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 Heavy bag work is fun, but grueling. Striking bags that can weigh from 60 to 125 pounds develops stamina and strength, while simulating the feel of a live opponent. Benefits Of Heavy Bag Training 1. Improve Aerobic Fitness. Training on the heavy bag at the right intensity, will greatly tax the cardio respiratory system. The mere act of moving around a bag, while changing body-position, equates to an aerobic (utilizing oxygen at a lower intensity) workout. Throwing punches with bad intentions will add an anaerobic (higher intensity) dimension while adding to the aerobic workload. Most bag sessions last for a minimum of two-minutes. This saves time due to the need for fewer rest periods, and provides a greater workout overall. However, the ability to do this must be developed over time, so there should be no rushing into this type of training. 2. Improve Power. The heavy bag was actually designed for boxers to enhance their punching power. It allows for the perfect opportunity to focus on using as many muscles as possible, to ensure a punch is thrown with perfect technique, and with the greatest possible force - the bag never hits back. Main muscles worked on the heavy bag include the shoulders, arms, back, chest and waist. Legs are also used in the process of punching the bag, to generate power through the upper body. Straight punches, such as the right cross and jab, will help to develop power through the shoulders and chest, while uppercuts and hooks will utilize the back and arms to a greater extent. 3. Improve Coordination, & Core Stability. Circling the heavy bag and throwing off combinations of punches will help with coordination. Keeping on the toes, and transferring weight from one foot to the other, to throw a specific punch, will help one to develop core stability, and, as a result, overall body coordination. Coordination has obvious implications for how one moves, and performs, on a daily basis. 4. Improve Boxing Technique. Obviously, hitting the heavy bag will improve boxing technique, provided all punches, and body-movements, are performed correctly. The idea is to keep everything tight, while remaining relaxed and ready to react. Elbows in and hands up, while continually moving, is the basic approach to hitting the heavy bag. Of course, the punches will be all the more sharper and powerful if one is relaxed, and in the correct stance. 5. Develop Self Defense Skills. The bag cannot retaliate, therefore making it the ideal way in which to perfect self defense technique. Visualize the bag as an opponent and hit as if being hit. In other words, use lateral movement, and bobbing and weaving, to set up a punch, or series of punches, on the premise that the bag is a living breathing opponent throwing its own combination of punches. Try swinging the bag to make it a moving target. This will make it harder to hit, and improve the workouts real-life application. Hitting the heavy bag will also build confidence translatable to a real life situation. Building power and developing ones technique on the heavy bag, will better prepare one to respond when it is needed (in the boxing ring or on the street). 6. Improve Body Shape. You will witness an improvement in terms of shoulder, biceps and back detail, as a result of heavy bag training. Although hitting the heavy bag does not equate to a pure bodybuilding workout - as would weight-training - it does provide an excellent way in which to add detail and strip body-fat. Adding detail in the form of greater cuts and a certain hardness, and stripping body-fat to reveal the underlying muscles, will enhance anyone's physique. 7. Decrease Stress. It has been accepted for some time now that hitting the heavy bag is one way to dissolve negative stress. Although any form of exercise has special stress-countering qualities, boxing is probably unique in that it is a physically exhausting, aggressive, activity, which demands total concentration while allowing one to literally strike-out at an inanimate object. This striking out aspect is thought to allow a channeling of the aggressive tendencies, that we all have, into something of benefit to mind and body. Due to our increasingly hectic lifestyles, we are continually faced with an inherent urge to act in a physical manner, on various stressors. This aside, hitting the heavy bag also provides great aerobic/anaerobic benefits, which have conclusively been proven to help lower stress levels. Heavy Bag Tips 1. Prepare Properly. Before hitting the heavy bag, it is imperative that all safety aspects are addressed, to help offset injury, while ensuring a productive session. Wraps: (Members provide thier own) In fact, preparing to hit the bag could prove to be the most vital element when it comes to positive, long-term, results. Begin by applying wraps to the knuckles and wrist area. These are specifically designed to provide support for entire hand and wrist area. Gloves: (Members provide their own) After wraps, place on gloves that are suitable for ones specific purposes. Lighter gloves (10-ounce) are usually used on the heavy bag by beginners, and/or those wanting to perfect their technique. The heavier gloves typically are used by stronger, more experienced, athletes, to prepare them for battle, when they will be wearing lighter gloves (heavier gloves will help to develop hand speed). When buying gloves, it is best to stick with a reputable, more expensive brand, as this will help to ensure a better quality of workout and a longer lasting pair of gloves. 3. Always Emphasize Correct Technique. Never hit the bag hard at the expense of proper technique. This maxim should always be in mind when seeking to make physical improvements on the heavy bag. Wading into a heavy bag without consideration for technique will not only increase the likelihood of injury, but result in stifled progress. It is worth remembering that power and speed will come as a result of correct technique, rather than the other way around. 4. Throw All Punches From Fighting Stance. It is never a good idea to telegraph ones punches in an attempt to generate more power, as this will let your opponent know exactly what is coming next, and give them the chance to pre-empt your attack. |