Make it functional – choosing the right kit for you! Part 3 – Bulgarian Bag
If it’s calorie crunching, fat burning, total body toning you want, look no further than incorporating these functional training gems into your locker!
Over the next five blogs, I’ll be selecting one of the top five functional training tools in the industry which are transforming the way we train our clients as trainers and achieving results in half the time!
Each week the reviews will rate the functional kit in terms of affordability, versatility and usability giving marks out of 10, 1 being least and 10 being most.
This blog we look at a piece of equipment that got its inspiration from Bulgarian shepherds lifting sheep and lambs.
I give you the Bulgarian Bag…
Invented by Ivan Ivanov in 2005, the Bulgarian US wrestling team coach at the time, the Bulgarian Bag was his answer to giving athletes the edge with minimal equipment and maximum effect.
It broke into the fitness industry, as did many of the functional training tools, gravitating towards the MMA and boxing studios in 2008, before being unleashed at the Fitpro convention in 2011 where I was lucky enough to sign up to one of the first Bulgarian Bag Instructor courses.
I instinctively knew that this piece of kit would make it big in the fitness industry.
And so it has…
Like the Battling ropes and ViPR, it really does unlock the movement potential of the body and puts a stamp on functional movement.
It’s unique doughnut shape enables you to create rotational movements like no other and, in my opinion, the most effective exercise in the world for the waist, the Bulgarian Bag spin.
They are a perfect tool for working every muscle in the body, coming in weights from 5kgs to 17kgs and are the most portable of all exercise equipment with the ability to carry the load on the shoulders comfortably.
I’m often loading FIT1000 Bootcamp crew with bags and marching over Primrose Hill.
Workouts with the Bulgarian bag do become hand, wrist and shoulder intensive so if you have pre-existing conditions they might not be suitable but there are plenty of novel alternative exercises that test multi-directional movement, providing that total body blast for maximum calorie burn.
All things considered, they’re certainly a sure-fire winner in my locker.
And the scores on the doors….
Affordability – 10/10
The original Bulgarian Bag was made by a company called ‘Suples’ with bags ranging from £100 for the lightest 5kgs to £250 for 17kgs. Only recently other companies have copied the bags at a better value price ranging from £30 for a 5kgs to £53 for a 20kgs bag giving it the edge over other equipment.
Versatility – 8/10
A vast array of exercise alternatives, many of which are unique to this rotational master!
Usability – 7/10
Users tend to experience fatigue in the grip before fatiguing the body in the spin and some of the exercises (the power snatch seen below) can take longer to master than with other equipment. However, it’s portability means it’s a perfect workout partner in any setting and if you can stick with it, results will follow.
Next blog – TRX