Short answer. Warm up for five minutes, then do six 3-minute bag rounds with one minute of rest, giving each round one focus: jab, 1-2, add the hook, body and head, defense, finish. End with five minutes of push-ups, squats and planks. Keep power around 60 to 70 percent and bring your hands back to your face after every combo.
Before you start
- Wrap your hands and wear bag gloves. Skipping wraps is how most wrist and knuckle trouble starts at home. New to wrapping? Follow how to wrap your hands.
- Stand at jab distance. Your jab should land with the arm almost straight, not locked. Most beginners stand too close and smother their punches.
- Learn the numbers coaches call: 1 jab, 2 cross, 3 lead hook, 4 rear hook, 5 lead uppercut, 6 rear uppercut.
Warm-up (5 minutes)
Two minutes of skipping (the jump rope workout for boxing teaches the boxer skip) or skipping in place without a rope, then two easy shadowboxing rounds of 90 seconds. Throw slow 1-2s and keep your feet moving.
The six bag rounds (3 minutes on, 1 minute rest)
| Round | Focus | Combos |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jab and distance | 1, 1-1, step in and jab, step out |
| 2 | Straight punches | 1-2, 1-1-2, 2-1-2 |
| 3 | Add the hook | 1-2-3, 1-2-3-2 |
| 4 | Body and head | 1-2 then 3 to the body; 1-2-3 to the body, 3 to the head |
| 5 | Defense in the combo | 1-2, slip, 2-3-2; 1-2, roll, 3-2 |
| 6 | Finish | Your two best combos, then the last 30 seconds all-out straight punches |
Why one focus per round: without a plan most people throw the same 1-2 for three minutes, are tired by round three and start swinging. One job per round keeps the technique clean. Keep the power around 60 to 70 percent and bring your hands back to your face after every combo.
Three minutes on and one off is the standard fight round, which is why it is the default on most round timers. If three minutes is too much at first, do two-minute rounds: the heavy bag workout for beginners is a shorter plan built that way.
Finisher (5 minutes)
Ten push-ups, fifteen squats and a 30-second plank, twice through. Then stretch your shoulders, hips and calves.
Keep your eyes on the bag
Many workout apps show the combo on the screen, so you end up looking down between punches, which is the opposite of what a coach wants. Three ways around it:
- Memorize two combos per round before you start, or write them on tape on the wall.
- A partner calls the numbers for you.
- An audio coach. FightNome, the app this site is part of, calls each strike with a recorded human voice on the beat of the music (74 to 128 BPM), so the phone stays in your pocket. You can write your own combos strike by strike or switch to reaction mode for random calls.
How often
Two or three times a week is plenty when you are starting. Add a round every week or two instead of adding power. For Muay Thai, the solo Muay Thai plan adds kicks, knees and teeps to the same structure, and how to train boxing combos alone covers drilling the combos themselves.
FAQ
How many rounds on a heavy bag should a beginner do?
Three or four rounds of two to three minutes in the first weeks, building up to six.
Is a punching bag workout good cardio?
Yes, especially with short rest and straight-punch rounds. Keep hooks and uppercuts for the slower rounds so your form holds.
Can I do this workout without a bag?
Yes. Do the same rounds as shadowboxing, and add rope or bodyweight rounds between them.
Sources
More conditioning guides
- Jump ropes for fightersSpeed vs beaded vs weighted, and a length chart by height.
- Round timers3 on, 1 off: wall timers vs apps, and what to look for.
- Kettlebells & resistance bandsStarting kettlebell weights, band types, and what to buy first.
- Train boxing combos aloneFour ways to drill combos solo, and a weekly plan.