Heavy Bag/Training Split?

[cmkneeland]

Want to start a strength and conditioning program with some heavy bag work. How many days off would you recommend between heavy bag days. What are some good weight trainging splits that have the heavy bag worked into it? Thanks guys

[Youngblood]

Heavy bag work I wouldn't worry so much about days off from. It is more cardio then anything and getting used to and practicing throwing. I think it can be good also to work on if done properly, as in say practicing moving from lower body shots to upper shots in combos. Lateral movement etc.

Now weight training, that is a whole different deal. It really depends on what and how you are lifting. But recovery is very important, plus what you are eating before and after...stretching etc.

In short...don't overdue the weights especially if starting out. The heavy bag...I wouldn't worry so much...just make sure you have your hands wrapped up correctly.

[Sharla]

Actually i wouldn't be against taking a day off of the bag occasionally.

Depending on what type of bag you have you can still feel a bit of an impact on your own body when you hit it. When my back was playing up bag work was torture for me.

I think that is even more applicable to situations where your technique isn't perfect either due to experience or already having a few tight points etc upset your ability to move.

Do you feel like you get soreness after doing bag work?

With any type of training I'd try to rate how long it takes for you to recover and do other types of training or have a day off in between.

Youngblood would be well conditioned by now and is young enough to have relatively few old injuries hopefully.

However the rest of us may need to judge it by how we're feeling and make up our individual programs based on that. Possibly we'd start with three heavy bag sessions a week and then build up maybe.

Why don't you put one together and record it here for a week with how you feel the next day etc and then you might get some more feedback?

Any information about you can include about your experience and what sort of stuff you've already been doing might help too.

[RDJ]

If you've been working the bag for years you don't really need recovery days, but I just switched to a very hard and heavy bag, and it's killing me again, it's great. If you just start out on the bag, or just switched to a heavier one, I think one rest day in between your sessions would not hurt. It all depends how your muscles feel, and no one can feel that for you. It's up to you.

[Scrap]

Lots of Big Heavy Bag, Lots of Elbow Problems

[RDJ]

Lots of Big Heavy Bag, Lots of Elbow Problems

I am finding that out as we speak. I wouldn't call it a problem yet, but my elbows do feel a little bit sore, and so are my collarbones. I'm going back to the lighter bag and use the heavy one once a week or so.