Functional training has surged in popularity within the fitness world, driving the shift from single-use to multi-use gym equipment. Power bags are great examples of functional training equipment and are popular within commercial gyms, sports facilities and home gyms. Incorporating them into strength and power training programmes increases the rate of force development and improves sprint and jump performance (Source). They have also been included in performance testing in athletic sports settings, such as in professional Rugby Union (Source). 

What is a Power Bag?

A power bag is a soft-shelled, weighted bag, typically with multiple handles, offering a versatile piece of training equipment. They come in a cylindrical shape and are available in a range of different weights from 5 to 30 kg. The soft exterior provides a comfortable and safer design over similar products, making throws and dynamic movements, such as clean and press, easier to incorporate into your workout. Additionally, the durable outer shell of the Exersci power bags provides a long-lasting piece of kit for you to get the most value for money out of your equipment. 

Similar to this, Exersci also offer sandbags. Sandbags are very similar in shape, also offering a duffel bag-like style, with multiple handles. Each provides similar benefits (detailed below); however, they do offer small differences. For instance, Sandbags are adjustable, whereby individual bags of sand (5 kg) can be added or removed. Whereas the power bag is more compact, provides a more comfortable outer shell, and is more durable for throws.  

Benefits of Training with a Power Bag

There is an array of benefits of training with a power bag, from the physiological adaptations that can be gained to its ease of use. 

They are extremely versatile, suitable for power, endurance and rehabilitation. This also means that they can be used across a range of exercises to target different muscle groups and develop full-body strength. This full-body strength isn't just limited to prime movers such as quadriceps, pectorals and biceps. Power bags also engage stabiliser and core muscles, especially when used within functional movement patterns, such as twists. Additionally, you will also see improvements in your grip strength, which will help translate into improved ability to perform multiple different exercises, such as pull-ups or deadlifts. Lastly, anyone can use power bags, as they are suitable for all fitness levels and can be used to progressively overload exercises to increase strength and muscle mass.

Exercises You Can Do with a Power Bag

As mentioned, power bags are versatile, thus they can be used across a range of movement styles to improve strength, power, core stability and endurance. Here are some examples of how you can hit each of these target areas for you to incorporate into your training programme:

Strength:

• Squats
• Lunges
• Overhead press
• Bent over rows
• Deadlifts

Power / Rate of Force Development:

• Clean and press
• Rotational throws
• Thrusters (squat to overhead press)

Core stability:

• Russian twists
• Overhead carries
• Weighted sit-ups 

Endurance / Conditioning:

• Power bag burpees
• Walking lunges (with bag overhead to engage core and shoulder stabilisers)
• Step ups

What you should recognise is that there are multiple exercises above that can be done across a range of different pieces of gym equipment, but with a power bag, you only need one bit of kit.

Why Every Gym Should Have a Power Bag

There are multiple reasons why we recommend incorporating power bags into your home or commercial gym. 

If you want to save space, these are ideal pieces of equipment that can be used to hit multiple muscle groups across multiple movements. This eliminates the need to purchase multiple items and can help you save money. Furthermore, they are compact pieces of equipment to store, especially if you have the Exersci Power Bag Storage Rack.

Power bags are also very durable and low-maintenance. This makes them very useful within grouped circuit sessions / CrossFit, where they may be dropped, thrown and passed. 

Last but not least, power bags help you incorporate variety into your training programme. Physical and mental plateaus are often overlooked within the gym setting. By including variations in your exercises, muscle fibre recruitment, time-under-tension, and sticking points (the point of a lift where difficulty significantly increases: this point differs between individuals) vary, thus variation provides a different stimulus to your musculature, which facilitates adaptations. 

Conclusion

A power bag is a durable and versatile piece of kit, that is soft-shelled and cylindrical shaped, ranging from 5-30 kg. They are great for developing full-body strength, core stability, engaging stabiliser muscles and improving athletic performance. You can use Power bags to eliminate single-use and expensive items, and we believe it should be on your priority list when starting or upgrading your gym space.

So, you should go check out Exersci's collection of Power bags on our website www.exersci.co.uk. Also, please contact us for any enquiries.