As mentioned in my previous hub, there are both chronic and acute injuries associated with hitting a heavy bag. As we live in a technological world, your hands are ever-so important. Today I will talk about the secrets on how to hit the punch bags. From a pro who knows, you'll reduce your chances of getting injured greatly by reading this.

So the first and most important piece of knowledge you need when hitting the punch bags is to listen to your body. Know when to listen to your body. If you're training very intensely, you must rest between workouts. Else, the chance of injury will be much higher.

When you train, you'll develop power & speed. The speed you'll gain is more about hand-eye coordination. Remember this as your bones and tissues can only handle so much. So when hitting a speed bag, slowly go more intense into it. Let your body adapt.

If you've never watched yourself hit a punching bag, I suggest you do so. Take this example for instance, when you put a boxing bag in front of someone, what do they do. The answer is simple and you probably got it. They go crazy on the bag! People hit with elbows locked! You can not lock your elbows and tighten up. You gotta hit in interval fashion. Striking too many times will hurt your wrists.

When you hit the heavy bag, don't over-do movements. Take things slowly and in a controlled fashion, this is the key to success. Patience is truly virtue when you're training on a heavy bag.

In my opinion, boxing is just like golf. It's not the most power that wins. Technique is more important. So focus on your technique and stop trying to just go crazy on the bag and hit it as hard as you can. Try this for example:

a) hit the bag as hard as you can a few times

b) hit the boxing bag in a controlled fashion a few times

You'll probably notice that the punch bags you're hitting will be swinging more when you hit in a controlled fashion - i.e. more force was output through the controlled method!

Another secret on hitting the punch bags is to not hold your breath. It's a very bad thing to do. It reduces your cardio ability as your lungs require oxygen. Breathe a lot and exhale when you release.

Too often in the gym, I see too many amateurs and even some who have been hitting a heavy bag for months, not punch the bag but push it... thinking of course they are punching the bag. A true punch is one where your arm is full-extended giving you the force from your arms, shoulders, back and chest. Make sure you are far enough from the bag so as not to push it. Punch!

Hope you enjoyed my lens and look forward to my next one.

-Jermaine