How to fill and care for your Workout Sandbags
The above video also tells you how to fill our sandbags. Below are instructions on filling our contractor bag inner bags. For instructions on how to fill our nylon filler bags, and our all-in-one bags, scroll down to below these instructions.
For best results, keep your sandbags LOOSE. I recommend about 90% of their full capacity. That is 35-40# for small, about 70-75# for medium, 100-110# for large, and 140-150# for extra large bags. They can be underfilled to almost half the above weights to suit your needs.
Use CLEAN, DRY sand. The best source for this is from a home center, buying their 50# bags of play sand. If you must use sand from a beach/riverbank/desert, make sure it is DRY and CLEAN.
Any size sandbag can be filled with half these weights with rubber mulch, also available at home centers.
Use two 45 gallon contractor bags for small and medium sandbags, and use two 55 gallon contractor bags for large and extra large sandbags. If you choose, you can use your duct tape to close them permanently. Oherwise, use the large rubber band included. It works fine.
1 Put one inner bag inside the other, with corners matching. Double them up for all size outer bags.
2 Fold back a collar (to keep sand from between the bags), and add a couple of coffee cans full of sand into it.
3 Put inner bags with this small amount of sand into one end of outer bag.
4 Add more sand into inner bags. Make sure not to get sand either between the inner bags or in the outer bag.
5 Push sand into the corners with your hand in the sand.
6 Add enough sand to get the bag full enough to where the sand is going to the other end.
7 Push the sand into the corners of the other end with your hand in the sand. Add more sand.
8 Push the air out of the excess bag, flatten it, and fold it under itself like your were wrapping a gift.
9 Fold it down into flat segments about the width of your hand.
10 Twist the folded flap up on itself in order to be able to attach the giant rubber band included. You should do this before you permanently close the inner bags with duct tape. If duct taping shut, do not twist, but make a flat hand-width foldup of the flap, and duct tape around it.
11 Fold the last flap in half and use the giant rubber band to hold it closed by doubling the rubber band up. You can use the sandbag for years with the rubber band. But, if you choose, you can duct tape around the foldup for a more permanent closure. Here is where you would duct tape it.
12 Close the sandbag. Drop it a few times on its side to pack the sand. Open and re-close it if necessary to make the hook and loop match up. If it is too hard to make the hook and loop match up, you are using too much sand to keep the bag loose. So lose some sand and close it again.
Work out with the bag and add or remove sand to adjust the looseness of the sand. But remember, the whole purpose of sandbag training is to have a loose, shifting bag of sand. So keep the bag loose to maximize the benefits of sandbag training.
Here's how to fill both your 1000D filler bags and your ballistic nylon all-in-one Snake bags:
1 Roll the top end back with its hook/loop closure over on itself to make a "collar".
2 Add sand. Try to keep the sand out of the hook/loop. If you get some in, brush it off.
3 Add enough sand to make the bag appear to be about half-filled. It will bunch up on the bottom, and ballon out. Do not add too much sand. The whole purpose of sandbag training is to have a LOOSE bag of sand so it will shift.
4 Restore the hook/loop flap to its final position.
5 Now it is time to close the hook/loop. It is very important to get them aligned straight to keep the sand from leaking. Start by opening it all the way up. Then while holding it apart, start closing the inside edge of one side.
6 Close the hook onto the loop all the way across the inside side of the bag.
7 Now close the hook onto the loop from the back (inside) of the bag to the front (toward camera). Roll it so as to avoid getting creases in it. Avoiding creases in both directions is the key to having a leakproof bag.
8 Press the hook/loop together, and you're ready to rock and roll! Remember, avoid any creases in either direction to stay leakproof. Grab the bag by the fabric so as to grab some sand and that makes your handle. This can be done either on the sides of the ends of the bag. For 1000D filler bags, put the filler bag into the outer bag one end at a time, and close the hook/loop on the outer bag.
Never over-fill your sandbags. If you must slam the bags, be sure to fill them quite loosely, about 3/4 of their maximum capacity. Use some fatigue matting on the floor. Even though they will take it, do not drop them from over shoulder height. They are made to be used on floors or cement, not gravel or rough surfaces. Do not leave them out in the sun for days on end. If you must, wash them on gentle cycle and hang dry. Take care of them and they will last you a lifetime. Thank you for your purchase! Let us know how you like them. Keep the bags LOOSE. Keep it fun!
After 5 years of customers using the contractor bags to hold the sand, they have proven themselves to be reliable, leakproof, and durable for holding the sand. It allows us to concentrate all of your price on the outer bag, using stronger materials. However, if you must have filler bags, we have some to go with the outer bags. Ours use only one filler bag per outer bag to keep the sand shifting as a whole.
KEEP IT FUN, KEEP IT SAFE!
