I bought a 70lb heavy bag about 2 weeks ago as a way to loose weight. Usually work out on the bag about 30 - 45 min each day. Since then my fingers have been sore and stiff and making it rather uncomfortable to play bass. Not sure if this part of conditioning, poor boxing technique, or poor glove quality. Any insight would be great on this would be great. Thanks guys.
Fellow boxing bassman, and my ideas are these: - The heavy bag is not filled with sand, right? - You tape your hands and know or have someone show you how it's properly done? - You use padded gloves, at least 10 ounces? More is better... Apart from these things it's mainly technique and listening to your body. I assume you are not Iron Mike, do start slowly. So your body can either accustome to the load or you realize that you are maybe overdoing it before serious harm is done. Best of luck!
1) Learn to wrap your hands properly 2) Get heavier gloves (according to body weight) 3) Take a class or two; learn proper technique
I remember back in the early 1980s Jeff Berlin was working with a boxing coach and talked about how it was such a positive influence on his bass playing...not directly (i.e., there wasn't a correlation between the boxing workouts and any physical work on the bass) but rather because he found the style and "tempo" of the coaching applicable to bass practice sessions.
I use heavy bag gloves ( they are similar to my weight lifting gloves but nothing like real boxing gloves used in the ring ). I've not had a problem in decades of doing it. If you are new the lessons idea is a valid one. I would add, start slow and light. Much like practicing your bass you want your form and technique to be on point. Like lifting weights you don't want to start to hard and fast. Micro fractures in hand bones SUCK and can happen if they are not used to the abuse of hitting a heavy bag @ full power. The goofy hand strengthening springs or something similar can also help. I no longer use them ( haven't in better than 2 decades ) but early on it seemed to help. If you do use them stretch the hands and fingers! Add a speed bag and rope skipping to get the full boxing cardio experience. One of the guys I work with, Jose, and I have been jumping rope at work on breaks for about 4 years now. He lost 40 pounds just doing that instead of sitting and feeding his face at lunch. We do 10 minutes and then jog the compound for 10 minutes. Well he jogs, I no longer do My knees can't take the pounding on concrete any more.
Thanks guys. I'll look into getting heavy bag gloves and research better hand wrapping techniques. Right now im just using the mms gloves that came with the bag. As far as lessons go that might be a tougher one. Live out in BFE and the closest boxing gym is probably an hours drive one way.
Jack Dempsey wrote this in 1950 and it's still the best: https://www.e-reading.club/bookreader.../Vzryvnoii_udar_i_aktivnaya_oborona.pdf Make sure you squeeze your fist tight when you connect with the bag so the force of the impact goes to your forearm, not just your hand.
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