Benefits
• Improves spatial awareness, balance and co-ordination - including eye-hand-leg co-ordination and the development of reactive movement strategies.
• Improves total body strength and tone - the art of throwing a punch and kicking a bag involves the whole body and multiple muscle-group synergy; legs, core, arms.
• Helps to create a more flexible and subtle body.
• An ideal exercise to let off steam, release any frustrations and reduce stress.
• Improves the cardiovascular and respiratory systems - can be used as both a Hiit (high intensity interval training) and a Liss (low intensity steady state) training tool.
How to do it?
First, practise your boxing stance:
Stand with feet hip-width apart, one slightly in front of the other, knees slightly bent. Your rear arm and leg should be your dominant side (so whichever arm you write and/or throw with).
Bring fists up, one slightly in front of the other
Jab, jab, cross, cross, front kick, front kick
Stand in a boxing stance with fists up at cheekbone level and elbows close to the body.
Punch lead (front) fist straight in front of you at head level, rotating the torso and fully extending the arm. And come up onto your toes. Make contact with the bag with knuckles at the base of your fingers.
Bring your fist back close to you quickly, holding it in front of your face, with elbow close to the body.
Repeat on the same side, quickly.
Punch rear fist straight in front of you at head level, rotating torso and fully extending arm.
Bring your fist back close to you quickly, holding it in front of your face, with elbow close to the body.
Repeat with rear arm, at a slightly slower rhythm than the first two strikes.
Take a small step forward with your front foot and shift your weight onto your front leg. Use the momentum to kick through with your back foot, extending your back leg to push the ball of your foot into the bag. Repeat this kick.
Repeat the six-strike combination as fast as you can without stopping then move around the bag and continue the combination.
Tip: Keep your elbows as close to your body as you can. You can change your stance so that both legs get the opportunity to kick.
How much to do
Continue this sequence for 2 minutes; rest for 30 seconds and do for a total of 10-15 minutes. You can build up to longer durations. You can also increase your work to rest ratio durations, as you feel comfortable.
Advanced combination
Here is a more advanced combination to use:
Jab-cross, hook-hook, uppercut-uppercut, front kick, front kick
How to
1. Stand in boxing stance with fists up at cheek level and elbows close to the body.
2. Punch lead fist straight in front of you at head level, rotating torso and fully extending arm.
3. Bring fist back close to you quickly, holding it in front of your face with elbow close to the body.
4. Repeat the motion using rear fist.
5. Pivot lead arm so elbow is in line with shoulder and thumb is pointing up.
6. Punch across and imagine hitting the target on the side of the face.
7. Bring fist back close to you quickly, holding it in front of face with elbow close to the body.
8. Pivot rear arm so elbow is in line with shoulder and thumb is pointing up.
9. Punch across and imagine hitting the target on the side of the face.
10. Bring fist back close to you quickly, holding it in front of your face with elbow close to the body.
11. Squat down slightly and tuck lead elbow to hip bone on same side.
12. Lift with legs, rotate core bringing lead shoulder forward while driving lead hand up into the bag with a lifting motion. Make contact with the bag with the larger knuckles.
13. Bring fist back close to you quickly, holding it in front of your face with elbow close to the body.
14. Squat down slightly and tuck rear elbow to hip bone on same side.
15. Lift with legs, rotate core bringing lead shoulder forward while driving lead hand up into the bag with a lifting motion. Make contact with the bag with the larger knuckles.
Take a small step forward with your front foot and shift your weight onto your front leg. Use the momentum to kick through with your back foot, extending your back leg to push the ball of your foot into the bag. Repeat this kick.
Continue to repeat the entire combination.
Tip: Jab/cross strikes are straight punches. Hooks include rotation side to side. Uppercuts combine lifting and rotating movements.
To add another dimension to the combinations
After you have thrown the combination, do a squat prior to throwing the next combination.
