Conditioning · Combat Sports
Grappling-Dummy Ground-and-Pound
Grappling-dummy ground-and-pound uses controlled punches from a stable top position to train upper-body endurance, trunk control, and ground-striking coordination.
- Intermediate
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 45 sec
How to do it
- Lay the dummy faceup on the mat.
- Kneel astride its torso with your knees on the mat outside its sides.
- Bring your fists beside your cheeks.
- Punch a padded torso target with one fist.
- Return that fist to your cheek.
- Alternate punches for the planned interval.
- Move into a kneeling position beside the dummy when the interval ends.
Form cues
- Keep knuckles in line with forearms.
- Keep your hips between your knees.
- Exhale briefly with each punch.
Common mistakes
- Reaching beyond your baseChoose a closer target so your chest does not lunge beyond your knees.
- Using wide, swinging punchesUse short, direct punch paths rather than winding your arm back.
- Chasing maximum impactUse light-to-moderate force that lets you place each strike accurately.
Safety
Off-center impacts or bent wrists can injure your hands and wrists. Fatigue or a shifting dummy can make you lose balance and strike the floor.
- Wear properly fitted hand wraps and MMA gloves.
- Use an intact, strike-rated dummy on a nonslip mat, with people and obstacles outside your reach.
- Strike only padded target areas, avoiding seams, hard fittings, and joint sections.
- End the interval if your balance or punch accuracy deteriorates.
If you have hand, wrist, shoulder, or knee pain, get advice from a physiotherapist or doctor before doing impact intervals.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Combat Training Mat
- Hand Wraps
- Hybrid Striking / Grappling Bag
- MMA Gloves
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 3–5
- Target
- 20–30 seconds
- Rest
- 45 sec
Start with punches from this single position before adding position changes or other strikes.