Sandbag Front Carry

5 × 30 m hugging the bag at chest height. Reset the position rather than round the back.

Difficulty 3 of 57.2 METs · Vigorous

Equipment

Sandbag

Muscle groups worked

Core
Scapular push
Glutes

What it buys you

A sandbag shifts and settles like a person does. It is the closest loaded rehearsal for a supported lift.

Capacity trained

Strength. Posterior chain and trunk endurance under load. Holds position without fatigue or compensation.

Train it · Two Bodies Test your limiter

Energy

Modelled kilocalories

Modelled energy cost for Sandbag Front Carry at 10, 20, 30 and 45 minutes for both reference bodies
Reference body	10 min	20 min	30 min	45 min
Male reference · 82 kg	103 kcal	207 kcal	310 kcal	465 kcal
Female reference · 68 kg	86 kcal	171 kcal	257 kcal	386 kcal

Energy figures are modelled from standard activity MET values (Ainsworth Compendium, 2011) and the ACSM equation, not measured on you. They scale linearly with your own body mass, so a body 10% heavier burns about 10% more at the same intensity.

kcal = METs × 3.5 × bodyweight(kg) ÷ 200 × minutes (ACSM)

Load is effort, not pain. If a movement hurts rather than works, stop and see a clinician. Lifting another person is strength training with a person-shaped load — build the pattern unloaded first.

Cross-reference

Positions this workout helps · 33

It serves Lifted / Carried, Standing and Kneeling. Every position in those families is listed below, hardest first.

Honest framing

Training makes a posture available and sustainable. It is capability work, not a treatment for anything, and no single session changes a number. Consistency over eight weeks does.