The Speed Bag Workout; Timing & Fitiness!

One of the tools in the boxing/kick-boxing gym is the speed bag. Fighters have used the speed bag but other watching it on the Rocky movies, many people might not understand what it is and why one would want to use it (the speed bag).

My workouts and over all fitness plan is going well! I’ve achieved a new low weight I’ve not seen in a while (226) and I am keeping up with the dumbbell workouts as well as the katas, heavy bag and running. I feel when I start back to my next big push (January 1st), I will be in a good position to make some new gains!

In  this post I’ll go over the basics and why the speed bag will help you achieve your fitness goals (assuming some form of pugilism is one of your favorite workouts). Here is a qick video of a gal trying some new speed bag moves.

So you might have noticed that she had to keep her hands up while hitting the speed bag. That is a universal concept in close fighting that one should keep his/her hands up and the bag work here helps reinforce this principle.

Here is a short video of a guy showing off a bit and throwing in some dirty boxing (using the elbows) but perfectly legal in Muay Thai or MMA.

Ok you still might be wondering how the speed bag fits into fighting training. Boxers and other fighters train on a wide variety of equipment and use various methods. The goal is for the fighter to have a wide variety of experience. So for the boxer he/she can work on timing and seemingly speed.

There are anceleary fitness benefits for non-fighters too such as timing, speed and coordination help in any fitness endeavor and keep workouts fun and interesting. A good fitness trainer tries to keep interest up by incorporating a wide variety of workouts and activites. Here is a mom that has just learned the speed bag.

Are you wondering about timing vs speed I had alluded to earlier? Well everyone is about as fast as each other. If you timed how fast one could extend the arm to hit the bag with a radar gun, they would all be about the same. But who can hit another fighter without being noticed? That is timing and some stealth – not speed. Learning timing in fighting is everything so any exercise that gets the body used to a rhythm is good. When you get good at it is will seem like you are faster too!

So now that I have piqued your interest, here is a video that goes over the basics!

So if you have access to a speed bag, now you know what you are trying to do! Don’t worry about not looking cool when you start out – we all looked the same at first. If anyone makes fun of you – ask him/her for some pointers to get them on your side.

Now I don’t now if you are aware but as of this writing it is still a few days before Christmas. Have you ever wondered how Santa Clause stays in shape in the off months? Where here is a look at the Santa you never knew about.

Well all I can say is Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas! I hope this season finds you healthy, wealthy, and wise. I hope your workout is still fun, if not think about including a speed bag into your New Year’s workout!