How Long Should a Beginner Use a Punching Bag?

By Kasim Javed Boxing Equipment, Punchbags

Punching Bags can be an important part of training for boxers. If you are a new boxer though you may find yourself slightly overwhelmed by all the choices you need to make from gloves to punch bag to how long you should train it can be confusing.

We hope that in this article we can at least answer how long you should be using your punch bag as a beginner and give you a little extra advice as well.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Punching Bag?

As we have said there are many physical and mental health benefits to using a punching bag but what exactly are they?

Cardiovascular Health: Punching a bag is a high-intensity workout that can improve your cardiovascular health by increasing your heart rate and blood flow.
Burn Fat: Using a punching bag can burn fat in a lot of excellent ways, and this is something that adds to the amazing health benefits associated with it.
Muscle Tone: Punching bags can help tone your muscles, especially your arms, shoulders, and core.
Stress Relief: Punching bags are a great way to relieve stress and tension. Hitting the bag can help release endorphins, which can improve your mood and reduce stress.
Coordination and Balance: Punching bags can improve your coordination and balance by requiring you to move quickly and maintain your balance.
Self-Defence Skills: Punching bags can help improve your self-defence skills by allowing you to practise punches, kicks, and other techniques in a safe and controlled environment.

Types of Punching Bags

There are a few different types of punching bags and they all have their own benefits. Choosing the correct one is important especially s a beginner. The most common types of punching bags are the following:

Body Bags are accurately named as they most resemble a human body in appearance and are used for improving the accuracy of shots
Freestanding Bags are great for cardio as they’re large, heavy bags that allow for powerful strikes
Wrecking Bags are shorter hanging bags that are great for improving footwork and agility as you need to manoeuvre the swinging ball
Speedballs, or speed bags, are great for endurance too, but also help quicken shots and improve hand-eye coordination
Straight Bags, also known as heavy bags, are large hanging bags that are great for increasing powerful punches and kicks, as well as improving endurance.

What Is the Best Punching Bag to Buy for Beginners?

When you are choosing what punching bag you want as a beginner it is vital that you do not opt for something too heavy or difficult for you first. Do not make yourself want to quit just as you are getting started.

A straight heavy punching bag is believed to be one of the best for a beginner. It is an excellent choice if you want to improve your footwork, hand-eye coordination, boxing technique and become more cardiovascularly fit and agile. On top of this, they are a great tool for getting stronger, developing your power and if nothing else it is a fantastic form of stress relief.

Another great choice for a beginner can be water-filled bags. Using a bag filled with water can be beneficial for a couple of reasons.

Firstly they provide a good amount of resistance and are less solid than sand so should be easier for beginners. Sand is more comfortable but you should build up to this so that you can challenge yourself.

Take a look at our punching bags for an idea of prices.

What Size Punching Bag is Best for Beginners

As a beginner, it can feel like there are so many different things to think about when choosing a punching bag. One of these things is size.

First of all, depending on whether you are going to just be punching or kicking too as you will need a longer bag for kicks. Generally for adults the best size to go with when you are just starting out is a 1 metre (3 feet) bag unless you are kicking then it should be over 1.2 metres.

Weight is also an important factor to consider when deciding what punching bag to go with. If a bag is more than half your body weight, as a general rule, you should not be using it. It could potentially cause you to have pain in your hands and/or wrists as there is too much resistance.

If you want to know about punch bags for kids have a look at our blog article ‘What is the best punch bag for kids?’

Always take it slowly when you are trying something new and be careful.

Now, how long should a beginner use a punching bag?

The following is a workout that is specially designed for beginners. It will tell you exactly how long you should be training for.

A Great Boxing Workout for Beginners

Whether you’re new to the world of boxing or just starting to get fit and are looking for a fun way to lose weight there are a number of ways you can introduce a punch bag routine into a workout so you can burn fat and tone up. The best advice for beginners in any sport is to take your time and move at your own pace. There’s no point starting out at a high intensity and waking up the next day without being able to move as this could put you off ever exercising again.

To get a good technique and work out your whole body, you should start slowly, practising different shots until you get the movement right and then you can start to increase your power. Create combinations of jabs, hooks, uppercuts, and kicks if you want, to learn boxing skills and improve your coordination and balance. Use a good pair of boxing gloves to protect your hands and increase the power of your punch – believe it or not, boxing gloves help you hit harder.

Generally, a good tip would be to mirror a real boxing match in your routine: hit the punch bag for 3 minutes, take a 1-minute break and repeat for 12 rounds. Depending on your intensity, this is like a HIIT workout.

If you want to build muscle as well, you can also try a training circuit, with 30-45 seconds on the punch bag, doing push-ups or crunches, among other exercises, and 15-30 seconds resting, for a total of around 20 minutes. This will provide the right force to build muscle as well as incorporate some cardio exercises for an intense, full-body workout that will strengthen and tone your muscles and get you in great shape.

How frequently should you be boxing?

The NHS says that between the ages of 19 and 64, we should spend around 150 minutes doing exercise each week. This equates to around 20 minutes a day or even 30 minutes for 5 days with 2 rest days.

Boxing is a more intense form of exercise so for beginners we recommend going for about 1-0 minutes at first and working up to 20-30 minutes as you become more and more advanced.

Sports Maxx

We hope we have provided the answers to your question ‘How long should a beginner use a punching bag?’

A family-run business established in 2000, Sports Maxx is the UK’s top boxing equipment supplier. Find out more about Sports Maxx by visiting our website here.

Have a look at our collections such as quality punch bags, professional grappling dummies and junior punch bags.

We sell a variety of products for your training needs, from adult punch bags, boxing gloves and hand wraps, to Speedballs and protective gear.

Follow Sports Maxx on Facebook and Instagram.

Read more articles on our blog here such as; ‘Do Punching Bags Make You Hit Harder?’ and ‘Should I Wear Gloves for Punching Bag?’