Heavy bag, Training -

Fitness and Training Heavy bag: Grappling/Fitness Workout

When you’re training for the dynamic, full-body, non-stop movement of a fight, you know you can’t skip cardio. Cardiovascular health and endurance will have you fighting at your best even in the last round. It gives you the advantage over your opponent when they’re losing strength at the end of a fight.

In striking arts, be prepared for full-body exhaustion as you maneuver the ring defending blows and counterpunching. Cardio is also needed to fight of your back, too. People think that grappling is easier because you’re lying on the ground, but it’s one of the most physically taxing activities.

I like my workouts for fight training to be done in circuits. With circuit training, I’ll perform 4 to 6 different exercises for 30 seconds each with no rest in between until I hit 3 minutes or the length of the rounds that I’m training for. Here’s an exact workout I do with the MaxxMMA Training and Fitness Grappling bag for a full body ass kicking.

Over the shoulder throws are a great core workout that also works back, legs, hips, shoulders, and forearms. 

Side to side jumps are a cardio exercise targeting the core and calf muscles.

Elevated mountain climbers are another cardio exercise for the core and shoulders.

Dips target the triceps. Doing them on the bag will activate the forearms and core in order to maintain balance and form.

Alternating leveled push-ups are an advanced pushup exercise that’s great for the chest, triceps, back, and shoulders.

Speed step ups increase your heart rate with cardio while working the core, glutes, calves.

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds and transition from one workout to the next as quickly as possible. If I’m training for 3-minute rounds, I’ll repeat this circuit twice, then take a minute break, and start again. I usually do this workout 3 times for a 20-minute workout.