Rogue Strongman throw bag vs Cyclone sandbag

This is a comparison between the Rogue strongman throw bag and the cyclone sandbag including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue sandbag to get. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue cyclone sandbag

This is an overview of the Rogue cyclone sandbag including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue sandbag to get. Follow the links for more details.

Overview of the cyclone bag

Price: $95 - $145

The rogue cyclone sandbag is an adaption of the strongman sandbag. Rather than having the same diameter on both ends, Rogue decided to make one end bigger than the other. This makes the cyclone sandbag easier to handle and especially interesting for long, heavy front carries. The cyclone reaches from 100lb to 250lb. The full specifications are:

Made in the USA
Patent Pending Design
Cyclone / Tapered style bags, larger at the top and smaller at the bottom
1000D MIL Spec US Cordura construction
Filler Capacity (4 Sizes): 100LB, 150LB, 200LB, 250LB
Built-In Filler Bag
Zipper and Hook-and-Loop Closure
(Filler Material Not Included)
Color: Black with White Rogue logo

This is a great sandbag for beginners without being cheap.

Pros of the cyclone bag

Pros of the cyclone bag are:

Portable
Cone shape
Robust design

Compared to slam balls and kettlebells these sandbags can be emptied after use and stored easier. Especially if you want to have group workouts at the beach this comes in handy. You can fill the bags with sand, get it done, empty them and leave. The cone shape also allows easier handling of this bag than of the original rogue strongman sandbags.

Cons of the cyclone bag

The cons of the cyclone sandbag are:

Shape for certain exercises
Limited weight range
Price

The cone shape is great for carries. Not so much for putting the sandbag to your shoulder. If your main intention is to do ground to shoulder movements than get one of the smaller strongman sandbags instead. Compared to the strongman sandbags the cyclone has a limited size. While the strongman sandbags fill up to 400lbs with sand, you can get only to 250lb with the cyclone bags. Last but not least some might be put off by the price. You could make an argument that a cement bag reinforced with Duct or gorilla tape will do the same trick for a fraction of the cost. I won’t argue with you if you only use them yourself and do not intend to empty/refill regularly.

Alternatives to the cyclone bag

Alternatives to the cyclone bags are:

The original strongman sandbag will give you a true cylinder shape and range from 100lb to 400lb when filmed with sand. The smaller options are very close to round-shaped and therefore a good alternative to atlas stones.

The rubber atlas stones from Rogue are an adaptation of the classic cement mold stones. These stones have an iron core surrounded by rubber and cone in 50lb to 200lb weight denominations. This is a great tool for home gyms or commercial gyms that want to train with a perfect heavy sphere. The only downsides are that they are harder to store and adjust than sandbags and that the black rubber can get very hot in the sun.

The MK d balls are heavy slam ball variations from Rogue. These balls are available up to 150 lb. while the bigger ones can get quite pricey, they will have a good grip and can be slammed better than the Rogue sandbags. I would only consider the mid-range of the MK d balls for heavy slams. If maximum weight is what you are after, the sandbags are cheaper.

Conclusion for the cyclone bag

The cyclone sandbags are great for beginners in heavy sandbag training as they are generally lighter than the regular Rogue sandbags and easier to handle. If you want to save yourself the hassle of bags and dirt the Rubber atlas stones or MK d balls can be an alternative based on your training preferences.

Overview and review of the Rogue Strongman throw bag

This is an overview of the Rogue Strongman throw bag including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue sandbag to get. Follow the links for more details.

Overview of the strongman throw bag

Price: $145

The Rogue Strongman throw bag is a design taken from the Arnold classic and brought to the home gym. They come in one size fits all and can be loaded up to 75lbs with sand and 30 lbs with crumb rubber. Another option is to fill them with lead shot. The full specifications are:

Made in the USA - Patent Pending
As Seen at the 2017 and 2018 Arnold Strongman Classic
1000D and 500D Cordura construction
12" diameter, 13" length
Sold Unfilled
Approx. Max Loading Weight (with sand): 75LB
Funnel Filler Technology for quick, clean, custom weight adjustments
Rubber Handle: 10" long x 1-0.375" diameter three pieces of 1.5" wide nylon webbing fed through it
MIL spec criss-cross webbing for extra reinforcement
Color: Black
Rogue logo in white on both ends

What makes these bags special is their great finish and the solid handle. This makes it a great product to throw about and have fun with.

Pros of the strongman throw bag

The pros of the strongman throw bag are:

Adjustable
Robust
Easy to handle

As with most Rogue products they have carefully thought about the design of these bags. The ideas from Slater for the cyclone and regular sandbags have been replicated in this bag design to make filling it seamlessly. The added handle has thorough stitches and does not come apart unless you go at it with the specific intent of severing the connection. Compared to kettlebells or iron weights with a handle you have at least the option to change the weight, even though most sandbags will be filled once and used until they break or the novelty wears off.

Cons of the strongman throw bag

The cons of the Rogue strongman throw bag are:

Weight lock-in
Handles are not detachable
Price

For a simple bag to throw around $145 is a big ask. You might be able to build a sturdy bag with a handle yourself for fat less money, but the finish will most likely not be nearly as good. Even though you can swap around the weight, in practice it is very unlikely that you will regularly change the filling of the bag. If you want throw bags with the different weight it will be more practical to get two and fill them with different media. The last con is that you can not detach the handle. This is great for the build of a bag that can be filled up to 100lb and thrown. It is bad if you want to use it for something else than throws. it is a tool designed for one purpose.

Alternatives to the strongman throw bag

Alternatives to the Rogue strongman throw bag are:

The cyclone bag from Rogue is made of the same fabric and has the same funnel to fill the throw bag. The main difference is that the top part is wider in diameter than the bottom which creates a t shaped cylinder when the bag is filled. The different sizes go from 100lb to 250lb when filled with sand. This is a good bag to get when you want to simulate front carries.

The rogue strongman sandbags were the first in the Rogue line up to be brought to market. These bags range from 100lb to 400lb. They are a cylinder that grows longer, the heavier the bag gets. The smaller bags can be used for simulating Atlas stone events. The bigger bags can be tried for team events.

The Rogue rubber atlas stones take the classic atlas stone and make it more accessible for a home gym. They are available from 50lb to 200lb. Their build rests on an iron core that has been encapsulated by rubber. This design gives you the shape and handling of an atlas stone while being less likely to wreck your floor when dropped.

Conclusion for the strongman throw bag

The strongman throw bag from Rogue is a high-quality build. The handle will not come off, they are easy to fill and the fabric is outstanding. They won’t be a very versatile tool in your gym as the handle will get in the way for most other strongman events. But if you want to prove that you can fling a very heavyweight very high, this is the equipment to get.