Does The Heavy Bag Help Lose Weight
The heavy bag isn’t just for boxers. It’s used by all athletes and is especially good for anyone hoping to trim their waist. In fact, it’s better than ‘good.’ When used appropriately, it exponentially accelerates your weight loss journey. Here’s how:
Due to the explosive power and driving force used to strike a punching/ heavy bag, lots of energy is exerted over a short period. From this muscle demand, you burn many calories, which reduces fat stores. So, if you’re consistently punching the bag, you’ll quickly notice your weight loss.
There are three main reasons why punching the bag burns so many calories:
- Punching is a compound movement, so multiple muscle groups contract simultaneously. As a result, there is greater body demand, which is fueled by burning more calories.
- Striking involves you to repeatedly generate as much force as you physically can, which, in turn, requires an abundance of calories to sustain.
- You may prefer hitting the bag fast and light, rather than slow and hard. Even in this case, your fast-twitch muscle fibers are constantly activated by hitting the bag – burning through significant calories.
It’s also worth mentioning that you’re quick to sweat from the heavy bag due to the intensity. So as well as the fat burning, you shed lots of water weight. Quick. In this sense, you’ll lose weight – albeit you’ll put it back on after rehydrating.
What Are The Best Heavy Bag Exercises To Burn Fat
In all fitness realms, calories are burned most effectively through bursts of high-intense exercises. This is because it activates anaerobic respiration, which is far quicker to burn fat stores than steady, low-intensity exercises.
In the world of boxing, this translates to fast and/ or hard punches. Sticking with these ensures you stay within this anaerobic threshold for as long as you can.
You’ll recognize you’re working at an appropriate intensity when you feel a build-up of lactic acid and start to perspire.
Avoid hitting the bag slowly and softly. While you improve muscular and cardiovascular endurance, losing pounds takes a lot longer as less energy is used per session.
So, you know to hit hard and fast; but, what are some practical examples? Glad you asked.
The 1-minute circuit
- 30 seconds of hitting the bag with low power but maximum speed.
- Follow this by hitting the bag with full power but slowly for 20 seconds.
- Use the rest of your 10 seconds for rest.
We recommend repeating this 3 times. You can extend the rest period if necessary, but avoid slacking on your punches.
We aren’t starting easy with this one! This is definitely one of the most intense workouts on the list. It’s normal to feel out of breath quickly with this workout – just make sure you listen to your body and push through!
The Sparring Bag
- 1 minute of straight punches only – jabs, right cross (or left for a southpaw), and overhands.
- 30 seconds rest.
- 1 minute of rounded punches only – right hook, left hook, and upper cuts.
- 30 seconds rest.
Once again, aim to repeat this circuit 3 times.
In terms of intensity, aim between 75-90% of your maximum. It’s up to you to prioritize speed, power, or even both, but ensure you give it your all each minute!
The Left Hand, Right Hand
- Hit the bag with only your left hand for 30 seconds.
- Hit the bag with only your right hand for 30 seconds.
As we’re sure you’ve noticed, no rest is involved with this workout. The logic is you rest one arm when striking with the other. Because of this, we advise repeating this until failure.
During ‘the left hand, right hand’ hit the heavy bag with single, hard-hitting punches. While you can combine 2 or 3 shots, it’s difficult to follow it up with a chain of strikes only using one arm. In this workout, it’s far better to pick your shot and strike.
The Heavy Bag Speed Play (Fartlek)
- Use a stopwatch that makes an alarm go off at random periods.
- Start hitting the bag, but you must maximize the intensity whenever you hear the alarm.
- Return to a steady pace after you hear the alarm a second time.
Each workout will be different from the last, so we can’t put a time on rest periods or repetitions. Instead, let the stopwatch run for as long as you can manage, at which point, take a rest.
We recommend hitting the bag at 35% of your capacity during the steady-pace interval and going the full 100% as soon as the alarm rings.
Circuit Training
- Set up a circuit. Begin with 30 seconds of going all out on the heavy bag.
