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Ready to add a great workout to your card? Punching bag workouts are fun and effective for anyone who wants to get toned with fast results. It is a type of interval training where you alternate back-and-forth between heavyweight and lightweight exercises.
An intense punching bag workout is a great way to improve your fitness levels and keep your muscles toned. It also builds your endurance, burns fat and relieves all stress.
Today, we will take a look at five of the best punching bag exercises for beginners. Make sure you practice these punching bag workouts with a buddy and not by yourself. You need someone to hold the mitts for you to practice your combos and to spot you when you aren’t sure whether to step back or forward.
Effective Punching Bag Workouts for Beginners
You can combine these sets into a 20-minute workout, or you can do them one set at a time daily. You can work on the blocks and punches one day, followed by focusing on the slides and combinations the next day. That being said, always start your workout with a warmup. Get your blood pumping and start ramping up your heart rate with some shadowboxing.
1) Jab, Cross and Squat
The half squat jab cross is a great exercise for your upper body, lower body, and core. It helps you burn fat and build strength while also working on your speed and agility.
To do this punching drill:
- Put your feet about shoulder-width apart, with one foot in front of the other.
- Face the bag and check to see if your toes are lined up with your heel.
- Raise your hands and bring them parallel to your eyes on either side. Protect your face while you punch the bag twice in a row, leading with your left arm followed by your right.
- Do a squat after completing each punch. Once you've finished this sequence, get back into position and repeat it for the next few minutes. When it's done, take a rest for 15 seconds.
2) Cross Punches
Cross punches are especially effective for toning your arms and shoulders. Punch a heavy bag with full force, keeping your abs tight and face protected during the process.
To practice throwing crosses:
- Stand with your dominant foot forward.
- Press off your dominant foot such that your body's center of gravity is shifted away from the punching bag.
- As you punch with your dominant arm, move your body forward into the bag and hit it with full force. Rest for 15 seconds and then repeat with the other arm.
3) Side Kick Punch Combos
Combos are all about mixing up your strikes. This workout is intense because it involves a lot of upper-body and lower-body movement. It can also make your heart beat faster, which is good for your cardiovascular health.
Here's how you do it:
- Punch the bag with your right arm.
- After that, kick the bag with your right leg 10 times.
- Switch positions and throw 10 left side kicks, followed by 30 straight punches with your left arm.
- Do this series as many times as possible in 90 seconds. Once finished, take rest for 30 seconds.
4) Hooks
Hooks require fast movement of your body and the engagement of the core, hips and shoulders.
Here's how you do this punching bag workout:
- Place your feet at a 45° angle from the bag and put your weight forward.
- Lift your back heel from the ground and bring your hands to face level.
- Throw a hook with your dominant hand by turning your hip forward as you pivot.
- Keep your forearm parallel to the ground while making contact with the bag.
- You can do this for 45 seconds at a stretch.
- Once that set is over, try doing the same exercise with your weaker side.
5) Burpee with pushup, straight punches, and hooks
By adding burpees, you get a full-body workout when you don't have time for a long workout. They work to strengthen the muscles in your legs, hips, buttocks, abdomen, arms, chest and shoulders.
Here's how you do the workout:
- Stand at an arm's distance from the heavy bag, with your feet hip-distance apart and knees slightly bent.
- Squat down, do a pushup and jump back with your feet before doing striking the punching bag to complete the sequence.
- You can be creative and mix up your punches by including jabs, crosses and hooks.
Takeaway
Punching bag training should not be intimidating to beginners. There is no other way for you to get better than to start practicing your punches. These punching bag exercises for beginners can help hone your muscle memory and teach you the basics. That said, you need to practice on a regular basis to get better.
The best part about these training sessions is that they cater to everyone regardless of their current fitness level. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced athlete, it’s completely up to you what you plan for these sessions.
