Free standing punching bags were not always around. At one
time, the only way to use a punching bag was to hang it from the
ceiling. This is not a bad idea and most gyms still employ
hanging a bag from their ceilings.
But, what happens if you want a bag for your home or
apartment?
I of course did want one in the garage and now the bag has to
rest on top of my car as I pull in the garage!
Are you willing to drill a mount into the ceiling in
order to hang a heavy bag?
In the past, if this way not an acceptable strategy, you were
pretty much out of luck. Then, along came the notion of a free
standing punching bag.
How does a free standing punching bag work?
Basically, it is a traditional heavy bag that is affixed on
top of a solid base. The base itself is quite reliable and not
prone to being knocked over.
Two Types of Free Standing Punching Bags
There are two types of these bags. The first mimics a boxing
bag and the other is a replica of a full length Muay Thai banana
bag.
So, Are
these bags are just as effective as hanging bags?
Well they are different.
You can hit
them as hard as possible and perform the same kickboxing, boxing,
or MMA workouts that you could perform on a hanging bag, but the bag is not going to move like a hanging bag.
The base of these free standing punching bags are quite
reliable and will not tip over. Most are at least 275 pounds. These bags have been properly
designed to handle the stress of a professional or amateur
workout without suffering any limitations.
Convenient
Additionally, when you are not using them, you can move them into
a corner or closet and out of the way. When you need them again,
you can bring them out.
This is a huge plus even those that can
use a hanging bag will appreciate.
Or you can do like we do and put BOB XL in the window for added security. Really, we do!
Free Standing vs Heavy Bag
There is another plus associated with the "mobility" of
the bag. Namely, you can move around the bag a lot easier
since you can place it anywhere in a room.
With a hanging bag, this may not always be possible since you
may have limitations where you can hang it. If you have to hang
it in a corner of a room then the ability to move around it in a
360 degree fashion will be rendered impossible.
With a free standing bag, you will not have to deal with such
an issue.
While there are a number of free standing punching bags on the
market, some are clearly better than others. That is why it is
best to stick with the top names in the industry since they are
known to deliver the most reliable service.
THE BEST FREE STANDING PUNCHING
BAGS
Wavemaster:
You could say Wavemaster started it all as it was the first
free standing bag that was released in retail stores. The
"half" bag is decent although it is not the best in terms of
providing solid resistance. The full length
banana bag, however, is truly tremendous and can take quite a
pounding.
There is a vey popular kid bag, called the Kid Kick. The height is great for little guys. Once your child reaches about 8 or 9 though, your going to want a heavier bag.
While this one is great for little guys, your "big guy" might knock this one around. After say the age of 9, you want to look for a bigger bag.
Century:
Century has a cardio
bag, which you do not want unless you just do cardio
kickboxing or cardio workouts. You can't really go wrong
purchasing Century products.
They are our number one supplier, and we support them wholly.
BOB:
Century put out a bag called
BOB (Body Opponent Bag). Now this is a great realistic bag. I
know that because it is almost always in the top ten seller list
at Century. I never had a complaint when I used to sell BOB.
Not to mention my son uses BOB XL every day!
Revgear:
When you want durable, you want Revgear! Revgear's bags are
quite expensive.
As such, Revgear's bags get the highest recommendation. You can also
get a donut to go on this bag for upper cut practice.
Everlast:
Everlast has been producing excellent boxing and kickboxing
equipment for decades. The MMA equipment produced by Everlast is
equally impressive. The company has never produced a bad punching
bag and its free standing bags are extremely impressive.
They have just come out with a new bag that moves, simliar to a speed bag. It looks promising, but I have yet to try it out myself yet.
UFC:
Now, would the UFC put its name and stamp on a punching bag that
was not top of the line? This is another solid brand that
delivers on all quality expectations. UFC has tremendous heavy
bags.
They also have a free standing bag that is sold at Kmart. It
is unique and does not have a base like these other bags. It is not a bag I would buy, but it might be worth looking at for a youngster.
Yes, there are scores of excellent free standing punching
bags out there. Adding one to your MMA collection is highly
recommended!
And as always I leave you with the cheapest place to find free
standing bags. Our store carries the top sellers which are BOB and the
Wavemaster XXL. We also carry the KWON bags and TigerClaw.
While not heavy bag their are a few other free standing products. Check these unique ones out.
FOCUSMASTER
The Focus
Master can be considered one of the more
unique training devices for mixed martial arts, boxing,
kickboxing, and even traditional martial arts practitioners, but it is moslty used for Wing Chun.
This device can be considered a specially designed hybrid of a
focus mitt workout and a heavy bag session.
Most will state that a Wing Chun dummy is designed exclusively
to develop trapping, aka locks. While locking (the legs and neck)
is a part of Wing Chun, trapping is just one step.
So, what would be the use of training on a Wing Chun dummy?
Would it benefit those in MMA? Find out at Wing
Chun Dummy.
Brian and Brandon teach grappling. They are very good and have a long list of UFC and MMA fighters who have used their program.Below is a list of a few of the techniques you can learn.
This is a technique program. You are going to be learning actual MMA and jiujitsu techniques.
I like this program becuase it is skills based. Any time you improve your skills you'll up your game.
Though fitness is so important, skills training should take up most of your training time.
To see some free videos and learn the anaconda choke, just check out their site. We will do a full review soon.
We just did a new review on the program TapouT XT. CJ our staff writer was so impressed he is buying one. Check out what he found out.
Are you willing to drill a mount into the ceiling in
order to hang a heavy bag?
There is another plus associated with the "mobility" of
the bag. Namely, you can move around the bag a lot easier
since you can place it anywhere in a room.
There is a vey popular kid bag, called the Kid Kick. The height is great for little guys. Once your child reaches about 8 or 9 though, your going to want a heavier bag.
The 
