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Punching Bag Workouts: Purpose, Benefits and More
By bulksupplementsdirect
Punching bags are a great way to get a full-body workout without the discomfort of heavyweights or bulky gym equipment. They also act as stress relievers so that you can unwind after an exhausting day at work with some boxing techniques.
Punch bags are beneficial for fitness and serve as practical self-defense tools and build confidence among children and adults alike! This article will look at how to use punching bags, their purpose, the benefits of punching bag workouts, and more.
What Are Punching Bags?
A punching bag, or a heavy bag is a cylindrical or spherical container filled with different weight materials, such as sand, that act as the impact point during workouts. It has an attached rope by which it can be hung anywhere you like.
The purpose of using punching bags for a workout is to improve your fitness levels and gain confidence, improve self-defence skills, and relieve stress.
Why use a punching bag for fitness?
Although punching bags are mainly used for hand-to-hand combat, they can also make you fitter. Hitting a punching bag is an intense workout that targets your upper body and core strength and improves your balance and coordination. The footwork involved in front of a punching bag keeps your legs active too!
Why do punching bag workouts?
Heavy bag workout sessions can be challenging as you need to put in all your strength and energy during the workouts. In addition, punching bags help improve your reaction time and coordination, which is often an essential skill for self-defence.
They also provide a stress-relieving outlet that helps you clear your head and drive out negative thoughts. They can be used to enhance your mental focus, resulting in better productivity throughout the day.
Benefits of Punching Bag Workouts for Boxing & MMA
Punching bags are handy training tools for boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) enthusiasts. During a punching bag workout session, you can practice your boxing techniques while targeting different muscles with each different punch.
#1 - Improve upper body strength
Punching bags are the best way to improve your arm strength and power while building muscles in your shoulders, chest, back and arms.
#2 - Improve cardiovascular fitness
Throwing punches at a punching bag also improves your heart rate, which will get higher during short, intense sessions on your punching bag. So, again, this helps develop your cardio.
#3 - Punching bag workout for self-defense
Punching bags are great tools to help you practice your hand-eye coordination, footwork and accuracy while building up the muscle memory needed to perform different martial arts techniques. This vital skill set can assist you in real fights, making it a crucial part of self-defence.
#4 - Boxing and mixed martial arts punching bag workout routine
Heavy bags aren’t just for boxing and MMA enthusiasts; almost any fitness enthusiast can practise with a punching bag, making it one of the most versatile types of exercise equipment available today. You can get creative with your workouts by incorporating speed drills, stamina training or even practising different punches and kicks on your punching bag to get a full-body workout.
#5 - Punching bag workouts for women
While men mainly use punching bags, you don’t need to be a man or muscle-bound woman to use these workout tools. A punching bag can help tone your body and develop lean muscles while providing an intense cardio workout. Punching bags are suitable for all fitness levels, even beginners!
How To Punch a Boxing Bag Efficiently?
Before you start throwing punches at your punching bag, there are a few things you should do to prepare yourself.
#1 - Choose a punching bag that's right for your height and weight.
You need to reach the heavy bag easily, so if you’re shorter or taller than average, go for a punching bag that suits your size. Also, make sure you choose one that is heavy enough not to move as you punch. This is especially important for muscle-strengthening and cardio punching bag workouts.
#2 - Warm-up your muscles and joints
Start with a few warm-up punches to get your body ready for the workout session and finish off with some stretching to cool down and prevent injuries later on. Make sure all your punches are fast and sharp enough to get the best workout.
#3 - Focus on your technique and timing
Your punches need to be perfect for your heavy bag workouts to be effective, so you should aim for accuracy and efficiency rather than just crudely throwing as many punches as possible in a quick burst. Remember: quality is more important than quantity!
#4 - Keep your stance low
Keep your body crouched slightly, with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees bent. This will prepare you for any sudden attacks or movements that may be required in a real fight. For example, if someone tries to tackle you from the side, you’ll be ready to sweep their leg and knock them off balance quickly.
#5 - Relax
It’s essential to relax your body as you punch so that it can absorb the impact of your attacks without any damage. Your entire upper body should be relaxed, from your shoulders down to your feet, and don’t hold your breath – keep breathing steadily throughout the workout.
#6 - Practice makes perfect
You can keep track of your progress by practising with your punching bag at least three times a week for 15-30 minutes each time. As you get better, you can gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts to improve your strength and stamina.
#7 - Choose the best boxing gloves
You’ll want to wear protective gloves with good padding when you hit the punching bag and make sure they fit snugly without constricting your movement. Having a tight grip is essential, but it shouldn’t restrict blood flow to your hands either.
#8 - Protect yourself during the workout
If you’re in a gym with other people, be aware of where they are when you punch so that your punches don’t accidentally hit them. Also, if you feel pain in your hands or joints when you punch, stop punching immediately and take a break. This is important so that you don’t risk injuring yourself and missing out on future workouts.
#9 - Keep hydrated!
The physical exertion from punching a punching bag can make you sweat a lot, so make sure you drink enough water before, during and after your workout session to avoid dehydration.
#10 - Stretch after each punch bag training session
Stretching at the end of your workout helps prevent cramping or tension in your muscles, tendons or joints. It’s also vital for warming down and getting your heart rate back to normal after a challenging workout.
#11 - Take the idea of "no pain, no gain" with a pinch of salt
You should indeed push yourself to the limit during all types of exercise – but don’t overdo it! If you feel sharp pains or any other such discomfort during your workout, then stop immediately. You could risk seriously injuring yourself if you continue to work out with an injury.
