The punch bag is great for fitness strength training. Boxers, MMA fighters, martial artists, soldiers, and other professionals use the boxing bag, not only for fighter training, but for fitness training. The modern day punching bag has been around for over 3000 years! Let us extract 8 fitness tips from this great tool that has been around for ages. After all, it’s been around for a reason right?
#1: When you hit the heavy bag, move around with it. Hitting the bag alone is a great fitness exercise but you’ll really get a great workout when you move around with the bag.
#2: Take advantage of the swinging bag. Duck, block, move away from the bag. Ducking and kneeling are tiring acts. If you’re fitness training, you should focus on the acts that make you tired. Kneel down to avoid the bag hitting you in the face. This will really help build your fitness and endurance.
#3: Change up your punches. Hitting the punch bag in a variety of different ways will wear you out. It will allow you to workout different muscle groups.
#4: Put on boxing equipment. If you’re wearing full boxing gear, the workout will be a lot tougher. If you’re training for a fight, this will simulate ring conditions very closely.
#5: Use the boxing bag for interval and intensity training. Slow down and speed up when you hit the punching bag. Time yourself while you’re training. You might want to go hard for 2 minutes, and then stop and start again after another 2 minutes. Essentially, train in rounds.
#6: Put your body into it. Just because you’re using a heavy bag doesn’t mean you have to punch it! In fact, now there are muay thai bags that are longer vs the standard boxing bag. During your fitness boxing workout, maximize your combos. Grab the bag, punch it up close, put your knee into it, shoulder, etc. There are also grappling bags for this as well that don’t hang on a chain!
#7: Use your legs. When you’re training with the punch bags jump around. Ever notice how boxers in a ring are hopping all the time. First of all, it’s intimidating if you’re in the ring with someone who is hopping around like mad. Then on the other hand, you can’t tell whether he is going to move right or left. It also keeps your muscles flowing. So when you’re training on the heavy bag, jump around. Get the most out of your fitness workout by doing this. Training on the bag this way is just like a fitness aerobic exercise.
#8: Hit the boxing bag in a variety of different places. Punch in an upwards direction, downwards direction, straight, uppercut, use your elbows, etc. Hitting the bag in a different spot will wear you out. It is the ultimate fitness exercise to do this. When you punch up or kick up vs. down, you workout different muscle groups.
The best fitness training is one where you are constantly doing different movements. A boxing fitness workout isn’t the same if you’re always just doing the same thing – i.e. running on a treadmill. Studies have shown that changing things up during your workout has amazing results for gaining strength and endurance.