In boxing or fist fighting, there are 3 pillars of defense you can use to keep yourself safe.  All the defensive moves boxers learn and practice fall into one of these three foundational parts of the sport or fighting system.

1 – Move your head

This is the easiest way to protect yourself in a fight.

No matter how good your opponent or attacker is, you can make him miss his punch by moving your head.  Your head should never remain in the same spot long enough for him to target you and get off a clean punch.  Especially if you’re a short guy or if you like to fight on the inside, good head movement is what makes the difference between getting hit or not.

Remember: it doesn’t matter how tired you are, you can always keep your head moving. Even if you’re up against the ropes, with wobbly legs, and so fatigued you can barely hold your hands up, you can still keep your head moving and make it to the end of the round.

2 – Block a punch

The word “Blocking” can be deceptive.  Lots of non-fighters think of blocking as the thing kids learn in Karate class where they go through a big, impressive ‘block’ against a punch that probably wouldn’t have landed anyway.  Although those techniques are called blocks, they really aren’t.  They’re really joint-locking techniques or breaking techniques.

Nevertheless, boxers and full-contact fighters do block.  They just don’t do it with as much fanfare as Karate guys.  Lots of guys ‘catch’ punches with the rear hand, or ‘deflect’ them with the front hand.  Even if you only alter the angle of the punch by an inch, it’s still an effective block.

Blocking is very useful in a boxing match where the fighters are wearing big gloves.  It’s less useful in a bare-knuckle fight.  Without gloves, it’s harder (but not impossible) to block a punch.  Blocks are still useful in street fights, but the techniques are somewhat different.

Keeping your hands up is the first and most important part of blocking a punch.  Some expert boxers fight with their lead hand down, but they’re still capable of blocking with the lead shoulder or with the rear hand.

3 – Defensive footwork

Footwork – or moving your feet (as opposed to moving your head) – is the experts’ way of making an opponent miss his punch.

With subtle adjustments of stance and footwork, an expert fighter can make his opponent punch air.  And when he hits back, he’s in range to land damaging counterpunches.

Pick one technique and work on it

So if you’re getting hit too much in sparring, make the decision to practice one of these three aspects of fighting defense.  Learn all you can about it and work on it until you feel like you’re surrounded by an impenetrable shield.

If you’re a big, tough guy, you might decide to get good at blocking punches.  If you’re small and agile, footwork might be your friend.  And no matter who you are, you have to learn how to move your head.

Have fun with your training and remember to always keep your chin down!

So you want a good heavy bag workout?  Here are our recommendations for beginners.  This workout plan is simple and to the point: it uses the heavy bag to give you the foundations for fighting fitness.

I’m starting with the assumption that you don’t know how to throw effective combinations on the punching bag.  If you know how to put punches together and incorporate defense into your offense, you don’t need this sort of step-by-step exercise plan.

However, if you are experienced with the heavy bag but think there’s something you’re missing, it is a good idea to take a step back and give this plan a shot.  Perhaps your skill set has holes that need to be filled.

A round-based plan

Don’t just hit the bag until you can’t hold your arms up anymore.  I want you to follow an interval training plan.

And guess what?  Boxing  already encourages interval-based workouts.  And so do other combat sports like MMA or Muay Thai. That’s right: the rounds used in fighting and training are timed intervals.

Interval training is superior because you work out at a higher level of intensity.  Straight-line workouts have no built-in recovery time, and you end up working out at a lower overall level of intensity.  This may seem counter-intuitive, but if you measure the work performed, interval training is more intense.

Most people have no plans to fight in an organized boxing or martial arts competition.  They just want fitness and casual self-defense training.  Nevertheless, these folks are better off using round-based interval training rather than a less-structured approach to working out.

And of course, if you think you might spar or fight in a gym, you need to train the way you plan to fight.  And that means using rounds.

I suggest you use 3-minute rounds and 1-minute rest periods between rounds.  Feel free to modify things if you fight or spar in an organized setting where they pick the round length for you.  Either way, keep the intensity level fairly high during rounds and train your recovery ability in the rest interval.

Basic punches on the heavy bag

The way to get good is to prioritize during your training sessions.  Going into things without a plan is futile.  You need to know what to do, and when to do it.  And I’m going to tell you how to go about it.

You’re going to devote one round to each punch.  To increase training and recovery, divide your techniques into two or three variations per round.

