Types of training bags - How to choose the best bag for our training?

What should be the size of the punching bag?

It depends on what purpose you are buying it for. If you are only going to train manual techniques then a bag with a height of 100 - 150 cm is enough for you. However, if, in addition to manual techniques, you will be training kicks, a longer bag is recommended - even up to 180 cm - this will give you the ability to perform hand and foot combinations at different heights.

The diameter of the bag is also not insignificant - the most common diameter is 45 cm and this is a kind of standard. You can, of course, buy a bag with a smaller diameter, but you should be aware that such a bag will be lighter and more difficult to train on as it has a smaller surface.

What should be the weight of the punching bag?

It is recommended that the weight of the bag should be proportional to the weight of the exercising person, as well as his strength. For a 120-kilogram weightlifter, a 60-kilogram punching bag will be too light, while for a young boy weighing 80 kilograms - just right. Mostly, the weight of such instruments ranges from 20-150 kg.

A lot also depends on the goals you set for yourself, if you want to improve the strength of your punches, you should invest in a heavier bag, it will be less mobile and make it easier for you to execute punch combinations.

On the other hand, if you want to improve coordination, dynamics and sense of distance then you should buy a lighter bag. It will be more responsive to your blows which will force you to change your distance, improve your footwork and develop dynamics.

In fact, there are no training bags ideal for every type of training, if you want your training to be complete it will be necessary to combine training on different types of bags. So let's discuss the most popular ones:

Types of punching bags

• Classic punching bag - this is the most popular type of punching bag- its price ranges from 100 to even 1,500 and more zlotys for professional models. It is a fabric cover that contains the filling. A zipper, or lacing, should be present at the top to enclose the contents of the bag and be replaceable. The classic bag is a versatile martial arts training device. Depending on its length, it can be used to practice low and high excavation.
  
  The problem may be the optimal positioning of the bag, after all, you can not hang it on the lamp in the room. It should hang from a high enough ceiling, in order to reduce swinging it can also be attached to the floor (for example, with a rope, rubber band or chain). It is recommended that the punching bag have approx. 2 meters of loose space on all sides. The best place would be a basement, or a room designed for exercise. The most common material from which the bag is made is plawil, but it is equally common to find leather-like material, tempered vinyl and leather.
  
  
• Hook punching bag - a special variation of the classic bag used for practicing hook, chin punches. It has a double diameter: larger at the top of the bag, smaller at the bottom, such as 45 cm and 25 cm. The length of the bag is usually in the range of 80-160 cm, and its weight, depending on its dimensions and filling, 20-100 kg. Its price is higher than normal classic bags, on which it is impracticable to practice chin hooks. Only low hooks can be made on them.
  
  
• MMA training bag - MMA bags are a breakthrough in equipment for those training mixed martial arts, MMA allows not only for efficient, specialized stand-up training, but also - unlike traditional bags - to perfect throws and ground techniques. Thanks to the appropriate profiling, they have striking planes arranged at different angles so you can train specialized techniques such as elbow strikes or chin punches. The contouring is also designed to make it easier to perform throws and to sit while perfecting ground techniques.
  
  
• Standing punching bag - easier to implement, but more costly. Its price ranges from 1000 zloty to several thousand zloty. Practical solution because it can be set up anywhere, does not need a special place and large space, ideal when you do not want to mount the hook to the ceiling. The punching bag is made of several parts: base, post and tube. The base can be filled with water or sand. The weight of the filling is approx. 100kg for water and 140kg for sand. Such mass ensures stability during strikes and the instrument does not move under the force of our blows. Standing bag with unfilled base is lightweight - weighs approx. 10kg, it can be easily carried.
  
  The metal post can be adjusted in the range of several tens of centimeters, it has a special pivot design - a spring tripod, giving cushioning even strong impacts. The tube can be replaced, it consists of foam, or rubber surrounded by a special material, resistant to tearing. Most often it is tempered vinyl, plawil is also used. If you want to train high kicks on it remember to choose a model with a long tube. The standing bag cushions a quick series of blows well, so it is ideal for improving fitness. The solidly filled base should keep the instrument stationary even under the strongest impacts. The base is mostly 30 cm high, and the whole device is 140-180 cm high.
  
  A special variation of the standing bag is the dummy bag. Instead of a tube, the outline of a man's silhouette is hooked on a pole. This type of equipment is intended mainly for professionals or people training self-defense systems such as Krav Maga or Combat.
  
  
• Wall workout bag (makiwara) - a special punching bag in the form of a pillow, suitable for hanging on walls. It takes up little space and is inexpensive. However, all aspects of martial arts cannot be practiced on it. In fact, it is only recommended for performing straight techniques (both hand and foot). These instruments come in different shapes. The wall bag can be a combination of several pillows, such as 40x40. It can be filled with the same as the classic bags.
  
  
• Training pear - smallest punching bag. Leather bag shaped like a pear usually with a diameter of about 25 cm and a height of 35 cm. Can be filled with air, rag clippings or rubber. It is best to have a special platform for it with a rotary joint, which will bounce the pear after each impact. This small punching bag costs a few tens of zlotys.

There is also a variation of the instrument placed on a base. It is built on a similar principle to the standing bag: a base filled with sand, a post adjustable by several tens of cm. The materials used to make training pears are plawil, vinyl and leather, both real and artificial. Training on a typical training pear is primarily to improve speed and endurance, is a great complement to training on a classic punching bag.

A variation of the typical training pear is the ie. "reflex ball" - it has a shape resembling a basketball. It is suspended from both sides by ropes, so that when it is hit, it bounces back and returns, simulating an attack. Training on the "reflex" is not easy - especially at the beginning but it is indispensable for improving the sense of distance and developing evasive skills.