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Sandbag Zercher Squat

IntermediateStrengthTier T3

You stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, resting a sandbag in the crooks of your elbows against your chest. You bend your knees and hips to squat down, then stand back up.

Targets: Hip
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 tall, a sandbag resting in the crooks of his elbows against his chest, both hands clasped in front.

    Step 1 of 3

    Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and cradle the sandbag in the crooks of both elbows at chest level, both hands clasped together in front to steady it.

  2. The same man, now squatted with his thighs just past parallel to the floor, the sandbag still resting in the crooks of his elbows.

    Step 2 of 3

    Push your hips back and bend both knees to lower into a squat until your thighs travel just past parallel to the floor, keeping the sandbag cradled in the crooks of both elbows exactly as it started.

  3. A man standing tall, a sandbag resting in the crooks of his elbows against his chest, both hands clasped in front.

    Step 3 of 3

    Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and cradle the sandbag in the crooks of both elbows at chest level, both hands clasped together in front to steady it.

Safety Information

Keep the sandbag held snugly in the crooks of both elbows against the chest throughout the descent and the stand -- letting it slip toward the forearms or drift away from the body shifts the load forward and off balance, something a soft, shifting sandbag load makes more likely than a rigid barbell. Choose a sandbag light enough that the torso can stay upright and the knees can track over the feet throughout the full range. Stop and lower the sandbag with control if any kind of pain, pinching, or strain is felt in the elbows, wrists, low back, or knees at any point in the descent, the bottom position, or the stand for this exercise. Stop if the exercise causes pain or you become unwell. Seek appropriate professional advice about symptoms or suitability.

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