Back from some vacation and took the last several weeks to focus on a couple things (a lot goin’ on), back to a cadence of sending these out regularly again. This post is just about GPP, and specifically the sand bag step-up. I realize most folks don’t have a sandbag at their gym, I suggest just ordering one online, buying play sand for $5-10 at home depot, and keeping a bag in your garage or living room (makes a great conversation piece).
Modifications
Use a heavier/lighter bag, taller/shorter box, add ankle weights, Attach a band to the hips (behind you).
You could of course use the sandbag step-up for strength development but I prefer it as a tool to build conditioning and work capacity. Crush your lungs with a heavy sandbag and get to steppin’
The Workouts
Pick one and hit it at the end of a session or as a stand alone session.
100 Step-ups / Leg
3-5 x 1:00 Step-ups / 1:00 Rest
Best for conditioning purposes. If you want to keep intensity a bit higher you could increase the rest interval to 2:00.
1-3 x 2:00 Step-ups / 3:00 Rest
Best for combat athletes looking to work on endurance. I’d prefer something mixed modal but hey if somebody just really wants to trash their legs with threshold style step-ups that simulate grabbing a human body, then by all means embrace the suck.
It doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. If you’ve never tried 100 step ups and you’re feeling frisky, give it a whirl this week and let me know how it went.