Exercising using a punch bag?

[JDW]

I want to start exercising my body by building up stamina and punching speed by using a punch bag. I'm not a boxer but I keep myself fit and enjoy hitting the bag however this lead me damaging my knuckles, primarialy my index knuckles which have lost their natural "pointed" edge and just overall, my knuckles tend to give me minor pain every now and then. I've had them x-rayed and they're fine though, which is strange.

I would spend 20 minutes on the bag then the last 5 minutes take off my gloves and punch bare-handed for 4 minutes then as hard as I could for 1 minute. I thought knuckles would harden by doing this but they weakened instead.

It's been about 2 years since then, I want to start using a bag again. Baring in mind I'm not training to become a boxer, I'm doing just as a hobby and for exercise. How long should I use a punch bag and how many times a week?

P.S. Another reason I might have damaged my knuckles is because I was punching the bag with bad technique. What are the essentials to know when using a punch bag?

Okay thanks.

[RAV3N]

Use handwraps, bag gloves and proper technique.

Never go bare knuckles, it will only lead to injury.

[salitap4p#1]

To add to the good advice above, don't ever skip the wraps. They're as important as the gloves.

Also concentrate on punching technique.

When you have that, throw quick, light punches in succession with proper technique. That in itself is a good workout and will build up stamina and speed.

There's no need to throw hard at the bag.

Without technique you're probably punching with your shoulder and fist, rather than your arm's constituent parts as a a whole, being supported with your body weight by way of shifts in your feet and waist.

So until you have proper form do not punch the bag hard. Even with proper form there's no need to punch it hard. Youtube Mayweather and Pac punchbag videos to see what I mean- they punch with power, but they're restraining themselves.

[MomentRising]

To add to the good advice above, don't ever skip the wraps. They're as important as the gloves.

Also concentrate on punching technique.

When you have that, throw quick, light punches in succession with proper technique. That in itself is a good workout and will build up stamina and speed.

There's no need to throw hard at the bag.

Without technique you're probably punching with your shoulder and fist, rather than your arm's constituent parts as a a whole, being supported with your body weight by way of shifts in your feet and waist.

So until you have proper form do not punch the bag hard. Even with proper form there's no need to punch it hard. Youtube Mayweather and Pac punchbag videos to see what I mean- they punch with power, but they're restraining themselves.

When I was younger, I'd mostly punch the bag with my bare hands. You definitely need good "timing" when to cushion your hands with the force of impact towards the rest of your arm and back shoulders and muscles. Really, punching the bag develops your upper back muscles a lot. However, if you don't position your hands on the force of impact, you can easily injure your wrist. However I've never really had any knuckle injury other than my skin peeling due to lack of moisture on the knuckle part of the hands. All I can say is that it's best to train your hands when you're younger to condition them to be "boxer" hands, meaning that the dna part of your hand is conditioned to take a beating from the constant punching on the bag. And since it seems like you're already older, it's best to keep your handwraps on and your gloves.

[MomentRising]

To add to the good advice above, don't ever skip the wraps. They're as important as the gloves.

Also concentrate on punching technique.

When you have that, throw quick, light punches in succession with proper technique. That in itself is a good workout and will build up stamina and speed.

There's no need to throw hard at the bag.

Without technique you're probably punching with your shoulder and fist, rather than your arm's constituent parts as a a whole, being supported with your body weight by way of shifts in your feet and waist.

So until you have proper form do not punch the bag hard. Even with proper form there's no need to punch it hard. Youtube Mayweather and Pac punchbag videos to see what I mean- they punch with power, but they're restraining themselves.

I really like your advice. Yes punch often the bag with speed and not with power. It's actually through speed with proper posture and form that you develop a good instinct to punch with your whole body and along the way, power.

I'll add that by having more twist on the hips, you develop more power as long as your legs are more grounded by bending them a little more. When the legs are more bent, you generate more power, it's like the part of the body that propels the upper body all the way towards the hands. But mostly the catalyst of power is through the twisting of the hips.