Category Archives: Martial arts

This sandbag workout looks easy on paper, but trust me when I say it’s no joke.*

Perform all exercises with a sandbag. (I’m 50+ years old and weigh 142 lbs. I used a 20 pounder. Select your bag weight based on your size, age, and fitness level.) 6 x 10 of Curl ‘n’ Press, Goblet Squats, Walking Push-ups, Lunge Press. Take as many 12 second rest breaks as you need to finish. I got done in 18:30.

Exercise notes:

• Curl ‘n’ Press: Stand straight and hold bag in both hands with arms straight, bag at groin level.  Curl bag to chest level and press overhead.
• Goblet Squats: Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width and hold bag in both hands at chest level.  Keep back straight and squat low until elbows touch knees.
• Push-ups: Place bag on floor, get into Push-up position with one hand on bag. Push-up, then hand walk and place other hand on bag, Push-up, etc. alternating sides.
• Lunge Press: Stand straight and hold bag in both hands at chest level.  Step forward into a front lunge, pressing the bag straight overhead as you do so. Step back into ready position as you lower the bag to chest level.  Alternate sides/feet.  This is a tough exercise and a super gauge of fitness.

* As always, warm up thoroughly before you begin any workout (10 mins minimum).  During exercise, monitor your heart rate and keep it within safe limits. You can use the old traditional formula (220 – age = theoretical max beats per minute) or you use this fancy online one that’s way more accurate.  I’m not your coach, I don’t know your body, and I’m not responsible for your health.  You are.  Proceed at your own risk.

The storm brought the power lines down on Saturday night, and since 40,000 people in central Virginia were without electricity, the power company still hasn’t made it out. The lines are live and, as a result, we can’t be within 10 meters/30 feet of the line. That outbuilding on the right, the one the line is draped across, is my workout space. No weights, no heavy bag, no jump rope, even my PTDICE are in there. And my bike is parked off camera (but still within the forbidden zone).

So here’s my equipment-free WOD:

Conditioning Walk/Run: Set timer to beep every 3 minutes. Go as fast as you can until timer beeps and complete Push-ups until failure. Repeat x 10 (30 minutes total).

PTDICE  (1/2 Pyramid to 10 of Wide Push-ups, Crunches w/ legs up, Dirty Dogs, Staggered Push-ups, Bicycles); Heavy Bag Kick Drill (6 x 2:00/1:00 as follows — single kicks for 2:00, shadowbox for 1:00, double kicks for 2:00, rest 1:00. Repeat twice more for a total of 6 rounds).

See that book in the background? I’m going to be doing that every time I post a workout. Who doesn’t like a good book recommendation, right?

Here’s a solo martial arts gut check.

Put on wrist weights (8 oz min) and leave then on for the duration of the workout.

Russian Squats – 100
Get-ups – 50
Prisoner Squats – 100
Forward Neck Bridge – 90 secs
Backward Neck Bridge – 90 secs
Staggered Push-ups – 50
Side Lunges – 100
Pikes – 50
Shadowboxing with kicks, slips, and pops  – 7 x 3:00/1:00

I just finished in 56 minutes. Let me know how you feel when you’re done.