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Off-Topic Picking your brains: How to DIY a weighted backpack

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Marc

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Hello everybody,

I'd like to make myself a really heavy backpack. Mainly for pushups and rows. Do you have any special recommendations?
My idea was to get an old military backpack with a hip strap, put in weight plates and stuff it up with cloth so it doesn't move all over the place. Any more recommendations?
 
Hello everybody,

I'd like to make myself a really heavy backpack. Mainly for pushups and rows. Do you have any special recommendations?
My idea was to get an old military backpack with a hip strap, put in weight plates and stuff it up with cloth so it doesn't move all over the place. Any more recommendations?
I have done this many times over the years. I would go with an internal frame. Even more important than a hip belt, is to also have a sternum strap. Having compression straps on the pack will also help stabilize the cargo, Making mini sandbags and stuffing the pack works well also.
 
If not rucking, I'd use any heavy bag you can find.

For PUs I found just shucking the bag up between my shouldeblades it stays put very well.

For rows you could maybe just wrap in a piece of canvas.

Initially I wrapped tubesand into carpet runners, added gromets and laced them up.

For a bag heavier than 100lbs or so I'd consider using steel shot ballast, is pretty cheap for steel (under 30cents/lb if I pick it up. The bags get real bulky after that for an average size person.

I would highly recommend getting a commercial bag from the get-go, as once you start using it you'll want to do more exercises but will be limited by the lack of handles.
 
If not rucking, I'd use any heavy bag you can find.

For PUs I found just shucking the bag up between my shouldeblades it stays put very well.

For rows you could maybe just wrap in a piece of canvas.

Initially I wrapped tubesand into carpet runners, added gromets and laced them up.

For a bag heavier than 100lbs or so I'd consider using steel shot ballast, is pretty cheap for steel (under 30cents/lb if I pick it up. The bags get real bulky after that for an average size person.

I would highly recommend getting a commercial bag from the get-go, as once you start using it you'll want to do more exercises but will be limited by the lack of handles.
Odd isn't it, I had two tactical sandbags and couldn't stand the handles as felt they just got in the way and bought a double ply bag with no handles - much prefer it
 
The first couple I made had no handles, after using them for a few I jury rigged a set of parallel handles. Liked it so much I bought commercial bags, but I only use the ones with the canvas webbing handles so they don't get in the way of shouldering and such.
 
I have a army surplus pack that is loaded to 12kg with random stuff and old t shirts. If i want to add load, i just drop in a couple of 2.5 or 5kg plates. It works well enough for me!
 
Guys, thank you to everyone of you! Lots of useful tips I didn't think about. Gonna hit the army store in the next days and look for a used backpack with an internal frame and sternum straps. Since I already have weight plates I'll use them and fill up the rest with cloth.
 
@Marc, another somewhat minimalist option that bridges the gap is the bag that Mountain Tactical Institute sells. It has some canvas handles daisy chained up two sides and that's it. You have to tie it off with a constrictor knot, but it appears to be very well built.

Another possible tip that I use on all my bags is to line them with carpet remnant. I cut a piece that fits the bag lengthwise and just overlaps a few inches for a complete internal tube. Into this I've packed chains, bags of shot, pea gravel etc along with a bunch of old sweaters towels to fill it out. The bag is not quite as floppy as a sandbag, but I find that to work better for a lot of exercises and it gives it a fairly uniform feel.
 
If only for push up and row, you can try this one:

Hope this help.


For weighted push ups, I prefer using doing them on an elevated surface and using a dip belt.

This type of a set up:

maxresdefault.jpg
 
This is how I do PUs:


And rows, I have to be more upright to accomodate the larger drop of the bag:

I'd pribably do pushups in a similar way but I'd prefere a backpack with straps around the shoulders so I don't have to concentrate on keeping it balanced. Maybe I ahould look out for a more square-like backpack/rucksack that can be loaded with weight plates.
 
I'd pribably do pushups in a similar way but I'd prefere a backpack with straps around the shoulders so I don't have to concentrate on keeping it balanced. Maybe I ahould look out for a more square-like backpack/rucksack that can be loaded with weight plates.


You'd be surprised, it doesn't shift much at all. The important part in my opinion is having something other than your hands on the floor. That's a lot of extension at the wrist under a lot of force. My heavier bag is about 100lbs and it is not an issue to keep it there. At BW of about 190lbs that equals about 255lbs of resistance on my hands.
 
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