The Management Consulting Group

I wish I had a dollar for every person who asked
me how to improve his or her self-defense skills
and fight-related fitness. They want something
they can do at home, by themselves and on a
consistent basis.

These people range from dedicated martial
artists, to seminar candidates, to people just looking for
a fun and functional way to tone up their body
and build their confidence. One of the best solutions
I have to offer is heavy bag training.

A heavy bag is a stuffed bag weighing 40 to 100
lbs. It is suspended from the ceiling so it can
be punched and kicked.

Properly conducted, heavy bag training can
improve your self-defense ability, your health, fitness
and sense of well being. However, if done improperly
it can be counter productive and injurious. The
goalof this article is to tell you how to use the
heavy bag as a safe, effective training tool and how to
avoid dangers and pitfalls of training improperly.

BENEFITS OF HEAVY BAG TRAINING

Self-defense Qualities

Obviously, hitting a heavy bag is nothing like a
real fight. However, it does develop fight-
related qualities that are indispensable in
personal combat. It can hone your strikes and
kicks into devastating self-defense weapons.

The strikes and kicks most applicable to hitting
the heavy bag are classified as “gross motor
skills.” Gross motor skills are simple, large
muscle actions that don’t deteriorate under
stress. In fact, the jolt of adrenaline from the
fear or anger, likely to accompany a combative
situation, will enhance your performance.

Impact training contributes to a healthy “Hit
Psychology.” I use this term to describe people’s
willingness to hit and be hit in order to protect
themselves. Believe it or not, many people are
reluctant to defend themselves. Those who lack
confidence in their ability to influence the
outcome of their situation, perform poorly under
stress.

Proper impact training (hitting bags, pads and
partners) builds striking competence and
confidence that increases the effectiveness of a physical
response.

“Blitz” training, which I’ll describe later in
this article, can build mental tenacity. A blitz
is an intense, rapid-fire barrage of strikes and
kicks intended to simulate the all out aggression
required during a confrontation.

If you are ever thrust into a situation where you
must fight for your life, you must do so with
every ounce of your being. In a situation like
this, your greatest enemy is your desire to give
up. “Blitz” training builds both physical and
mental stamina and the tenacity to keep gong
until you succeed.

Note: Blitz training should not be incorporated
unless you are in good health, have developed a
solid conditioning base and have good
striking/kicking mechanics. To do so without the
preliminary groundwork is inviting injury.

FITNESS BENEFITS OF HEAVY BAG TRAINING

A good heavy bag program strengthens your
cardiovascular system, tones and strengthens your
muscles, burns fat, increases bone density and
connective tissue resilience. Not only can you
get into great shape, but you can develop
functional self-defense qualities at the same
time.

By repeatedly striking and kicking the bag, you
activate all of the major muscles groups in your
body. The arms, shoulders, waist, and leg muscles
must be coordinated and conditioned.

This training also builds athletic qualities such
as speed, power, balance, timing, and
coordination.

STRESS MANAGEMENT BENEFITS OF HEAVY BAG TRAINING

Evolution has wired our brains and our bodies
for survival. At the first detection of danger,
the “fight or flight response” kicks in. A host
of physiological changes occur intended to
prepare us to fight aggressively or run like the
wind.

In a survival situation this is a good thing.
However, in modern society, this same response
can be activated over and over in situations that
don’t merit a simple solution like fighting or
running away. A hectic day of deadlines, traffic
jams, frustrations, and personal conflicts fires
off the fight or flight response and pollutes our
body with the toxic byproducts of stress.

Physical action is required to flush this “fight
or flight residue” out of our bodies before it
compromises our health and immune system.
Vigorous exercise, such as heavy bag training,
simulates the exertion needed to burn off this
residue and return the mind and body to a
healthier state. That’s why bag work is an
excellent way to manage stress. It satisfies the
body’s inherent need to fight.

HEAVY BAG WORK IS FUN!

The final benefit is that heavy bag training is
fun! Crank up the stereo, imagine the bag was
your worst enemy (if you have one) and blast
away. You’ll be dripping with sweat, huffing and
puffing and feeling rejuvenated in no time!

**** HEAVY BAG PRECAUTIONS ****

Any form of exercise, if taken to extremes, can
be counterproductive and risky. Heavy bag
training is intended to build you up, make you
strong, fit and healthy. Improperly done, it can
produce the opposite results.

People who run too much get shin splints and bad
knees. Impatient weight lifters strain muscles
and damage joints. That doesn’t make those
activities bad. Over zealous exercise can be
worse than none at all. Bag work is no different.
If you train moderately, execute your techniques
with proper form and apply some common sense, you
can maximize these benefits and minimize the
dangers.