Start with one round each of the jab, straight right, left hook, and uppercuts.  This gives you a good, 15-minute workout.  As you get fitter, add rounds and increase the punch rate.

If you’re already in great shape and this workout is easy, add some calisthenics or GPP exercises during the one-minute ‘rest’ periods between rounds.  Or use your jump rope.

Do this sort of workout two or three times per week.  Bag work is hard on the body, so pace yourself and make sure to get your rest days.

Jabs

Jabs are important.  Practice your jabs on the heavy bag until it feels like the front of your shoulder is on fire.  Shoulder fatigue limits your ability to train, so it’s important that you get your lead shoulder in tip-top shape.

Unfortunately, there’s no real secret to getting your shoulders in shape.  Basically, it just comes down to working it hard and often.  Eventually, you’ll get in shape.

1. Start with one minute of basic, eye-level jabs with footwork circling left around the heavy bag.  Throw in some double-jabs or jab on the fly.
2. Continue with a minute of jabs and double-jabs circling right.
3. Finish with a minute of double jabs with random footwork.
4. Optional: Throw some jabs to the body with good technique.

Straight right (or right cross)

I prefer the term straight right hand over the term right cross, but many people use the two expressions interchangeably.  Whatever you call it, this is your most important power punch.  It’s a straight punch without any swinging or hooking component.

Your straight right should make the heavy bag jump.  This is your fast, accurate, knockout punch and it lands with a lot of pop.

1. Start with one minute of eye-level straight rights, with maximum power and perfect technique.
2. Spend the second minute alternating between straight rights to the head and to the body, always with perfect technique.  Remember to bend the knees and drop down for the body punches; don’t just punch downwards.
3. Double up on the straight right.
4. Optional: Throw the 1-1-2 combination, consisting of a double-jab followed by the right hand.

With all these variations, feel free to lead with a jab, especially when your fitness levels allow you to increase the intensity.

Left Hook

The left hook isn’t easy.  I suggest taking it slow at first.  Don’t try to throw your left hooks with full power.  Work on technique first, and when you get your technique dialed in, the power will be there.

1. In the first minute of the round, throw isolated left hooks.  Concentrate on technique and proper footwork.  Pretend you’re slipping a straight punch, and counter with a perfect left hook to the head.
2. During minute 2, throw from close, clinching range.  Press your right shoulder against the bag and lean in.  Push the bag like you’d push an opponent.  Then, step back and land the left hook before the bag swings forward towards you.  As the swinging bag slows, clinch with it and push it forward again.  This is a good self-defense move.
3. In the 3rd minute, lead with the straight right then finish with the left hook.  You’ll need to concentrate on your footwork because these punches have different ranges.  The right is a short right hand; it’s just there to set up your left hook.
4. Optional: Use the 1-2-3 combination if you are comfortable with the technique.

Uppercuts

You can isolate the right and left uppercuts if you’d like.  But I think it’s better to use them together in the same round.  For the most part, you’ll throw flurries on the heavy bag.

It’s counterproductive to throw head-level uppercuts on a typical punching bag.  Instead, throw body shots because they’re great for conditioning.

When you feel like your uppercuts are effective, get right up next to the bag and get physical with it.  Push it around like it’s an opponent on the ropes.

• In the first minute use the left uppercut, working on technique.
• Then, in the 2nd, throw the right uppercut.
• Finally, use both uppercuts together in combinations.  Start with the left uppercut, follow with the right, and end your combinations with a left hook.  Increase the number of uppercuts in multiples of two, always ending with the left hook.  For example, throw four uppercuts followed by a left hook for a total of 5 punches in the combo.
• Optional: Throw a 2-punch combo consisting of the right uppercut followed by the left hook to the head.

Remember to MOVE after your punches

Don’t just finish a combination then stand there huffing and puffing.  Always move after you finish your punches or combinations.

You should practice 4 things after landing a combo on the bag:

1. Step to the left
2. Step to the right
3. Step back
4. Duck

You will feel awkward at first — especially if you don’t have training in how to move effectively during a fight.  But you have to keep moving to avoid getting hit.

Make your own round-based training drills

Don’t limit yourself to the drills I suggest above.  Now that you get the picture, design your own training round.  Incorporate the punches, combinations, and skills that you want to work on.

Other punches and strikes isolated on the heavy bag

The right hook and the overhand right are  powerful punches that work well during conditioning workouts.  They are less valuable if you practice punching for sparring or self-defense.

