what gets you more tired, shadow boxing or heavy bag?

[platinummatt!]

Heavy bag definately, or pad work

[KingDosia]

isn't it better to be forcing yourself to get tired? (cardio-wise)

or it really wastes energy to shadow box at max speed/power?

Shadow boxing is not meant to be a cardio exersize. At least not for the competitive athleet. I shadow box to work on various techniques and skills. I use it as a warm up. The heavy bag to me is more exhausting. I move like Im in a fight. practice defense and foot work while attacking the bag. It swings enough when I hit it I can do a lot of slipping pivots and blocks. I make a point to train very hard when on the bag and punch mitts. The intensity makes for the endurance training to. I try to imitate what is going to happen in the ring. I should add that it hurts your training more so than helping to train to failure. "forcing yourself to get tired" is not a practical strategy for an athlete looking to build speed and power.

[Zigga]

Shadow boxing is not meant to be a cardio exersize. At least not for the competitive athleet. I shadow box to work on various techniques and skills. I use it as a warm up.

Just gonna back up that point, i feel its best to work on techniques when ur fresh 2 so u have good form.

[NJFighter91]

heavybag definately. at most on shadowboxing, i get a bit warmed up...heavybag has me winded up

[Chimps.Ahoy]

It's more tiring to hit the heavy bag because there is resistance when you punch, unlike shadow boxing where you just hit the air.

[Pork Chop]

I would almost venture to say that those of you getting tired from shadow boxing are throwing overly tense punches. I use shadowboxing as a drill to help me relax my punches, build up speed, and get the blood flowing- unless I'm doing shadow with weights, which is the same with an added endurance factor.

Incidentally, crisp, powerful combos on the bag with minimal down time between punches kills me way faster than shadow with weights.

[potatoes]

to me, it's shadow boxing, at least for my heart/lungs.


i use 16 oz. gloves on the heavybag, throwing every punch at maxiumum speed/power. (i use the bas rutten workout cd sometimes, and he says every punch is to be at thrown at max speed/power for his workout).


after 5 rounds on the heavy bag, im a little tired, but my arms are more tired.


today i tried doing the workout for 5 rounds no gloves, shadow boxing and moving around, punching with max power (like he said again).

i'm way more tired after shadow boxing, my heart is beating much faster, but my arms are in good shape.


what gets you more tired? and does hard shadow boxing get your cardio better?

If you are expending huge amounts of energy shadow boxing, then you are training improperly. The purpose of shadow boxing is to practise various routines at a faster pace than can be achieved with ring drills. It is a way of improving technique by integrating the mind and body, some people call it creating a "muscle memory." Call it what you want, but shadow boxing should not be strenuous, assuming of course that you are in reasonable shape.

[KingDosia]

If you are expending huge amounts of energy shadow boxing, then you are training improperly. The purpose of shadow boxing is to practise various routines at a faster pace than can be achieved with ring drills. It is a way of improving technique by integrating the mind and body, some people call it creating a "muscle memory." Call it what you want, but shadow boxing should not be strenuous, assuming of course that you are in reasonable shape.

At last somthing Potatoes and I agree on.
You are wasting your time "expending" too much energy while shadow boxing. It is only a baisic skills tool used to practise movements involved in punching, and defense. It's sad most tend to ignore the defense part. Hence the beating they take in the ring

[Rockin']

Listen to Exiges jibberish and youll get tired of that way faster than a heavybag or by shadowboxing.

Rockin'

[deh707]

i see...

so intense shadow boxing would not help improve cardio/stamina?

or you're saying it should only be used for technique/warm up because there are many other/better ways to improve cardio/stamina?


thanks.