30 Minute Heavy Punching Bag Workout and Drills

Why Punching Bag Workouts?

Punching bag workouts are a cornerstone of boxing training. A heavy bag cardio workout will help you improve your skills and strength while allowing you to really unleash all your stress onto the bag.

Here we’ll take a look at why you should incorporate heavy bag training, as well as teach you how to work out on a punching bag - with three rounds of intense heavy bag drills to get you started!

How Long Should You Workout On a Punching Bag?

A punching bag workout for beginners is usually 15-30 minutes, but the length of your heavy bag training will also depend on your level of fitness and how intense you want your workout to be. If you’re new to boxing training, you should pace yourself during a longer workout.

How Hard Should You Hit a Heavy Bag?

Most punches on a heavy bag will be around 50-70% of your maximum power, but beginners should aim for a little less as they get more comfortable with proper form. As your skills advance, you are less likely to get strained or injured with harder punches, so you can increase your punching power during heavy bag drills.

Does Punching a Punching Bag Make You Hit Harder?

There are many reasons why you should start training on a punching bag, and increasing punch power is one of them. The resistance caused by punching a heavy bag helps build muscle, which will ultimately help you hit harder.

Here are three (3) punching bag workout benefits:

1. More Effective Workout

By providing resistance, the heavy bag not only helps build muscle, but it also makes your whole body work harder. A heavy bag cardio workout is one of the best cardio workouts you can do – and it’s fun so you won’t feel like it’s “work” at all.

2. Improves Accuracy

While shadowboxing will help you practice form, a heavy bag workout will help you improve accuracy. Repeating boxing punch combinations on a punching bag while aiming for the same target helps you develop muscle memory and consistency in every strike.

3. Increases Coordination

Aiming at a target and encountering resistance will increase your balance and coordination. A powerful punch to a heavy bag will alter your balance, causing you to become more aware of your center of gravity.

How Do I Punch a Punching Bag?

There are a lot of excellent resources to guide you on how to workout on a punching bag – but first you should practice some of the basic punches. Learning form and technique in punching is important for safety when starting out on a punching bag. Familiarize yourself with the six (6) basic punches and practice shadowboxing and heavy bag cardio workouts as you go.

If you’re ready to level up, you can start looking into which bag you should get for home. When it comes to choosing the right bag for your workout, a lot of it comes down to space and personal preference. For most in-home gyms, however, a free-standing bag is usually the best choice because it requires minimal space and is far more stable for heavy bag training.

Once you have your punching bag, grab your hand wraps and boxing gloves and get ready to have fun with this 30 minute heavy bag workout!

30 Minute Punching Bag Workout

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Boxer’s Shuffle Around the Bag (2 minutes)

• Face the punching bag

• Starting towards the right, side shuffle around the bag for 60 seconds

• Switch directions and repeat for 60 seconds

Arm Circles (2 minutes)

• Stand straight with your arms at your sides

• Rotate at the shoulder, circling your arms up in front, all the way up over your head and behind you, back to starting position

• Continue for 60 seconds

• Switch directions and repeat for 60 seconds

High Knees (60 seconds)

• Jog in place

• Bring your knees up towards your chest

• Continue for 60 seconds

Round 1

Plank Punches (5 minutes)

• Assume a high plank position in front of the bag

• Balance on your left fist and lift your right arm at the shoulder

• Focus on maintaining a straight line from your right arm down your back as you extend your arm

• Deliver one jab to the punching bag

• Lower your right arm and repeat with the left, aiming for the same point on the bag

• Repeat for five (5) minutes

*Tip: Plank punches are less about power and more about balance and form

Round 2

Jab – Cross – Right Hook – Left Hook (5 minutes)

• Assume fighting stance, standing about arm’s length from the bag

• Hit the jab and cross on a ‘one-two’ count

• Increase your power for a right hook

• Follow quickly with a left hook, imagining knocking out your opponent

• Repeat for five (5) minutes

Round 3

Straight Punches – Alternating Body Shots (5 minutes)

• Stand facing the bag

• Hammer out four straight punches, aiming at the same point every strike

• Alternate left and right power body shots to the count of ten, focusing on speed and power

• Repeat for five (5) minutes

Cool Down (5 minutes)

Core Stretch (60 seconds)

• Lie flat on your stomach

• Place your palms on the floor next to your shoulders

• Keeping your hips to the floor, slowly lift your torso upwards

• Straighten your arms and lift your head up

• Hold the stretch for 60 seconds

Shoulder Stretches (2 minutes)

• Extend your right arm straight across your chest

• Use your left to pull the right until you feel a stretch in your shoulders

• Hold for 60 seconds

• Repeat with the other arm

Lower Back Stretch (2 minutes)

• Sit on the floor with your legs outstretched

• Bend your right knee and bring your right leg up over the left, placing your right foot on the floor outside of your left thigh

• Using your left arm on your right knee for leverage, twist your torso to the right until you feel a stretch in your lower back and obliques

• Hold for 60 seconds

• Repeat with the left leg and hold for 60 seconds

Punching bag workouts are effective, fun, and easy to do at home. For help understanding correct form and technique, it’s a great idea to check out a punching bag workout video to better visualize your moves. FightCamp has an extensive library of training videos to choose from – and the dynamic trainers can help boost your motivation to ramp up your intensity!

Train Like a Fighter

Take your workouts to the next level and train like a fighter with the at-home connected fitness solution used by world champion boxers Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather. FightCamp has everything you need to work out on your schedule, with premium boxing equipment and hundreds of on-demand strength, conditioning, kickboxing, boxing, core, and recovery classes led by real fighters. As Mike Tyson said - “FightCamp is the next level of training!”

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