Open-hand strikes are also valuable, especially if you want to work the bag without wrapping your hands and wearing padded gloves.  Be sure to start at half-power when striking the bag without hand-wraps.  Injuries take only a moment to occur, but they can literally set you back for a month or more.

Turn a jab or a straight right into a palm-heel strike.  This variation is effective, but you lose a bit of range.  This is useful for self-defense, but it’s dangerous and not recommended during sparring or competition (because of the risk of poking your partner’s eyes).

The left hook also works well as a palm-heel strike.  It almost becomes a slap.

You can also throw groin-level uppercuts with an open hand.

Finally, try throwing elbow strikes for self-defense training.  Remember to push against and ‘clinch’ the bag first.  Always wear elbow pads so you don’t get abrasions and bruises.

The heavy bag is heavy

That sounds obvious, doesn’t it?  The reason we use the heavy bag (rather than the punch mitts) is to punch against resistance.  The heavy bag is for conditioning and toughening yourself up.  Shadow boxing and mitt work is where you learn perfect technique and fancy combinations.

When you work the bag, don’t be afraid to get right up in its face and muscle it around:

• Push it with your shoulder, take a step back, and unload a short combination with power.
• Set it swinging, then whack it so hard it stops in its tracks.
• Pick it up and throw it over your shoulder for squats or lunges during GPP workouts.
• Slam it, jump on it, and ground and pound until it begs for mercy.

There is no subtlety to heavy bag training.

Think of a punching bag workout as a long-term addition to your fitness regimen. You can’t throw all you have at the heavy bag the very first time, that’s a recipe for injury.  Commit yourself to working up to full intensity over a period of months.

For fighting and self-defense, or if you just want to work out as efficiently as possible, make sure you learn proper punching technique.

Above all, have fun, burn off some aggression in a socially-acceptable way, and condition your body so you can face unpredictable situations with confidence.

Often, we hear the words knockout and concussion used improperly.

They are not the same, and — as a fighter — it is important for you to understand what these words mean. Your continued good health may depend upon it.

Please don’t try to diagnose your head injury by reading articles on the internet. If you get rocked by a punch, see a doctor immediately. Just because you didn’t get knocked unconscious doesn’t mean you are not injured.

What causes a knockout?

The brainstem joins the spinal cord at the base of the skull.

We all know what a knockout is in the context of a boxing match: it’s when a fighter falls, then fails to beat the ref’s count.

But this doesn’t tell us why some people get knocked out cold — unconscious — and other don’t.

When someone is hit in a way that causes knockout, their skull is violently jerked around by the blow. The brain’s inertia causes it to smash against the inside of the skull, near the base of the skull.

Areas of the brain — usually the brainstem or cerebellum — bang against the skull resulting in a loss of consciousness and/or motor control.

Although this can be a serious injury, other times it seems fairly benign. Some people liken it to getting hit in the elbow’s funny bone. That is, it’s a temporary trauma to the nerves near the base of the skull.

In how to take a punch, I describe how some folks believe that there are several ways you can increase your ability to resist knockout.

Nevertheless, if you’re not knocked out by a blow, that doesn’t mean you haven’t suffered a brain injury or a concussion.

What is a concussion?

Concussion is different from a cerebral contusion (a bruise on the brain).

Concussion is distinct from knockout in that it’s not necessarily associated with loss of consciousness. And it can involve parts of the brain other than those near the top of the spinal cord.

Simply put, a concussion is damage to the wires that connect different parts of the brain. It reduced the efficiency with which signals travel to affected parts of the brain. Our understanding of the exact mechanism(s) is still in its infancy.

The dangerous thing about concussion is that you can suffer this injury without suffering a knockout. This is especially bad for boxers because it makes it difficult to detect brain injury unless you’re familiar with the symptoms of concussion.

Most boxers are required to abstain from boxing for a minimum of 30 days after suffering a knockout. But since concussion doesn’t always involve loss of consciousness, boxers might not adhere to this mandatory recovery period.

Hockey players hit harder than players in any other contact sport. Consequently, they suffer some of the worst concussions.

Many of the deaths associated with brain concussions happen after second concussions suffered by someone who is still not fully recovered from a previous concussion.  In recent years, professional sports teams have focused on the concussion recovery process.  Sometimes, pro players can miss an entire season because of concussion-like symptoms.  But because second concussions are so dangerous, this is a prudent, if frustrating, approach to long-term health.

