How This Sandbag Workout Will Prepare Your Legs for Military Fitness Tests

Many groups within the military use logs to build small-unit cohesion and teamwork. The log and other equipment that is carried can make or break the team. It is wise to make yourself more durable for load-bearing activities by building strength and endurance through strength-training and muscle-stamina events.

Although communication is critical to your success as a team, practicing many of the same events experienced under a log is wise preparation and can be done with a 40- to 50-pound sandbag. Here is an advanced workout that mixes high-repetition calisthenics with sandbags to make these exercises and running a little more challenging.

Warm-up with the full-body half pyramid/jog routine:

Pull-up/push-up/squat pyramid 1-10 with 100-meter jogs in-between + one-mile warmup jog: If, for any reason, more than 100 pull-ups or push-ups are not possible for your regular workouts, do as best as you can with this warm-up, then resort to an easier exercise of the same movement -- for instance, pulldowns, assisted pull-ups or knee push-ups for regular push-ups. If needed, you can do this for both the warm-up and the workout below.

This warm-up totals 55 repetitions of each exercise by going up the 1-10 pyramid/ladder: 1 pull-up, push-up, squat -- jog 100 meters; 2 pull-ups, push-ups, squats -- jog 100 meters ... up to 10 pull-ups, push-ups and squats for a total of 55 of each exercise in 10 sets and a total of 1,000 meters of jogging. Continue the warm-up jog with a one-mile jog at your comfortable pace.

Max Rep Set Circuit: This max-effort circuit has no sets or reps. The goal is to get these total numbers in as few sets as possible in the "max reps set circuit":

• 100 pull-ups
• 100 sandbag push press
• 150 sandbag sit-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 150 sandbag squats
• 100 dips
• 100 sandbag lunges/leg

Run 400 meters for every complete circuit of exercises until complete with all reps (with sandbag).

The seven exercises above are to be done in a back-to-back sequence with minimum rest. They are arranged in a way that allows for "active rest" by working different muscle groups when going from one exercise to another. Pick a sandbag from 20-50 pounds, depending on your ability. The higher end of that spectrum is roughly the weight experienced under a log doing typical group exercises, such as push presses, sit-ups, squats and lunges.

After each max rep, complete the circuit, note your numbers, run 400 meters with a sandbag on your shoulder and then start over at the top of the circuit again until you make your way through all of the exercises' repetition goals. Continue with the circuit, skipping the completed exercises until all reps are done for the remaining exercises.

This will take the top competitors 4-6 sets and an average of less than 10 sets to finish. If this workout takes more than 10 sets, stop as you may still need to be fully ready for this much volume, intensity and weighted exercises.

Remember the cooldown and stretching part of this workout. This will help you break up any soreness experienced from new exercises or high volume you are not accustomed to doing.

Repeat twice.

• Bike, row or other cardio for five minutes.
• Stretch/foam-roll for five minutes.

You can see improvements with this workout and your overall work capacity and durability if you try this twice a month. Make sure you acknowledge what exercises are your strengths and weaknesses, and do not fail to focus on the exercises that need the most work from the list above. You will see these exercises again if you go to a military training program with log PT.

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