New Practical Heavy Bag Drill For Boxers

A heavy bag provides a great workout, but can it be used to work timing and angles? Can you get a good workout and, at the same time, make your heavy-bag workout practical?

Boxers Pound Heavy Bags

Pounding on a heavy bag can provide a great workout. It helps builds both muscle and punching coordination.

Still, boxing a punching bag can also be a training tool to actually teach you how to fight. It doesn’t have to be a giant pillow only good for taking out your frustrations.

With good drills, you as a boxer can use the heavy bag to work timing, distance, attack rhythm, and so on.

Heavy Bag As Boxing Opponent

I don’t know about you, but my heavy bag is the enemy. It’s not just a red vinyl sock filled with sand.

When I face off against it, I see a big, mean attacker. And I don’t think rules.

That enemy deserves punches with attitude. The enemy merits serious consideration.

You need to bob and weave around your heavy bag, as if you were actually in the ring boxing.

Here’s a boxing drill that I have particularly useful for training practical application….

Circling to the Left with a Boxing Surprise

If you are right handed, then the chances are you were taught to box with your left foot and arm in the lead or forward position. Boxers usually keep their best and most powerful in reserve.

Is this the lead you take when you box?

Assuming that you are in a left lead, I want you to punch with your left hand. Either jab or lightly hook you punch at about face level.

The key to this boxing drill is NOT to punch squarely on the center of the bag. In other words, don’t punch the nose. Instead, punch a little on the side, as though you were punching the jaw or ear of your opponent’s right side.

Now, as you punch slightly to the side, circle to your left around the heavy bag. Keep circling to the left as you jab.

Are you with me, so far?

All of a sudden, punch the center or other side of the bag with your right fist. Make it a surprise.

Circle, circle, circle … surprise!

Surprise Punch The Heavy Bag

So, how do you surprise a heavy bag?

After all, a bag is an inanimate object (although after you punch it with your jabs, this inanimate bag will be “animated” all over the place). How do you catch your bag off guard?

You fake it.

Punch with your right fist while you are mid-step. This is the equivalent of a surprise hit.

Surprise hit the bag just as it starts its swing from a left-hand hit. This mid-motion interruption is also a surprise.

From there, get creative. Work on your acting ability.

And keep making your heavy bag workouts more and more practical.

Boxing – Improves Physical and Mental Fitness

If you want to improve your health and physical fitness a boxing training program may be what you are looking for. As well as building body strength and fitness it can also go a long way to improve your personal confidence. Of course, by taking part in boxing workouts you will also improve your fighting form.

People who have tried boxing as a form of exercise find it to have very positive results, arms and legs usually gain a lot of strength and become more defined in shape. However, the benefits are not all physical. People also find that they gain a greater sense of inner strength and feel more emotionally balanced.

Boxing as a form of training and exercise became part of the large fitness training arena a few years ago. Great benefits can be found from boxing workouts on muscle toning and the cardiovascular system. It was the release of many videos featuring Tae bo and kick boxing workouts that made boxing rise in popularity.

The many innovative variations on boxing such as power punches, defence and punch and kick exercises have all the components of aerobic exercise. As you progress you will find your strength will build along with your confidence as you are taught how to execute punch and kick moves more effectively for a far more intense workout.

Kicks and punches which are performed in various combinations on blocks are done with an imaginary opponent, you have no doubt seen this many times on television etc. where the participant through punches and kicks into the air. There are also training facilities where there is the necessary equipment such as punch bags and so on. In some cases there may even be a real opponent to hit, they have very good padding on their hands of course!

Cardin kick boxing gives many more benefits other than the physical factors, it is an excellent way to burn off excess calories. In just one hour of kick boxing you can expect to use in the region of between 350 and 500 calories. It is also very good for maintaining a good heart rate of somewhere between 75% and 85%. This has been proven to be the ideal rate for anyone in training or exercising.

Boxing as exercise is beneficial for the whole body. As well as increasing arm and leg strength through the repeated sparring and jogging whilst punching at the same time,it also helps increase resistance and strength whilst greatly enhancing the reflexes and flexibility of all your muscles.

The workouts involved help to greatly enhance balance and co-ordination which in turn gives you body great form and increased stability and also allows joint movements to be more flexible giving fantastic results in physical fitness.

There are many benefits to be gained from all types of boxing training, that is on top of the physical benefits. In the training process you will learn a great deal about defence skills which, in today’s world could prove to be invaluable. A great sense of satisfaction, self confidence, motivation and relaxation can also be gained from training.

The stresses and strains of modern living can be lifted and any anger and aggregation which may be building up inside can be released and lifted giving more peace of mind and help you relax more.

A number of aerobic fitness instructors do recommend some boxing training instruction for people starting out. This allows each individual to take things at their own pace depending on how fit you are already. The other extreme is boxing classes which will push you to your limit. In this case it is important that you have a safe environment with fully trained instructors on hand and that you are already physically fit.

You will see many positive results if you take up boxing training, you will be much more fit physically and mentally. You can take things at your own pace and most of all enjoy the fun of being involved in a training program.