Pro boxers — at least at the highest levels of the sport — often have many months between bouts.  The same can’t be said of pros in third-world countries who fight week after week just to earn a modest living.  It is these folks who often suffer undiagnosed concussions.

If you think you had a concussion in the past, you have to be especially careful about avoiding additional head trauma.  Check out second impact syndrome for more details.

Symptoms of concussion

According to the Mayo clinic, symptoms of concussion can be divided into two groups: those that appear immediately after trauma, and those that may appear days after the injury.

Symptoms that may appear quickly after injury:

• Confusion
• Amnesia
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Ringing in the ears
• Nausea or vomiting
• Slurred speech
• Fatigue

Symptoms that may appear later:

• Memory or concentration problems
• Sensitivity to light and noise
• Sleep disturbances
• Irritability
• Depression

Learn how to use protective equipment when you spar and fight. It doesn’t make you a tough guy to take blows to the head, it just puts you at risk of a life-altering injury.

Learn more about concussion symptoms, and facts about traumatic brain injury from the US Centers for Disease Control: Concussion Discussion.

So you think boxers just stand there and punch, right? Wrong.

A good fighting stance gives maximum mobility while offering protection to the vital areas.

1. Relax

   Don’t be nervous and tense. Be loose, supple, and relaxed. Conserve your energy. Many fights are won by the man who can keep going longer. So, don’t burn off energy in nervous tension.

2. Feet in the proper positions

   Never get your feet crossed, proper balance is critical to being able to deliver punches or to subtly shift your body so your opponent misses. During training, think about your footwork first; without good footwork, nothing else will work right.

3. Knees slightly bent

   Never lock the knees. If your knees are locked, the only way you can move is by flexing your ankles. But when the knees are slightly flexed, the entire leg is involved in stepping. Mobility demands loose knees.

4. Hips and shoulders parallel to the ground

   Keep the hips and shoulders level. If they’re not level, your center of gravity will be skewed off to one side, making it difficult to move fluidly and quickly.

   Obviously, if you’re slipping a punch or otherwise engaged in the execution of a technique, your shoulders might momentarily be tilted. But when you’re in your basic fighting stance, keep them level.

5. Bend slightly at the waist

   To avoid getting hit, bend slightly forward at the waist. You’ll still have maximum power on your punches, but your range will be greater and you’ll have a safety margin so you can pull back slightly when your opponent tries to hit you.

6. Power hand back

   Unless you have a very good reason not to do so, keep your strong side to the rear. This gives you maximum distance to generate and deliver a power shot.

   There are some boxers who switch it up and fight ambidextrously, but this is usually seen as a sign of desperation rather than sound strategy.

7. Chin down

   Keep your chin down, tucked against the top of your chest. There is never any reason to lift your chin up when you are in the boxing ring. It’s your most vulnerable spot, so protect it at all times.

8. Look from the top of your eyes

   Learn how to watch your opponent from the top of your eyes. Never lift your chin up to see what’s going on. You have to get in the habit of looking out from just under your brows.

9. Lead hand guards in front

   Your lead hand should be up and out in front, approximately level with the eyes. The farther out you carry your lead hand, the quicker you’ll be able to jab your opponent. If you carry it low, your jab will have more power but it will be slower.

10. Rear hand guards the chin

    Your rear hand must be in place to guard your chin. It guard the side of your chin when your opponent throws a hook, and it moves in front to block your opponent’s straight punches.

11. Elbows in

    The elbows guard your sides. There’s no reason to carry them out, away from the body. Always keep them tucked in for safety and to ensure power on your punches.

What’s your favorite footwork tip? We need a 12th tip, so share your advice in the comments section below!

There’s always a temptation to use bare knuckles on the heavybag. After all, it seems more natural than punching the bag while wearing wraps, knuckle guards, and gloves.

Plus, lots of guys start training so they can win a bare knuckle street fight.

These guys reason that hitting the punching bag bare-handed is more realistic. After all, they’re training for a real fight, not a sporting event. The reasoning is: if I ever get attacked on the street, I won’t be wearing gloves, so why should I wear them when I punch the heavybag?

This reasoning is fallacious. Let me explain why.

You need to protect your hands and wrists

Hands are delicate. You can’t bash them against something over and over again without causing problems:

• Punching without padded gloves causes sore knuckles and bone bruises.
• Avoiding the use of hand wraps leads to sore wrists, inflammation, and repetitive-stress injuries to the delicate bones and connective tissue of the hands and wrists.
• The heavybag will scrape up your knuckles. If you work out in a gym with others, this can cause a serious skin infection.

