Punching Bag Workouts: Gym Workouts for Boxers

Boxers are a feat of physical strength, stamina and overall fitness. Their workouts are comprehensive, focusing on a range of qualities like speed, cardio and endurance, as well as strength training and agility. Whilst skipping ropes and strength equipment can go a long way to boosting performance, hitting the heavy bag is an integral part of any professional fighter’s workout regime. 

Why Train with a Punching Bag?

The first and arguably most common reason boxers use a punching bag in their gym workout is to perfect their performance. You can have all the power and strength behind your punches and you can be light as a bird on your feet, but if you have poor form, you won’t ever reach the top of your game. Punching bags are great because they allow you to identify any weaknesses in your technique and improve on them, but unlike shadow boxing, you actually make contact with a heavy object so can see how your punches are landing and how you’re reacting to the weight. 

The second reason boxers use a punching bag is to build up their endurance. Opponents in the ring are relatively solid and it takes a lot to keep fighting without getting worn out. After all, hitting a heavy target is far harder than punching the air, so it’s essential boxers become accustomed to hitting weighted targets before they dare square up against an opponent. 

The final main reason boxers use heavy bags in their workouts is because they offer a full-body workout that encompasses everything from strength and stamina to balance and coordination.

Punching Bag Exercises for Endurance 

Every boxer has their own strengths and weaknesses; some are accurate, some are powerful and some are able to keep going, round after round. Having endurance is never a bad thing, and the heavy bag is a great tool to build on it. 

Exercise One

The first step to building endurance using a punching bag is to see just how far you can go. To do this, hit the bag as hard and as fast as you can for as long as you’re able to. This works best if you’re training with a group of people because once you’re done, you can move out and someone else can have a go. You can train in rotations until you’re wiped out. Over time, as you get better and improve your fitness, you’ll be able to go for longer. 

Exercise Two

The key to endurance is not giving up – even when you feel like you have nothing left to give. Dig deep and keep going! One exercise that coaches often use to build up the endurance of their boxers is the touch and go boxing bag workout. This involves punching the bag slowly for between 10 and 15 seconds, and when the coach says ‘go’, hitting the bag as fast and as hard as possible for between 10 and 15 seconds. This is usually repeated for a set length of time, such as 15 minutes.

Exercise Three

Boxing is more than just fast, powerful punches. Footwork is imperative, and this means cardio needs to be included in your boxing gym workout. For your third endurance workout, do a full mixed routine on the heavy bag, incorporating fast footwork and a mixture of rapid and slow punches.

Power Boxing Workout Routine

Once you’ve got your stamina and endurance up, you need to work on your power. A good level of strength will serve you well when working on your power punches, but as always, practice makes perfect. 

Exercise One

In the ring, you need to make every punch count, and the way to do this is to practice hitting hard and accurately every time, even when moving. In 15 second bouts, move around the bag hitting it as hard as you can. Speed doesn’t need to be the focus; power needs to be at the forefront of this exercise. As you get better, slowly increase the amount of time you do it for. 

Exercise Two 

Most of the power in punches during boxing comes from the legs rather than the arms. Your legs need to be able to remain steady when you’re delivering a hit. There are a number of boxing fitness workouts that focus on the legs, such as cycling, leg presses and squats, but you can also build power using the heavy bag. You can do this by kicking the bag as hard as you can, or try laying on your back and pushing the bag with your legs as a kind of weight. 

Exercise Three

You can have the biggest muscles of all, but unless you learn to punch through the target rather than at it, you won’t be a powerful boxer. This is where the heavy bag really comes in handy in terms of a boxing workout routine because you’ll be able to effectively practice hitting deeper and harder every time you workout. There is no specific technique for this, it’s a mindset more than anything else. 

Supplementing Punching Bag Exercises

The heavy bag, though an integral part of any boxing routine, is not the be-all and end-all of boxing practice. You need to supplement your boxing bag routine with plenty of cardio (think exercise bikes, skipping ropes and treadmills), as well as strength exercises using things like medicine balls and barbells. We have a range of equipment that can be used to build a comprehensive boxing gym workout at all levels. If you’d like more information on any of our equipment, or if you’d like advice on our equipment and how best to use it to your advantage, please contact us and we will be happy to help.