
Savage Simplicity: Training With a Sandbag, Sledgehammer and Tires
When was the last time you stepped away from the gym and trained in less than perfect conditions? Have you ever loaded a sandbag with 200lb and gone through a full session with it? Have you ever thrown tires or swung a sledgehammer until your heart is beating out of your chest?
Well, the time is now.
Call it farm boy training, call it a warrior workout, call it gladiator training, call it what you like. The term I have coined for it is savage simplicity. Regardless of what you call it, this type of training is tough. it's brutal and intense, but with that, it builds serious full body strength, power, endurance, toughness, mental strength and torches fat in the process.
Related: Tire Sled Drag and Sandbag Conditioning for Only $20
This training is, more often than not, the break you need from the mundane day-to-day of your current gym routine. It's easy to get into a rhythm and stop seeing gains. This training is a much-needed escape into new realms and a style that brings with it mental toughness, physical confidence, and a well rounded athletic physique.
Don't for a second though think that this training is light, high rep bodyweight work that feels the burn. In reality, it's quite the opposite. The work is heavy. It's strenuous. It puts you under tough conditions and it expects you to come out fighting with a struggle and a determination to finish the task at hand.
This training is not pretty. it's not about flexing in the mirror after a set, but rather gasping for breath and convincing yourself you have what it takes to carry on and finish the workout you started.

don't be put off though if you don't currently have access to any of the above equipment. More often than not, it can be purchased for next to nothing, or in some cases even free. Like I said above, garages and junkyards will have plenty of tires that they have to pay someone to take off their hands to recycle. You can do just that for free. If you want something on the heavier side, then look for a truck tire or even one with the wheel still attached.
The sandbag can either be purchased from a specialist company or you can just get your hands on an old military duffel bag. Remember - no handles. You want to have to grip the thing to really get all the incredible benefits of using a sandbag. The weight inside the bag can be easily adjusted by creating smaller taped up bags of sand, gravel or dirt. it's even a viable option to throw some heavy duty chains in there as well to increase the weight.
The sledgehammer will be your best friend for fat-loss and your worst enemy for making you dig deep and getting you tougher. it's imperative that you use it safety though. Make sure your hands do not slip off the handle, make sure no-one is around when you're swinging it and certainly make sure you're swinging it into a large absorbent surface on a large tire. The hammer will have a bounce back at the bottom, so always be on guard and in control at all times.

This training may be rustic, but it's incredibly fun. There is a warrior spirit that shines when you are swinging a sledgehammer into a tire repeatedly with force. There is a sense of being unstoppable when you can throw around a 200lb sandbag with relative ease.
These movements will work the body like no other training offers. They are all full-body movements that include numerous different mechanics- pulling, pushing, rotating, level changes, stability, explosive work, etc. Just 20-30 minutes of this training will make you a beast. It will get you strong all over and in a comparatively short space of time.
So, read these words. Get inspired. Take action to step away from the gym every now and then and tear things up in your backyard, on a field or car park.
The squats in the second round reduce to 8. The third round 6. The fourth round 4 and the fifth round is just 2. Get the sandbag heavy in this superset. None of this 50lb crap! Get the bag loaded up with at least 50% of your bodyweight.