If you practice bare-handed punches, your technique will suffer

Once your knuckles start hurting, you’ll try to reduce the pain by altering your punching technique. This just leads to stress and eventual pain in some other part of your hand.

The ultimate in stupidity: This poor fellow will be lucky to avoid long-term damage to his hands, and ironically he can't train anywhere near as hard as someone who wears proper hand protection. All that pain and damage for what? To prove he's a tough guy?

• You won’t punch as hard as you are capable of.
• Your progress will stall.
• Without realizing it, you will alter your technique to accomodate the pain instead of using the good form which maximizes power, speed, and precision.

The bottom line is: hitting the heavybag barehanded means you’ll never be able to work out as effectively as you can when you’re wearing wraps and gloves.

Martial artists punch bare handed, so why can’t I?

Yes, you’ll find karate guys who have practiced bareknuckle fighting for many years, and they’re still OK.

But consider what they’re actually doing. Most of their workouts consist of punching nothing but air. And when they work with a partner, they are very careful to let the partner know exactly what target area they’re attacking. There are few surprises in traditional martial arts training.

Most importantly, they are very careful to always punch safely in a controlled manner, with the knuckles landing first. You’ll never find a martial artist swinging away with an overhand right, for instance, because although it’s a very powerful punch, it’s difficult to control how the punch lands. And when it lands wrong the result is injury or broken bones.

You have a choice, you can work out like a traditional martial artist — by limiting yourself to a select number of relatively “safe”, straight punches, or you can wear wraps and gloves and work out at full intensity, with a full range of punches and maximum power. Even karate experts wear gloves and wraps when they practice non-traditional punches like hooks and uppercuts on the bag.

So sure, you can play around with the punching bag and whack it barehanded a few times. But if you want a serious workout that is sustainable, do what all the professionals — boxers, bouncers, security guys, mma athletes, etc. — do: wrap your hands and wear padded gloves.

It’s a bad idea to mount a heavy bag from the structural elements in your house. I understand that it’s tempting to hang it from the rafters in your basement, or from the ceiling joints in your workout room, but this is a recipe for trouble.

Unless you only use your punching bag once in a blue moon, you can literally shake your house apart during your punching workouts. The noise, jarring, and vibration not only destroys your drywall, it also drives your family and neighbors crazy.

But fret not, there are some options for you to try.

Modern construction is all about efficiency

An old timber frame house

These days, it’s a different story. Modern frame construction relies on plywood to tie all the parts of the framing together. There are no oversized timbers or diagonal bracing; the plywood keeps it from all falling apart. Two-by-fours — which, in the past, would have been far too flimsy to use as structural elements in house construction — are braced and held in place with sheets of plywood or oriented strand board. Modern construction methods save labor, they require no real skill to implement, and they are efficient.

But modern construction methods are vulnerable to the stress of heavybag training.

How to hang your heavybag in a modern house

It’s not a good idea. Really.

But if you must, here are are a few things you can try.

Heavybag spring on top, bungee cord on the bottom

Stick a heavy-duty spring between the heavybag mount and the chains. This is a good way to reduce the pounding vibration that might otherwise destroy your drywall.

This heavy bag is secured to the floor with a bungee cord.

Everlast makes a heavybag anchor that you can fill with water to a weight of 45 pounds or so. Check it out the user reviews and specs at Amazon

Rubber bushing between the mount and the attachment point

You want to reduce vibration and transfer of kinetic energy through the heavybag mounting hardware to the ceiling joist or rafter to which you’ve attached it.

One way to do this is to make a rubber bushing and put it between the hardware and the rafter. Try using an old piece of auto tire tread or some other long-lasting, wear-resistant rubber. Cut it to shape with some heavy shears.

Too much vibration? Change your heavybag mount

If you currently use a mount that attaches to a single rafter, you should consider changing to one that is screwed into two rafters.

Supporting the heavybag from two structural elements instead of one helps share the load and reduce the vibration in vulnerable areas.

This sort of mount gives you the added benefit of raising the bag up higher between the beams, so if your heavybag is mounted too low, this is a way to fix the problem.

Reduce heavybag vibration by changing from ceiling-mounted to wall-mounted

If you have masonry walls (like in most modern basements), you can use a wall mount. If your walls are made of framing, forget it.

