Functional training turns the classic principle of old-school strength training on its head for once: Isolatedly trained muscles, whose definition becomes the highest purpose of the training, become a power training, where large muscle groups and complete muscle chains in the body are trained in a functional way. The shaping of the muscles is rather secondary in this type of training: "Form follows function!" is a motto of the new power training. What began as a trend in the 2000s has long since firmly arrived in everyday studio life; what was once a hip exotic has become an established type of training. Power bags are unstable weights. What comes in the form of an inconspicuous travel bag really has it all: The weight bags are filled with loose sand (in some cases also with water) and carried, lifted, torn, pushed or swung. In the process, the filling of the power bags moves with it, forcing the body to compensate for the instability. A real kick for the muscles, the dynamic training with Power Bags addresses the muscles in a completely different way than a classic workout with free weights and challenges the body in an even more comprehensive way. Thus, Power Bags can also present professional strength athletes with a real challenge, new training stimuli through the intensive, functional training can help to achieve maximum strength training goals faster. We have collected the most important facts and figures about power bags for you here.
What are the relevant brands of fascia rollers for professional use?
By far the cheapest power bags for professional use come from ARTZT, the ARTZT Vitality Sandbags are among the simplest power bags available on the market and are already available from just under 21 euros net. The Soft Weights are available from 1 - 4 kg and are ideal for functional applications in rehab, gymnastics and aerobics.
#DoYourFitness, Trendy Sport and Gymstick are in the mid-price range, with prices ranging from about 30 euros net to 60 euros net depending on the materials and handle options used on the power bag. These power bags usually have a color coding of the weight classes and are represented with a weight range of 5 - 25 kg. They are suitable for moderate strength training for beginners in functional training as well as for the basic training of advanced athletes.
ATX and GymBox are among the high-priced brands in the power bag range and are ideal for advanced functional training. In terms of price, the brands range from 60 euros net to about 100 euros net per functional bag. The power bags from ATX and GymBox are primarily designed for advanced athletes and have a very simple design without color-coded weights. The weight classes start at 16 kg and end at about 50 kg . With these power bags, disciplines such as the Farmer's Walk can also be optimally trained.
Extremely important is the workmanship of the Power Bags. Compared to similar, very inexpensive products from the home sector, the brand products score points for their high-quality workmanship. During training, power bags are subjected to great stress, and dynamic training with exercises involving swinging movements puts even the best stitching to a tough test. In the professional sector, an eye should definitely be kept on the workmanship and quality of the materials used to avoid torn handles and burst seams.
What are the differences between power bags?
Filling
Basically, the filling materials can be distinguished: most Power Bags are filled with sand, the Water Bags work with a filling of water. Some Power Bags work with a multi-chamber system: the Esfera Bags from Trendy Sport, for example, are not filled with loose sand, but with 5 kg bags full of sand, also various Water Bags work with several chambers that are filled with water. Systems with multiple chambers provide a little less instability during training, so the training intensity is somewhat reduced, but the material of the power bag is spared. Especially with sand, the system has the advantage that if the power bag is damaged, the filling is not immediately distributed throughout the entire training area.
Handle variations
Inexpensive power bags often have fewer or no handles. For many exercises these Power Bags are completely sufficient, depending upon training purpose handles can even disturb. The more handles a power bag has, the more grip variations are available during training and the greater the exercise variety and application possibilities during training.
Materials
The weight classes are also determined by the materials used. As already mentioned, dynamic forces act on the weight bags during functional training with the power bag - this is a real stress for the material and especially for the seams. Common materials are fabric, plastic, artificial leather or leather. Especially in the professional field, care should be taken that the power bags need to be cleaned. Disciplines such as the Farmer's Walk can also be trained well outdoors, there are also exercise variants in which the Power Bag is thrown. For indoor use, porous or absorbent materials such as fabric or leather can certainly be used, but as soon as the bag can come into contact with coarser dirt, closed-cell materials with easy washability should be used.
Buying advice for gym owners: cardio equipment
Use and application
Power bags allow any exerciser to get an intense functional workout and are an excellent complement to free weights. At the same time, larger group classes with the weight bags are a great way to introduce exercisers to using the full range of functions of the power bags.
It's important to keep in mind that training with power bags is fundamentally different from classic strength disciplines, and the special demands on the body and muscles can push even hardened power lifting pros to their performance limits. A good selection of weights in the rather low range and a few high weights are therefore more sensible for a gym than as many power bags as heavy as possible. Compared to the bench press, 50 kg as a weight sounds rather "ridiculous" at first, but in power bag training this weight is really only recommended for very advanced athletes.
For the functional training area, a complete set of power bags weighing 5 - 25 kg should be provided, ideally with two complete sets. This gives users the option to train in pairs with the power bags, similar to the use of dumbbells. In addition, higher weights can be provided in pairs to provide a challenge for professional and advanced athletes.
For courses, depending on the size of the course, a corresponding number of Power Bags are needed. Since newcomers to Functional Training are often interested in courses, low to medium weights between 5 and 15 kg are ideal. A selection of these weight classes with a little more Power Bags in total than the number of participants allows enough flexibility in the course.
Special requirements for professional use
In the studio, the Power Bags are used by many different users. In addition, in the studio there is also the possibility to perform exercises that include throwing. In a rented apartment, Power Bags are rarely thrown with full force onto the floor, probably neighbors would not be enthusiastic about this training variant. In the studio this inhibition threshold does not exist, therefore the Power Bags are exposed here clearly more extreme loads than in the home area.
Reinforced seams and high-quality materials are therefore mandatory for use in the gym. Even the nicest power bag is of no use if all the handles are torn off and filling material seeps out of the seams. Some brands, such as ATX, have subjected their power bags to special tests to ensure that the weight bags can withstand extreme, continuous drops .
Current developments
The efficiency of training with Power Bags is now generally recognized. For more variety in training and to be able to challenge muscle groups even more intensively, power bags are available in more and more different variations. The Bulgarian Bag has a curved shape and thus also enables intensive grip strength training. Water Bags offer a special load, especially when they are only half filled, because the inertia of the water generates strong impulses during movements, which demand particularly demanding performances from the body in balancing these impulses.
Also with the materials there are always new developments, modern plastics make very large loads possible, therefore also the available weight classes become ever more extensive with Power Bags.
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Editorial fitnessmarkt.de (DG)
Picture credits: #221849948-Bojan-AdobeStock
Published on: 11 October 2019