Punching bags are vital tools to help a boxer punch harder when he gets in the ring against an opponent. While training, a fighter often will use the heavy bag, speed bag and floor-to-ceiling bag to improve his overall skills in the ring. The heavy bag is traditionally associated with building punching power. The other two bags are primarily for hand-eye coordination, accuracy and quickness. In working on those skills, punching power also is improved.
Heavy Bag Punching
The heavy bag is found in boxing gyms. It hangs from a support and often weighs 75 to 100 pounds. When you hit the heavy bag, you have to use your entire body when you throw punches. If you just swing your arms, you are going to meet with significant resistance and can jam your wrists and fingers. The key to hitting the heavy bag effectively is to use your legs, torso, core muscles, shoulders, arms and fists when you throw your punches. Punching like this will move the bag and allow you to develop explosive power in the ring.
Heavy Bag Routine
When training on the heavy bag, punch it for three minutes at a time. This is the same amount of time in a boxing round and will provide a strenuous workout. The key is to throw punches in combinations. Both left jab, right cross, left hook and left jab, right uppercut, right cross are dangerous combinations. If you are right handed, circle the bag to your left as you throw punches. Left-handers should move in the opposite direction. Another heavy bag drill is to throw as many left jab, right cross combinations as you can in one minute. This will improve strength and punching power. After each routine, take a one-minute break and repeat the set.
Speed Bag
The speed bag helps a fighter develop hand-eye coordination and quickness, but when you learn to hit the speed bag consistently so that it hits the back support, rebounds to the front and then hits the back again before delivering another punch, you are learning how to time your punches. Delivering the punch at the proper moment will make it more effective and make you a better fighter.
Floor-to-Ceiling Bag
The floor-to-ceiling bag also helps a fighter become a more balanced and accurate puncher. The hitting area of the bag -- which is about the same size as an under-inflated volleyball -- is stretched on a thick elastic band that extends from the floor to the ceiling. The boxer punches the target area of the bag, and when it is struck it does not rebound in a predictable manner. The fighter must move his feet and adjust his punches to hit the bag cleanly. This also helps keep the fighter balanced, which leads to harder punches in the ring.
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