Heavy Bag - Body Shots Only (Rip the Ribs / Liver)

CombatBag

An entire round dedicated exclusively to body punching — ribs, liver, and solar plexus targets — using level changes rather than reaching down, matching how Muay Thai and boxing coaches emphasize body attacks as fight-enders and conditioning killers.

Demo: Boxing training (Body shots & Speed)

Sets

4

Reps

3 min rounds

Rest

1 min

Contraindications

Knee strain in deep-level-change reps — moderate depth for those with knee issues.

Setup

Boxing stance at close-to-mid range, bag hanging at a height that allows torso-level targeting.

Execution

  1. 1Bend the knees to drop the whole body level, not just the arm, before each body shot
  2. 2Rotate the hips fully into the ribs or liver target, driving through the bag
  3. 3Alternate lead hook to the body, rear straight to the body, and body uppercuts
  4. 4Keep the head slightly off the centerline while working the body to avoid counters
  5. 5Rise back to full guard between combinations

Key cues

  • Bend the knees, not the back, to get to the body
  • Drive through the target — imagine punching to the far side of the ribs
  • Keep the guard hand up throughout
  • Exhale hard on every body shot
  • Stay compact — body shots are a close-range game

Common faults

  • Reaching down with the back instead of the knees, exposing the spine
  • Arm-only body punches with no hip drive
  • Standing too far away and slapping instead of driving through
  • Forgetting to protect the head while focused on the body
  • Fatiguing into sloppy technique before the round ends

Tweaks

  • Time-based ladder: increase punch count to the body each round
  • Combine with knee strikes for MMA/Muay Thai crossover
  • Pair with a body-shot-then-exit footwork pattern

Regressions

Progressions

Muscles

Primary: Obliques, Quadriceps, Core

Secondary: Shoulders, Glutes

Notes

Jason flagged body work as underrepresented — this dedicated round format directly fills that gap. Rotate ribs, liver (rear side), and solar plexus targets across sets.

Sources

Attribution: Boxing coaching community / body-attack specialists