Tips on how to get started with your first session
Let’s go over some tips for your first punch bag workout session:
#1 - Start with high or medium intensity training
If you haven’t trained on a punching bag before, then your muscles and joints need to get used to the exercise. Start with light punches and kicks (medium intensity) and gradually work up to harder punches and kicks (high power). When you throw punches and kicks, keep your muscles relaxed and avoid locking your joints.
#2 - Don't Forget to Throw Kicks
You can use your left leg to perform low kicks and your right leg to do high kicks. Keep your knees slightly bent when you kick so that you have enough balance between attacking with your other leg afterwards without falling over.
#3 - Be careful with Your Diet
If you want to lose weight, it’s essential to use a healthy diet alongside your punching bag exercises. Avoid eating junk food and other unhealthy meals before or after training so that you can get the most out of your workout session. Punching the punching bag should be used as an easy way to exercise, not an excuse for eating lots of unhealthy food.
#4 - Throw Straight Punches and Kicks
Your punches and kicks should go straight forwards, not upwards or downwards. For example, if you’re punching at a heavy bag that’s mounted on the ceiling, then remember to throw your punches diagonally up towards it. This will help you strengthen all of your shoulder muscles and those in your back and legs.
Common mistakes people make when using punching bags
It’s essential to familiarize yourself with people’s common mistakes when they first start training on a punching bag.
#1 - Holding punches for too long
When you hold your punches and kicks too long, you tire yourself out faster than necessary. If you hold your punches or kicks for more than 5 seconds, then it’s time to take a break.
#2 - Holding your breath
It’s a common mistake to hold your breath when you train on a punching bag. This makes it harder for you to catch your breath and could even lead to dizziness afterwards. Instead, try breathing out as hard as you can when you punch or kick the bag, then slowly inhale once the impact is finished.
#3 - Punching and kicking too quickly
When you punch or kick a punching bag too quickly, you tire yourself out faster than necessary. Instead, when you hit the sack, try to spend as much time as possible holding your arm at the point of impact. This way, you can gain more strength from your punches and kicks with less effort
#4 - Not having a goal in mind
It’s essential to have a clear idea of what you would like to achieve from your training sessions. Try thinking about little daily victories, like holding your punches for longer than before or having more energy after your training sessions. It’s important not to rely on the excitement you feel during your first few sessions because it won’t last forever! If you keep setting yourself small daily goals, then there’s a much better chance of sticking with your punching bag workouts long-term.
#5 - Not warming up properly
Having a proper warm-up can make all the difference to your overall training session. Warm-ups should be around 5 minutes long and consist of slow punches and kicks with light intensity. This is because exercising at low intensities will gradually increase your heart rate until it’s ready for high-intensity exercises. Conversely, if you exercise at high intensities without a warm-up, then your muscles will be much more likely to get injured.
#6 - Not using the correct technique
It’s essential to have a good understanding of the proper punching and kicking techniques before you start exercising with a punching bag. Without knowing how to punch or kick properly, you’ll tire yourself out quickly, and you’ll also be more likely to injure yourself.
#7 - Being distracted
It’s essential to remain focused when exercising with a punching bag because distractions could lead to injuries. If you’re training at a gym with other people, try not to get distracted by what they’re doing and focus on your training session.
#8 - Not having the right equipment
Having the wrong equipment for training with a punching bag can be just as bad as not having any equipment at all! Your biggest priority should be staying warm when you train, so make sure you have a good pair of hand wraps and boxing gloves to keep your arms and hands safe.
#9 - Punching and kicking the wrong areas
It’s crucial to avoid targeting specific areas of your opponent’s body in real-life combat situations! For example, when you train with a punching bag, it might be tempting to practice landing kicks on a hard shell, but this will only tire you out without building much strength. So instead of targeting the shell, try to target the hanging chains inside the punching bag instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you lose weight by hitting a punching bag?
Not without changing your diet. Hitting a punching bag is not high-intensity training, so you cannot burn enough calories to lose weight. If you want to lose weight, you must target fat loss and to do that, consider adding HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) exercises into your routine in addition to hitting the punching bag.
Is hitting the punching bag a good workout?
Hitting the bag provides an excellent full-body workout, but it is not as intense as HIIT training or lifting weights.
How long should you work out on a punching bag?
Punching the bag for 5-8 minutes typically gets your heart pumping and is a good workout. However, if you want to get an even more intense workout, 15-to 20-minute workouts are recommended.
What is the best way to use a punching bag?
The best way to use a punching bag is to change your combinations constantly. Throw punches and kicks from different angles, target the top, middle and bottom of the bag. Then, mix up high-intensity forces with low-intensity ones for a complete workout.
Can you wear gloves when working out with a punching bag?
Yes, using heavy bag gloves can protect your hands, wrists and knuckles when hitting the punching bag. It also helps increase grip strength which is why many people wear boxing gloves when working out on the bag.
How do I avoid wrist injuries while using a punching bag?
Wrist injuries are common when using a punching bag because of the repetitive motion of hitting something. Wearing heavy bag gloves can help reduce wrist injuries because they provide wrist support, but if you do not have gloves or cannot afford them, then try to pick up your punches so that your shoulders absorb the impact instead of your wrists.
How many calories does hitting a punching bag burn?
On average, using a punching bag for 30 minutes will burn around 160 calories. But, of course, this number can go up or down depending on the person’s weight and how intensely they’re working out.
Final Thoughts
The benefits of punching bag workouts are more reason to get started today. Whether you’re looking for a new form of exercise or want to learn how to box, there is no better time than now.
If you’ve been on the fence about trying out a boxing workout but have doubts about your abilities, don’t worry! You can start small by using a punching bag at home. Then, with a few pieces of equipment and a little bit of practice, you’ll be boxing like a pro before you know it.
We hope this article has been helpful! Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you!
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