The workout: 30 seconds of non-stop power punches alternated with 30 seconds of relaxed movement. 5 minute rounds, for at least 3 rounds.
Basically, we’re throwing as many power punches as we can for 30 seconds (fight), and then we’re relaxing our body and moving our feet and head for 30 seconds of recovery (flight).
This is one of my favorite ways to hit the heavy bag, since just throwing whatever comes to your mind for an entire round is a very inefficient approach to conditioning and technique work. Your mind wanders and you just end up throwing random combos without focus.
I like to set my round timer to 30 second intervals, so that I can focus on one aspect of my technique for a whole 30 seconds. Then I can move to the next area of focus in the next interval, which really helps with my ADD. For each interval, you can think about turning your hips more, staying balanced, turning your punches over, etc.
Intervals on the bag allow you to throw non-stop combos at full intensity, but forces you to relax your upper body. Since it’s a challenge to throw full power for 30 seconds at a time, this workout teaches you to relax and focus on the technique.
Hitting the bag in intervals is much like the situations in a real fight. You throw an intense combination for a short period, rest and move, then engage in another exchange. Your heart rate rises and falls, instead of maintaining a steady state of intensity. Interval training has been shown to increase power and endurance, which is something that is difficult to achieve.