Theres Nothing Like A Swift Kick To The Bag. Heavy Bag Training For Fitness, Fighting and Fun
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Note:
This article refers to physical skills training that could
result in injury or over exertion, please refer to the
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I wish I had a dollar for every person who asked me how to
improve his or her self-defense skills and fight-related
fitness. They want something they can do at home, by
themselves and on a consistent basis.
These people range from dedicated martial artists, to
seminar candidates, to people just looking for a fun and
functional way to tone up their body and build their
confidence. One of the best solutions I have to offer is
heavy bag training.
A heavy bag is a stuffed bag weighing 40 to 100 lbs. It is
suspended from the ceiling so it can be punched and kicked.
Properly conducted, heavy bag training can improve your
self-defense ability, your health, fitness and sense of
well being. However, if done improperly it can be counter
productive and injurious. The goal of this article is to
tell you how to use the heavy bag as a safe, effective
training tool and how to avoid dangers and pitfalls of
training improperly.
BENEFITS OF HEAVY BAG TRAINING
Self-defense Qualities
Obviously, hitting a heavy bag is nothing like a real
fight. However, it does develop fight-related qualities
that are indispensable in personal combat. It can hone your
strikes and kicks into devastating self-defense weapons.
The strikes and kicks most applicable to hitting the heavy
bag are classified as "gross motor skills." Gross motor
skills are simple, large muscle actions that don't
deteriorate under stress. In fact, the jolt of adrenaline
from the fear or anger, likely to accompany a combative
situation, will enhance your performance.
Impact training contributes to a healthy "Hit Psychology."
I use this term to describe people's willingness to hit and
be hit in order to protect themselves. Believe it or not,
many people are reluctant to defend themselves. Those who
lack confidence in their ability to influence the outcome
of their situation, perform poorly under stress.
Proper impact training (hitting bags, pads and partners)
builds striking competence and confidence that increases
the effectiveness of a physical response.
"Blitz" training, which I'll describe later in this
article, can build mental tenacity. A blitz is an intense,
rapid-fire barrage of strikes and kicks intended to
simulate the all out aggression required during a
confrontation.
If you are ever thrust into a situation where you must
fight for your life, you must do so with every ounce of
your being. In a situation like this, your greatest enemy
is your desire to give up. "Blitz" training builds both
physical and mental stamina and the tenacity to keep gong
until you succeed.
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Note: Blitz training should not be incorporated unless you are in
good health, have developed a solid conditioning base and
have good striking/kicking mechanics. To do so without the
preliminary groundwork is inviting injury.
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FITNESS BENEFITS OF HEAVY BAG TRAINING
A good heavy bag program strengthens your cardiovascular
system, tones and strengthens your muscles, burns fat,
increases bone density and connective tissue resilience.
Not only can you get into great shape, but you can develop
functional self-defense qualities at the same time.
By repeatedly striking and kicking the bag, you activate
all of the major muscles groups in your body. The arms,
shoulders, waist, and leg muscles must be coordinated and
conditioned.
This training also builds athletic qualities such as
speed, power, balance, timing, and coordination.
STRESS MANAGEMENT BENEFITS OF HEAVY BAG TRAINING
Evolution has wired our brains and our bodies for
survival. At the first detection of danger, the "fight or
flight response" kicks in. A host of physiological changes
occur intended to prepare us to fight aggressively or run
like the wind.
In a survival situation this is a good thing. However, in
modern society, this same response can be activated over
and over in situations that don't merit a simple solution
like fighting or running away. A hectic day of deadlines,
traffic jams, frustrations, and personal conflicts fires
off the fight or flight response and pollutes our body with
the toxic byproducts of stress.
Physical action is required to flush this "fight or flight
residue" out of our bodies before it compromises our health
and immune system. Vigorous exercise, such as heavy bag
training, simulates the exertion needed to burn off this
residue and return the mind and body to a healthier state.
That's why bag work is an excellent way to manage stress.
It satisfies the body's inherent need to fight.
HEAVY BAG WORK IS FUN!
The final benefit is that heavy bag training is fun! Crank
up the stereo, imagine the bag was your worst enemy (if you
have one) and blast away. You'll be dripping with sweat,
huffing and puffing and feeling rejuvenated in no time!
