Sandbag lunges

The standard to brief

Walking lunges with the sandbag carried on the shoulders or back. On each rep the back knee touches the floor and the athlete stands to full hip and knee extension before the next step. Legs alternate.

Common no-reps

• Back knee not touching the floor.
• Not reaching full extension at the top between reps.
• Sandbag held in the arms or dropped to the waist while lunging.

Judging notes

• Judge from the side: knee touch and extension are both visible from there.
• If the sandbag is dropped, the athlete picks it up and continues from where it fell.
• Thin mats or a lunge strip on a hard floor save knees; tell athletes in advance whether one is provided.

Setting it up in a gym

1. Use sandbags with a known, labelled weight; fill and weigh them the day before.
2. Mark the lunge lane with distance boards every 10 m.

Equipment

• Sandbags for each division load
• Lunge strip or thin mats
• Distance markers

Scaling for beginners

Lighter or no sandbag; keep the knee-touch standard.

Formats that use it

• Classic 8-station hybrid race: 100 m
• Zone-based fitness race: 30 reps
• Partner / relay format: 100 m
• Team relay of four: 100 m