Anyone here train with a heavy punching bag (100 pnds) for their cardio workouts?

[Arkitech]

I've been doing some reading up on punching bag workouts and it seems that most people tend to tire out after about 2-3 minutes after an all-out effort. So it sounds to me that punching bags could be a good vehicle for HIIT exercises. Which is great for me because I find treadmills and stationary bikes fairly boring.

So any of you guys train with a punching bag on a regular basis? Did you notice any improvement in your upper body strength? How did it compare with your normal cardio training?

 

[brikis98]

I have a 100lbs bag in my basement and use it periodically for boxing/kickboxing. It is a VERY tough workout and a lot of fun, especially with a friend to yell out punch/kick combos or motivation. I usually do rounds of 1-3 minutes, resting 1-3 minutes in between, depending on my mood and what kind of intensity I want. It can also be fun to do an all-out flurry for the last 10 seconds of a round to really burn yourself out. If one of my friends is around, we alternate, one person boxing, one person holding the bag, running the timer and sometimes yelling out combos to perform in a simon-says style workout.

You can definitely call it interval training, but really, the name doesn't matter much: it's a solid workout no matter what. I really like it as a change of pace from other workouts, as well as an awesome stress reliever. It does build upper body strength, and if you kick, lower body strength too, but not to a huge extent: boxing primarily is limited by, and therefore improves, your cardio and muscular endurance. Still, as you learn to hit harder and harder, you'll definitely be developing your power/explosiveness, so it's certainly superior in that respect to running/biking/etc. Just make sure you wrap your wrists properly and know how to throw a punch, or you could easily injure your wrists.

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: brikis98
I have a 100lbs bag in my basement and use it periodically for boxing/kickboxing. It is a VERY tough workout and a lot of fun, especially with a friend to yell out punch/kick combos or motivation. I usually do rounds of 1-3 minutes, resting 1-3 minutes in between, depending on my mood and what kind of intensity I want. It can also be fun to do an all-out flurry for the last 10 seconds of a round to really burn yourself out. If one of my friends is around, we alternate, one person boxing, one person holding the bag, running the timer and sometimes yelling out combos to perform in a simon-says style workout.

You can definitely call it interval training, but really, the name doesn't matter much: it's a solid workout no matter what. I really like it as a change of pace from other workouts, as well as an awesome stress reliever. It does build upper body strength, and if you kick, lower body strength too, but not to a huge extent: boxing primarily is limited by, and therefore improves, your cardio and muscular endurance. Still, as you learn to hit harder and harder, you'll definitely be developing your power/explosiveness, so it's certainly superior in that respect to running/biking/etc. Just make sure you wrap your wrists properly and know how to throw a punch, or you could easily injure your wrists.

Cool, I can't wait to get started. Sounds like a fun way to workout.

So what's the proper way to throw a punch? My fighting career has been limited to one altercation back in 3rd grade.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: brikis98
I have a 100lbs bag in my basement and use it periodically for boxing/kickboxing. It is a VERY tough workout and a lot of fun, especially with a friend to yell out punch/kick combos or motivation. I usually do rounds of 1-3 minutes, resting 1-3 minutes in between, depending on my mood and what kind of intensity I want. It can also be fun to do an all-out flurry for the last 10 seconds of a round to really burn yourself out. If one of my friends is around, we alternate, one person boxing, one person holding the bag, running the timer and sometimes yelling out combos to perform in a simon-says style workout.

You can definitely call it interval training, but really, the name doesn't matter much: it's a solid workout no matter what. I really like it as a change of pace from other workouts, as well as an awesome stress reliever. It does build upper body strength, and if you kick, lower body strength too, but not to a huge extent: boxing primarily is limited by, and therefore improves, your cardio and muscular endurance. Still, as you learn to hit harder and harder, you'll definitely be developing your power/explosiveness, so it's certainly superior in that respect to running/biking/etc. Just make sure you wrap your wrists properly and know how to throw a punch, or you could easily injure your wrists.

Cool, I can't wait to get started. Sounds like a fun way to workout.

So what's the proper way to throw a punch? My fighting career has been limited to one altercation back in 3rd grade.

You should look into buying Bas Rutten's MMA workout CD/DVD. He has all that stuff on video and it is really awesome. Plus he has routines and yells out combinations and stuff, which is really nice. He shows you how to throw all types of punches, some knees, and overall it's pretty good.

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: brikis98
I have a 100lbs bag in my basement and use it periodically for boxing/kickboxing. It is a VERY tough workout and a lot of fun, especially with a friend to yell out punch/kick combos or motivation. I usually do rounds of 1-3 minutes, resting 1-3 minutes in between, depending on my mood and what kind of intensity I want. It can also be fun to do an all-out flurry for the last 10 seconds of a round to really burn yourself out. If one of my friends is around, we alternate, one person boxing, one person holding the bag, running the timer and sometimes yelling out combos to perform in a simon-says style workout.