**** HEAVY BAG PRECAUTIONS ****
Any form of exercise, if taken to extremes, can be
counterproductive and risky. Heavy bag training is intended
to build you up, make you strong, fit and healthy.
Improperly done, it can produce the opposite results.
People who run too much get shin splints and bad knees.
Impatient weight lifters strain muscles and damage joints.
That doesn't make those activities bad. Over zealous
exercise can be worse than none at all. Bag work is no
different. If you train moderately, execute your techniques
with proper form and apply some common sense, you can
maximize these benefits and minimize the dangers.
AVOIDING TRAINING-RELATED INJURIES
There are two types of athletic injuries associated with
physical activity: chronic and acute. Chronic injuries
develop and last over an extended period. Training
improperly, too intensely, or too often causes them. When
your body is stressed through exercise, it must be given
time to recover and rebuild itself in order to become more
efficient.
When you train too hard, or rest insufficiently between
workouts, you will develop overtraining injuries. People
don't realize that muscles adapt faster than the connective
structures that support them.
Your speed and power development can quickly surpass the
resilience of your bones, tendons, ligaments and joints.
That translates to torn muscles, chronic joint pain, and
even permanent injuries that defeat the purpose of training
in the first place!
Acute injuries, like a twisted ankle, a sprained wrist or
a broken bone, happen suddenly. These injuries can be
minimized with good equipment, proper form and common
sense. ALWAYS emphasize technique ahead of speed and power.
In fact, there is no need to pound on the heavy bag as
hard as you can. Focus on proper body mechanics and the
speed and power will take care of themselves. Start slowly
and let your speed and power build gradually. Allow your
body time to adapt and become more resilient.
AVOIDING BAD HEAVY BAG HABITS
I've seen it a million times. When you put something in
front of someone to hit, his or her picture-perfect
striking skills go out the window. Punches are drawn back
like the wind up of a big league pitcher. Feet come off the
floor. Body parts are contorted. Grunts and farts erupt as
the striker's face contorts beyond recognition. He hurls
himself in the general vicinity of the target, trying to
give it everything he's got. He usually misses! Not a very
practical skill, is it?
HERE ARE SOME "BAD BAG HABITS" TO AVOID:
* * Exaggerating your movements in an attempt to hit
harder * *
Always concentrate on "clean" and proper body mechanics
when training. Don't think that sloppy movements allow you
to hit harder. It only increases injuries and develops
striking skills that you couldn't land if your life
depended on it. When you focus exclusively on hitting hard,
you forget everything else. Hit properly and the power will
take care of itself.
* * Telegraphing your techniques * *
Telegraphing a punch or kick means giving obvious
preparatory signals prior to throwing it. An example is
cocking your fist back before throwing a punch. Because the
heavy bag in an inanimate mass, it's easy to forget the
importance of being able to hit your opponent without
signaling your intentions.
* * Not protecting yourself at all times * *
To paraphrase the late Bruce Lee, "Bags don't hit back!"
The heavy bag is a big, unresponsive target. Because of
this, it's possible to develop bad habits that can carry
over to sparring or fighting. Keep your hands up and
protect yourself at all times. Move into range, hit the bag
and then move out again. Imagine the bag is a living,
breathing opponent attempting to hit you.
* * Pushing instead of hitting the Bag * *
A common mistake when hitting the bag is to follow through
too deeply and push, rather than hit, it. A punch or kick
accelerates from the time you initiate it until it's fully
extended. The further a limb moves, the faster and the more
powerful it will be. Strike the bag at a point near full
extension. Penetrate the bag no more than a few inches
beyond it's surface and try to generate a clean "popping"
sound on impact. Take care however, never to lock out or
hyper extend your joints on impact or if you miss the bag.
* * Holding your breath * *
When people exert themselves, they tend to hold their
breath. This is a bad habit. First of all it reduces your
endurance by starving your body of oxygen when it needs it
most. Secondly, you increase thoracic pressure and can
injure yourself. ("blow a nut" in layman's terms) Exhale as
you strike or kick. This prevents breath holding and
enhances power by tensing the muscles of your torso.
DESIGNING A HEAVY BAG ROUTINE
It's difficult to teach physical skills in an article.
