When most beginners head to the gym for a workout, they head right over to the treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines and other cardio equipment. While there is nothing inherently wrong with these types of workout machines, there’s a different, often-overlooked type of workout to try: punching bags.
A punching bag, also known as a heavy weight bag, is a fantastic tool for training boxers and mixed martial artists, but it is also a fantastic workout for everyday individuals. However, the dangling black bag can seem intimidating or “off limits” to newcomers, causing many people to steer clear and get back on the same elliptical machine or treadmill day after day.
Below, we discuss the benefits of punching bag workouts and tips for how to get started with punching bag workouts for beginners.
Punching Bag Workout: What You Need to Get Started
Aside from the obvious need for a hanging or standing punching bag, you will need properly-fitting boxing gloves, hand wraps and good footwear for heavy bag workouts.
Even though your gym might have boxing gloves available, we recommend buying your own pair because your hands will get sweaty and it is difficult to clean the inside of the gloves, making them a breeding ground for bacteria.
You can typically buy entry-level boxing gloves at a local sporting goods store or online for under $30. That said, if you aren’t sure you want to commit to punching bag workouts as part of your regular training routine, you can certainly try a few sessions with communal gloves. Just be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after your workout.
You might also want to get a lightweight jump rope, also known as a speed rope. Many punching bag workouts combine jumping rope with hitting the heavy bag, and the footwork involved in jumping rope can help you move with better alacrity around the bag. Plus, jumping rope as a warm-up before your punching bag sessions may help you harness your inner Rocky Balboa!
Finally, a stopwatch or timer app on your phone, watch or external device can be helpful. Most punching bag exercise workouts involve doing rounds of 2 minutes or another interval of time, so having a reliable timekeeper that doesn’t require your visual attention is very helpful.
What Are the Benefits of Punching Bag Workouts?
Punching bag workouts are a fantastic form of exercise with plenty of physical and mental health benefits, including the following:
- Increasing heart rate, providing a fantastic cardiovascular workout
- Burning calories and boosting your metabolic rate
- Offering a total-body workout by utilizing most of your major muscle groups
- Building core strength
- Improving your mind-body connection by harnessing skills such as precision, timing, coordination, agility, finesse and power
- Improving balance
- Providing a form of functional training, enabling you to improve your lifting, carrying, pivoting and other forms of everyday movement patterns
- Decreasing stress and feelings of angst by giving you an outlet for frustration
- Boosting endorphins and improving mood
- Increasing self-confidence and feelings of self-empowerment in your body
- Adding variety to your workout routine to train your body and mind in a different way
And perhaps best of all, most people find punching bag workouts to be fun and more playful than planting themselves on a stationary exercise machine for 30 to 60 minutes!
Tips for Punching Bag Workouts for Beginners
Here are some important safety tips for punching bag training:
Always wrap your hands
Even though you aren’t going to be sparring with a partner in a real boxing matchup, it is crucial to wrap your hands before taking to the heavy bag. Wraps provide an extra layer of protection for your wrists and hands under your boxing gloves, and they help secure the boxing gloves to your hands.
Unless you are ambidextrous, you might need someone to help you wrap your hands, especially at first while you learn the proper technique. Alternatively, there are prefabricated “wraps” that are sort of like half gloves that can go under your boxing gloves if you train alone and don’t have help.
Get properly fitting gloves
Boxing gloves come in different sizes and weights. Beginners should start with a lighter glove, typically under 12 oz. You can work your way up to heavier gloves as your upper body strength improves. Make sure that the gloves fit securely over your wrapped hands by tightening the wrist strap.
A glove that is too loose might fall off when you swing your arm around, which can be extremely dangerous because you might end up walloping the heavy bag with no protection for your hands.
Ensure you warm up
As with any form of exercise, you should always warm up prior to a punching bag workout session. Light cardio such as jumping rope, jogging for a few minutes and jumping jacks are good ways to get the blood flowing. Then, add some dynamic warm-up exercises like arm circles, hip swings, walking lunges and torso twists.
This helps prime your muscles for more vigorous activity by increasing circulation.
Don’t forget to breathe
A common mistake that beginners make when starting with heavy bag punching sessions is holding their breath. This often happens because they are focused on performing the punches properly or exerting themselves vigorously, both of which can prevent them from being able to focus on proper breathing.
Breathe out when you hit or kick the bag and try to maintain a steady breathing pattern as you train.
Proper breathing not only maximizes your performance potential but also decreases the risk of feeling lightheaded.
Keep your wrists straight
Whether you are jabbing the bag or doing a powerful uppercut, it is important to keep your wrists straight when you are hitting the punching bag.
One of the main purposes of the hand wraps under the boxing gloves is to provide support for your wrists, but you also need to consciously engage your forearm muscles to keep your wrists from bending or twisting.
Stay hydrated
Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after your training sessions. Boxing and kickboxing are high-intensity workouts, so you are apt to sweat a lot. Consider using an electrolyte replacement beverage.
Get some coaching
Whether you hire a personal trainer, take a kickboxing class or boxing class for beginners, use a workout app or ask an experienced friend, punching bag workouts do require some amount of technique. Getting proper training with the basic movements is essential for reducing the risk of injury and ensuring you are maximizing the benefits of heavy bag training.
Mix it up
Just like any other form of exercise, variety is essential in heavy bag cleaning sessions. You can structure your punching bag workouts to have different goals, rotating the primary focus with each successive workout.
For example, if you train 2 days a week, you can focus on speed and agility during your first workout and power in your second workout.
Have fun
A good session on the punching bag can be cathartic, empowering and fun. Enjoy it!
Featured Products
