Ultimate Fitness and Fat Loss Series (3)

#3 Hitting the Heavy Bag for Massive Fitness and Fat Loss Boosts!

Copyright Ramsay Taplin

Punching and kicking our way to fat loss and fitness and power!

Yep, the good old heavy bag is my number three in the series on the top three exercises for all over conditioning, fitness and fat loss. Two minutes on the old heavy bag feels like you have just run a marathon. In fact, I would go as far as saying that hitting the heavy bag is almost as good as sprinting for achieving our fat loss and fitness goals.

Why so good?
The reasons that hitting the heavy bag is so beneficial are:

Most people never use the actual punching motion so all the muscles that are involved are weak and not used to that type of activity.
Hitting the heavy bag is hard! It takes a lot of power, good technique and timing to get that sucker to move.
It is motivating to punch something! I find that after hitting the heavy bag I feel good because it is a means to get rid of stress. I have also noticed that people seem to be able to put more effort into punching the bag because you can imagine you are fighting something that spurs you on. For example, I had a friend who used to box with me and he said he used to imagine the bag was a physical manifestation of his weaknesses, injuries and clumsiness and he would beat the crap out of them! I used to pretend it was my kung fu teacher and I was finally getting back at him for all those slaps he gave me!
It uses your whole body. You need to use your arms, back, mid section and legs all in unision to throw a decent punch. For this reason you get a full body workout.

The benefits all show us that this is a hard exercise that is perfect for REAL trainers like us! You will notice that your back and shoulders become more defined and increase in size due to the sheer effort needed to box properly. Have you ever seen a boxer with a small back?

How to?
Here are some tips on using the heavy bag.

Preparation
Wrap those hands - You must always (always!) wrap your hands with bandages in the proper fashion before slipping on the gloves and going crazy on the bag. The human hand was meant for gripping, not hitting. That being said, if you don’t wrap your hands you will not only end up with some cuts and blisters, you could damage the shape and joints in your fingers.

Good gloves - You want a pair of heavy, thick gloves when you are training the heavy bag seriously.

Warm up - Warm up with light punches on the bag, stretching and shadow boxing for at least five minutes. Sometimes you could even lift a few light weights to ensure you have really got the juices pumping.

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The Actual Session
Proper Technique - I shouldn't even have to write this one anymore! If you are a long time reader of RMO you will know how important technique is in everything you do. Perhaps I should just make it the name of the Blog - "Perfect Technique Online". It has a cool ring to it. Anyway, take it slowly to begin with making sure you find the right distance away from the bag so you don't jar any joints. Muscles should be relaxed for every part of the motion except when you make contact which is when you tense your fist.

Target - You have three main targets on the heavy bag; the head, the middle stomach and the lower stomach. Every punch you throw should be aimed at one of these places which are at the same places on the bag as they would be on a person your own height. This not only trains you in the three types of hitting, but trains different muscle groups giving you a better workout.

Keep it loose - As I mentioned before everything should be loose right up until you make contact. The same goes for your feet, hips and shoulders - keep relaxed.

Combo's
Like fast food, hitting the heavy bag is better when done in a combo! Ok, that was a lame analogy but it’s true. Never just throw one punch. Here are some simple combos you can use for your workout.

Remember; stand slightly to the side so that you lead with your left.

Left jab, right cross, left, left.
Left jab, left jab, right cross, left, right hook.
Left jab, right cross, left uppercut, right upper cut, jab.

Feel free to experiment with combos that you like as long as your guard is always up.

The Ultimate Fitness Workout
To use the heavy bag for boosting your fitness we should use a system similar to the one we used for sprinting:

20 seconds fast fighting10 seconds rest or slow punching 20 seconds fast fighting10 seconds rest.

Follow that pattern for three minutes and then take a break. This emulates what the boxers must do in a boxing match. It may look easy but it is hard work!

Fat Loss
When using the heavy bag for fat loss we know we should do it before eating our first meal. Also, we should slow it down a little bit and work more on being consistent. Try and work hard for 10 minutes and then take a break and go for a light jog. Then come back and do it again. I have such faith in this exercise that I don’t think it really matter how you do it. If you use the bag, you will lose fat.

Conclusion
If you want me to write more about using the heavy bag please send me an email. I will try to get someone to take photos of me illustrating some combos and techniques and perhaps I could get a video posted of a few basic moves.

Train Hard!

Sprinting For Fitness
Jumping Rope Workout
Heavy Bag Workout

>> Click here for Pete Sisco's Maximum Strength Program

>> Click here for Tom's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program

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