Punching bag is a great training tool not only for martial arts fighters. You can train speed and impact strength on it and treat it as a good alternative to ordinary and boring cardio for many people. What should training on a punching bag look like and what are the results? Meet the types of punching bags.

Contents:

  1. Punching bag - what is it for?
  2. Punching bag - what a good bag should be
  3. Punching bag - types of bags
  4. Punching bag - bag attachments
  5. How to exercise on a punching bag? Sample training
  6. Punching bag - how to take care of it?

Punching bagcan be a great addition to cardio training or interval training. Hitting the sack is much more attractive than constantly running on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. It also allows you to unload negative emotions.

When working on a punching bag, we can deliver calm blows at a relaxed pace, but also perform very heavy intervals. This means that it can be used to improve the condition and body shape.

Even the best long-distance runners will quickly become breathless while working on the sack. It requires a completely different kind of endurance. Shocks also burn a tremendous amount of calories because we work with the whole body. For this reason, it is worth thinking about making friends with this training device. It is worth knowing the rules that apply when working with the bag, as well as the methods of its use in training.

Punching bag - what is it for?

The punching bag is used to work on the technique of punching in combat sports. This is its primary use. Competitors who work with this device for longer realize that during training with its use they are able to improve their condition, strength and speed.

Depending on the method of training, you can work on various aspects of our motor preparation. For people who want to find new training solutions, a punching bag may be a good choice due to the diversification of the training routine. Even without much skill, you can do very demanding training on it.

For people who care about their figure, it will be a definite plusthe intensity of the exercises on the bag. In just 10 minutes, we can perform an exhausting interval, after which it will be difficult not only to catch your breath, but even to stand on your feet.

Important

Never hit the sack without preparation. This can cause a painful injury to the hand and elbow joint. First, warm up and prepare the body for intense exercise. To work on the bag, it is worth buying so-called boxing bandages to stiffen the wrists and gloves. These can be fists, or eight ounce gloves, marked with the symbol 8 OZ. Better to have your own equipment than to use the one available in the gyms for hygiene reasons.

Punching bag - what a good bag should be

A good punch bag should be made of high-quality materials. It has been assumed that the most durable material of the cover is natural leather. It is much more durable than synthetic materials and is easy to maintain. Increasingly, however, you can find really good quality synthetic covers.

When choosing a good bag, you should pay attention to its height. It should fit in our training place.

Fixing to the ceiling is about 15 centimeters down, the chains on which the bag is hanging are another 40 centimeters. The bag should also be about 30-40 centimeters above the ground. This ensures its greatest stability and comfort of use. The weight of the bag should be selected depending on the type of training you want to conduct.

The heavier the bag, the more force we will have to put into the blows. For recreational purposes, a bag weighing about 60-70 kilograms is sufficient. You will need a heavier and larger one to train the impact force. A bag weighing 100 kilograms up will work well. Mike Tyson, famous for his knockout hits, worked on bags weighing up to 160 kilos.

Apart from the quality of the cover, it is also worth paying attention to the filling of the bag. Nowadays, scraps of material are most often used. They can be easily replaced and do not compact like the sand used in the past. They are also more practical, because in the event of the bag bursting, we will not have a small desert in the room.

It is also important that the strings are not too thin. They should be well attached to the bag. For this purpose, additional leather is used, which is sewn to the cover with steel rivets. Too small rivets will quickly damage the skin. The last element is the hook with which we hang the bag. It should have a twist-on option to prevent the bag from falling off.

Punching bag - types of bags

There are many types of bagsboxing. We can find so-called heavy bags with a weight of up to 160 kilograms. We also have light and small bags for speed work. Profiled bags are also becoming more and more popular. Most often, however, we divide the bags into classic, standing, wall-mounted and pears.

  • Classic bags

Classic bags are the oldest version of this equipment. They are also the most universal. We hang them on a hook in the ceiling or wall. You can hit and kick them, depending on their length. The average length of the bag varies from 60 to 180 centimeters. The most common are hanging bags weighing 70 kilograms and a length of 170 centimeters.

Heavy bags are used to build up the impact force. Lighter ones succumb to blows more easily by swinging from side to side. Players use this fact to work on mobility, speed and the ability to deliver dynamic blows. Many coaches teach players how to strike on light bags so that the punches are not pushed.

Classic bags are made of two parts. A cover, which in good equipment is leather and filled. More and more often, the filling of the bags is material. In the old days sand was used, but it compacted easily and made the instrument stone hard. The covers, on the other hand, can be laced or zipped. The first type is less likely to be damaged, the second is tighter.

  • Standing bags

They are built in such a way that they can be easily carried. Their base for filling is most often water. The filling of such bags is lighter for reasons of stability. The hardest point has to be the base. They are mounted on a hard spring, which allows the bag to tilt in each direction. This type of bag can have a classic shape. However, it can also be a pear or a dummy. Training dummies are the most expensive version of punching bags. Their cost ranges from PLN 2,000 to PLN 4,000.