Punching bag wall mounts range from the el cheapo $30 dollar models all the way up to super-strong $500 designs that do everything except give you workout advice.

Make sure to get a wall-mount that lets you swing the bag out of the way when you’re done working out. A little touch like that will gain your appreciation over time. If the heavybag takes up too much room, you’ll be tempted to get rid of it. Switching to a wall mount just might save your workouts.

Free-standing heavybag stands

If you just can’t make the ceiling or wall mounts work, take down your punching bag and hang it from a heavybag stand. There are models ranging in price from less than $150 all the way up to more than a thousand dollars.

You can check out lots of stands at Amazon, click here: Free-standing heavybag stands.

While heavybag stands are not as nice as a ceiling-mount, lots of times they’re the only viable option for using a traditional heavybag.

Free-standing heavybags

When all else fails, you might have to bite the bullet and get rid of your ceiling-mounted heavybag.

Free-standing punching bags are not my favorite, but they’re great for people who need to work out indoors.

Check out the selection at Amazon: Free standing heavy bag.

If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you know all about the benefits of a punching bag workout. And you probably know how to design a good heavybag workout plan. So let’s get right to the advice about how to get the most out of your heavy bag.

Ceiling-mounted or free-standing

There are two considerations:

• The height of your heavybag
• The space around the bag

What you should know about heavybag height

The problem with many heavybag stands is that you can’t mount the bag high enough. Unless you’re short, you’ll be jabbing right near the top of the punching bag. This means you’ll miss the bag’s “sweet spot”, which isn’t very satisfying. Read how high should you hang a heavybag for more details.

So, if possible, mount the punching bag from a ceiling, tree branch, or other high place. This way, your bag will swing when you punch it. However, don’t mount it in your house (or any other structure you care about). Your punching bag will literally destroy your house bit by bit; it will shake your house apart and give everyone a headache. If you can’t use a garage or outbuilding, either get a heavybag stand or use a free-standing bag. Read Don’t let your heavybag shake your house apart for information and options on how to avoid excessive heavybag vibration.

The bag’s movement is a big part of why heavybag training is such a good workout. Bags that are rooted to one spot (like free-standing punching bags) won’t give you as intense a workout. When you don’t want a free-swinging bag to swing or move excessively, just connect a cord from the bottom of the bag to a weight or tie-down point. Most good heavybags have a D-ring at the bottom for this purpose.

Space around your punching bag: What you should know

The more room around your punching bag, the better. This is especially true for free-swinging heavybags.

You want a minimum of 5 feet (1.6 meters) all around your bag so you have enough room to work the bag. If you plan to kick the bag, you’ll need more room because kicks are longer-range attacks than punches.

It’s OK to mount the bag so you have less than 5 feet around one or two quadrants, but obviously it’s best to avoid that if at all possible.

How heavy should my punching bag be?

A good rule of thumb is to get a heavy bag that weighs approximately 50% of your body weight. So, a 100-pound bag should be OK if you weight 200 (or less).

If your bag doesn’t swing free on a long chain, the weight is not as important. It’s only when the bag is free-swinging that the weight has a real effect on the quality of your workout.

Other equipment needed for a heavybag workout

Handwraps

Don’t hit the heavy bag without hand wraps. Yes, I know that many of you want to practice punching for self-defense, and you think punching bare-handed is more realistic and useful than punching with wraps and/or gloves. But this has been proven incorrect.

Without wraps, you won’t be able to work out anywhere near as hard as you can with proper safety equipment. And more importantly, you’ll set yourself up for wrist injuries.

Repeatedly hitting the heavy bag without hand-wraps (especially as a beginner) will almost certainly result in sore wrists or an acute injury.

Padded gloves

Again, don’t fool yourself. You won’t be able to train with good intensity unless you wear padded gloves while hitting the bag.

Wear padded gloves and avoid sore knuckles and abrasions on your knuckles and fingers.

Read don’t punch the heavybag bare-handed for more information.

Boxing footwear

Boxing shoes or boots are not just for the boxing ring.

Anyone who practices punching regularly will benefit from wearing good boxing shoes.

Boxers and other strikers do a lot of pivoting. This pivot gets the body weight behind a punch and increases the effective range of motion. But it has a drawback: if your footwear “grips” the ground, friction during the pivot stresses the ankle and knee joints. Protect your joints during boxing workouts by wearing good shoes that were designed for boxers. Over the long term, this will contribute to your continued good joint health.

