Will practicing on the heavy bag make you stronger?

[chrisw08]

I was wondering I quite lifting weights if i hit the heavy bag around 1000 times a day if I will become stronger and my muscles grow or is it just technuiqe that builds more power as you master your punches?

[MasterPain]

Both, but for best results, do some strength training.

[HiyaaMartialArts]

Heavy-bag work is definitely necessary. It helps ensure proper structure of body and limbs, while providing resistance, some conditioning and can help with spacing as well.

Power will be a slight by-product of working with a bag but indirectly. Your power will come from proper technique, structure, relaxation, visualization, etc. Power as a by-product comes from not hitting just air - but having resistance; if you hit and you hurt or your hand stops at the surface of the bag with an ungiving thud, then you know it needs work.

[Evil Dave]

As mentioned, both! There is no one training system or piece of equipment that will give you what you need. Plus the human body adapts quickly, so you need to give it some variation in your workout to keep the body challenged.

[bushido_man96]

The most productive way to gain strength is by doing strength training with weights. Working a heavy bag over that much will help some, but at some point, you won't gain any more strength from it.

My advise, lift weights.

[AUTOFIRE]

If you are new to heavy bag training try to have someone watch you at various intervals or videotape yourself. Many pick up bag habits on the bag, loading up on the punches, hunching shoulders, smothering punches and kicks. Its a great tool when used properly.

[Ruben95632]

Heavy bag is good for power. I am pretty skinny for my height. But I incorporated high intensity heavy bag training 85-100% power shots for 1-2 minute rounds into my training and my power went way up and my forearms got super defined, my wrists got stronger too. But you have to make sure you are wearing proper hand protection.

I personally do not think strength = power for punching.

The only muscles I would spend time strengthening for punching power are the lats, obliques, and legs.

Speed + mass = power

technique = power as well

Edited August 24, 2013 by Ruben95632

[sensei8]

Heavy bag is good for power. I am pretty skinny for my height. But I incorporated high intensity heavy bag training 85-100% power shots for 1-2 minute rounds into my training and my power went way up and my forearms got super defined, my wrists got stronger too. But you have to make sure you are wearing proper hand protection.

I personally do not think strength = power for punching.

The only muscles I would spend time strengthening for punching power are the lats, obliques, and legs.

Speed + mass = power technique = power as well

Solid post!!

[Wastelander]

As two completely unrelated martial artists that I know have both said recently--you can't hit things hard if you never hit things! Hitting thing, like the heavy bag, is vital to developing power. In the process, you will certainly strengthen the structure of your strikes, which means you can transfer more energy (power) into a target without the structure (wrist, elbow, shoulder, etc.) collapsing. That does not, however, build full-body strength. You need to be lifting, or at least doing intensive body-weight exercises, in order to really get stronger.

[Harkon72]

One thing it will do is line up your fist when you strike it. If you strike with any power, your fist and wrist and arm, even your body down to your feet must have the correct alignment to transmit force. I cannot imagine how some martial arts clubs can produce any technique at all if they don't test them against an opponent holding a shield or contact pad of some kind or a heavy bag or makiwara. The main advantage of a bag is to see if your technique works at all!