For any athlete that does boxing, mixed martial arts, or any other type of combat sport, punching bags are a great piece of equipment to invest in. Punching bags act as practice targets for helping you practice your punching and kicking technique, as well as your overall stance, endurance and footwork.
As with purchasing any piece of fitness equipment, your punching bag should mesh with your particular athletic goals. Understanding what types are available and which style would work best for you is very important in order to maximize your training.
HEAVY BAGS
Heavy bags are typically suspended from the ceiling, or attached to a mount, so they can withstand a lot of impact. Heavy bags are designed for improving overall punching and kicking technique. Furthermore, using the heavy bag as your opponent will help you practice proper fighting stance and footwork. Depending on the type of workout you're doing, heavy bags can also help develop your stamina. Most heavy bags are cylindrical, but come in a variety of sizes and weights, with 100lbs being the most common. It's important to consider how you will hang the bag and make sure it is safe before doing so. Choose this kind of bag for boxing, MMA, Muay Thai, karate and more.
OTHER TYPES OF HEAVY BAGS
Muay Thai Heavy Bag: Slimmer and longer than a typical heavy bag to accommodate training low kicks and knee strikes. Commonly used for those training in Muay Thai and MMA
Round Heavy Bag: Short, spherical heavy bags, or those with tear drop shapes. This style of bag may be used to hone in on certain body punches with a more specific target
Angle Heavy Bag: A top-heavy design with a broader top portion and a slimmer trunk. These kinds of punching bags allow you to throw better straight punches, hooks, uppercuts and body shots.
Double End Heavy Bag: Typically an hourglass shape. his bag allows athletes to train body-head combinations, since the silhouette of the bag roughly mimics that of an opponent.
FREE STANDING PUNCHING BAGS
This style of punching bag does not require any type of mounting system. Its free-standing design allows you to exercise where ever is most convenient. Typically these types of bags have a spring-loaded design so that the bag returns to the fighter when hit. This type of recoil offers a very different speed and movement than might be expected from a standard-mounted bag, delivering a different challenge to the fighter. The free-standing bags are great for practicing the low kicks common to Muay Thai and other mixed martial arts. They are ideal for home use or gyms where ceiling or wall installation is not an option.
MATERIAL
In general, punching bags are made of either leather or a synthetic material, such as vinyl or plastic. A punching bag made with leather will be more expensive than a bag made with synthetic material. What the punching bag is filled with will also vary. Different styles may be filled with sand, water, air or textiles