When you’re training in boxing, one of the essential components is the punching bag workout. It’s one of the staples of boxing training at home, and therefore it’s important not just to know what you’re doing but also to have a variety of heavy bag drills, techniques and routines to turn to.
Knowing a collection of popular heavy bag drills will help prevent you from getting bored of your punching bag workout. It will also help you to work on a variety of different techniques and fundamentals, which will round out your game and provide you with a complete skill set.
Here are 5 heavy bag drills for training in boxing that you can start putting to use immediately to improve your punching bag workout. All of them last for an entire three minute round, and you can combine each of them together into one effective training session.
Heavy Bag Drills for Training
Before you begin, make sure to outfit yourself with high quality boxing equipment that will make training as easy and safe as possible if you haven’t already. From punching bag gloves to a heavy punching bag or a free standing punching bag to a boxing round timer to supportive boxing shoes and boxing hand wraps, the right equipment can make all of the difference for your boxing training at home.
4 or 5 Punch Minimum Combination Throwing
This is a classic for anybody who has ever participated in a punching bag workout before. The goal is to throw nothing short of a 4 or 5-punch combination. That means no single or double jabs and then a lot of rest. This will keep your work rate high, and will keep you active for the entire three minutes. You can try to perfect a particular combination or two, or simply throw whatever punch sequences you like or think of at the time.
Nothing but Body Shots
This is one of the heavy bag drills that probably isn’t paid enough attention to by most people training in boxing at home. In this round you’ll throw nothing except for hard, forceful body shots. Take your time, use solid form and throw your shots with as much force as you can. At the end of the round your left hook to the body and right uppercut to the ribcage will be tuned up like never before.
The Infighting Round
This can be one of the really fun heavy bag drills. You’ll be working on your fighting techniques for close quarters. Whether you call it infighting, dirty boxing, roughhousing or just the inside game, either way these techniques can be hard to master. Stand closer to the bag than normal and work on both shortening up your punches and throwing shots after slipping and sliding around. Get into close distance behind a jab or another combination, and also practice working your way out of trouble with clinches and punches as well.
Maxing Out: 200 or More Punches
The maxing out round will really test your stamina and endurance. It’s the perfect one of these heavy bag drills to close out your punching bag workout, because you’ll be toast afterwards if you put your full effort in. Your goal is to throw no less than 200 punches in one 3-minute round. Proper technique and force are still important, but more important is speed and activity. Once 200 punches in one round becomes easy you can raise the goal to 250 or more.
The Simulation
During a punching bag workout it can be easy to lose track of your technique, or of a game plan you would really want to employ in a sparring session or fight. During this drill you want to maintain your focus as much as possible, use strict, perfect technique and form and generally go about your training as if you were actually in the ring. Circle the bag, set up your shots, keep your guard high and do all of the little things correctly. Do this in the beginning of your punching bag workout… once you’re tired you can expect your technique to start suffering.
Of course there are many other heavy bag drills that you could use for boxing training at home. These are just a few favorites that you should be able to start using immediately. The results will speak for themselves as you work harder, work longer and train more effectively.
