Boxing is a brilliant way to get in shape, and if you’ve invested in a punching bag for your home in the last year then congratulations – you’ve made a shrewd investment. It’s one of the most effective bits of kit you can buy for your home workouts.
If you don’t already have a bag, check out our round-up for a few options. In there you’ll see some advice from former pro boxer and Pure Brand Nutrition ambassador Tony Bellew about how to pick a bag. We also asked Bellew for a home bag workout that beginners could try, and he obliged with the session below.
Before you dive into the workout, however, here’s some key advice from Bellew on how to start boxing in a safe and enjoyable manner.
“I would say the most important thing is the way you punch so you don’t hurt your hands,” says Bellew. “A lot of people make contact with the bag with the outside of their hand, the last two fingers, and they end up breaking those bones – it’s known as a “boxer’s break”. You should land with the first two knuckles on your hand – the bigger two knuckles. That way you’re not going to get any fractures or breaks. Unless you’re punching ridiculously hard!
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“Take your time and enjoy it. With boxing workouts you’re going to burn so many calories just with the energy of punching that you’ll be surprised at how hard it is. I’ve seen professional footballers on a punch bag and they’re absolutely exhausted after 60 seconds.”
Boxing Workout For Beginners
The workout is a ladder routine, where you start by going down the ladder and then come back up.
“Do 10 punches, then nine, eight, seven,” says Bellew, “taking little two- to three-second breaks in between. Go all the way down to one, and as you decrease the amount of punches the punches should get harder. At 10 it’s light and fast, then you get slower and a little bit harder. When you get to three punches they should be heavy, hard punches.
“Then have a 10- to 30-second break and come back up the ladder. Start at one hard punch, two hard punches, three hard, four slightly quicker, five quicker again and so on. If you can get through that routine three times, believe you me, you’ll know you’ve done a bit of work.”
