Simple and Effective Heavy Bag Workout for Fighters

By Brett Bartholomew

It's easy to get bored with traditional heavy bag workouts.  The key is finding new ways to keep your Workout for Fighters purposeful, focused and at the proper intensity.  One way that I mix things up is by separating each round on the bag by purpose.  In today's video, I'll walk you through what Im talking about and you'll see how I use the heavy bag to practice fundamentals, while getting a great Workout for Fighters.

Heavy Bag Workout for MMA

Here's the Heavy Bag Workout Breakdown:

Round 1:  Jabs and Crosses

Practicing the fundamentals...working on good technical strikes, but not really focused on output.

Round 2: Hooks and Uppercuts

Adding some new shots, but not really worried about speed or power.

Round 3: Focus on Speed and Output

Focus on how fast you can strike...how many strikes you can get in the given time.

Round 4: Cageyness - Head Movement - Moving In and Out

Focus on good fluidity, more head movement, footwork, etc.

Round 5: Power Shots

Let those hands go and really put some effort into each strike.  Every punch has power!

Mix n match the intervals or drills to match your ability level or specific goals.  You can do short bursts of effort (5-20sec) or you can choose to work for longer periods of time (2-5 minutes).  Again, it really just depends on your specific goal for that Workout for Fighters.  Hopefully this provides some new ideas that you can use in your own workouts. 

Brett Bartholomew is a strength and conditioning coach, author, consultant, and founder of the performance coaching and consulting company, Bartholomew Strength. His experience includes working with collegiate teams, professional teams, businesses, and individual clients. Taken together, Brett has coached a diverse range of athletes from across 23 sports at levels ranging from youths to Olympians. He’s supported Super Bowl and World Series Champions, along with several professional fighters, including those competing in the UFC. He has also worked with members of the United States Special Forces community. His coaching and speaking has spanned the globe, from China to Brazil and numerous other stops in between.

As an entrepreneur, Brett has proudly served as a teammate and supporting partner in the strategic growth of two separate performance companies and is a highly sought-after consultant and mentor for many others across the United States and abroad. Additionally, his work and expertise has been featured in numerous local and national media outlets.

His book, Conscious Coaching: The Art and Science of Building Buy-In, achieved “Best Seller” status in the categories of “Sport Coaching” (#1), “Business/Money” (#8) ,and was ranked in the “Amazon Top 100 Books Overall.”

Brett is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) where he holds both their CSCS*D & RSCC*D distinctions. He is a proud graduate of Kansas State University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology, and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, where he obtained a Master of Science in Education in exercise science with an emphasis on motor behavior, cueing, and attentional focus in human performance.