The speed bag is a fun and unique way to build strength and stamina routines into your workouts. Whether you are using it as part of boxing training routine or are looking for a new exercise to try, mastering the speed bag will provide a great upper body workout.
Start with these best beginner routines to build your endurance. After you master the basics, you can build on them to create more complex routines that will provide a comprehensive workout.
These are the some of my favorite speed bag workouts to help with your boxing or to just improve your overall health and fitness.
#1: Warm-Up Drills
Warm-up drills are useful for beginners learning to become comfortable with basic techniques. If you have advanced to more technical speed bag workouts, drills will help refresh the fundamentals of the exercise to build on them later in our workout.
Start by alternating curl punches, also known as circle punches, and straight punches. Completing ten minutes of warm-up drills will help build endurance for the rest of your workout. When you are starting, it is best only to use the heel of your hand. Be sure to keep unused hands up by your face throughout the drill or routine.
#2: Drills for Beginners
If you are thinking of buying a speed bag and starting speed bag workouts for power and endurance, you can get a feel for the routine by boxing a flexible ruler taped to a door opening. This video shows you how a ruler can give your muscles the same workout for less before deciding if a speed bag is a good investment for you.
To build your endurance, start with beginner drills for three minutes each time, resting for 30 seconds, up to one minute, between drills. Shifting your weight from your left to right side, depending on which arm you are hitting with, helps to keep you more stable and focused. While speed bags are meant for quick coordination, try to maintain speed while keeping the bag under control for these beginner workouts.
#3: Stance and Placement
It is essential to stand square with the speed bag before you begin your workout. Many beginners will automatically choose a boxing stance with their dominant foot closer to the bag. The appropriate stance has your feet square with the bag to maintain balance and coordination.
Another way to maintain coordination is to hit the speed bag at the center of the bag. Once you hit it, the speed bag should hit the back and front of the board before you hit again. Some beginners make the mistake of thinking the speed bag should not hit the front part of the board at all, while others may let the bag bounce around too much and lose control. Understanding the rhythm of the speed bag will help improve your speed bag workouts.
#4: Finding the Three-Count Rhythm
Even those who have an advanced understanding of the speed bag base a lot of their workout routines on the three-count rhythm. Letting the bag go back and forth one and a half times allows you to maintain control of your body and the bag while still getting a powerful workout.
Understanding the fundamentals of speed bag rhythm will help you as you try to incorporate other moves or begin to hit it at a faster pace. Regardless of how fast you go, the bag should hit the base at a three count.
#5: Alternative Ways to Hit the Speed Bag
If you are practicing speed bag workouts to build up to sparring and opponent boxing, it is essential to practice other punches and movements that may come more naturally when faced with an opponent. Most fighters tend to punch with their knuckles instead of the heel of their hand, so incorporating these types of punches into your speed bag routine will help prepare you for boxing with a partner.
Once you understand how to hit straight on, you can incorporate your elbows and other rhythms to build different shoulder and back muscles and enhance your coordination.
#6: Advanced Speed Bag Skills
Once you have mastered the basics of speed bag workouts, you can start to speed up your routine and integrate various technical moves to help you during an opponent boxing match.
Professional boxers and those who have advanced training with the speed bag incorporate elbow hits, twists, and ducks into their routine to keep their hand-eye skills sharp. Listening and paying attention to the speed bag’s rhythm is especially important when you are trying more advanced moves and workouts.
#7: Building Your Routine
Once you have mastered the basic drills, you can build on them to develop a routine that works for you. This man has a mastery understanding of the speed bag. He integrates punches with the inside and outside of his hands and elbows. He also builds on the basics of hitting the bag on its way to the front of the base.
Creating your own routine will not only impress your friends, but it will also help you work on the areas that are most important to you.
What Is a Speed Bag and Why Should You Use One?
The speed bag is a small punching bag that you can incorporate into your fitness routine or boxing training. The speed bag hangs from the ceiling from a short chain or cord and can only move forward and backward.
Unlike large, heavy punching bags built for hard punches and kicks, speed bags are made to improve coordination and focus. The speed bag is an excellent workout for your shoulders, so you will also build upper body strength and endurance with regular speed bag workouts.
Speed bags come in several sizes. Beginners should use a wider speed bag because they bounce off the base slower than the narrow speed bags. Starting with a wide bag will help you learn the rhythm of the workout before moving to more advanced options.
Benefits of Speed Bag Workouts
Whether you are a boxer or are just looking to stay fit, speed bag workouts are an asset to your upper body strength and coordination training. Here are the top benefits of working out with a speed bag.
Learn Correct Stance and Form
It is sometimes challenging to maintain proper form when you are in a one-on-one combat situation. Training with the speed bag helps you remember to maintain your form and keep your hands up when throwing punches.
Keeping your hands up helps protect your face and chest when sparring or fighting an opponent. This critical skill is sometimes easier to master when first practicing on your own.
Reduce Stress
While it may not be the most obvious benefit, speed bag workouts can help to alleviate stress. Many people like to hit punching bags to blow off some steam, so a few speed bag routines may work to calm you down.
In general, workouts help to release endorphins and the chemical dopamine. Dopamine enables you to feel happy and at ease. Regular exercise also releases serotonin, which improves your sleep and mood.
Build Muscle and Lose Weight
Regular speed bag workouts are a great way to build your shoulder muscles and get that V-shape in men. Women will also benefit from the toned shoulder and arm muscles you get when working out with a speed bag. Once you are comfortable exercising with the speed bag, you can also engage your core and shift weight on your legs for a full-body toning workout.
Speed bag workouts also burn many calories and are an easy way to burn fat and lose weight.
Train From Home
Speed bags are small and relatively inexpensive, so you do not need a lot of money or space to keep your own in your house or apartment. Speed bags are typically mounted to a ceiling, so you do not need any floor space beyond where you plan to stand and hit.
Being able to train from home allows you to freshen up your skills when you may not be able to make it to the gym. Depending on how you install it, speed bags are also more portable than other types of gym equipment.
Improve Combat Skills
Many speed bag workouts require you to wait for the bag to bounce back toward your face before hitting them again. Speed bag workouts train you to keep your eyes open when objects are coming toward you. This training will help in a sparring or opponent situation.
Boxing the speed bag will also improve your reaction time, which will help you maneuver more quickly in a real fight. You will also build to be able to throw faster punches, which benefit your reflexes, coordination, and sparring abilities.
Make the Most of Your Speed Bag Workouts
The speed bag is a versatile workout tool that helps build upper body strength and endurance when boxing or working out. Whether you use it as part of your boxing training or as a general workout to stay fit, the speed bag is a relatively inexpensive workout tool that is also found at most gyms.
Gain an understanding of the fundamentals of speed bag workouts with some basic routines. These routines will help you build power and endurance to try more challenging exercises as you become more advanced.