← EXERCISE LIBRARYConditioning
Sandbag Shouldering
Lift a bag from the floor to one shoulder in one movement, alternating sides. Explosive, awkward and one of the fastest ways to raise the heart rate under load.
- 01Straddle the bag, hinge and get both hands under it with a flat back.
- 02Pull it to the lap, then drive the hips through and pull the bag up the body.
- 03Rotate slightly and drop under it so it lands across one shoulder, not on the collarbone.
- 04Stand fully upright with the bag settled and the trunk braced against the offset load.
- 05Lower it back to the floor under control and repeat to the opposite shoulder.
- 01Hips through, then get under it.
- 02Land it on the meat of the shoulder.
- 03Stand all the way up before you count the rep.
- 01Rounding the back on the pull from the floor, which loads a flexed spine with a load that shifts mid-lift.
- 02Curling the bag with the arms, which stalls at the sticking point and wastes the hip drive.
- 03Always shouldering the same side, which builds an obvious asymmetry over a training block.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.