Keeping your exercise varied is an excellent way to make sure that you don’t get bored or burned out with your routine. Exercising in a home gym can be very time effective but also has the potential to be a little bit more monotonous and limited than working out in at a gym. One piece of exercise equipment that I have found to be very beneficial, useful, and flexible is a floor standing punching bag.
I prefer the floor standing punching bags over ceiling hung bags for a couple of reasons. First, you can put them anywhere and they are easy to move around and store. Ceiling hung bags require that you have a solid beam to and a large dedicated space. Next, free standing varieties have more flexibility. You are able to more easily raise or lower the bag and which allows you to have a more varied workout.
Punching bag workouts can be very taxing and strenuous and they build fantastic cardio. They also happen to give you a fabulous upper body workout. Many cardio programs focus on the lower body which is fine but incorporating the upper body is very beneficial as well. Hitting a bag for 2 minutes will give you a new appreciation for what boxers and MMA fighters do on a regular basis.
Many people when confronted with a bag are not sure how to proceed. I know I was a little confused at first. Coming from a more traditional endurance type workout bag training required that I shift gear. What you must realize is that punching bag training is more like sprinting than jogging. It is also much more cerebral than simply repeatedly hitting a bag.
It can help to have some traditional fight training but it is certainly not essential. What is important is that you make the differentiation between different punches and kicks. There are jabs, hooks, upper cuts, elbows along with many more punches and just as many if not more different types of kicks. Spend some time learning the finer points of the different maneuvers and practice each punch or kick.
When you have developed a good understanding of the different techniques for each kick and punch it is time to start putting them together. Combinations are key to any fighting technique and also the key to successful punching bag training. Start with two punch combos and repeat until you are comfortable with your technique and flow. Focus one improving each shot, small improvements in placement and body mechanics are the difference between throwing knockout punches and duds.
Once you have mastered simple combinations start working on more complex combos and putting some of them together. At this point you may want to start timing yourself or finishing a set number of combos before a short breather. People will often hit the bag for 2 – 3 minutes followed by a 30 second rest, then repeat.
When you are starting out flow is more important than power. Hit slowly and methodically and focus intently on small adjustments and getting the move exactly right. As you progress start increasing speed and power. Keep in mind that a hit that is properly placed can be very powerful without you expending a tremendous amount of energy. Think about it like hitting a golf ball or tennis ball. Expertly controlled shot that are properly placed do not need to be that hard to be effective. As soon as you start swinging your heart out you loose your effectiveness.
The only other required equipment for punching bag training is a good pair of sparring gloves. You may think yourself tough but if you spend longer than a few minutes on a bag you will shred your knuckles and be out of the game for at least a couple of days. A good pair of sparring gloves will protect your knuckles and your wrist and can be had for less than $30.
Punching bag training is a great way to mix up your training and a fabulous way to get out aggression. If you are looking for something different this is a great option that will push your physical endurance and help train your mental dexterity. Punching bag training is also a lot of fun and highly addictive.