AVOIDING TRAINING-RELATED INJURIES

There are two types of athletic injuries
associated with physical activity: chronic and
acute. Chronic injuries develop and last over an
extended period. Training improperly, too
intensely, or too often causes them. When your
body is stressed through exercise, it must be
given time to recover and rebuild itself in order
to become more efficient.

When you train too hard, or rest insufficiently
between workouts, you will develop overtraining
injuries. People don’t realize that muscles adapt
faster than the connective structures that
support them.

Your speed and power development can quickly
surpass the resilience of your bones, tendons,
ligaments and joints. That translates to torn
muscles, chronic joint pain, and even permanent
injuries that defeat the purpose of training
in the first place!

Acute injuries, like a twisted ankle, a sprained
wrist or a broken bone, happen suddenly. These
injuries can be minimized with good equipment,
proper form and common sense. ALWAYS emphasize
technique ahead of speed and power.

In fact, there is no need to pound on the heavy
bag as hard as you can. Focus on proper body
mechanics and the speed and power will take care
of themselves. Start slowly and let your speed
and power build gradually. Allow your body time
to adapt and become more resilient.

AVOIDING BAD HEAVY BAG HABITS

I’ve seen it a million times. When you put
something in front of someone to hit, his or her
picture-perfect striking skills go out the
window. Punches are drawn back like the wind up
of a big league pitcher. Feet come off the floor.
Body parts are contorted. Grunts and farts erupt
as the striker’s face contorts beyond
recognition. He hurls himself in the general
vicinity of the target, trying to give it
everything he’s got. He usually misses! Not a
very practical skill, is it?

HERE ARE SOME “BAD BAG HABITS” TO AVOID:

* * Exaggerating your movements in an attempt

to hit harder * *

Always concentrate on “clean” and proper body
mechanics when training. Don’t think that sloppy
movements allow you to hit harder. It only
increases injuries and develops striking skills
that you couldn’t land if your life depended on
it. When you focus exclusively on hitting hard,
you forget everything else. Hit properly and the
power will take care of itself.

* * Telegraphing your techniques * *

Telegraphing a punch or kick means giving
obvious preparatory signals prior to throwing it.
An example is cocking your fist back before
throwing a punch. Because the heavy bag in an
inanimate mass, it’s easy to forget the
importance of being able to hit your opponent
without signaling your intentions.

* * Not protecting yourself at all times * *

To paraphrase the late Bruce Lee, “Bags don’t
hit back!” The heavy bag is a big, unresponsive
target. Because of this, it’s possible to develop
bad habits that can carry over to sparring or
fighting. Keep your hands up and protect yourself
at all times. Move into range, hit the bag and
then move out again. Imagine the bag is a living,
breathing opponent attempting to hit you.

* * Pushing instead of hitting the Bag * *

A common mistake when hitting the bag is to
follow through too deeply and push, rather than
hit, it. A punch or kick accelerates from the
time you initiate it until it’s fully extended.
The further a limb moves, the faster and the more
powerful it will be. Strike the bag at a point
near full extension. Penetrate the bag no more
than a few inches beyond it’s surface and try to
generate a clean “popping” sound on impact. Take
care however, never to lock out or hyper extend
your joints on impact or if you miss the bag.

* * Holding your breath * *

When people exert themselves, they tend to hold
their breath. This is a bad habit. First of all
it reduces your endurance by starving your body
of oxygen when it needs it most. Secondly, you
increase thoracic pressure and can injure
yourself. (”blow a nut” in layman’s terms) Exhale
as you strike or kick. This prevents breath
holding and enhances power by tensing the muscles
of your torso.

DESIGNING A HEAVY BAG ROUTINE

It’s difficult to teach physical skills in an
article. Obviously, your best bet to establish a
good training program is to seek the guidance of
a qualified coach or instructor. However, many of
you reading this article are martial art students
or have taken self-defense training before.

If this is the case, you probably have the basic
striking skills you need to workout on a heavy
bag. If you haven’t hit a heavy bag before, take
your time and use your head (to think, not to hit
the bag with!). Start gradually and figure it
out. It’s not brain surgery! Here are some
suggestions to designing a heavy bag routine.

* * Always warm up and cool down. * *

Warming up improves performance and reduces
injuries and post-exercise muscle soreness.
Before exercising intensely, you should always
work up a light sweat and engage in some basic
limbering exercises to increase blood flow, your
range of motion and to lubricate your joints.
Jumping rope, running in place and shadow boxing
for 10 to 15 minutes are excellent ways to begin
a workout. (Note: don’t do extensive stretching
during the warm up. It can compromise joint
stability and make you more susceptible to
injury. Leave vigorous stretching until the end
of your workout)

Cooling down at the end of your workout
gradually returns your system (breathing, heart
rate, etc.) to a resting state. Never finish an
intense workout and then just plunk down on the
couch. The cool down is a time to work on your
flexibility with stretching exercises.

