A question I frequently get is, “Why are all of the workouts 6 rounds on the heavy bag?
Is this some sort of magical/optimal number?”
The reason there are six is:
A. If you’re not at your best that day, 6 is short enough that you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. After 4 rounds and you’re really feeling fatigued, you can console yourself with the thought of, “Ok, there’s only 2 more rounds left; I can do this!”
B. If you’re full of energy that day, 6 still gives you plenty of opportunity to get all of your energy out. It will almost never feel too short. If you still have gas left in the tank, good! That unused energy will help you recover. It’s not good to push yourself 100% all the time. I think it’s ideal to go about 90%, and use the extra 10% to recover with. Recovery is key to avoid getting sick or injured.
C. Cardio wins fights. But rarely would a self-defense situation go longer than 6 rounds! So, if you can give 6 rounds your FULL energy and go non-stop during each round, you’ve developed such a level of cardio that you will be prepared for ANYTHING that should come up in life. No one needs to be in better shape than this.
D. This definite number keeps you from overtraining. It’s easy to think, “Oh, I should push myself one more round…” or, on some days, you might not have much energy and wouldn’t know how many rounds to do. This gives you a definite stopping point each and every workout and keeps you balanced (avoids both laziness AND overtraining).
E. Not going past 6 rounds helps you avoid unnecessary wear and tear on your joints. The heavy bag puts a lot of stress on your body; you don’t want your enthusiasm to get the best of you and push your body past the point it can properly recover. If you want to sustain a lifetime of training, 6 rounds just seems to work out perfectly.