The heavy bag is your most honest training partner. It’s also your best training partner. You can do what you want with it, it doesn’t complain. But most importantly it’s always there for you, just hanging out. But the heavy bag doesn’t work by itself, it needs you. Knowing how to use the heavy bag for your workouts improves your game better, and faster. If you know what to do you can be stronger, more resilient and more skilled than your competition.
Why Use A Heavy Bag In Muay Thai
(In This Photo: Fairtex BS1709, Fairtex HB6 Heavy Bag, Fairtex HB10 Heavy Bag, Fairtex HW2-Thai)
First though is why use a heavy bag? Besides it always being available the heavy bag helps you build the strength, stamina, and power necessary to be a KO artist. But because most athletes use the heavy bag by themselves bad habits can creep in quickly. So here is the most common mistakes in using the heavy bag.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an advanced athlete getting better with the heavy bag is always an option. We’ll break down what you need to know about working with a heavybag and common mistakes. At the end of this you’ll be able to train like a champion using the heavy bag.
We’ll cover the following:
Game Planning
Distance Management
Learning To Adapt
Perfecting Defense
(In this Photo: Fairtex FGV18)
Mistake #1 Not Having A Plan Using The Heavy Bag
Imagine going into a fight with no plan and no experience. What sort of results do you expect. No pro athlete does that. They have a plan, they use their experience. Using the heavy bag is just like going into the ring. It requires a structured approach. Planning out heavy bag work outs is very important for improving your game.
How To Plan Heavy Bag Workouts
- Develop a schedule between power days and technique days
- Structure rounds to focus on specific techniques eg round 1 all body kicks, round 2 all leg kicks
- Use a round timer to control your tempo. Make sure to practice speeding up and slowing down your pace
An Example Of A Heavy Bag Work Out
Day 1: Technique
· Round 1: Push kicks
· Round 2: Body Kicks
· Round 3: Alternate push kicks and body kicks
· Round 4: Punch combination with double body kick at the end
· Round 5: Jab and push kick
Day 2: Power
· Round 1: Set up power cross with punches
· Round 2: Set up body kick with punches
· Round 3: Double power kick
· Round 4: Power leg kick followed by power body kick
· Round 5: Switch power kicks – left and right
Champion fighters follow structured plans with their fight camps, with their diet, with their strength and conditioning. Structuring your heavy bag work outs is another step towards becoming a champion. Also the heavy bag is the perfect tool for game planning your fight strategy. Build the muscle memory on the heavy bag, then treat your opponent like a heavy bag.
(In This Photo: Fairtex BGV1 Gloves, Fairtex BS1708 Slim Cut Shorts)
Mistake #2 Not Understanding Distance
Muay Thai used to be a tough guy sport. The boxers would stand toe to toe and bang. The fists, elbows, knees, and kicks would fly. It was a game of attrition. Now though fighters, especially westerners are hitting and moving. This becomes super important in fights with small gloves.
So the heavy bag isn’t just a tool to hit, it’s also a measuring stick. It’s a way to practice being at the right distance.
- Fix Your Distance With The Heavy Bag
- Use your lead hand to measure how close you are to the bag (you should be able to just touch it)
- Practice moving in and out of striking range
- Work on inside striking (clinch range and inside boxing
- Circle the bag to develop angles and better footwork
- Push the bag so it moves and you strike it at the right time
Expert fighters like Saenchai know exactly where they are. They understand it in relationship to their opponent. They can hit and not be hit back. They practice their range by moving in and out with the bag. Because your opponent isn’t a stationary target. So the bag and you shouldn’t be either.
(In This Photo: Fairtex BGV5 Gloves)
Mistake #3 Not Adapting
Not every opponent is going to be the same. Luckily not every heavy bag is the same. There are long banana bags, tear drop bags, uppercut bags, oversize bags, and classic bags. Each bag is great for different types of work. Not only that but bags vary in terms of density. Some are soft, others are made from hardened sand, which feels like concrete.
How To Adapt To Different Heavy Bags
- Use banana bags for leg kicks
- Use tear drop bags for knees and clinch work
- Use uppercut bags to practice lateral movement, hooks, and boxing combinations
- Use oversize bags for power kicks and strikes
- Use classic bags for developing your overall skill set
- Hard bags are best for developing your shin conditioning
- Softer bags are great for technical work and fast strikes
Being able to adapt to what is in front of you is a basic skill in Muay Thai. Some opponent’s fall quick to leg kicks. Others crumble after spearing knees. Using a variety of weapons on a variety of bags is what will get you the unanimous deciiosn.
Mistake #4 Ignoring Defense
The bag doesn’t hit back. Many fighters just blast away at the bag. Boom. Boom. Bam. In the fight though the fight doesn’t go that way. It’s not one sided. So ignoring defense in your heavybag work out is a major problem. But it’s something you can fix. How? You have to use your imagination.
How To Incorporate Defense With Heavybag Work
- Practice your defense after every combination
- Drill basic guard habits – always keep your hands up
- Incorporate slipping and checking midway through combinations
(In this Photo: Fairtex BGV1 ONE Gloves, Fairtex BS1709)
Bonus Your Number 1 Heavy Bag Lesson
The heavy bag is a tool. Like any tool it can help you or reinforce bad habits. What matters is how you use the tool. If you understand how heavy bags can help and hurt you and your form you are going to avoid mistakes that will cost you in the ring.
Every time you step into the gym, every time you step into the ring, every time you hit the bag is an opportunity. Like every opportunity there are pros and cons. But what matters the most is what you do with that opportunity. So use this opportunity to perfect your craft with the heavy bag.
Author: Matt Lucas
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