Martial Arts Layouts

Punching bag routine?

I might have the oppertunity to pick up a 75ish lb punching bag for really cheap. I heard that working with a punching bag can be a great cardio workout. If so, what would an outline of that be like? I’m working on BJJ right now and plan to pick up boxing sometime within the year but right now I’d like to use it solely as a cardio workout. Any advice or even a layout of your punching bag routine would be greatly appreciated. I orginally posted this question in the Martial Arts section but the replies weren’t what I was looking for. I will award a best answer if I get a very well thought out answer that answers my question entirely.

Look up on youtube how to make a fist, and how to do a variety of punches. Be sure not to hyperextend your elbow on straights, not to work your elbow against the joint on hooks, not to break your hand on hooks. Wear handwraps at least, if not bag gloves. Be safe.

Make sure to have your fist tight on impact, but try to keep your arm and shoulder somewhat loose. If you tense up, you actually cost yourself speed and power. Be sure to use your hips and your core to twist your upper body – this is how you generate most of your power in punching. When you begin to throw your punch, sort of grind your feet into the ground, rooting yourself. Think of it like this: Your legs are your stable base, your upper body is the slingshot, and your arm (and fist) is the projectile being fired. Use a comfortable stance – if your feet are too far apart, you could cost yourself balance, and that could cost you power or speed, or your life. Never reach with your punches; a little bit of lean is reasonable, but you don’t want to be way over and offbalance. When you hit the bag, imagine trying to hit a few inches past the surface. You never want to make just surface contact, you want ‘penetration’.

Be sure to bring your arms back to a guard position as quickly as possible – that way you’ll be ready to defend yourself or to press your attack immediately. Your guard: Fists protect the head (the jaw) and the arms and elbows protect the body (kidneys and ribs). Move. Move your head, your shoulders, your upperbody, your legs. A stationary target is easier to hit than a moving target, so you don’t want to get in the habit of just standing still to be someone’s punching bag. Move side to side, forward and back, up and down (elevation changes are huge!), move your head inedependantly. Circle around the bag.

I can’t really just give you my punching bag routine, because I know what I need to work on, and what I need to work on isn’t the same that you need to work on. I’ll still try to give you some help with a routine, but alot of this is just on you to find what you’re comfortable with.

Jab, Cross combo is basics, but it’s a bread and butter combo. I like to lead with a jab and then toss a rear handed hook to the body. Sometimes I’ll fake a rear body hook then come over top with a lead hook to the dome – though some advise not to lead with a lead hook because of how vulnerable it leaves you if it misses. I love using the jab/body hook combo to walk myself into about clinch distance, then lay into their body with a couple short and quick (but pretty powerful) rear handed body hooks. I love doing jab, cross, jab to get them covering up high, then I drop in and come up with an uppercut to the body. Really though, just string together what punches you like and feel comfortable with. If you’re just doing it for cardio, try to time yourself – do 2min bursts on the bag, rest for a minute, repeat. And repeat as many times as you can. Alternatively, you could take the slow and steady route, go at an easy pace and just not rest at all. The 2min (or 3min or whatever) bursts get your heart rate up better though.

Best of luck. My email’s open if you have any follow up questions or anything.

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