How to Make a Sandbag

I wrote that title thinking the alliteration was catchy but now I’m saying it out loud and thinking it sounds dirty. It’s not, I promise. No hidden meanings, just legitimate sandbags and salads over here.

Starting with the sandbag…

I’ve been doing Bodyrock workouts for almost 3 weeks now and a lot of the newer workouts utilize a sandbag. There’s usually modifications you can do with just bodyweight or sometimes when possible, I’ll pick up a 10 or 15 lb. dumbbell and use that instead but it would obviously be easier if I just had the actual equipment they are using. Well, said “equipment” comes with a $100 price tag…FOR A BAG, the sand’s not even included. I have my limits and that’s one of them.

After reading Christina’s post about how she filled hers, I was determined to make my own.

Step 1: Drive to my local Asian ghetto grocery store and ask them for their cheapest 20lb. bag of rice. Avoid trying to be talked into the 40 lb. bag by trying to tell the kind non-English speaking woman it’s not for eating and I don’t need that much. Scavenge the garage for the duffle bag that has held a bunch of sheets used to line the back of an old SUV when Ginger was in it for the past 3 years and clean it out.

Step 2: Make a mess in the kitchen filling 3 large plastic bags with 20lbs. of rice.

Step 3: Fill up the empty space with aforementioned sheets (now cleaned) so rice bags don’t bounce around.

Et voila! All for $11.34.

Sandbag turned into a rice bag and $88 saved which is nice because I did actually order the equalizers they use which are not cheap. Couldn’t quite figure out how to come up with a good makeshift version of those.

It should be noted that 20 lbs. feels light until you start doing sumo knees with it. Also, if you want a killer work out and to literally not be able to do anything but hobble around your house for the next 2 days (I’m currently waddling like I’m 9 months pregnant my glutes are so sore) I suggest these two workouts done back to back. O-U-C-H.

This salad has absolutely nothing to do with the sandbag besides the fact that the pineapple was purchased at the same time as the rice after reading Angela’s post and needing some tropical-ness in my life.

Guys…this dressing is oh-my-word delicious. It’s like a pina colada jumped into your salad bowl. I could’ve seriously drank it straight from the blender. I made the dressing exactly as written but did my own thing with the salad including some seared Ahi tuna on top.

It was like one giant F-you to the 3 inches of snow outside and I loved it. If someone won’t oblige to my tropical vacation requests, I’ll just have to take matters into my own hands. Now I just need to figure out how to bring this with me to Seattle tomorrow where the weather is supposed to be one lovely streak of rain/snow and mid 40s…glorious!

And that concludes our Saturday randomness. Enjoy the weekend!

Gina Matsoukas

Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.