- 1). Circle the bag as you punch. Consistently standing in one spot will do nothing for your lateral movement and conditioning. Punching bag routines are much more effective if you treat the bag as an opponent. Keep your hands up and move around the bag after punches. Duck and weave as if you were defending yourself from your opponent. It is important to adjust your punches and kicks to the swinging motion of the bag, as if you were attempting to hit a moving person.
- 2). Focus on proper form. A punching bag training routine develops proper striking form. As you hit the bag, focus on shifting your weight and your strike and springing back to a defensive stance. After you master a specific punch or kick, incorporate combinations into the routine to strengthen your core and improve your balance.
- 3). Throw frequent jabs as you train. The jab is the quickest offensive strike, as well as an effective defensive counter-punch. A good jab allows you to keep your opponent at a distance and set up offensive strikes. Throw a jab from different angles and positions. This will train your muscles to be comfortable with snapping a quick strike at any moment. A popular drill involves throwing as many jabs a possible for one minute as you circle the punching bag.
- 4). Hit the bag with aggression and force. The heavy bag is idle for building striking strength and endurance. It is vital that you punch as hard as possible to develop your muscles and emulate an actual fighting scenario. For speed training, incorporate a speed bag to complement your heavy bag training routine.
- 5). Strike the center of the bag to train body punching. Many fighters neglect body strikes and focus their training on face attacks. Punching bag training provides you with an opportunity to develop your body strikes. Stand at close proximity to the bag and unleash powerful body shots onto the heavy bag. Focus on proper form and power. As you progress, connect hooks and uppercuts to develop combinations.
- 6). Hit the punching bag as it lays on the floor to develop stamina and shoulder strength. Lay the punching bag on the floor and sit on top of it. Unleash a flurry of punches and continue until your arms are completely fatigued. This will improve conditioning and develop shoulder strength. Punch with aggression, as the additional adrenaline will allow you to perform the drill longer.
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