Heavy Bag Boxing: Repeater Punches

This exercise provided courtesy of Billy Polson, founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Body training gym, voted best personal training gym in San Francisco by CitySearch in 2006.

Benefits
Heavy bag punches are a full body workout; your legs and core need to brace against the movement of your arms and the impact of your punch. Here the fast repeater punches put your shoulders through an intense speed round.

Muscles Worked
Shoulders
Core
Legs

Starting Position
Stand facing a heavy boxing bag with your feet staggered, one slightly in front of the other. Bring the shoulder of the rear foot back, such that you are standing at an angle to the bag. Bend your elbows and bring your fists up to shoulder level in a punching stance (see Photo 1).

Exercise

1. From the starting position, throw power punches into the bag from the rear arm. Try to punch in a quick, consistent rhythm. Pivot through your feet and hips to follow your punch and add extra force, and then immediately pull back to the starting position and punch again. To avoid wrist injury, make sure your wrists are straight as you land your punches (see Photos 2 and 3).
2. After you have finished 15 punches with the first arm, switch your leg and shoulder position and do another 15 with the other arm.