When shaping up, people usually take a three-headed approach: increasing strength, raising basal metabolic rate (BMR), and changing diet.
Increasing strength can be accomplished through resistance training with free weights; raising BMR through cardio.
But equally important
This Instructable will outline the steps to make an easy, low-cost means to resistance train with high repetition to increase muscle fatigue and keep the heart rate elevated.
We call it what it is: Dual-Handle Weight Bag (for lack of a catchier name... any suggestions?)
It's part dumbbell, part medicine ball, part yoga sand bag, and part kettlebell.
Allowing you strength train, stability train, improve flexibility and explosiveness, simply and fluidly.
Increasing strength can be accomplished through resistance training with free weights; raising BMR through cardio.
But equally important
This Instructable will outline the steps to make an easy, low-cost means to resistance train with high repetition to increase muscle fatigue and keep the heart rate elevated.
We call it what it is: Dual-Handle Weight Bag (for lack of a catchier name... any suggestions?)
It's part dumbbell, part medicine ball, part yoga sand bag, and part kettlebell.
Allowing you strength train, stability train, improve flexibility and explosiveness, simply and fluidly.
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Signing UpStep 1: Materials
For this weighted bag we used the following:
- thick, durable canvas fabric
- synthetic straps (we removed ours from a cheap give-away bag from a conference)
- zipper (also from the conference bag)
- a zip-top bag full of grain (buckwheat is the best as it's hypoallergenic; we used 5 lb. of rice)
note: we also have cord in the photo, which we were going to use in the handles for added comfort but opted against it... they're comfortable enough.
- thick, durable canvas fabric
- synthetic straps (we removed ours from a cheap give-away bag from a conference)
- zipper (also from the conference bag)
- a zip-top bag full of grain (buckwheat is the best as it's hypoallergenic; we used 5 lb. of rice)
note: we also have cord in the photo, which we were going to use in the handles for added comfort but opted against it... they're comfortable enough.
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If you made a simple change to the bag by adding a longer, sturdier handle it could be swung around over the top of your head in large circles. You would then have a great center torso trainer.
A shorter handle will make it into a kettle bell.
Handles on the side would turn it into a nice outfit to use on your planks, or Russian twist exercises.
Nice idea, keep up the good work.
Danny
the light weight is good for high reps and moving from one exercise to another i.e. getting the heart rate up.
but i agree 5 - 10lbs is light for strengthening major groups. i suppose it's just a limitation of the materials i had on hand. 5-10lbs are still good for some core exercises, anterior/later raises, forearm work, etc...
i have been working on a 25 - 30 lb model. which i will append to this 'ible once complete.
I dunno about light weight not strengthening major muscle groups, I work in heavy construction and swinging a ten pound sledge for hours to demolish concrete, or lifting sheetrock repetetively sure is a huge workout...you don't get "big" though like bodybuilders. And no disrespect to the athletes who participate in powerlifting and bodybuilding (an endurance sport in its own right) but few people benefit from the ability to lift engineblocks 8-10times, but everyone can benefit from working with lighter weights regularily.
Strength has so many facets.
Kathleen
Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely try this next time!!
This is a really great tutorial on it, if you're interested. :D
~ Sharon