Knuckle guards (optional)

Just like padded gloves, knuckle guards keep you from bruising and scraping your knuckles.

Some people stick some sponge in their handwraps to cushion the knuckles, but knuckle guards are better because there’s no chance they’ll shift around during a workout, and because they don’t take up as much room in the gloves.

Round timer (optional)

Heavybag workouts lend themselves very well to interval training. An interval timer is a great addition to your workouts because you can use it for all sorts of things, not just striking training.

Increase your cardio training intensity while decreasing the amount of time needed for your workouts by using intervals.

Shin/foot guards for kicking (optional)

Kicking the heavy bag is practical for self-defense. And, it’s fun. But don’t do it without wearing protective equipment.

Although there are kicking bags designed for muay thai or kickboxing training, you probably have a bag that was designed for boxers. Boxer’s punching bags are hard and you don’t want to kick them without protective gear. Trust me, you can work out harder if you’re properly protected.

Cross-training equipment

Simply put, this is any sort of fitness equipment that you want to use in conjunction with your bag work. Examples include: a jump rope, medicine ball, or exercise mat. You’ll get in much better shape by mixing it up and combining several types of exercise than you will by sticking only to punching training.

A punching bag workout isn’t just for boxers, martial-artists, or would-be tough guys. No matter who you are, it’s a great way to mix things up and keep your workouts fun and practical.

Work on your heart and lungs

A punching bag workout is a fantastic cardio workout. Until you’ve tried it, you might not realize just how physically taxing it is to hit the heavy bag. If you’re not used to it, a few rounds on the heavybag is guaranteed to exhaust you.

This sort of workout lends itself to interval training. This means you can dial in just the intensity you need, while saving time compared to long, slow cardio workouts like running or biking. It’s also a perfect component of circuit training to get yourself in tip-top physical condition.

Core strength

Punching with power and speed develops core strength; in fact, you can’t punch effectively until your core musculature is properly developed. This conditioning greatly enhances your quality of life because its benefits carry over to other activities.

Develop explosive power

Heavybag workouts develop explosive power. Short of high-impact plyometric training, few (if any) sports or training methods are as effective at boosting your upper-body explosiveness.

Self defense

If you diligently work the heavy bag with good punching technique, you’ll be better able to defend yourself in a fistfight. Of course, sparring against an opponent is the most important component of self-defense training, but punching bag workouts are indispensable too.

It’s fun!

Face it: few fitness activities are as much fun as taking out your aggression on a punching bag. Sometimes, it’s good to just beat something up!

Boxing training isn’t easy. New boxers have to deal with soreness, and a lot of it.

Here is a list of the aches and pains experienced by all boxing beginners, and some tips to help you deal with the soreness.

Shoulder soreness

When you practice new punches, the number one problem is shoulder soreness. The front of your shoulders — called the anterior deltoid muscle — is a small, relatively weak muscle that doesn’t typically get very much training during normal workout routines.

In boxing workout routines however, this muscle is heavily stressed.

The only way to deal with shoulder soreness is to work your shoulders over and over until you build up your muscular endurance. While you can try to punch your way into shape by relying on shadow boxing and other punching drills to improve your shoulder fitness, many boxers also use light dumbbells (2 to 5 pounds maximum) and very high reps during a shoulder workout. Either way, until you build up the endurance in your shoulders, this will be the weak link that holds back the rest of your training.

It’s virtually impossible to overwork a muscle if you are training it exclusively for muscular endurance, so while it’s OK to rest the muscle, make sure you get at least 3 days per week of good, hard shoulder training. This should get your shoulders in shape so you can participate fully in a proper boxing training session.

Elbow soreness from boxing training

Sore elbows caused by boxing training is serious. Soreness in this area can represent two serious problems:

• Ligament damage in the elbow joint
• Tendon damage near the elbow

In either case, you must rest until the soreness goes away. Then, when you feel OK to train again, you have to make sure not to reinjure yourself.

To avoid this sort of injury, never fully extend (or hyperextend) your elbow joints during shadow boxing (especially if you are punching hard and fast). Your jab gets its speed and power from the rotation of your shoulder joint, not from the (hyper)extension of your elbow — always remember that.

Sore wrists

Lots of people experience sore wrists when they start using the heavy bag.

