so my dad got me a speed bag for christmas and i was wondering what exactly does a speed bag help with? and what are some good routines for it, like heavy bags 101,?
THey are to help with shoulder strength(keeping the hands up) they also help with timing. As for routines you should actually get some proper instruction so you can leran the proper tech otherwise you would be just swinging wildley
I have the hardest time working the speed bag. I just can't seem to get the timing down. I don't have one at home. There's one at the studio I train at, so it's not like I can practice whenever I want. I guess I should spring for one at the house.
I have a confession to make. As long as I've been involved in combat sports, I have never had much use for or much purpose in the speed bag, from either side of the coach/fighter fence. In my head, I know what it's supposed to be for, but in my gut, I've always felt it was a waste of time.
I agree with doughbelly, I have been training boxing for 1.5 years. I see guys at the gym who use the speedbag constantly. Then they move to a heavy bag and look like retards punching it. Not only do they severely lack in power, but their footwork and timing sucks. I feel a speed bag is a complete waste of time. I have never had any issues holding my hands up and i'm outstanding at the heavy bag. I have great power, speed, and timing. My routine revolves around shadowboxing and heavy bag. sometimes i do use the speed bag just for the hell of it but i really don't get the point.
As I mentioned before in a few posts up, I feel the typical responses (excuses) for what the speed bag is for are bogus. Hand speed, hand-eye coordination and keeping your hands up are all better and more effectively trained for with the rest of the boxing training regimen. I feel the only thing spending time on the speed bag teaches you how to do is how to hit the speed bag better.
Hand-eye coordination and timing are two benefits of speed bag training, although like someone else said you can get that from the rest of boxing training. The speed bag is just another way of working it, adding variety into your training routine, which is always important. As you get to smaller bag sizes, it tests your accuracy, timing, and coordination. It's challenging and forces you to improve yourself in these areas. The speed bag I have isn't particularly fast, so I leave it slightly less inflated than a normal speed bag. This forces you to hit it harder. Sometimes I'll just spend a week training my jab; shadowboxing with weights, on the heavy bag, on the double end bag, with mixed up footwork, and on the speedbag. Spend a couple rounds of three minutes hitting the speed bag with your left hand only. Your shoulder and tricep BURN, and I swear it improves my jab like nothing else. It strengthens and works the shoulder and tricep, which are the crucial muscles in the jab, seeing as how it's not a power punch. The other way I use it is to try to go as fast as I can with my hands. Instead of letting it bounce three times (strike-bounce-rebound-rebound-strike-bounce-rebound-rebound...), I strike it after the first rebound (strike-bounce-strike-bounce), alternating hands with each bounce. I try to hit it harder, so the bag goes faster, which forces me to make my hands move faster. I'm sure there's another name for them, but I like to call them "Speed Bag burnouts." I'm first trying to go as hard and as fast as I can, and then I try to do it for as long as possible. This, to me, feels almost like I'm just injecting lactic acid into my arms. They turn into rubber in no time.
You know, back when I was actively training and fighting, I felt that the speed bag was something my trainers sent me to do when they felt like taking a break or had to take time with someone else. Then when I was in the trainer/coach's shoes, that's exactly what I started doing. =P