This is a tough finisher. The sets are determined by your own mental drive. The set calls for 50 total reps. If at this stage you need to hit 50 singles, so be it.
Dig deep. Keep pushing and always maintain a solid posture throughout. Form is always the key. Killing yourself with intensity always follows solid form and perfect posture.
Straddle the bag, find your hinge, get your back flat, grip the bag and rip it up to chest height in one clean movement. Pause and brace briefly before squatting the bag back down to the ground. This is one of the 50 reps.
The Workout Recapped
The hands grip the ground, creating torque in the shoulders and lats. The head down to the heels remains in a constant straight line and the only movement comes from the elbows. This is how every push-up need to be. Anything less is a failed rep.
The swings are all done overhead, directly down into the tire. The repetitive slams really make you aware of your back, shoulders, traps, mid-section, and forearms. Ensure that your feet are firmly planted every time you swing. Keep your body straight and aligned throughout each and every swing. The back remains flat throughout and each swing is done with force. Sledgehammer swings are amazing for full body power and a killer way to condition the body.
The Workout Recapped
Warm-up
In a gym setting, this movement would need to be slowed to a controlled stop at the top of the rep. You essentially have to put the brakes on your power every rep. Throwing an object to a full release is a true uninhibited power movement. So, squat down, clean the tire to chest height, dip slightly and throw it forcefully up and forward. Sprint after it and repeat for a full 5 minutes.
The Workout Recapped
Perhaps best of all though, is that once you have the gear in your hands, you'll have a brutal workout whenever, wherever.
Well, the time is now.
Call it farm boy training, call it a warrior workout, call it gladiator training, call it what you like. The term I have coined for it is savage simplicity. Regardless of what you call it, this type of training is tough. it's brutal and intense, but with that, it builds serious full body strength, power, endurance, toughness, mental strength and torches fat in the process.
Related: Tire Sled Drag and Sandbag Conditioning for Only $20
This training is, more often than not, the break you need from the mundane day-to-day of your current gym routine. It's easy to get into a rhythm and stop seeing gains. This training is a much-needed escape into new realms and a style that brings with it mental toughness, physical confidence, and a well rounded athletic physique.
Don't for a second though think that this training is light, high rep bodyweight work that feels the burn. In reality, it's quite the opposite. The work is heavy. It's strenuous. It puts you under tough conditions and it expects you to come out fighting with a struggle and a determination to finish the task at hand.
This training is not pretty. it's not about flexing in the mirror after a set, but rather gasping for breath and convincing yourself you have what it takes to carry on and finish the workout you started.

What Equipment Will You Need?
it's simple.- Heavy Sandbag. you'll need a heavy sandbag, one with no handles. Think the World's Strongest Man style sandbags. No handles mean no convenient grip. you'll be forced to fight with the bag each and every rep. After, your forearms, hands, and fingers will let you know what grip strength really is.
- Sledgehammer. you'll need a Sledgehammer. One around 16lb is usually more than enough. Going too heavy on the swings means sacrificing speed, power, and velocity for the force. 16lb is more than enough to bring a big guy to his knees.
- Tires. You need a couple of tires. These are generally free from garages that'll have to pay someone to come and take them away. you'll be doing them a favor and getting one hell of a training tool in the process. Grab a few while you're there. Larger truck tires work the best, as they can be used to throw, as a makeshift sled and as a shock absorber for the sledgehammer swings.
- Chain or Rope. Lastly, you'll need to get a good length of solid chain or rope that's around 2" thick. This rope or chain is used to drag the sled. it's also used in hand over hand rope pulls similar to that in the World's Strongest Man competitions.
don't be put off though if you don't currently have access to any of the above equipment. More often than not, it can be purchased for next to nothing, or in some cases even free. Like I said above, garages and junkyards will have plenty of tires that they have to pay someone to take off their hands to recycle. You can do just that for free. If you want something on the heavier side, then look for a truck tire or even one with the wheel still attached.
The sandbag can either be purchased from a specialist company or you can just get your hands on an old military duffel bag. Remember - no handles. You want to have to grip the thing to really get all the incredible benefits of using a sandbag. The weight inside the bag can be easily adjusted by creating smaller taped up bags of sand, gravel or dirt. it's even a viable option to throw some heavy duty chains in there as well to increase the weight.
The sledgehammer will be your best friend for fat-loss and your worst enemy for making you dig deep and getting you tougher. it's imperative that you use it safety though. Make sure your hands do not slip off the handle, make sure no-one is around when you're swinging it and certainly make sure you're swinging it into a large absorbent surface on a large tire. The hammer will have a bounce back at the bottom, so always be on guard and in control at all times.

