How do punching bag workouts strengthen your core?
The punching bag is one of the essential exercise tools that improve the fitness level & overall health. Hitting the punching bag requires way more physical exertion & tests the strength & stamina. For many people, it’s a form of whole-body engagement that helps in burning calories besides strengthening the core muscle groups. Boxers need to have strengthened and well-defined abdominal muscles. Heavy bag workout is usually involved in the boxer’s training. It’s an amazing tool that develops strength & stamina. Heavy bags are typically for practice punching with boxing gloves on but have different uses as well. It’s possible to get defined abs by doing heavy bag workouts.
One of the common misconceptions regarding heavy bag workouts, people take it like a rash punching drill, which isn’t entirely true. Heavy bag training requires you to develop correct boxing techniques as well as punching power. The punching bag was primarily designed with keeping the power-punching in mind. Speed used to be a small part of boxing training. The prime purpose of heavy bag workouts is gaining strength & learning to punch in the harder way. Heavy bag workouts are also very effective for building cardio, speed & developing solid footwork. Punching bag workouts are high-intensity, energy, whole-body exercises that actively engage your core.
Benefits of heavy bag punching workouts:
Heavy-bag exercises have various health benefits:
- These heavy bag workouts enhance your aerobic fitness, coordination, core stability, stamina, power & endurance
- Improve your upper-body strength & strengthen bones & ligaments
- Doing heaving drills enhances the boxing skills
- Punching bag drills increase your self-defense skills while reducing the symptoms of anxiety & stress
- Boost your self-esteem, confidence & body image
- Help with controlling and losing weight and muscle toning.
Irrespective of the fact that every heavy bag workout you do, make sure you keep yourself hydrated & get an adequate amount of sleep.
Heavy bags workout keeps the core actively engaged. Doing strikes like punches, jabs & hooks, in the boxing stance by keeping your legs shoulder-distance apart, and your knees bent slightly & the fists raised to the chin height. The Jabs should be done by throwing straight punches, while the hooks incorporate rotation of your body following through your punches. Different techniques work on the abs including punches on your upward movement, punching by the top stance for the push-up & standing on your one leg while you are throwing powerful punches.
Punching bag workouts strengthen your core
Rocky Sit-Up
This workout is named after a classic boxing film, released as “Rocky.” It’s a classic boxing movie, so is the exercise. For doing this workout start by laying down on the ground in the sit-up form. Make sure you keep the knees in a line with the bottom of the heavy punching bag with the legs at either side of the punching bag. Perform a sit-up. At the top of this rep, reach up & across the heavy punching bag while hitting the bag’s side. Make sure that you’ve reached the other side of your body while crossing your chest. Hit each of the bag sides in your boxing shorts, after that go down. Keep in mind that you will hit the bag with your palms. If you hit the bag without wearing gloves it will hurt so make sure you use a quality one. For doing this exercise up to the notch, use punching gloves.
Heavy Bag Crunch
This workout adds some resistance to the crunches, offering you stronger, strengthened & defined abs muscles. Start this workout by laying down under a heavy bag. Make sure the bottom of this bag hovers over the stomach. Then put both of your hands firmly on the bag & plant both of your heels onto the floor. Hold onto your heavy bag, then crunch the shoulders, head & neck of your training mat. Then slowly push the heavy bag forward by using your abdominal muscles, then the arms. After you are done pushing the lean backward till you are lying flat on your back.
Heavy Bag Dead Bug
This workout is a combination of leg raise & crunch work of the abdominal muscles starting from top to the bottom. Start this workout by lying down in front of a heavy bag. Put both of the legs around the punching bag & squeeze it. Make sure your back stays flat on the mat & arms are pointed straight up towards the ceiling.
After that, start pulling the heavy bag close to the back towards your head using both of the legs. At the same time, do a crunch with your head, use your neck & shoulders off your mat & reach the arms towards your bag. Once you’ve touched the punching bag by using both of your hands, release the heavy bag slowly to the original position by using both of your legs while lowering the shoulders till the back goes flat on the floor.
Heavy Bag High Knees
For doing this workout, you will have to be a little more explosive. If you are fast enough the workout will double the ab exercise & cardio effects. Keep in mind to perform 15 seconds by using your right leg. For doing this workout, stand at the front side of your heavy bag, grab it by the top by using both of your hands. Then stand by using your right foot at your back. Then pull down on your heavy bag with both of your arms & at the same time, then raise the right knee & tap at your right side to keep the heavy bag as high as you can. While you try to bring up the knee, consider driving the right elbow down. This exercise will target your obliques.
Heavy Bag Rotation
Rotational workouts like these target your obliques, abdominal muscles at the side of the torso. Start doing this workout by standing at the front side of your heavy bag with both of your feet opened slightly wider than the shoulder distance. Grab your bag firmly by using both of the hands & tuck the elbows closer to your ribs. Slowly & in a controlled manner, start pushing the bag towards your right side.
While rotating, keep both of your elbows tucked against the ribs & the feet at the place. Then push your bag to your right side. Once you’ve reached the middle, at the starting position. Move your bag towards the left.