- Take the gloves off as quickly as possible and perform 10 burpees.
- Follow this with a minute of jumping rope.
Perform this circuit 3 times, with a 45-second break in between each loop. Ensure your equipment is prepared locally to avoid dropping intensity.
Combining the heavy bag into a circuit is an effective way to shed off fat. It’s up to you which exercises to incorporate into the course; we just picked burpees and skipping; however, ensure they’re intense and explosive.
How Many Calories Does A Heavy Bag Session Burn
So, how valuable is the heavy bag in burning calories? Well, let’s look at some numbers.
Over a 30-minute heavy bag session, you’ll burn anywhere between 210-450 calories. The heavier you are, the more mass you carry in each punch, so the more calories you burn. If you compare this to other weight-loss workouts, such as jogging or bodyweight exercises, you’ll find the heavy bag is one of the most efficient workouts in burning calories.
The exact number of calories burned depends on a few factors, such as:
- Fitness Level: Your age, weight, and body composition all contribute to how many calories you burn. The physically fitter you are, the less effort is required, so you burn less calories.
- Boxing Experience: If you’ve boxed before and have a sound technique – this could work against you. Pro boxers have near-perfected their techniques to minimize wasted energy. So beginners will burn more calories.
- Boxing-Specific Endurance: Many fighting sports have a specific endurance capacity. For example, despite the high fitness levels of marathon runners, they can struggle to keep up with the intensity of boxing. The more you hit the heavy bag, the greater boxing endurance you develop, so the fewer calories you’ll burn.
- Intensity: The more effort you put into the session, the more calories you will burn.
From the heavy bag alone, there will be a noticeable change to your body within 1-2 months of consecutive training, say a total of 8 hours a week. Depending on your current body shape, this ranges from a visible trimming of your waist to the development of abdominals.
This kindly takes us onto our next point…
What Does The Heavy Bag Do To Your Body
So, how will the punch bag change your body? We’re glad to advise, it’s only good! The extent to which it improves depends on your current body composition; nonetheless, you can expect the following.
A heavy bag workout tones your body by cutting body fat and increasing muscle definition. In addition, you can expect a tighter waist and a chiseled jaw. Think similar to an athlete’s build. With consistent training (and strict dieting), you can get your body fat percentage down to 15%.
You’ll especially see development in the core and forearms. The core, due to its constant tightening when striking, and the forearms, due to you clenching your fists in the glove.
Apart from the physical changes, you’ll notice you are a lot bouncier on your feet. This comes from the increased agility, endurance, and power advantages the heavy bag gives you.
FAQ’s about the heavy bag and your body:
Will you get a six-pack from the heavy bag alone?
Yes, with enough sessions and dieting, the heavy bag burns sufficient calories to reveal your abdominals and show your six-pack.
Does the heavy bag build muscle?
Yes, but not a lot. There isn’t enough tension or resistance to completely tear and repair muscle – like weight training – but you’ll feel stronger and tougher in your arms. Instead, there will be beginner gains but no noteworthy muscle mass gains afterward.
Can you punch the heavy bag daily?
Yes, but make sure to balance your workout with stretches. It’s also important to recognize when it’s too much; your body tells you when it’s exhausted. If you are hitting it every day, focus on your punching speed rather than power to prevent injury.
What Is The Best Boxing Bag For Weight Loss
The heavy bag is full of fun-shaped, specialized bags. Sometimes, it can be overwhelming to determine which one is best for you.
A standard hanging heavy bag is optimal if you want to lose weight. Ideally, you want it full of heavy padding so it has minimal movement with each punch. The traditional cylinder shape is preferred; however, a teardrop punching bag or similar can be used, too.
You want each burst to be as intense as possible. You achieve this better with heavier bags as they remain (relatively) stationary after each punch. As a result, you can maintain speed and power without constantly moving out of the way, rearranging its position, or waiting for it to stop swinging.
Avoid speed bags, free-standing bags, or light bags. While suitable for improving boxing technique, they move a lot, which can constrain your intensity.
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