By Corey McMickle

How’s that new year treating you? I hope you’ve set your goals and got it hiked into high gear.

But you know what I’ve learned about New Year’s resolutions? They can be expensive! Gym fees, healthier foods cost you more, a more active wardrobe, all can hit the wallet harder than we’d like. So let’s talk about something I’m implementing to cut all these mentioned corners as well as refreshing my workout regime.

I’ve been wanting to ditch the gym lately and invest in my own gear around my house. It’s just makes sense not having to wait for someone to get done with whatever piece of gear I need to use, as soon as I’m done I’m right at the house, no distractions or excuses not to work out, all equating into more time for me. While trying to make the most of my single car garage I stumbled across an amazing piece of gear I’ve always been a big fan of… sand!!

I recently went and spent 12 bucks and bought myself 150 pounds of sand and made a weighted sandbag out of an old duffle bag I had lying around. With this one piece of equipment I’ve managed to build a tool to use for squats, deadlifts, shoulder press, and even some curls (whenever I make some smaller bags). All this without my wife having to park outside.

But can something this cheap and simple be effective? More than you are willing to believe.

A 150 pounds dumbbell weights just as much as a 150 sandbag. Weight is weight! So the effectiveness equates to you just simply learning to utilize it.

I hope you can look for some more cheap alternatives to reach your goals this year. Saving money isn’t ever going to be a bad thing. Good luck Port City