Walking into a new gym is always a new experience. Most people don’t know what to do. There are rows and rows of bags, but what are they for? What should you do?
But if you’re not using heavy bags for your workouts you’re missing out on a huge part of Muay Thai. Not only is it a great way to workout, it improves your strength, your technique and more.
First though you need a plan. This article covers why you should use the heavy bag, how to structure your heavy bag work outs, and a few common mistakes.
Why Use Your Heavy Bag For Muay Thai
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Every gym has them so there must be a reason. The logic of heavybag use is strong. They are always there for the athlete. When the trainer can’t work directly with the athlete the heavy bag is there. When the fighter doesn’t have sparring partners, the heavy bag is there. When the boxer wants to work out by themselves the heavy bag is there.
Along with being ever present the heavy bag is great for conditioning. The boxer can adjust their speed and power. By ramping up the intensity they can build their gas tank for the late rounds in the fight.
The heavy bag also builds power. Athletes don’t need to hold back on their power. They can consistently hit with 200%. This means that the boxer, you, will be able to see how much damage you can really do. The heavy bag also doesn’t hit back. There are no repurcussions to hitting hard.
Lastly the heavy bag helps reinforce habit. It helps you drill the attack patterns you want into your body. The boxer can constantly reinforce their defense, their power hooks, the devastating leg kicks over and over with the heavy bag.
The heavy bag doesn’t replace pad work or sparring but it’s an essential part of Muay Thai routine.
Getting Started With Your Heavy Bag Work Out
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Getting going with the heavy bag is easy. All you need is wraps, a pair of gloves, a heavy bag and a timer. Every gym has these.
The handwraps help protect your hand. They stabilize your wrist when hitting hard. The gloves help you attack without damage. The heavy bag is what you attack and the timer keeps track of your activity.
But most of all you’ll need to come with a plan.
Going to the heavy bag without a plan is pointless. It becomes mindless bashing. Elite fighters don’t do that and neither should you. If there is no structure so there is no learning.
We can help you though.
The 5 Step Heavy Bag Work Out Plan
Now it’s time to attack the bag, literally. Set the timer to 3 minutes with a thirty second break and work the bag. This simple system saves you from making up plans yourself, plus ensures you are getting the most bang for your buck.
Round 1: Work The Basics
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In the very first round you should go with simple attacks. Use your jab cross. Attack with one shot at a time. If you want to get complicated go for simple two shot combinations. The goal here is to warm your body and to make sure you are instilling great basic foundation.
Round 2: Work Defense
Muay Thai fights hurt, but you can prevent that with superior defense. In this round start and or end every combination with a simple defensive movement. Use your block, parries, slips, and dodges to start of end your combinations. A great classic is to practice blocking and then kicking the bag. This practices a fundamental of Muay Thai. Many fighters kick you and then the response is to block and kick back. This scores for the judges. If you have this as a muscle memory you’ll be a step above your competition.
Round 3: Work Combinations
(In this Photo: Fairtex BGV1 Nation Gloves)
Now is the time to add up the attacks. Simple one two shots are good for the basics, but you’re not a basic athlete. Athletes that can add up their attacks end up scoring more and more often. Using combination attacks of 3-4 lined up shots will score. For example use:
Jab-Cross-Hook-Body Kick
Jab-Jab-Push Kick
Cross-Hook-Cross-Body Kick
Jab-Jab-Inside Leg Kick-Body Kick
Round 4: Target Your Attacks
Understanding when the opponent is damaged is crucial in the fight. This means that you should focus on the hurt. By attacking the leg when it’s injured you’ll get to deal more pain. When you hit the body when the opponent is tired you’ll get a chance to see them double over. When you land the hard hook when your foe drops their guard you’ll get the KO.
So practice this. Imagine your opponent has a weak point, then hammer away. Don’t stop until the bell rings. That’s what winning fighters do.
Round 5: Work Close Range
Muay Thai uses a variety of distances. There is long range, there is medium range and close range. Long range is the teep and body kick. Medium range is the punches. Close range is elbows and knees. Without elbows and clinching there is no Muay Thai. This important area of Muay Thai is often ignored by Western Gyms. So make it a point to make this your strong point. Work your elbows and knees on the bag. Grip onto the bag and land power knees. Imagine swimming with your arms and striking with cutting elbows.
Common Mistakes For Beginners
Just like anything there are mistakes in the game. You can avoid them though by being aware of them.
Common heavy bag mistakes include:
Not varying the distance. Your opponent will move. So should you. Not only that but if you always stand within punching and kicking range you’ll never understand how to develop and close the distance on opponents.
Throwing without intention. Muay Thai is a game of bad intentions. If you pitter patter on the bag, you’ll hit soft in the fit. One of the great things about heavy bags is that you can go full throttle. So put the pedal to the medal and pick up your speed and power on the bag.
Hitting for power only. The flip side of that is not working your technique. If you just hit as hard as you can you are missing the point. Without technique there is no power, there is no accuracy. So much sure you are striking the bag in the right place at the right time.
Conclusion
Using the bag is a skill. It doesn’t happen easily but you can make it easier with a plan and structure. If you want to add more you can add more rounds, add an increased amount of intensity to each round, or you can video yourself hitting the bag. This will help you perfect your form.
The heavy bag is where champions get better at the boring stuff. It’s where they perfect their basics, their defense, their combinations, targeting their shots and their ability to deal with range.
Consistency is what matters at the end of the day. Consistency of strikes and consistency of training.
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Author: Matt Lucas
