Question from a New Speedbagger

[kim]

My husband installed a speedbag in our basement for his use but now I'm hooked! Does anyone know what arm muscles it targets, and if it will help firm up the flabby underneath part of my upper arms?

[Roc Stone]

Hi Kim

How you swingn?

Don't know the speciffic names of the muscles, but I'm sure someone here will.

As for targeting muscle groups during a session I have found this may depend on the way you hit. If you're just starting to learn your whole upper body is gonna feel it initially and as you gain ability to hit using different techniques you are going to be able to focus your speed bag work out on different muscle groups.

I have found straight 10min basic rythm punching, done regularly gives and maintains a pretty good result, and you can work on adding things from there. If you can reverse hit in basic rythm, again this too will assist in the muscle development in that area. With these two types of hitting for working out I tend to do 10min straight hitting from the front, then 10min straight hitting from behind.

In your case with the flabby underside of your upper arms, I would suggest side linking with alternating arms to side split fist linking;
see Side Split Fists (pictures and video's). You may not be able to do this yet, but as you learn new techniques you will find you can spread the focus from muscle group to group.

Frankly, basic hitting from the front and then the back for extensive periods is quite an intense work out, but can also become quite mundane, unless you can incooporate speed variations. For me, learning all or most of the techniques was a good way to vary it up and when you can do all these you will find your work out a lot more stimulating.

[Speedbag]

My husband installed a speedbag in our basement for his use but now I'm hooked! Does anyone know what arm muscles it targets, and if it will help firm up the flabby underneath part of my upper arms?

Hi Kim,

Welcome to the forum and the world of speed baggin'. There are worse things to "get hooked on"

the speed bag is great for toning up the muscles or the upper arm, especially the "flabby part underneath" which is the Tricep Muscle (or fat attached to it).

Here is another picture of the upper arm muscles.

the Triceps (back of your upper arm) extend your fist away from your body, and the Biceps (front of the upper arm) bring your fist up or closer to the body.

Basically, the triceps are a main muscle for punching and hitting the speed bag from the front (pushing the bag away from you). Think of the bag as a small weight that you are continuously pushing away from your face by extending your fist slightly outward. the larger the bag you use, the more force that will be required to keep it going, and the faster you punch the more repetitions you will do.

The bicep in the front of the arm returns the fist back to the home position in a smooth flow after you extend and hit the bag. With practice, you can work the biceps more by what is called "reverse punching" or hitting the bag side of bag. You would be punching back toward yourself, and the weight resistance of the bag will work that muscle more.

The speed bag can also give the shoulder muscles a great workout, holding the elbows up and the front deltoid also is a main mover of punching away from yourself, for that muscle also raises the upper arm bone. Notice as you punch the elbow comes "up" and gets level with the fist? that is because the front deltoid raises the upper arm. The front deltoids also help do shoulder presses, push ups etc. Basically anytime your pushing something away from you, ( pressing) or pushing yourself away from something (pushups) you are using the shoulder and triceps.

Hope this helps, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

[kim]

Hi Kim

How you swingn?

Don't know the speciffic names of the muscles, but I'm sure someone here will.

As for targeting muscle groups during a session I have found this may depend on the way you hit. If you're just starting to learn your whole upper body is gonna feel it initially and as you gain ability to hit using different techniques you are going to be able to focus your speed bag work out on different muscle groups.

I have found straight 10min basic rythm punching, done regularly gives and maintains a pretty good result, and you can work on adding things from there. If you can reverse hit in basic rythm, again this too will assist in the muscle development in that area. With these two types of hitting for working out I tend to do 10min straight hitting from the front, then 10min straight hitting from behind.

In your case with the flabby underside of your upper arms, I would suggest side linking with alternating arms to side split fist linking;
see Side Split Fists (pictures and video's). You may not be able to do this yet, but as you learn new techniques you will find you can spread the focus from muscle group to group.

Frankly, basic hitting from the front and then the back for extensive periods is quite an intense work out, but can also become quite mundane, unless you can incooporate speed variations. For me, learning all or most of the techniques was a good way to vary it up and when you can do all these you will find your work out a lot more stimulating.

I hope that this reply gets to everyone, I've never gone on a forum before!
Thanks for all the great info...I never thought I'd get so much help! I'm really glad to hear that this exercise works on that part of my arms. At this point I can only imagine hitting for more than a couple of minutes, let alone doing more than the basic punching pattern but I'm sure if I keep trying, it will happen!

[metaldad]

Hi kim and welcome! be sure to check out the pictures and videos thread for some great examples on how to hit. Alan (Speedbag) does a TREMENDOUS job of providing instruction and examples. Check out SpeedBagSkunk too.

[ukspeedbag]

Welcome to this great forum Kim!
If you need to know anything just ask, lots of great speed baggers here and like metaldad said, check out the video section.

[toolboxdiver]

Hello Kim, I got my daughter hooked on the speedbag also there is alot of great info here and a great bunch of folks to help ya out. Good luck and keep on hittin the bag