The Bulgarian bag is a very unique piece of training equipment that allows
you to do literally millions of workouts with a single piece of equipment.
It is essentially a leather bag filled with sand that has several handles on
it. The Bulgarian bag has two main handles on each end of the apparatus and
they are accompanied by a strap. There are also three different grips on the
top of the bag that allow you to use different hand positioning for
different angles.
How do you use the Bulgarian bag?
You can use the Bulgarian bag like you would use any other type of weight,
with the exception that this particular piece of equipment is flexible so
you can do things that you wouldn't dream of doing with a barbell or a dumb
bell. For example you can place the Bulgarian bag on your back across your
shoulders and do jumps or run or whatever your mind can come up with. Most
people would not try to do broad jumps with a weighted barbell. It would
pose too high of a risk of injury. You can use the bag in other dynamic
exercises such as throwing the bag and retrieving it. I am sure that if you
were throwing a dumb bell inside a house or a gym that it definitely would
not go over very well with the owner.
Why should I use the Bulgarian bag, can't I just get a good workout using
weights?
Sure you can use regular old weights, but the exercises that are done with
the Bulgarian bag involve so many muscles at once that you can get a great
fat burning, strength, and muscular endurance building workout in a very
short period of time. You can set a goal to do 100 reps of spins with the
Bulgarian bag and you will be sweating and have your heart pumping hard
within just a couple of minutes into your workout. You can also travel with
the Bulgarian bag which is a huge bonus. There are a variety of bags ranging
from about 10 pounds up to 50 pounds so it is very easy to take this piece
of equipment with you, and if you do decide to take the bag with you, it is
like having an entire gym in one small piece of equipment.
Who came up with the Bulgarian Bag?
The creator of the Bulgarian bag is Ivan Ivanov of Bulgaria. He trained with
a variation of the bag as a youth and continued to do so throughout his
competitive Greco roman wrestling career. During his competitive career as
an athlete he was able to win a silver medal at the Greco roman World
Championships as well as represent Bulgaria in the Olympic Games. He now
trains world class athletes that are preparing for the Olympic Games as
well, and a bulk of their strength training involves using the Bulgarian bag
for various exercises and drills. He has coached 8 athletes to winning
medals at the World championships and Olympic Games. He also coached
numerous athletes that have won national titles for the United States.
The Bulgarian Bag – The Ultimate Training Tool
The Bulgarian bag is the ultimate training tool when it comes to getting in
great shape fast. There are so many exercises that can be done with this one
piece of equipment, and it is also very easy to transport, thus, giving you
an accessible workout wherever you may go. These two attributes combined
give the Bulgarian bag its great advantage as a training tool, especially
for those fitness enthusiasts who are looking for a workout that will
challenge them and provide an experience that is different from your regular
gym attendance.
The exercises that are done with the Bulgarian bag require many muscles to
work together in order to maintain your balance and stability. With the
Bulgarian bag you can do a lot of swinging and heaving motions and it are
these exercises that bring all of your stabilizer muscles into play. One of
these exercises is "spinning" with the bag. Basically this exercise involves
you swinging the back up and around your head in a circular motion. The
movement of the bag requires you to always be ready for where the bag is
swinging, and you need to have a good rhythm to keep the bag spinning.
Perhaps the biggest group of people that has discovered the value of the
Bulgarian bag is fighters, grapplers, and other combat athletes. There are
many movements and actions that take place in fights or combat situations
that require the athlete to be able to generate or apply force while moving
and at the same time resist the force of their opponent. By putting
themselves in challenging positions with the bag, they are better prepared
for that situation when they are fighting or competing.
Even though the bag is a great tool for combat athletes, it is also a great
training aid for anybody that is looking to get in better shape and to do it
quickly. Men, women, and youths can benefit from using the Bulgarian bag in
their training regimens. Using the bag during training can help you to build
strength and muscle mass. The workouts done with the bag can also be very
intense which will allow you to build your aerobic capacity, muscular
endurance, and burn off fat faster than you could if you were participating
in a traditional body building routine.
With the benefits of this piece of equipment being versatile, easily
transported, and dynamic, it is no wonder that it has become so popular
among combat athletes as well as made its presence known in the general
fitness community. The Bulgarian bag is definitely a great tool that will
benefit anybody that uses it, and it can definitely be considered the
ultimate training tool that you can use to get in shape fast.
BULGARIAN BAG SPIN
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and
planted firmly on the ground. Hold the bag by its main handles and spin it
in a clockwise direction, moving your body while keeping your knees soft
and core engaged. Perform 12 to 15 repetitions. Then spin in an
anti-clockwise direction.
Works: Forearms, shoulders, back and core muscles
BULGARIAN BAG SQUAT
Place the bag on the shoulders, securing its
placement by holding the main handles. Squat to the point where the knee
joint is at 90 degrees, and return to the standing position. Keep the back
in a neutral position throughout the movement. On the downward movement,
ensure that the knee doesn’t come too far forward over the foot. Perform
12 to 15 repetitions.
Works: Glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings
BULGARIAN SIT-UP
Sit on the floor holding the bag in the baby-carry
position and squeeze it into your chest. Keeping your feet and knees
together, and the bag squeezed close to the chest, go into the lying
position and return to the start. For best results, the bag must be kept
close to the top of the chest.
