What Heavy Bags Are (And Are Not) Useful For

Many tools play an important role in Muay Thai training. One of these tools is the heavy bag. Ideally, every Nak Muay should have access to a heavy bag. Why?

• You can hit a heavy bag as hard as you like, without the fear of injuring someone.
• You can hit a heavy bag as often and as quickly as you like, without having to worry about a partner’s reaction time.
• Heavy bags are an important tool in fight conditioning; they prepare you to hit hard, hit often, and unleash relentless assaults.
• Heavy bags can provide the opportunity to repeat a technique hundreds, or even thousands, of times.

But for all of their benefits, heavy bags are no replacement for human training partners.

• A heavy bag is not going to hit you back.
• Anyone who has spent some time in the ring knows that Muay Thai is not just an offensive game.
• Defense is a critical element, and something that an inanimate object is not going to help you with.
• Heavy bags do not move like human beings; the way in which a heavy bag swings after it is hit is actually the complete opposite of the way a human would move.

Heavy bags play an important role in Muay Thai, but do not become overly reliant on a heavy bag for your training. While a heavy bag will take your punishment hours longer than any training partner, they are unskilled, will neve hit back, and cannot be anything more than a temporary substitute for training with another human being.

Trying to up your Muay Thai game beyond the heavy bag hanging in your basement?

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to learn more about Muay Thai and self-defense techniques. Our gym aims for well-rounded fighters with a strong foundation built on proper technique to succeed in any fighting arena.

Want to join a martial arts gym in Northern Virginia? We offer a FREE two-week trial.