The Ultimate 15 Minute Workout

Exercise. The word alone brings a feeling of dread to millions of people worldwide who know they should do it but who just can’t stand it. I’m one of those people. I don’t like walking (that’s why I have a car), I don’t like jogging (same reason), and I don’t like jumping around like a banshee doing all kinds of crazy calisthenics (it’s just too dumb for words). At the same time, if you want to burn fat, you need to burn calories. So what do you do? You beat the hell out of a punching bag, that’s what. In 15 minutes or so you’ll work just about every muscle in your body plus you’ll get your heart pumping like you won’t believe. This is an awesome workout.

You can buy a nice bag for around $100 and hang it from a rafter in the garage or in your basement. You can also buy racks to hang them from but that will cost you a bit more. The brand doesn’t matter so much but the size does. A big guy will want a big bag and a small woman will be able to use a smaller bag. (Ask for guidance at the store.)

Next you’ll want some gloves. The little thin gloves often suggested for bag work are really inadequate. They don’t pad your hands very well and they aren’t heavy enough to make your arms have to work. I use 16 ounce gloves and they are perfect for me. Mine have Velcro so they are easy to take on and off without help making them perfect for punching bag use. You can get good gloves for $50 or less.

Some experts suggest that you wrap your wrists. Some say otherwise. I tried them once and I didn’t care for them so I go without but I am careful about how I hit the bag. If you have weak wrists or just want to be extra safe, go ahead and use the wraps. They are very inexpensive and you can buy them at the same time you buy your bag and gloves.

Now for the fun part, hitting your bag. When you first start out, go slow. This is very important. You need to learn how to hit the bag dead on so that you don’t hurt your wrists. You also need to learn how to control the intensity of your workout because it can get out of hand in a hurry. You don’t want to kill yourself, you just want to get the blood pumping and the sweat flowing.

Be sure to break your workout into rounds. To warm up, I usually do one round hitting the bag with just my left hand for 50 punches then one round of just my right for 50 more. After that I do three rounds of about three minutes each using a combination of jabs, hooks, uppercuts, etc. During the last round, I go all out for a solid minute and by the end of that minute I’m ready to drop dead. You will be too.

Since this is a high-intensity workout, your body will need a little time to recover between sessions. You should probably only work out on your bag every other day or so. It’s tempting to do it more often but your body will quickly let you know that you are overdoing it and you risk injuring yourself, especially your hands and wrists.

Proper technique is important so if this is all new to you, there are videos on YouTube that can help you out. TitleBoxing.com has an excellent video entitled “How to Hit the Heavy Bag” for only $9.99.

Once you get into the groove of your new workout routine, you’ll notice that you are getting better and stronger every time you do it. In no time at all, you’ll see fat melt away, muscles come to life, and perhaps most importantly of all, your confidence and self-esteem will improve almost overnight. Give it a shot, you’ll never look back.