Hitting a speed bag is one of the most fun forms of exercise out there, and as far as value for time, it’s one of your best options. Once you’ve learned how to hit a speed bag, and got your technique down, what then? Should you do sets of 100 punches? Should you do 30 mins?
Hitting the speed bag for as little as 5 minutes, 3 times a week will benefit you in a number of ways. It will improve your accuracy, speed and rhythm. After a few weeks, this may even tone your arms up somewhat. But to really maximize the results you may need more volume. You may also need to vary the speed and intensity to achieve your desired goals. When the right approach is taken, the speed bag can increase your speed, accuracy and stamina, while providing a muscle building, fat burning and even cardiovascular workout. You’ll just need to adjust a few variables.
There are obviously a ton of rewards for speed bag training, so before deciding how long you need to train, you need to ask yourself…
What do you want to accomplish with the speed bag?
When trying to determine how long you should hit the speed bag for, you need to ask yourself a question. What is the main purpose of your speed bag training?
Do you want to get faster? Are you looking to get more accurate with your punches? Maybe you’re not all that interested in the technical skills you can develop with the speed bag and just want to lose a bit of fat, build a little muscle, or just have a fun workout.
Whichever of these is your goal will lead to a slightly different answer. But ultimately, if you hit the speed bag for 10-15 mins, at least twice per week, will help you achieve most of these goals.
How long should you hit the speed bag to get faster?
As the name implies, the primary focus of the speed bag is to improve boxers’ speed. So it is an extraordinarily good tool for this purpose.
In order to focus on speed, you should hit the bag as fast as possible for short bursts of 1-2 mins. Perform 3-4 of these sets, 4-5 times per week to see your speed rocket up!
Remember to go as fast as you can while maintaining good form. This is basically a sprint for your upper body. The more often you do it, the faster you’ll get, but you still need to give your hands and wrists a couple of days rest each week.
How long should you hit the speed bag to increase accuracy?
For boxers, and MMA fighters, this is one of the greatest benefits of the speed bag. It is a fantastic tool for evening out imbalances between your right and left, and giving you the skill and confidence to hit your target with every punch.
Accuracy will be a welcome side effect of any type of speed bag training. Striking the bag in precisely the right spot is essential to hitting the bag steadily. So any amount of speed bag training will help accomplish this goal. If this is your only goal, then 5-10 mins a day, most days, will certainly get you there quickly.
Be sure to spend an equal amount of time on each hand. If you are particularly one-side dominant, you may want to even do a little more on your weaker side to catch up and take care of any imbalance early on.
How long should you hit the speed bag to improve stamina?
This is the one area in which you will need to put in more time on the speed bag. The best way to build stamina in any given pursuit is to do it for as long as you can.
To increase your stamina on the speed bag you will definitely want to do at least 5 minutes sets. These will get longer as your stamina improves.
4 to 5 sets of 5+ minutes will be sufficient, three or four times per week. Or three sets where you hit the speed bag until you can no longer hit it with good form. Performed several times a week either of these formats would greatly increase stamina.
Remember, if you want to go the distance, you’ll need to put in the time. There’s no shortcut to great stamina. So expect to hit the bag for longer if this is your goal.
How long should you hit the speed bag to lose fat?
First things first, obviously your diet needs to be in check to lose weight. We all know this. That being said, the right exercise can definitely accelerate this by expending energy (calories).
To lose fat, you’ll need to use up more calories than you consume.
When you hit the speed bag, you will burn a significant amount of calories, but not all that many when compared to other forms of cardio. So it may not be as effective as running even if you hit the speed bag for an equal amount of time.
However, the speed bag is a lot more fun (and way cooler). So I’d prefer to do my fat-burning exercise on the speed bag, even if doing this is a bit unorthodox.
The point is, you’ll need longer sessions if this is your primary goal for speed bag training. 30 mins total, 3 days a week or more will do the trick – again, if you are eating at or below maintenance caloric intake.
Not accounting for EPOC, (Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) which will extend your enhanced rate of calories burned, you will burn approximately 1000-1500 calories extra per week with 3 x 30 minute sessions. This exact number will depend on the level of intensity with which you hit the bag, and your size and weight.
This will add up to significant fat loss over time, and you’ll also be getting faster, stronger, and more accurate, while also improving rhythm.