You can definitely call it interval training, but really, the name doesn't matter much: it's a solid workout no matter what. I really like it as a change of pace from other workouts, as well as an awesome stress reliever. It does build upper body strength, and if you kick, lower body strength too, but not to a huge extent: boxing primarily is limited by, and therefore improves, your cardio and muscular endurance. Still, as you learn to hit harder and harder, you'll definitely be developing your power/explosiveness, so it's certainly superior in that respect to running/biking/etc. Just make sure you wrap your wrists properly and know how to throw a punch, or you could easily injure your wrists.

Cool, I can't wait to get started. Sounds like a fun way to workout.

So what's the proper way to throw a punch? My fighting career has been limited to one altercation back in 3rd grade.

You should look into buying Bas Rutten's MMA workout CD/DVD. He has all that stuff on video and it is really awesome. Plus he has routines and yells out combinations and stuff, which is really nice. He shows you how to throw all types of punches, some knees, and overall it's pretty good.

thanks dude, I'm gonna look into that.

I bought a 100 lb bag today as well as heavy resistance band. I plan on getting ripped by the time summer comes around

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: brikis98
I have a 100lbs bag in my basement and use it periodically for boxing/kickboxing. It is a VERY tough workout and a lot of fun, especially with a friend to yell out punch/kick combos or motivation. I usually do rounds of 1-3 minutes, resting 1-3 minutes in between, depending on my mood and what kind of intensity I want. It can also be fun to do an all-out flurry for the last 10 seconds of a round to really burn yourself out. If one of my friends is around, we alternate, one person boxing, one person holding the bag, running the timer and sometimes yelling out combos to perform in a simon-says style workout.

You can definitely call it interval training, but really, the name doesn't matter much: it's a solid workout no matter what. I really like it as a change of pace from other workouts, as well as an awesome stress reliever. It does build upper body strength, and if you kick, lower body strength too, but not to a huge extent: boxing primarily is limited by, and therefore improves, your cardio and muscular endurance. Still, as you learn to hit harder and harder, you'll definitely be developing your power/explosiveness, so it's certainly superior in that respect to running/biking/etc. Just make sure you wrap your wrists properly and know how to throw a punch, or you could easily injure your wrists.

Cool, I can't wait to get started. Sounds like a fun way to workout.

So what's the proper way to throw a punch? My fighting career has been limited to one altercation back in 3rd grade.

You should look into buying Bas Rutten's MMA workout CD/DVD. He has all that stuff on video and it is really awesome. Plus he has routines and yells out combinations and stuff, which is really nice. He shows you how to throw all types of punches, some knees, and overall it's pretty good.

thanks dude, I'm gonna look into that.

I bought a 100 lb bag today as well as heavy resistance band. I plan on getting ripped by the time summer comes around

Keep in mind that getting ripped is almost entirely diet. Exercise is great and will contribute to you looking and feeling better, but you have to lose the fat to be shredded 🙂

 

[FirewolfX]

I'd really recommend finding a boxing gym for some basic instruction instead of learning from a CD if you've never done it before.

I know some people find that intimidating, but really it's not.

 

[presidentender]

Originally posted by: FirewolfX
I'd really recommend finding a boxing gym for some basic instruction instead of learning from a CD if you've never done it before.

I know some people find that intimidating, but really it's not.

I second that and encourage you to look to boxing specifically (or kickboxing) rather than an asian martial art. By this I mean no disrespect to the asian martial arts, but your stated goal of learning to throw a punch will be achieved more quickly in a boxing gym.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

It took me a long time to fubar my TKO 100lbs, but it happened. Replaced with a nevatear and it has been holding up great. It ain't just a workout, it is a psychologist 😉

 

[Fayd]

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: brikis98
I have a 100lbs bag in my basement and use it periodically for boxing/kickboxing. It is a VERY tough workout and a lot of fun, especially with a friend to yell out punch/kick combos or motivation. I usually do rounds of 1-3 minutes, resting 1-3 minutes in between, depending on my mood and what kind of intensity I want. It can also be fun to do an all-out flurry for the last 10 seconds of a round to really burn yourself out. If one of my friends is around, we alternate, one person boxing, one person holding the bag, running the timer and sometimes yelling out combos to perform in a simon-says style workout.

You can definitely call it interval training, but really, the name doesn't matter much: it's a solid workout no matter what. I really like it as a change of pace from other workouts, as well as an awesome stress reliever. It does build upper body strength, and if you kick, lower body strength too, but not to a huge extent: boxing primarily is limited by, and therefore improves, your cardio and muscular endurance. Still, as you learn to hit harder and harder, you'll definitely be developing your power/explosiveness, so it's certainly superior in that respect to running/biking/etc. Just make sure you wrap your wrists properly and know how to throw a punch, or you could easily injure your wrists.

Cool, I can't wait to get started. Sounds like a fun way to workout.

So what's the proper way to throw a punch? My fighting career has been limited to one altercation back in 3rd grade.

did you lose?

was it a girl? 😀