To avoid it:

• Learn proper technique.
• Start with the straight punches like the jab and straight right.
• Don’t practice the hooks and uppercuts (at full power) until later, when your wrists get stronger.
• Always wrap your wrists with handwraps.
• Wear padded gloves so you can punch with proper technique.

Sore knuckles

Sore knuckles from hitting the heavybag can be common if you don’t use proper padded gloves when you work out.

Get a cheap pair of boxing gloves and use them as bag gloves. The thin, leather gloves that came with your punching bag are not padded and don’t protect your knuckles.

Sore calves from boxing training

Skipping rope puts a lot of stress right on your calves. Get yourself in condition because there is no trick to preventing calf soreness from boxing training.

Knee or ankle pain

If your knee joints (or ankles) are sore, you should evaluate your footwear. Proper boxing shoes let you pivot effortlessly. Improper footwear grips the ground too well. This can tear up your knees and ankles when you pivot over and over again during long-term boxing training. Avoid these repetitive-stress injuries or you’ll regret it later in life.

Lower back soreness caused by boxing

Pivoting during punches puts a lot of stress on the lower back and the spinal stabilization muscles.

The key to avoiding this is to work up to things slowly. Don’t try to do it all at once.

You want to get your core muscles — abdominals, lower back, and others — strong and conditioned. This takes time and lots of effort, so don’t neglect your boxing floorwork.

Avoid excessive soreness with a sensible boxing training program

Don’t try to do it all at once.

Work on your overall fitness levels and on your sport-specific fitness. While soreness is OK (especially in the beginning), injury isn’t. Listen to your body and don’t let your enthusiasm get the better of your common sense.

There are as many boxing combinations as there are stars in the sky. But like stars, some boxing combos shine brighter than others.

I have an opinion about which boxing combination is the best: I think the classic 1-2-3 combo — the Jab/Straight Right/Left Hook combination — is far and away the best boxing combination. Let me explain why:

The best boxing combinations

The best boxing combinations let you deliver punches without moving unnecessarily or squandering energy

In the top 5 boxing combinations I explain that combos are not just collections of punches thrown together randomly. Rather, they’re carefully crafted so each punch naturally flows out of the previous one. This is important because it allows you to conserve energy and punch with maximum power.

In fact, other than the basic ways to increase punching power that are taught to all beginners, this method of crafting a combination is the best way to hit harder. When you do it this way, no power is lost through extraneous movement. All your power ends up in your punches.

The 1-2-3 combination in boxing

Every good combination starts with a jab. The jab is your most important punch because it helps you find your range. If you’re not jabbing, you are wasting the opportunity to hit your opponent when you are still at long range.

If you can touch something with your jabbing hand, you can punch through it with your straight right hand without moving your feet.

The straight right or right cross is your power punch. As long as the jab lands — even if it just brushes your opponent’s face — you know that you will be able to punch him very hard with your straight right hand. This is because the straight right has a longer range than your jab. From a good boxing stance, your straight right hand will reach several inches farther than the range of your jab.

Finally, the left hook is the finishing punch. If you manage to land the straight right hand, you can knock him down with the left hook to the chin. If he doesn’t go down, you are in perfect position to throw another strong right hand punch.

But if he blocks your first right hand, you can use the left hook to clear yourself out of danger and protect yourself against his counterpunch.

How to land the 1-2-3

It’s not enough to just walk up to your opponent and throw this combination. If he’s an untrained fighter, you will probably land something, but if he’s skilled, he’ll just slide out of the way.

In a boxing match, you need to set up your combinations. Otherwise, you don’t have a chance of landing a punch.

The best way is to start out just throwing the jab. Mix in some feints and some jabs to the body. Later, you can try the double jab.

Once you get your range with the jab, you have to follow it up with the straight right hand. This jab — straight right combo (known as the 1-2) is effective in many situations. You will begin to really get your opponent’s attention with the strong right hand.

But eventually, you need to follow up the 1-2 combo with the left hook. If he blocks your right hand every time you throw it, you should follow with the left hook. Now, you’re throwing a full-fledged 1-2-3 combination (the best boxing combination).

Why this is the best boxing combination

• It consists of the 3 most important punches in boxing, the jab, straight right, and left hook. If you know these punches, you’ll do well.
• It is a long-range combo, but the left hook can be used close or at longer range, depending on the situation.
• It doesn’t require you to fake out your opponent very much. You’re already throwing jabs and right hands, right?