  • Wall bags

They take the form of a cushion shaped like a human figure. Their disadvantage is that they are easily damaged and cannot be moved from place to place. In boxing clubs, this type of equipment is installed in order to increase the number of available devices. They do not take up much space and allow more people in the room to train at the same time.

  • Pears

Pears are used to train speed and reflexes. We divide them into two basic types. The first are speed pears attached to the platform. They make up the little ball thatwe strike at a rapid pace. The second type are reflex pears, which are attached to the ceiling and the floor on rubber bands. This enables them to move quickly in any direction. (how to work on a speed pear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w66Bf4NB7HY&t=1s)

  • Shaped bags

Finally, we have profiled bags, which are intended for highly specialized training. On such bags you can train, among others, hooks and hooks.

Punching bag - bag attachments

The punching bag attachment should be made of high-quality steel. Steel ensures the appropriate durability of the handle. The heavier the bag, the faster it will start rubbing the fastening.

There are two types of punch bag attachments. The first is the ceiling mount, screwed in with expansion bolts. With a good-quality handle of these pins, there are four pieces. However, we can also find hooks, screwed directly to the ceiling. They will work well with lighter bags. However, it is worth choosing a more durable and stronger mount.

The second type of mounting are wall brackets. They usually form a triangular structure, based on the principle of a crane. A bag hangs at the end of the arm. The structure itself is attached to the wall at three points, which ensures its optimal stability.

How to exercise on a punching bag? Sample training

Each training session on a punching bag must be preceded by a proper warm-up. I do not recommend doing strokes after an intense strength session. This is due to the fact that the muscles are tense, which are more easily damaged.

The transition from working with weights to intensive and quick impact work is a real challenge for them. For this reason, it is better to treat the work with the bag as a separate training session.

Warming up should prepare the body for the effort it will be subjected to, so it is worth doing the following exercises:

  • Rompers - 2 minutes
  • Boxing run - this is a skip A with hitting straight blows - 2 minutes
  • Jumps with arm swing - 1 minute
  • Jumping with twists - 1 minute
  • Jumping rope - 2 minutes
  • Short mobility

After warming up, you can start working on the bag. There are many training options. We can work classically for 3 minutes per 1 minute break. This is exactly how long a boxing round takes. We can make such rounds from 3 to 12.

People who want to work in intervals can, however, switch to the so-called 30s. We work at an intense pace for 30 seconds and rest for the next30. In this way, we close one round in one minute. Rounds can be made from 10 to 30.

Another option, which is work on speed and is a much stronger interval, are the so-called 10 or 15. We work on the bag, dealing only one specific type of blows for 10-15 seconds and rest respectively 50-45 seconds. For the first 6 rounds, we only hit straight hits, then we move on to hooks. The next 6 rounds are blows to the body, i.e. hooks. The last 6 rounds are full work with all of the above moves. This gives us 24 rounds of a very tough interval.

See how to work properly on the bag

A version of the work for people who like challenges is the method called 30:30:30. For the first 30 seconds we work loosely hitting all possible blows. The next 30 seconds, we perform the fastest boxing run on the bag, then we move on to strikes with full force.

After a 1.5 minute round, you can either rest for 1.5 minutes or make a second circle right away. This gives us a working time equal to a boxing round. The rest is then exactly 60 seconds. You can complete these rounds from 2 to a maximum of 6.

A version of the work for people who like challenges is the method called 30:30:30. For the first 30 seconds we work loosely hitting all possible blows. The next 30 seconds, we perform the fastest boxing run on the bag, then we move on to strikes with full force.

After a 1.5 minute round, you can either rest for 1.5 minutes or make a second circle right away. This gives us a working time equal to a boxing round. The rest is then exactly 60 seconds. You can complete these rounds from 2 to a maximum of 6.

Watch an unusual training on the bag

Working with a sack can be relaxed, similar to jogging. However, it can be very intense and exhausting. Intervals burn a lot of calories and speed up your metabolism. This allows you to quickly achieve a better figure by burning excess body fat. During strokes, we work hard with the abdominal muscles, which allows you to additionally scratch them.

Punching bag - how to take care of it?

Having our own bag, we don't have to take care of it. It is enough for it to remain on the hook all the time. Thanks to this, it will not get wet from the ground. Sometimes it is worth wiping it with a wet cloth to remove any drops of sweat.

A bag that is not used for a long time may collect some dust on it, but nothing serious will happen to it. If necessary, it should be stored in a dark and dry place.

The moment we start to hear while working on the bagchains squeaky lubricate them a little. This will extend their service life.

Many people stick special tapes to the bags in order to make them more resistant to impact. However, this practice only applies to boxing clubs where the equipment is heavily used. For your own use, even on a daily basis, it makes no sense to use such solutions.

About the authorTomasz Piotrowski He is a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist. He gained his knowledge from the best experts in the fitness industry in Poland. He has several years of experience working as a dietitian in a private facility in Krakow and experience in working as a personal trainer. He also writes expert articles on he alth, training and supplementation, and works in the supplement industry. He is passionate about fist fencing.

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