Sandbells: Take out your aggression with a bean-bag fitness class
Never a weights person, our writer Kim trials the new fitness class involving weights that look like bean bags, and finds them great for talking our your aggression
Finally, we've found it. A weights-based class we actually like.
Enter Sandbells. They are essential bean bags of different weights that you can lift, and more importantly drop, without smashing up the gym floor. See ya later kettle bells.
The Sandbell workout has just arrived at Fitness First gyms (as part of its shiny new rebrand aiming to #rewritefitness) and gives the weight-averse an option when it comes to resistance training. And if, like me, you run screaming from the testosterone-reaking free-weights area of your gym, this is much more appealing.
It also has a keen focus on strengthening the core - which we need for balance, flat stomachs and preventing bad backs, and I'm definitely after the abs of steal the trainer tells us we are on course for.
The Sandbells themselves are neopreme sacks filled with sand. They're easy to get a grasp on and flexible, unlike traditional metal weights. And best of all, part of the class involves throwing them down on the floor with as much force as you like (then squatting to pick them up and lifting them above your head, so definitely getting a whole range of movement there).
[Fitness on Trial: No time to workout? No excuse now: Tabata]
[Fitness on Trial: Speedflex: Burn the MOST calories]
After a stressful day at work I absolutely loved this opportunity - it's a great tension reliever and gets your heart pumping fast. It's HIIT (but of course) so you work hard in 30 second intervals and get a minute or so to rest at the end of each set of exercises.
Key exercises include circling the Sandbell above your head to work on arm and core strenth and holding it out in front of you, as well as using sideways movements to strengthen the muscles in your waist and the dreaded squats and lunges.
The class combines these standing exercises (including the throwing the bag on the floor one) with floor work. Introducing the Sandbell to regular situps by holding it between your knees, makes them more challenging and requires more attention and balance. And from the sore muscles I can only assume that it does a whole lot more good than my usual half-hearted shoulder raises.
I started with a 3.5k weight but soon changed up to 5k to give myself more of a challenge. It seems when they're in the form of a soft, squishy bag, weights feel far more achievable and I felt I put more effort into picking the bag up for another slam dunk than I would have on weights machines or with dumbells.
I would definitely go back to the class. It feels fully rounded, you work all of your body and there's a healthy mix between cardio and resistance. The class is designed to burn at least 450 calories and because of the muscle work, you can expect an 'afterburn' that keeps your metabolism up. Plus it's 45 minutes so can be squished into a busy schedule.