STRUCTURING YOUR WORKOUT

Basic Punches and Kicks conducive to heavy bag
training include:

=> Lead punch (jab)
=> Cross (reverse punch)
=> Hook punch
=> Uppercut
=> Forearm/elbow strikes
=> Round house kick
=> Front kick
=> Back kick
=> Knee strike

REP-BASED TRAINING: Identify the basic strikes,
kicks and combinations you want to train. Perform
sets and reps of each. For example, execute two
sets of 20 lead punches, three sets of 20
roundhouse kicks, etc. Rest long enough between
sets to catch your breath and move on to the next
set.

TIME-BASED TRAINING: Another excellent way to
train is to work for a time limit or set number
of rounds. For example, execute either random
strikes and kicks or pre-determined combinations
continuously for 2 to 3 minute rounds with 1-
minute rest period in between.

CIRCUIT TRAINING: If you are already in good
shape, consider alternating your bag work with
other exercises to form a circuit. However, don’t
alternate with weight lifting exercises because
the muscle fatigue will make you more susceptible
to injury. Here is an example. Alternate 3-5
minutes of jumping rope with 3-5 minutes of bag
work. Complete as many cycles as you need to get
a good workout.

BLITZ TRAINING: Blitz training should be
reserved for those who have establish a high
level of fitness and proper striking and kicking
mechanics. This training involves intense, rapid-
fire barrages of strikes and kicks for a time
limit (15 to 30 seconds) or a rep goal (20 to 30
repetitions of a combination). This training is
as mental as it is physical.

There are significant benefits to this
“stop/start” or interval-based training. You
exert yourself for a brief, intense period,
recover, and then exert yourself again. This
training improves your ability to recover
quickly, increases the efficiency of your
muscular and anaerobic energy systems and
elevates your metabolism (burning body fat) for
several hours after your workout.

FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY

Heavy bag training, like other forms of
exercises, stresses the body. Training too
intensely can surpass the body’s (joints,
tendons, ligaments, muscles, nervous system)
ability to recover. I recommend that heavy bag
training be limited to 2 or 3 times per week. The
more intensely you train, the more time off you
should take between workouts. It is a good idea
to alternate intense workouts with easier ones.

In terms of intensity, keep in mind that your
tendons and connective tissues need more time to
develop than your muscles. Therefore, the speed
and power for your strikes and kicks can increase
disproportionately to the development of those
structures. Start your training moderately with
light to medium power hits and concentrate on
proper body mechanics. There is little benefit to
continuously pounding the bag as hard as you can.

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

First and foremost, you need a heavy bag and a
place to hang it. Usually, the main beam in your
basement will do nicely. Just screw in a heavy-
duty eyehook that will support the weight of the
bag. Some people buy or build a metal bracket
that can be anchored into a wall to hang the bag
from.

Heavy bags are made of canvass, vinyl, leather,
etc. They range in size and weight from 40 to 100
lbs. The size and style you buy is a matter of
personal preference and how much you are willing
to spend. A decent heavy bag will run you around
$100.

You will need to protect your hands with a good
pair of boxing or bag gloves. Don’t skimp here.
Buy the best you can afford. I compare cheap
gloves with jogging in inadequate running shoes.
It’s not worth it to save a few bucks and end up
injured. I prefer a sturdy pair of 16-ounce
boxing gloves for bag work. The additional
padding not only protects your hands but reduces
the trauma to wrist, elbow and shoulder joints.
Bag gloves have less padding and therefore are
harder on your hands and joints.

Many people wrap their hands for added
protection with the cotton wraps that boxers use.
Others feel that if you need to wrap your hands
you are probably hitting too hard. Remember that
the leading injury sustained in a street fight is
broken hands! It is better to punch smart and
accurately than just hard. I don’t wrap my hands
when I do bag work.

CONCLUSION

I wrote this article because of enquires I’ve
had over the years about self-directed training
and how to hit the heavy bag. Bag work is one of
my favorite training activities. If you are
looking for an excellent, total body workout that
will not only condition your body but also
enhance your ability to protect it, give heavy
bag training a try. Just take your time, use your
common sense and have fun!

Randy LaHaie

www.ProtectiveStrategies.com

Randy LaHaie is the president of Protective Strategies and has been teaching reality-based
self-defense for over 30 years. He is the author
of several “Toughen Up Combative Training Guides”
(http://www.ToughenUp.com)

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