How long should you hit the speed bag to build muscle?
Hitting the speed bag can actually be a pretty effective muscle builder. You won’t turn into a bodybuilder, but an otherwise untrained individual will definitely see some muscle gain in the arms and shoulders from regular speed bag use.
You will need to strike the bag quite hard, which means that the speed will also be increased. Training for muscle will take a similar approach to training for speed. Although it will not be necessary to go as fast as possible, you will need to strike with some force. You need to really squeeze and contract the involved muscles with every punch. So speed bag training to build muscle will require a great deal of focus to get the most out of it.
As far as the actual amount of time needed to build this muscle? 1 hour total per week will do the trick for most people, quite possibly even less, as long as you focus and train hard. Split it into 4 x 15 minute workouts or 3 x 20 minute workouts. The most important thing is to keep the intensity as high as possible. So focus on short, intense sets. You can take a little longer breaks in between sets if you need to in order to keep your level of performance high. Try to keep them under 3 minutes though, or else 15 minutes of speed bag training could take an hour!
How long should you hit the speed bag for cardio?
It is impractical to attempt to do long, continuous speed bag sets. It just won’t work. Your arms are not built for long sessions of exertion like your legs are. Try to hit a speed bag for 20 mins and you’ll find after 5 mins your shoulders will burn so badly you’ll barely be able to hold your hands up. Your form will be terrible, and the benefit will be little or nothing.
Because of this, it is a smarter approach to aim to keep your heart rate elevated for a longer duration, but by using interval training. Try 10-20 one minute sets, with 30-60 secs rest in between. This will help you train your heart and lungs by keeping your heart rate in the cardio zone.
Alternatively you can hit the bag slower for a longer, continuous duration. However this is sub-optimal because you’ll burn calories at a slower rate, and won’t improve your strength or speed. You’ll need to monitor your heart rate to be sure to find the right speed where it is challenging enough but sustainable for a long time period. Keep it in the 70-85% of your max heart rate for cardiovascular benefits.
I just want a fun workout!
If you just want to have a workout that is fun, (and looks cool if other people see you do it), the speed bag is an excellent choice. Compared to a treadmill or stationary bike, it’s like a funfair!
If your only aim is to get a general workout and have some fun, then your only parameters are the ones you set. So try whatever amount you are comfortable with and work on your technique. You could try a variety not the above strategies. I would start with 3 x 2 minute sets, 3 times a week, and go from there.
You’ll learn a cool new skill, while making yourself a more formidable force and gaining greater confidence.
What’s the least amount I can train with the speed bag and see results?
Even if you only hit the speed bag for 2 or 3 one minute sets, a few times a week, you would start to see some results in a few weeks. This is not to say that this tiny amount of exercise will turn you into a fitness model, but it will strengthen and tone your arms and shoulders, and help you improve your speed, coordination, accuracy, and rhythm.
Really, any amount of speed bag training will help achieve the skill-related results, but if you want any noticeable effects on your body composition and appearance, expect to put in a lot more time than that!
What’s the most I should hit the speed bag?
Even if we assume that you wrap your wrists, and maybe wear gloves, your hands and wrists will start to get tender and show signs of wear and tear if you hit the speed bag too much. At first, it won’t take much for your hands to hurt, but with time they will toughen up. Still, any time your hands start to hurt, take a few days off to allow them to recover.
Most people will be fine with as much as 30 mins, 5 times a week (this is a lot), but if you experience any discomfort, back off for a while. Remember, it is very important to take good care of your hands. Speed bag training should never be painful.
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The truth is, speed bag training can help you reach many fitness goals. Not least of which is building muscle, assuming you’re not already super jacked. Your triceps, deltoids and biceps will get a thorough workout. Burning fat and building speed, rhythm and coordination while doing light cardio are some others. Hitting a speed bag is in many ways largely anaerobic and is very challenging. So when your training is designed to grow progressively harder, you will get stronger and build muscle.
Does The Speed Bag Tone Your Arms?
The speed bag can be used to perform cardio and build muscle. But can it help tone and strengthen your arms? Yes it will definitely help you tone up, and put a little muscle on your triceps, biceps, and even forearms. Other muscles are involved, like the shoulders, but the arms do most of the work. So if you want to get sculpted looking arms, speed bag training is a great choice!
