I recently got a gym membership. My gym has several different punching bags. I was wondering if hitting a heavy bag for extended periods of time is good for anything?

I recently got a gym membership. My gym has several different punching bags. I was wondering if hitting a heavy bag for extended periods of time is good for anything?

Can't think of anything, you won't build muscle. Cardio, it doesn't involve large muscles, it would quickly go beyond aerobics. It would be good if you plan to hit people or walls.

You never know :whistle:

Can't think of anything, you won't build muscle. Cardio, it doesn't involve large muscles, it would quickly go beyond aerobics. It would be good if you plan to hit people or walls.

not good for anything? ah man.

"...it would be good if you plan to hit people or walls..."


:lol:

thats good right? if you're in a fight you'd kick some ass i'd imagine. that bag then would be helpful.


:confused:

not good for anything? ah man.

"...it would be good if you plan to hit people or walls..."


:lol:

thats good right? if you're in a fight you'd kick some ass i'd imagine. that bag then would be helpful.


:confused:
Well I assume the poster wondered if this was good for muscle gain or fat loss, not for learning how to fight. :)

It'd be great for cardio-vascular fitness. Punches bags are hard-work once you get past the first minute or two.

It won't be optimal for losing weight, nor will it be great for building muscle. But it can be excellent at toning muscle and increasing its endurance.

There can be a place for it if you so choose. Maybe do 4 sets of 5 minute intense punching, and then move on to a treadmill or stationary bike.

It might be a nice cardio workout -- and especially if it is something your particularly enjoy doing, it will something easy to stick to. I know that spending 45 mins on an elliptical machine or stationary bike can be quite dull at times (at least for me)....

If its only a light bag then it is a waste of time as rtestes notes it dosent use big muscles because you can twang it about all over the place using just your tricep strength. If its a good heavy 6ft bag that you can involve your whole body doing upercuts and large motioned punches (and kicks if thats allowed at the gym) then it can be a very good workout.
Heart rate goes through the roof especially if you assign a face to the punch bag that you are trying to get even with. A heart rate monitor with zones and a audio warning as you leave the zone is excellent for keeping you honest. I have used a bag and skipping rope for my cardio on quite a few occations when i couldent get to the gym.
Widers

Hey one thing you could strengthen with a punching bag is your bones....condition those bones in your hand/forearm and legs if you kick it. Then in the future if you need to do something like hammer a nail into a wall and you have no hammer, you're good to go!

anythign that gets your heart rate up is a good cardio workout. if you get a good workout from hitting a heavy bag then it will have the same effects as if you were to go jogging or sit on an exercise bike. However if you learn good technique then there are gains in your midsection to be made. You will become more balanced if you learn to hit with power while moving (figuring out your footwork) and your overall core will become stronger. If you dont know how to box look up online how to throw every punch correctly and then start throwing out combinations one after the other with good technique...that will burn you out, trust me.

anythign that gets your heart rate up is a good cardio workout. if you get a good workout from hitting a heavy bag then it will have the same effects as if you were to go jogging or sit on an exercise bike. However if you learn good technique then there are gains in your midsection to be made. You will become more balanced if you learn to hit with power while moving (figuring out your footwork) and your overall core will become stronger. If you dont know how to box look up online how to throw every punch correctly and then start throwing out combinations one after the other with good technique...that will burn you out, trust me.

i'll be looking for those techniques. i have a heavy punch bag and i got it for those days that i just feel like hitting the shit out of something and i'd like to use it for my fitness if possible.
it does tire you out quickly.

Its not a speed bag or anything. They have some realy heavy bags so it feels like i'm punching a person or something.

Anyone know a link where i can learn some footwork?

It's a great stress reliever imo.

It's a great stress reliever imo.

no doubt. i had to get one because i tore a couple of fences, walls as well as windows to shit because of my stupidity. i think what really broke me was when i started to hit steel city trash dumps... like this one...

http://www.cityofboise.org/parks/images/custod2.jpg

really did a number on my hands as i assume you'd imagine.
the last thing i remember hitting was a garage window because i locked myself out of the house. i had things to break the window with... like a rock or a flower pot but i just really felt like hitting it with my bare hands. have scars on my forearms because of this inane action.

anyways im not sharing this because i want everyone to know just how bad ass i am... on the contrary it shows how stupid i can be. i have a constructive nature about me as well as a deconstructive nature and i need to learn to control them for maximum benefit... so a heavy ass punching bag helps me.