Obviously, your best bet to establish a good training
program is to seek the guidance of a qualified coach or
instructor. However, many of you reading this article are
martial art students or have taken self-defense training
before.
If this is the case, you probably have the basic striking
skills you need to workout on a heavy bag. If you haven't
hit a heavy bag before, take your time and use your head
(to think, not to hit the bag with!). Start gradually and
figure it out. It's not brain surgery! Here are some
suggestions to designing a heavy bag routine.
* * Always warm up and cool down. * *
Warming up improves performance and reduces injuries and
post-exercise muscle soreness. Before exercising intensely,
you should always work up a light sweat and engage in some
basic limbering exercises to increase blood flow, your
range of motion and to lubricate your joints. Jumping rope,
running in place and shadow boxing for 10 to 15 minutes are
excellent ways to begin a workout. (Note: don't do
extensive stretching during the warm up. It can compromise
joint stability and make you more susceptible to injury.
Leave vigorous stretching until the end of your workout)
Cooling down at the end of your workout gradually returns
your system (breathing, heart rate, etc.) to a resting
state. Never finish an intense workout and then just plunk
down on the couch. The cool down is a time to work on your
flexibility with stretching exercises.
STRUCTURING YOUR WORKOUT
Basic Punches and Kicks conducive to heavy bag training
include:
=> Lead punch (jab)
=> Cross (reverse punch)
=> Hook punch
=> Uppercut
=> Forearm/elbow strikes
=> Round house kick
=> Front kick
=> Back kick
=> Knee strike
REP-BASED TRAINING: Identify the basic strikes, kicks and
combinations you want to train. Perform sets and reps of
each. For example, execute two sets of 20 lead punches,
three sets of 20 roundhouse kicks, etc. Rest long enough
between sets to catch your breath and move on to the next
set.
TIME-BASED TRAINING: Another excellent way to train is to
work for a time limit or set number of rounds. For example,
execute either random strikes and kicks or pre-determined
combinations continuously for 2 to 3 minute rounds with 1-
minute rest period in between.
CIRCUIT TRAINING: If you are already in good shape,
consider alternating your bag work with other exercises to
form a circuit. However, don't alternate with weight
lifting exercises because the muscle fatigue will make you
more susceptible to injury. Here is an example. Alternate 3-
5 minutes of jumping rope with 3-5 minutes of bag work.
Complete as many cycles as you need to get a good workout.
BLITZ TRAINING: Blitz training should be reserved for
those who have establish a high level of fitness and proper
striking and kicking mechanics. This training involves
intense, rapid-fire barrages of strikes and kicks for a
time limit (15 to 30 seconds) or a rep goal (20 to 30
repetitions of a combination). This training is as mental
as it is physical.
There are significant benefits to this "stop/start" or
interval-based training. You exert yourself for a brief,
intense period, recover, and then exert yourself again.
This training improves your ability to recover quickly,
increases the efficiency of your muscular and anaerobic
energy systems and elevates your metabolism (burning body
fat) for several hours after your workout.
FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY
Heavy bag training, like other forms of exercises,
stresses the body. Training too intensely can surpass the
body's (joints, tendons, ligaments, muscles, nervous
system) ability to recover. I recommend that heavy bag
training be limited to 2 or 3 times per week. The more
intensely you train, the more time off you should take
between workouts. It is a good idea to alternate intense
workouts with easier ones.
In terms of intensity, keep in mind that your tendons and
connective tissues need more time to develop than your
muscles. Therefore, the speed and power for your strikes
and kicks can increase disproportionately to the
development of those structures. Start your training
moderately with light to medium power hits and concentrate
on proper body mechanics. There is little benefit to
continuously pounding the bag as hard as you can.
REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
First and foremost, you need a heavy bag and a place to
hang it. Usually, the main beam in your basement will do
nicely. Just screw in a heavy-duty eyehook that will
support the weight of the bag. Some people buy or build a
metal bracket that can be anchored into a wall to hang the
bag from.
Heavy bags are made of canvass, vinyl, leather, etc. They
range in size and weight from 40 to 100 lbs. The size and
style you buy is a matter of personal preference and how
much you are willing to spend. A decent heavy bag will run
you around $100.
