine and over arch it. it might feel like its straight but you are then putting a ton of pressure on your lower lubar and this might blow ur back out as fast as you can drop a bag. its more damaging than a rounded back ever can be this was how I injured my back over many years. i have to feel like Im tucking my hips forward to actually get a neutral spine. even had a coach who never noticed this and we could not figure out why my back was weak and in pain all the time.
I have had a few gym goers humbled by my sandbags
I have an artificial hip that won't allow me to go below 90 degrees
Second time I can remember where a weight made you grunt. It's like you're human or something.
👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾
The act of bending over to pick up a sandbag can damage spinal discs
Check me out brother, lifted the 300LB sandbag at 19 Years Old.
Algorithm post
Pitty I can't like your videos more than once.
You need to work your feet man, they’re severely lacking. You can tell when you’re hinging the sandbag on the way up.
Your feet also cause your hips to lock up.
I like you, but I'm calling BS on the 200 pound bag. 💩
Then jump on there and see what you can do big man 😅