Punching Bag Review

If you think that punching bags are all the same and there’s not much to know about them, then you definitely need to read on. From where they originated to why they’re used today, here is an overview that is bound to teach you something you didn’t know.

Origin

The punching bag originated so long ago that we don’t actually know when it was first used. As far back as written history can take us, we have records of bags filled with grain or sand being used for martial arts practice in Asia and swordplay and military training in old Europe.

Filling Materials

What you find inside the bag depends a lot on the size, shape, and structure of the bag, as well as what it will be used for. Small, lightweight bags can be filled with air. Medium sized bags could contain air or something moderate, like rags, or something even heavier, like grains or sand. Large bags almost assuredly are filled with sand, grains, or rags, and may have an inner ‘bladder’ to fill with water, which adds weight without requiring as much purchased fill.

Bag Styles

There are many different punching bag styles in use today, but here is an overview of the basics. Heavy bags are the large, torso sized (or bigger) bags that either hang from the ceiling or are affixed to a floor mounted pedestal. Uppercut bags are medium sized bags, generally floor mounted, with a bulge at the top, creating a ledge comparable in angle to an opponents jaw. Speed bags are small, about the size of a melon, and are filled with air and mounted on a spring to allow very rapid, light punches.

Purpose/Use

There are more reasons to use a punching bag than just to learn how to fight. This is, of course, one major use though, as they help boxers work on technique. Another major reason is that boxing a bag with light hits for a period of time is a great aerobic activity (and a nice change of pace for regular exercisers tired of machines). Others use them to build muscle strength and tone. And still others (probably a minority, but still important!) use them to relieve stress in a healthy outlet.

The short answer to the question “What is on the inside of a punching bag?” is not the one you are probably seeking: “It depends.” Because people use bags for so many different reasons, and there are so many different sizes, shapes, and mounting styles for bags, the substance they are filled with tends to vary. Here are some of the major fillers for punching bags, and what type of bag you are likely to find them inside of. (These are by no means rules; there will always be variations, but these are good guidelines in general.)

• Sand. Sand is a very common substance to fill a bag with because it is heavy and dense, cheap to buy, and it ‘gives’ pretty well when the bag is struck. You wouldn’t want to fill a bag with rocks because they don’t have the capacity to adjust the way grains of sand do. Sand can be found in almost all sizes of bags.
• Grains. Grains are used similarly to sand but are a little lighter weight. There are actually bags called “maize bags” because they are filled with maize (corn).
• Rags. Rags can be even cheaper than sand and are used to fill large and medium sized bags. Rags pack pretty densely and give a bag nice weight, yet they still have some give. And they definitely can absorb the energy of a strike, which is a very important quality for the bag to have so the boxer doesn’t injure his or her hand.
• Water. You wouldn’t fill a bag with water instead of sand, but some bags are made with a special inner portion, called a bladder, which is well-sealed and designed to be filled with water or air. Water adds weight essentially for free, so it’s a clear choice for a bag that needs a lot of weight.
• Air. As mentioned above, some bags have a bladder for air down the center. yet others are intended to be filled with air alone (such as the speed bag, which must stay light). Air, like water, is free, making it a good choices when you don’t need weight.

When it comes to the punching bag, there is no single bag style that is the definitive or “main” bag. There are numerous styles being used, with various fillers, shapes, sizes, and any number of other variation. Let’s look at the top 3 most prevalent bag styles, and the different purposes that each style serves for the people who use them in their exercise routine.

1. Heavy Bag

This may be one of the most well known styles of punching bag simply because it has been around for such a long time (as long as history has been written down, and probably longer). A heavy bag is a large, cylindrical bag as big as a person that is either hung from the ceiling on a very strong chain (so it swings), or mounted on a pedestal standing up from the floor (with some give so it also responds to a hit). This is used for people working on muscle strength, and also for punching technique, as it’s as large as a person. It gives good practice on how to deliver a strong blow without hurting your hand.

2. Speed Bag

The speed bag is exactly what it sounds like. It moves fast and is much, much smaller than the heavy bag. Speed bags are hung on very short chains beneath a platform that is set to be at shoulder height. They help a fighter work on reaction time, and are a good way to do repetitive hits (for aerobic exercise, or possibly stress relief) because they are light and will very rarely hurt your hand. (A variation of the speed bag, called the swerve ball, is a small ball chained to both floor and ceiling that swerves on a tight orbit.)

3. Uppercut Bag

This is a punching bag designed almost exclusively for boxers and fighters. Slim at the bottom and bulbous at the top, it creates an upward angle that the fighter can strike as though hitting an opponent with an uppercut.

Fillers

What a punching bag is filled with will vary depending on the type of bag and the purpose it is being used for. Most bags will be filled with sand, grains, and rags, and many more have an inner core that can be filled with water or air, depending on the weight desired.