You will need to protect your hands with a good pair of
boxing or bag gloves. Don't skimp here. Buy the best you
can afford. I compare cheap gloves with jogging in
inadequate running shoes. It's not worth it to save a few
bucks and end up injured. I prefer a sturdy pair of 16-
ounce boxing gloves for bag work. The additional padding
not only protects your hands but reduces the trauma to
wrist, elbow and shoulder joints. Bag gloves have less
padding and therefore are harder on your hands and joints.
Many people wrap their hands for added protection with the
cotton wraps that boxers use. Others feel that if you need
to wrap your hands you are probably hitting too hard.
Remember that the leading injury sustained in a street
fight is broken hands! It is better to punch smart and
accurately than just hard. I don't wrap my hands when I do
bag work.
CONCLUSION
I wrote this article because of enquires I've had over the
years about self-directed training and how to hit the heavy
bag. Bag work is one of my favorite training activities. If
you are looking for an excellent, total body workout that
will not only condition your body but also enhance your
ability to protect it, give heavy bag training a try. Just
take your time, use your common sense and have fun!
Randy LaHaie
Protective Strategies
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Randy LaHaie is the president of Protective Strategies and has
been teaching reality-based self-defense for over 30 years.
He is the author of several "Toughen Up Combative Training
Guides" (www.ToughenUp.com)
Subscribe to his FREE SELF-DEFENSE NEWSLETTER at
http://www.ProtectiveStrategies.com
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A Cure For Bag Pain. How To Avoid Heavy Bag Training Injuries.
I receive a lot of email asking about heavy bag training.
Many of my web site visitors arrive at the site by
searching the term "heavy bag" in the search engines. I can
only guess that many of you use or are considering heavy
bag training as part of your conditioning and self-defense
program.
This article was initiated by an email asking a heavy bag
question. I hope you can benefit from our discussion. Let
me know what you think...Here's what the email said:
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"I just read your article on heavy bag training. I've
begun using the heavy bag for a good cardio/cross training
workout. After training, my hands are often fatigued and
slightly bruised. I believe my technique is O.K. but
perhaps I'm hitting the bag harder than necessary. I wear
wraps and decent bag gloves. I've been searching the
Internet for an article on this very issue for some time
and couldn't find an answer. I'm sure others have the same
problem. Any Advice?"
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Pounding on a heavy bag can be an excellent form of
exercises. If done right, it's an excellent way to build
your stamina, tone your muscles, improve bone density and
develop self-defense related qualities. If done wrong
however, heavy bag training can produce negative results
and lead to injuries.
The problem of sore hands and joint pain is common,
especially if you are new to bag work.
BAG WORK STRESSES THE BODY.
Like other forms of exercises, bag work "stresses" your
body. Improvement comes from alternating periods of stress
and recovery. Stress the body, let it recover and adapt,
then stress it again That's what "training" is.
Over time you increase the intensity and/or duration of
your training sessions as your body becomes stronger and
more resilient.
MUSCLES ADAPT FASTER THAN CONNECTIVE TISSUE
It's important to know that muscles adapt faster than the
connective tissues (tendons & ligaments)that hold you
together. When you begin heavybag training, your hitting
power can quickly surpass the resilience of connective
tissue. The result can be soreness and connective tissue
injury… That's not good!
THE MYTH OF NO PAIN, NO GAIN?
If you are into training for the long haul (you should be)
you need to acknowledge your limitations and avoid over-
training and activities that can lead to injuries. Learn to
listen to your body and respect the feedback that it gives
you.
Training with the pain of lactic acid build up (the
burning feeling of a muscle that is being worked)or through
the discomfort of exhausting blitz work is fine.
However training through intense pain, joint soreness or
bruising can only lead to chronic problems. Taking care of
your body and avoiding injury should be your number one
priority when designing your training program. After all,
self-defense IS about "protecting" your body, isn't it?
POINTS TO CONSIDER:
Here are a few pointers to consider when training on a
heavy bag.
*** Don't KILL the bag! ***
The single biggest mistake made when doing heavy bag work
is to try to "kill" the bag. Trying to hit the bag too hard
over-stresses the body and destroys the mechanics of the
skills you are trying to develop.
In addition to increasing the potential for injury, your
strikes and kicks become slow, sloppy and off balanced.
