The speed bag is perhaps one of the coolest boxing equipment. It is fantastic to even see when a professional boxer is doing the speed bag training. It is the favorite boxing equipment for both professional and amateur boxers as they can get well-sculpted bodies through its training. It is highly beneficial boxing equipment to boost the hand’s speed and reaction time. Boxers generally train with both smaller and heavier speed bags that rebounds after each hit and absorb the powerful blows. The more effort and energy you put into your best speed bags training, the greater full-body muscular workout you will get. But the real question is what muscles a speed bag works on if it is beneficial for body muscular work-out. The answer lies in the details…[acf field=”faqschema”]
Muscles that Speed Bag Works On
Here are the muscles that speed bag works on and beneficial for them….
1. Arms and Shoulders
Although, when you effectively throw punches, your full-body muscle coordination is doing the job, your arms and shoulders are getting the most out of the workout. They are the most obvious muscles that you work on during a bag session. When you do crosses and jabs, they proved to be an excellent workout for your shoulders. When you do straight punches, it transfers force via punching shoulder rotation. This rotation is controlled by your subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor muscles.
When you do wider punches, like hooks and uppercuts, they rely on the core strength. For these punches, the power is generated through the rotational momentum of the triceps and the biceps muscles. The constant throwing of arm punches using a speed bag is particularly effective for working and toning on the triceps and the biceps.
2. Body Core Muscles
When you train through the best speed bags and the heavy punching bags, they build strength throughout your vertical body. This includes your neck, chest, abs, and everything related to it. When you hit a heavy punching bag, the force is generated primarily from the pectoralis major and minor muscles of your chest and your upper and lower abdominal muscles. When you return your arms to the ready position, this movement is done by your deltoids, lats, and traps. You can throw hooks and body-level punches from different arm angles to vary your workout routine by flexing and extending your abs.
Punching the speed continuously engages your abs and pecs as you try to keep pace with it. This continuous body engagement results in isometric, symmetrical, and muscular training as you extend and flex each muscle group at a constant pace to strike the bag in rhythm. Your neck muscles also gain hugely in this process as continuous punching flexes and extends your omohyoid and sternohyoid muscles.
3. Heart and Lungs
A proper speed bag workout routine can add a huge aerobic benefit to your body. When you train with a heavy bag, it involves certain movements around the bag, proper footwork, and changing body positions while punching. When the rate of movement increases, it adds a cardio dimension to your workout, improving the capacity of your heart and lungs. The longer punching workout you do will transform cardiovascular training to a big extent. Generally, a high-intensity workout for 5 minutes is optimal for maximizing the aerobic benefit.
4. Leg Muscles
A substantial contribution from your legs is required for a proper power-punching technique. Your body rotation and power generation start when you push off from the canvas with your legs and then pivot to transfer rotational force through your core. The initial force generation is done through your calves and quads that are among your strongest leg muscles. When you do strength training while moving around the bag, proper footwork is necessary. In this way, you can engage in defensive boxing movements like ducking and crouching that in turn improve your lower aerobic strength. Your stamina is built by keeping your legs in perpetual motion during bag practice. It is particularly helpful in toning your calves, quads, and hamstrings.
Summing It All Up
Training with a speed bag is indeed greatly advantageous for your whole body. It is not a replacement for weight training but you will see a great improvement in your body muscles after a week or two. The boxers always work on their speed bag skills but it is a definite place in an average person’s life. You need to do it regularly as it can change the way you look and feel.