Throwing a few quick jabs at a punching bag may not seem too hard, but if you’ve never used a heavy bag during a boxing workout, you’re in for a challenge. Most heavy punching bags weigh between 50 and 150 pounds. So every time you lay into the bag, your fist, foot, or knee is met with significant resistance.
Home Fitness Punching Bags The initial (and somewhat unexpected) impact can be a bit jarring, and it won’t take long to realize you can’t get away with throwing soft punches. You have to engage your entire body, including your core, shoulders, and hips, to effectively control your movements as you hit the bag.
Of course, any exercise that requires this type of total-body engagement can help you torch calories and strengthen your major muscle groups. Even more than that, though, boxing against a heavy bag (or an actual person) is one of the only cardiovascular exercises that provide upper body, bone-building repetitive impact.
One 2008 study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, found that female boxers were more likely to have higher bone mineral density than other women of similar age and anthropometric measurements.1 Boxing, apparently, does the body good.
With more boxing-style workouts and boutique fitness centers popping up to provide accessible classes to the general public, punching bags are becoming a hot fitness trend. If you’re tempted to buy a bag for home-based workouts, or if your gym has a bag or two you can use on your own, consider giving this workout a try.
Reggie Chambers, NASM-certified personal trainer and boxing and kickboxing coach who trains at Limelight Fitness Center in Manhattan put this interval workout together, citing it as one of his personal favorites.
To complete the workout, Workout Bench performs each exercise according to the suggested time intervals. After finishing all of the exercises, rest for a minute, then repeat the series a second time for a total of 20 minutes. Twenty minutes may not seem like much, but don’t underestimate this challenge—you’re practically guaranteed to break a sweat.
Before diving into a high-intensity workout like boxing, it’s important to spend at least 5 to 10 minutes getting warm. An active and effective warm-up should take you through exercises that mimic the movements you’ll perform during your main workout. Perform each of the following moves for 30 seconds, completing the series three to four times:
- Jog in place
- Jumping jacks
- Air squats
- Shadowboxing: Perform light punches into the air, alternating arms as you bounce lightly from foot to foot like a boxer
- High plank to downward dog: Start in a high plank or pushup position, then press your hips up toward the ceiling as you extend your shoulders and reach your heels toward the ground to come to a downward dog; shift back to a high plank position and continue alternating between the two.
Stand to face the punching bag in a boxing stance. Your feet should be shoulder-distance apart and staggered with one foot in front of the other. If you look down at your feet, the toes of your front foot should be aligned with the heel of your back foot, and the toes of both feet should be pointing at a 45-degree angle to the punching bag.
Raise your hands, positioning them like you’re prepared to punch, remembering that one of them should always be protecting your face. Throw two punches in quick succession—first jabbing with your left arm, then crossing with your right—before performing a squat. Immediately return to standing and continue the jab-cross-squat sequence for the full 45 seconds.
When the 45 seconds is up, rest for 15 seconds before proceeding immediately to the next exercise.
Cross Punches (Dominant Side)
Time: 45 seconds work, 15 seconds rest
According to Chambers, cross punches are designed to target the shoulders and arms. If you think 45 seconds is easy, he says you should make sure you’re really throwing your full force into each cross punch, keeping your abs tight and face protected with your non-working hand.
Gym Belt If you’re right-handed, set up in a boxing stance with your left foot forward, your weight primarily on your back foot so your center of gravity is shifted slightly away from the bag. If you’re left-handed, set up in reverse, so your right foot is forward and your left foot is behind.
As you take your punch across your body with your dominant arm, shift your weight forward, using the force of your weight to catapult your fist to the bag. At the completion of the punch, make sure your hand returns to its position in front of your face instead of swinging downward. You should immediately shift your weight back to the starting position to set up for another powerful cross.
Continue for the full 45 seconds using your dominant arm. Rest for 15 seconds before continuing to the next exercise.
Cross Punches (Non-Dominant Side)
Time: 45 seconds work, 15 seconds rest
Complete the same exercise as before, this time focusing on your non-dominant side. If you’re right-handed and just completed a set of cross punches using your right arm, this time use your left arm, setting up in a boxing stance with your right foot forward, your left foot back, and your weight shifted primarily to the back foot.
Likewise, a foldable treadmill in Singapore if you’re left-handed and just completed a set of cross punches using your left arm, this time use your right arm. Set up in a boxing stance with your left foot forward, your right foot back, and your weight shifted primarily to the back foot.
Complete 45 seconds of powerful cross punches. Rest for 15 seconds before proceeding to the next exercise.
Side-Kick Punch Combos
Time: 90 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
Set a timer for 90 seconds and complete as many rounds as possible of this four-move series:
- 10 reps of right side-kicks
- 30 straight punches
- 10 reps of left side-kicks
- 30 straight punches
To get started, Chambers says to stand about a leg’s length away from the punching bag so your right side faces the bag. Get in your boxing stance with your right leg back and your arms up, your left arm guarding your face with your right hand in front of your chin. Swivel your hips, shifting your weight to your left foot before pivoting, lifting your right leg from the ground with your knee bent.
Powerfully strike your right foot out as you extend your knee and hip, hitting the heavy bag with the heel of your right foot. Your right foot should be flexed with your heel sticking out so it makes first contact with the bag. Recoil your foot and knee immediately, bringing your right foot back down to the starting position.
Lunge, Kick and Jab, Cross
Time: 45 seconds work, 15 seconds rest
Stand to face the punching bag so you’re positioned about a leg’s length away. Step backward with your right foot to perform a reverse lunge. Gym Bench From the bottom of the lunge, powerfully explodes up, shifting your weight to your left foot as you return to standing.
As you do, swing your right knee up in front of your body to perform a front kick, powerfully extending your right leg to kick your right heel into the punching bag.
From here, Chambers says to bring your right foot down into a boxing stance so your feet are staggered before performing four cross punches, alternating hands with each punch. Immediately switch sides, this time performing the reverse lunge and front kick with your left leg before performing the four cross punches. Continue alternating sides for the duration of the interval.
After 45 seconds of work, rest for 15 seconds before proceeding to the next exercise.
