The heavy bag is a staple in any MMA or boxing gym. Whether you are new to the sport, or more experienced, a question that often comes up is, can I hit the heavy bag every day? The simple answer is yes, you can hit the heavy bag every day. The better question to ask however, is, should you hit the heavy bag every day? I am here to help you find the answer.
Even though the heavy bag can be used for a wide range of uses, the main purpose is to build strength and power in your punches. As a general recommendation, it is not a good idea to train one body part/area for strength and power every day. Therefore, I do not recommend hitting the heavy bag consistently every day.
Whether you are hoping to improve your skills or want to avoid injuries, hitting the heavy bag every day is not ideal. I am going to give you 2 main reasons you do not want to be hitting the heavy bag every day.
1. Avoiding Injuries…
One of the most frustrating setbacks as an athlete or hobbyist boxer is having an injury that won’t let you train in the sport that you love. Hitting the heavy bag can cause a lot of impact on the body and cause subsequent stress to the joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. The most commonly injured site while training for boxing are the hand, wrist, and shoulder, all of which take a fair amount of stress while hitting the heavy bag. Now as long as that doesn’t go above what those tissues can tolerate, this can be a very good thing as it will allow the body to adapt and become stronger.
Muscles compared to tendons and ligaments tend to have much better blood flow and as a result generally adapt more quickly to stress than ligaments or tendons. Often, as you begin to workout you will quickly begin to feel stronger, and will want to continue to train. However, if appropriate rest is not incorporated into your training, your muscles can begin outpace the strength of your tendons and ligaments, especially with high impact or high velocity activities like boxing. This is even more important if you are newer to the sport and/or you have taken a long time off and your body hasn’t had the time to adapt to the training. If you are interested in avoiding injuries I wrote an article that gives an overview of the 5 pillars of injury prevention.
One of the major risk factors for an injury is having a large spike or increase in activity. This is especially true for people that have been previously sedentary or have taking a long break from training. So if you are planning to start a new work out, listen to your body and pace yourself- you do not want an injury, right when you are starting.
2. Missing Out On Performance
The heavy bag is an amazing tool. It can help build strength and power in your punches, help with balance, fitness, and coordination. However, it does have some limitations as well if not used appropriately.
- Without a watchful eye helping you, it can incentivize throwing pushing or slapping punches because the bag moves a lot or makes a cool sound. Possibly leading you to developing bad habits while punching.
- You can get comfortable throwing punches without solid defense because no one is punching back. This can lead to poor defensive habits while boxing that will show up while sparring.
Ultimately having a coach there with you frequently can help to avoid these mistakes but it is something to be aware of if hitting the heavy bag is a main focus of your training.
There are so many parts to a well rounded boxing program. Including, but not limited to, mitt work, heavy bag, double end bag, speed bag, foot work drills, partner drill, and sparring. Ultimately, our body only has so much energy to adapt and improve in a given day. If you were to perform a heavy bag workout every day most likely you will be missing out on one or more of the above things that could or should be in your program that will help you become a better all around boxer.
Part of the training process is stressing your body then allowing it to adapt to above its previous level. If you were to hit the heavy bag every day you may not be giving your body that adequate time to recuperate and adapt that will allow you to progress as quickly as possible.
Before you begin a heavy bag workout…
- Ensure you have good equipment. Hand wraps and gloves are a must. Use a light to moderately heavy bag
- Make sure that the session has the main focus of improving your technique and do not let your technique falter with fatigue (sound defense, proper punching mechanics, good footwork and balance)
- Make sure you are hydrated and properly fueled for the workout
- Make sure you are pain-free with all punching and boxing activities.
- Perform a proper warm-up
Good starting point for a heavy bag workout
If you are relatively new to boxing I recommend starting out hitting the heavy bag 2-3 times per week for 20-30 minute sessions with you hitting the bag with light to moderate intensity for most of the workout. I think it is good to spend 5-10 minutes just focus on improving your individual punches, followed by 5×3 minute rounds of putting everything together with 1 minute rest between rounds.
Finally
The heavy bag a classic training tool that is a staple in any boxing or MMA gym. However, it might not be best to hit the heavy bag every day, especially at high intensities, to avoid injuries and also allow for other training modalities. Instead, incorporating the heavy bag into a well rounded boxing program is the best bet to improve your boxing and avoid injury that will let you continue to improve for the long run.