*** Do it right, Keep it Tight! ***
Focus on staying relaxed, hitting with perfect
biomechanics, and hitting fast. Striking power is a
byproduct of speed and technique. Keep in mind that the
heavy bag is a big inanimate object. It doesn't hit back.
Always work on strikes and kicks that start from and
return to a solid, well protected body position.
Sloppy bag work results in bad habits and the development
of strikes and kicks that you'll never land in a sparring
match or street fight.
*** Hit Don't Push ***
There's a big difference between hitting and pushing. If
you try to over penetrate the bag when you hit it, you
won't be able to generate knockout power. Many people are
told to punch "through" the target when they are learning
to punch. If this advice is misunderstood, it can sabotage
your punching power.
You should make impact with the bag as your arm nears full
extension. You should penetrate a couple of inches beyond
the "surface" of the bag for optimal energy transfer.
Consider that your fist accelerates from the time you
initiate a punch and continues to do so until it reaches
full extension. The closer to full extension you are when
you land your punch the more speed, and therefore striking
power you will be able to generate.
Listen to the bag for feedback about whether your hitting
or pushing. If you are getting a good clean hit, you will
hear a nice "crack" as opposed to a dull thud when you hit
the bag. The bag should not swing much if you are hitting
properly.
*** Lighten Up ***
Supplement your heavy bag training with focus mitts and
Thai pads. Focus mitts are flat, padded "gloves" that
boxing trainers use to develop punching speed and
precision. Thai pads are larger pads that are held along
the trainer's forearms to work on both strikes and kicks.
The advantage of this equipment is that there is less
resistance on impact and therefore less strain on the body
from striking them. They also allow a wide variety of
training drills that will develop timing, distance,
movement and accuracy. Of course the "downside" is that you
will need a partner to hold them for you.
*** Take a Break ***
If you lifted weights every day, doing the same exercises
for the same muscles, you'd quickly become over-trained and
potentially injured. Impact work (hitting things) is no
different. If you do too much, too often without taking
adequate time off in between workouts your body cannot
recover and adapt. I suggest you keep your heavy bag
workouts to a couple per week; three at the most.
*** Try Boxing Gloves ***
When I train people who are new to heavy bag work, I
encourage them to use boxing gloves instead of bag gloves.
The extra padding acts as a better shock absorber that
reduces the impact energy on the knuckles and reduces
strain on the wrists, elbows and shoulders. A quality pair
of 12 to 14 ounce boxing gloves should do the trick.
*** To Wrap or Not To Wrap ***
Hand wraps are cotton strips that are used by boxers to
bind and support their hands during punching practice.
I don't wrap my hands when I do heavy bag work. (although,
I've been hitting for 30 years). When I use hand wraps, I
feel a lot more direct impact on my knuckles. I guess there
is less "give" to the hands and the energy doesn't
dissipate on impact as effectively.
I can't tell you whether or not you should be wrapping
your hands. Try hitting the bag with and without hand wraps
and use your own judgment as to what feels better.
WRAP UP
Key Points to Avoiding Heavy Bag Training Injuries:
=> Don't "Kill" the bag
=> Do it right, keep it tight - don't get sloppy
=> Hit don't push the bag
=> Lighten up with focus mitts and Thai pad training
=> Consider using boxing gloves instead of bag gloves
=> Experiment with hand wraps
There you have it… my opinion on bag work and injury
reduction. If your hands or joints are sore from doing bag
work, I suggest you give them a few weeks off and replace
your bag work with lower impact training drills.
Punching and kicking in front of a mirror =(shadow boxing)
for example is a great cardio workout and an excellent way
to assess and monitor your technique. If you use the heavy
bag intelligently it can provide you with years of safe,
productive training and conditioning. It's a great piece of
equipment.
Take care, train smart and stay safe...
Randy LaHaie Protective Strategies
========================================
Randy LaHaie is the president of Protective Strategies and
has been teaching reality-based self-defense for over 30
years. He is the author of several "Toughen Up Combative
Training Guides" (www.ToughenUp.com)Subscribe to his FREE
SELF-DEFENSE NEWSLETTER at
http://www.ProtectiveStrategies.com
========================================
ukryj reklamÄ™