Just like a home gym, your workouts can be simple. No need to overcomplicate a ruck and sandbag workout – that’s the whole point of our gear is that it’s a multi-use tool in one. Special Forces has been been training with minimal equipment and reaching the tip of human performance since forever. It’s not fancy and it’s not expensive. Even if you don’t have space in your garage, use your front or back yard, driveway or a nearby parking lot.
And now we even do the programming for you with the new GORUCK Sandbag & Ruck Training aka GORUCK SRT. We use the acronym “KISS” a lot – Keep It Simple Stupid. Our workouts are easy to follow and modify to your skill level.
Here’s an example of one of our SRT workouts:
Score is time.
Movement Breakdown:
Sandbag Get Ups
Start with the sandbag on your shoulder. Lay down onto your back, with the sandbag. Grab it like a wild toddler and get up anyway you want. Switch shoulders as often as you like, but we recommend every other rep. This is an incredibly dynamic movement for building core strength.
Sandbag Ground to Shoulder
Clean the sandbag up from the ground by hinging at your waist with your knees bent and using your leg power to bring it up to the front rack position aka your shoulders. If you need to, squat below parallel to leverage strength from your lower body or you can do what is called a power clean and only bend the knees slightly. However you do it the intent is simple – bring it from the ground to your shoulders.
Sandbag Squats
Throw the sandbag on your shoulders behind your neck and while keeping your back and core straight, bend at the knees into a full squat (below parallel).
Sandbag Clean and Throws
Clean the sandbag up from the ground again by hinging at your waist with your knees bent and using your leg power to bring it up to the front rack position. You can toss it behind you (as shown) or throw it out in front of you. Just do the work!
Burpees
This workout is meant to be done with a rucksack or ruck plate carrier on the whole time. Burpees with some weight on your back are much different than regular burpees. From standing, step your feet back into the plank position and lower your body down to the ground. From there, push your body back up and STEP (don’t jump) back to standing. Slow and steady wins the race on this one. If you want to remove your rucksack, feel free to do a traditional burpee with the jump.
All of our workouts are infinitely scaleable based on your fitness/skill level AND utilizing what equipment you have on hand. Here are some recommended modifications:
- Use a sandbag or rucksack for the workout but don’t wear one
- Sandbag Get Ups: Sit up and down if you can’t stand all the way up on the get ups (almost like a sit up)
- Sandbag Squats: Squat TO parallel rather than below if you have knee or back problems
- Burpees: Take your rucksack or ruck plate carrier off
Give it a try and let us know what you think! Ready to give SRT a shot? Sign up now and receive the first 2 weeks free!
Ten years and thousands of events later, it’s time to formalize everything we’ve learned about Building Better Americans at the most foundational level of training others — to focus on a brilliance in the basics of movement, strength, and performance. #KeepTraining
- Sandbags
- I/O CrossTrainers
- Ruck Plate Carrier – Back in Stock September!
- Men’s Simple Shorts (Charcoal)
- America T-Shirt
- Performance Tac Hat