Skip to main content

ClapMove · clapmove.com

Exercise handout — move better, feel better.

Back

Sandbag Front Squat

IntermediateStrengthTier T3

You stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, hugging a sandbag against your chest with both arms. You push your hips back and bend your knees to squat down, then stand back up.

Targets: Knee
Muscles: Quadriceps, Gluteus Maximus

Stop if

Choose an easier exercise if pain reaches 6 out of 10 or becomes sharp. Stop and rest if pain reaches 8 out of 10.

This is the general ClapMove rule. This exercise has no extra stop rule of its own.

  • Pain 6 out of 10 or more: choose an easier exercise.
  • Pain 8 out of 10 or more: stop and rest.

Equipment needed

  • Works at home
  • Works at the gym

Home Options

  • sandbag

Dosage

3

Sets

8

Reps / Time

60 sec

Rest

controlled

Tempo

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. A man standing upright, both arms wrapped around a sandbag held against his chest, both feet flat on the floor.

    Step 1 of 3

    Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, wrap both arms fully around the upright sandbag, and hold it close against your chest.

  2. The same man, now squatted down with his knees bent and hips lowered, the sandbag still held against his chest with both arms wrapped around it.

    Step 2 of 3

    Push your hips back and bend your knees to squat down, keeping the sandbag held close against your chest with both arms wrapped around it.

  3. A man standing upright, both arms wrapped around a sandbag held against his chest, both feet flat on the floor.

    Step 3 of 3

    Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, wrap both arms fully around the upright sandbag, and hold it close against your chest.

Safety Information

Keep the sandbag held close against the chest throughout the squat -- do not let it drift away from the body or the torso collapse forward -- because this held-close-to-the-body position is the entire instruction for the exercise. If you have a knee, hip, or low-back injury, or any condition affecting balance while carrying an external load, ask a physical therapist or physician before attempting this exercise, because the full bodyweight plus the sandbag's added load is carried through a repeated squat. Stop the set and lower the sandbag to the floor with control immediately if you feel a sharp pain, pinch, or loss of balance at any point in the squat. Stop if the exercise causes pain or you become unwell. Seek appropriate professional advice about symptoms or suitability.

Get your free personalized program at clapmove.com/register

Printed from clapmove.com. ClapMove is not a replacement for professional medical advice — always consult a healthcare provider before starting any exercise program.