Inside Gritty Soldier's Garage Gym: Dan Fahey's Battle Bunker Shoot
Photo: Dan Fahey, Gritty Soldier
Dan Fahey goes by Gritty Soldier, and you can find him on Instagram at @gritty.soldier.fitness. He put the camo Hybrid Weight Vest MK2, a Raider sandbag and the heavy Battle Band to work in his garage gym and outdoors on a wooded road and a neighborhood street. One of the banners on his wall reads "Exceed the Standard." These photos are what that looks like.
The vest: pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups and runs
Dan wore the vest for pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups and a run outside. The Hybrid Weight Vest MK2 carries 20 lb of removable steel-shot plates, and the 4-inch elastic cummerbund keeps it locked down when you move fast.
The sandbag: squats, presses and carries
With the Raider, the gym work was deadlifts, bear hug carries, overhead presses, shouldering and squats with the bag across his back. Outside, he carried it down a wooded road and along a neighborhood street with the vest on.
The bands: assisted pull-ups and banded push-ups
The heavy Battle Band (50 to 125 lb) came out for band-assisted pull-ups on the rack and for banded push-ups on the grass, both in the vest.
Try it: a garage gym session built from shoot day
We built this session from the moves Dan did on camera. It is our workout, not his program, and it works with one vest, one sandbag and one band. Wear the vest for Parts 1 and 3. Do the sandbag rounds without it until your squat and press are solid.
Part 1, vest calisthenics: 5 rounds of 5 pull-ups (use a band if you need it), 10 push-ups and 15 sit-ups. Rest as needed between rounds.
Part 2, sandbag strength: 4 rounds of 6 sandbag squats with the bag on your back, 6 shoulder-to-overhead presses and a 40-meter bear hug carry. Rest 90 seconds between rounds.
Part 3, the finish: carry the sandbag on your shoulders for 200 meters, put it down and run 400 meters in the vest. Do it twice.
Scale it to your level: fewer rounds, a lighter bag, or no vest. If you are new to sandbags, our sandbag weight guide helps you pick a starting load, and our sandbag squat guide covers the squat variations.
Hybrid Weight Vest MK2
The camo vest Dan trained in: 20 lb of removable steel-shot plates, fits 5'0" to 6'5", 1000D Cordura, made in the USA. Camo $239, Black $199.99.
Shop the Hybrid Vest MK2
The Raider Training Sandbag Kit
The heavy bag: 60 to 80 lb, three filler bags included, ships unfilled. For loaded squats, cleans and carries. Made in the USA, $139.97.
Shop the RaiderFollow Dan for more at @gritty.soldier.fitness.
