Expert: Alan Kahn - 3/15/2004

Question
hi Alan

i am interested into getting started on some boxing training in my garage i have a bag set up,
and would like to know from you some suggested combonations,to get me started.

i guess some warm up combo's into full combinations to really get me heaving at the end of a session.

i have a passion for boxing and punching techniques, at the moment i am riding motocross and feel this will be a brilliant cross trainer and also a handy skill.

look forward to your reply.  

Answer
Hi Brendan,

I too have a speed bag in my garage. Boy summertime in Texas makes for some hot workouts. The speed bag should be an excellent cross training exercise for you.  

Without knowing your skill level, it would be hard to create a specific workout for you. There are 24 individual techniques that use the fists and elbows from all around the bag. Your understanding of these and the main rhythmic variations created by punching the bag from all sides would determine how you can workout on it.  I must assume you are a beginner and can hit it repetitively from the front.

Basically you can punch from the front and use 3 or 5 rebounds inbetween each punch.  It has to be an odd number when your next punch comes from the same side as the last punch.  If your next punch comes from the opposite side of the bag ( ie...punch from the front, pass fist through and punch from the bag of the bag.) it has to be an even number of rebouunds, 2 or 4. This is due to the angle of the bag being hit.

Think of the bag having three speeds. (1) Warm Up Speed (2) training speed and (3) full speed. Warm up is just that. Hit slowly and loosen up the shoulders and elbows. Training speed is the 'normal" punching speed you can hit at with good control. you can keep the bag going for 3-6 minutes pretty well without missing too many times ( we all miss occassionally!) and Full speed is really crankin' the bag, but you are just at the edge of control. You will miss more here and don't keep it going as long as training speed. You can move from training speed to full speed, back and forth to push yourself at full speed and than rest a little at normal speed.

Combinations on the bag are created by mixing techniques together. Again, there are 24 techniques. Four fist technqiques from the front are: The Front Circle Punch, Front Straight Punch, Front Double Punch and Front Fist Rolling. From Behind there are three reverse punches: The Reverse Single Punch, Reverse Double Punch, Reverse Fist Rolling. These seven techniques open up hundreds of combinations. I cannot hope to explain all of those here and wrote the Speed Bag Bible training program to outline how all of this is done. I would refer you to that for a more detailed understanding. It is similiar to you teaching me motorcross by typing it all. It would be very difficult to get me past the very beginning information.


Here are some other sources for you to use. this is an article I wrote for RossBoxing.com

http://www.rossboxing.com/thegym/thegym20.htm


Here is an article I wrote for enabled online, and I refer you to that to see the pictures, of how the speed bag can be joined with other equipment. It might be something you would like to try.

http://enabledonline.com/BackIssues/February2001/health2.html

Here are a few listings to The Speed Bag Bible Book and videotapes.

Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0964182769/104-4632714-4574343 = Book
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0964182750/104-4632714-4574343 = two hour DVD

complete 4-tape series ( more explicit and more slow motion than single two hour video )

http://www.ringside.com/store/prodinfo.asp?number=SBV%20S&variation=&aitem=14&mi...

Good luck and train safely.  Also, good luck in your motorcross training career. Hope to see you on ESPN someday!

don't hesitate to ask again if you feel I can help.

sincerely,

Alan Kahn
author, The Speed Bag Bible