Boxing is a sport that requires a lot of agility, finesse, power, and endurance, but does punching bag build muscle mass and strength? Developing these strengths is pertinent for success in this brutal sport. An immensely muscular upper body is very important as it helps in developing good form, a firm stance, and a better reach. Boxers revert to various techniques to develop these essential features.
We often see boxers putting long hours punching a bag and it is simple for anyone to get started boxing from home with a punching bag. But does punching bag build muscle mass?
We will try to find the answer in the next few minutes, especially for persons who have incorporated this training in their daily routine this late in life as I have done.
Content Preview
Physics behind Developing sturdy Frame:
The professional Boxers have a robust built, at least most of them have particularly when they step into the ring. But that figure doesn’t come on its own. It requires hours of hard training and mental sacrifices to finally get into that shape. A punching bag is a sport-specific component of a boxer’s training regimen.
Also popular as a heavy bag among the boxing fraternity, it is a classic and effective training tool for boxers. This tried and tested piece of equipment has shaped many champions in the ring and continues persistently to be an effective piece in a professional boxer’s workout routine.
The most obvious benefit of punching a bag is a chance to practice punches and kicks. Moreover, it also carries a variety of other advantages that you may be unaware of.
Along with providing a testing platform for punches and kicks, it can also be effective for technique, increasing power and strength, building better balance and coordination, and reducing stress. For these reasons, punching a bag can be very effective, not just for pros, but also for anyone looking to improve their physical fitness.
Developing Muscle Mass w/ a Punching Bag:
Gaining muscle is a milestone for many boxers, at least for the heavyweights.
But does punching bag build muscle mass and is it productive for developing the essential muscle mass?
While boxing trainers emphasize heavy punching bags, it is not the ideal way of gaining significant muscle. Heavy bag workouts have many benefits, such as help to improve technique, provide strength training for power, build better balance and coordination, and even reduce stress.
One of the most apparent benefits of hitting the heavy bag is that it improves your craft and boxing style.
While a simple boxing workout at home can be important for muscle stress, they’re not particularly involved in creating the necessary tension in the muscles which is pertinent for muscle growth. There is wide speculation about whether punching bags are important for building muscle mass or not.
Building muscle mass requires high levels of mechanical tension and metabolic stress. Mechanical tension is generated with high forces whenever a muscle undergoes a stretch. This means lifting heavy loads is important.
While punching a bag may provide a high level of resistance as it stops your punch, it creates little to no change in muscle length. It may be efficient in helping you to develop an upright stance, learn how to properly hit a punching bag and promoting general health, but developing muscle mass is not what you ideally develop through punching a bag.
So you have to inculcate light weight-lifting drills in your daily training routine to make significant inroads for the desired purpose.
Muscles involved in Punching a Heavy Bag:
Punching a bag is a full-body workout. The most-worked muscles will be your arms, shoulders, chest, back, core, and even your legs. The physical involvement can be even enhanced if you can significantly work your legs while punching.
Your legs will be from where most of the power is generated. Even the most experienced boxers have the greatest contributions coming from their body’s lower half. Safe to say, almost every muscle will be worked when hitting a punching bag.
You might get a lot fitter if you get this workout in your sessions as it helps in honing those boxing skills, ultimately making you a lot stronger.
Punching a Heavy Bag improves your Core Body Strength:
While many boxing athletes use a heavy bag workout for developing agility and muscle, science says the other way. Many trainers keep punching bags as the core of their workouts, but is it really important for gaining muscle?
You may get that burning sensation while punching a bag, but it won’t help you to build significant muscle mass. Simply because there is not enough tension to induce that muscle growth that you are after. You might get fitter and stronger, so it can be one interpretation of the ‘building muscle’ but the fact is it has actually enhanced your overall core body strength rather than just bulking up.
Does Punch Bag Build your Bicep Muscle?
Punching a bag won’t help you build beef up those biceps of yours. Simply because biceps are responsible for elbow flexion. So the only flexion which occurs while punching a bag is when holding the hands in the guard position and snapping back a punch after hitting the bag.
There is not sufficient mechanical tension in these positions which is required for building muscle. So hitting a punching bag is not the ideal way of building muscle least to say. However, punching a bag helps hone boxing skills. It is important for the development of agility, fitness, and endurance.
Punching Bag Workout for Cardio:
Gaining muscle might be a far-off thing with punching bags. But one thing is for certain, punching a bag may give you some clean pecs. Punching a bag involves a high cardiovascular activity which is necessary for burning some fat and a punching bag workout for weight loss can be very effective.
Cardiovascular activity involves several large muscles, but it varies from strength training. With cardio, you move repetitively for an extended period. This is done in the absence of heavy resistance. With strength training, you lift weights through a series of repetitions for a short amount of time, which leads to muscle gain. Using a punching bag is a form of cardio so it does not cause a large amount of muscle growth.
Many of us have seen those videos of Mike Tyson, Anthony Joshua, and many more champions throwing the kitchen sink at those punching bags. But those training drills emphasized Agility, finesse, and coordination, rather than building muscle mass which most of the audience thinks. Even without a punching bag, you can quickly start to see gains in speed and cardio with a shadow boxing workout at home.
There is no doubt that punching a bag is an important part of every boxer’s workout, and it helps them develop those necessary skills to gain the key advantage over their opponent in the ring.
Buying and Setting up a Punching Bag
- Start by choosing which the best punching bag for home
- Learn how to hang a punching bag or buy a freestanding punching bag
- Start slowly and build your way up
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter if you want to be like the best Mexican boxer of all time or just looking for a hobby, boxing from home is fun way to workout -> even if it is not effective at building muscle mass!