High intensity interval training can be applied to a heavy bag punching workout, and this is very effective for burning fat.
I’m a personal trainer with a martial arts background. Plus, I’ve taken many “cardio kickboxing” classes at the health club, so I'm very familiar with the effectiveness of punching or heavy bag workouts.
For a high intensity interval training workout using a heavy bag, three punches come to mind: uppercut, cross and hook. These kind of punches can be slammed full-force into the heavy bag.
You can learn these techniques by attending a cardio kickboxing class or a shadow boxing class at your local health club.
If you don’t belong to a health club, there are videos of proper techniques. You absolutely must learn proper punching techniques to bring on an effective punching bag workout employing high intensity interval training.
Very short, highly intense bouts of punching, alternating with moderate or light lower body activity, will burn more calories over the duration of the workout, than will a more sustained, even-paced session of striking. HIIT also produces the amazing “after-burn” that will strip off body fat.
Drive your hardest punches into the bag for about 30 seconds, then for 1-3 minutes, do one of the following: jog in place; jog around room; jumping jacks; march in place; lunge or squat in place; lunge-walk about room; step up and down on a stepper; walk briskly around the gym’s track if it’s nearby; walk up and down a nearby staircase.
Another variation is to throw a rapid, hard 1-2 punch, then immediately follow up with a single or double kick if you’re trained in kicking. A single kick could be a roundhouse or frontkick, and a double kick could be a low and high roundhouse, or a roundhouse followed by a frontkick.
Another option is after the 1-2 throw (which can be a left-right cross; cross-hook or uppercut-hook, e.g.), do a knee tuck jump. Then immediately repeat the 1-2 sequence and again the knee tuck jump. Keep doing this for 30 seconds, then take your 1-3 minute active rest.
If the high intensity punching segments become too draining, then switch your active rest to a passive rest, such as: casually walking about, light marching in place, toe raises, windmills, ab work, etc.). Another option is to take longer active rests.
The point of high intensity interval training, including using a punching bag, is to go all-out on the intensity intervals. If this requires longer rests, then take the longer rests.
Comments