This training may be rustic, but it's incredibly fun. There is a warrior spirit that shines when you are swinging a sledgehammer into a tire repeatedly with force. There is a sense of being unstoppable when you can throw around a 200lb sandbag with relative ease.
These movements will work the body like no other training offers. They are all full-body movements that include numerous different mechanics- pulling, pushing, rotating, level changes, stability, explosive work, etc. Just 20-30 minutes of this training will make you a beast. It will get you strong all over and in a comparatively short space of time.
So, read these words. Get inspired. Take action to step away from the gym every now and then and tear things up in your backyard, on a field or car park.
Sandbag Beat Down
Thorough Warm-up First then:- 1a. Sandbag Zercher Carry x 150ft
- 1b. Sandbag Zercher Squat x 10, 8, 6, 4, 2
The squats in the second round reduce to 8. The third round 6. The fourth round 4 and the fifth round is just 2. Get the sandbag heavy in this superset. None of this 50lb crap! Get the bag loaded up with at least 50% of your bodyweight.
- 2a. Sandbag walking lunges 4 x 150ft
- 3a. Sandbag Power Clean x 50 total reps

This is a tough finisher. The sets are determined by your own mental drive. The set calls for 50 total reps. If at this stage you need to hit 50 singles, so be it.
Dig deep. Keep pushing and always maintain a solid posture throughout. Form is always the key. Killing yourself with intensity always follows solid form and perfect posture.
Straddle the bag, find your hinge, get your back flat, grip the bag and rip it up to chest height in one clean movement. Pause and brace briefly before squatting the bag back down to the ground. This is one of the 50 reps.
The Workout Recapped
- Warm-up
- 1a. Sandbag Zercher Carry x 150ft
- 1b. Sandbag Zercher Squat x 10, 8, 6, 4, 2
- 2a. Sandbag walking lunges 4 x 150ft
- 3a. Sandbag Power Clean x 50 total reps
Car Park Conditioning
Thorough Warm-up First then:- 1a. Forward Sled Drag x 150ft
- 1b. Backward Sled Drag x 150ft
- 1c. Hand over Hand Sled Pull x 75ft
- 1d. Forward Sled Sprint x 75ft
- Repeat for Three Total Rounds
- 2a. Push-up x 10
- 2b. Pull-up x 10
- Repeat for Four Total Rounds
The hands grip the ground, creating torque in the shoulders and lats. The head down to the heels remains in a constant straight line and the only movement comes from the elbows. This is how every push-up need to be. Anything less is a failed rep.
- 3a. 100 Alternating Sledgehammer Swings

The Workout Recapped
Warm-up
- Repeat for Three Total Rounds
- 1d. Forward Sled Sprint x 75ft
- 1c. Hand-over-Hand Sled Pull x 75ft
- 1b. Backward Sled Drag x 150ft
- 1a. Forward Sled Drag x 150ft
- 2a. Push-up x 10
- 2b. Pull-up x 10
- Repeat for Four Total Rounds
- 3a. 100 Alternating Sledgehammer Swings
Playing with the Odd Objects
- 1a. Sandbag Clean and Press x 5-8
- 1b. Pull-up/Bodyweight Row Variations x sub max
- Four Rounds Total
- 2a. Sandbag Bearhug Carry 3 x 200ft
- 3a. Sandbag Row x Max
- 3b. Sandbag Power Curl x Max
- Three Rounds Total
- 4a. Tire Throw x 5 mins straight
In a gym setting, this movement would need to be slowed to a controlled stop at the top of the rep. You essentially have to put the brakes on your power every rep. Throwing an object to a full release is a true uninhibited power movement. So, squat down, clean the tire to chest height, dip slightly and throw it forcefully up and forward. Sprint after it and repeat for a full 5 minutes.
The Workout Recapped
- Warm-up
- 1a. Sandbag Clean and Press x 5-8
- 1b. Pull-up/Bodyweight Row Variations x sub max
- Four Rounds Total
- 2a. Sandbag Bearhug Carry 3 x 200ft
- 3a. Sandbag Row x Max
- 3b. Sandbag Power Curl x Max
- Three Rounds Total
- 4a. Tire Throw x 5 mins straight
Perhaps best of all though, is that once you have the gear in your hands, you'll have a brutal workout whenever, wherever.