How to Fill a Punching Bag

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How to Fill a Punching Bag
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(No Transcript)
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• Punching bags are a fantastic addition to home
  gyms, whether youre training to be a fighter,
  doing high-octane cardio sessions, or enjoy
  hitting something to release stress.
• Many punching bags come pre-filled with stuffing
  that allows for immediate use of your bag. But
  other punching bags come empty, allowing you to
  fill them yourself. You can use many materials to
  fill a punching bag, including common items from
  around your house.

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Why Use a Self-Filled Punching Bag

• Buying an empty punching bag that you can add
  filling to yourself is a great way to save money.
  Empty bags come much cheaper than pre-filled
  options.
• Also filling them yourself gives you the ability
  to customize the way the bag feels and responds
  to match your experience level. You can control
  the bags tightness, weight, and shape.
• Light bags are better for beginners or young
  players. As you increase experience, you can add
  more weight. A good rule of thumb is that you
  need a 1/2 pound of weight for every pound of the
  boxer. So for a fighter who weighs 150 pounds,
  theyd do well with a bag of at least 75 pounds.

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Fighter Experience

• Before you can fill your punching bag, youll
  need to consider what bag would be best for your
  needs. Youll need a different type for MMA than
  you would boxing.
• You will want to make your bag short and wide for
  boxing, while for any mixed martial arts
  training, youd do better with a longer, thinner
  bag.

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Hard vs. Soft

• How your bag feels when you hit it is something
  you want to give serious consideration. Soft bags
  are easier on the hands joints, which is useful
  for injured or limited players.
• Softer surfaces are also more giving, which is
  better for beginners. They also provide better
  movement without as much power.

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• Heavy bags offer more resistance, so it requires
  a harder hit to make it move. As a player gains
  experience, they can move up to a stiffer bag,
  which offers more resistance against blows. Hard
  bags are also better for power training.

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Materials for Filling a Punching Bag

• When you buy an empty punching bag, you have
  multiple options for what to use as the filling.
  Which option you choose will depend on how you
  want the bag to feel once full. Let us look at
  some of the best materials for filling a punching
  bag.

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Old Clothes

• One of the easiest ways to fill a punching bag is
  to stuff it with old clothing. Fold these pieces
  and stuff them into the bag, compressing them
  together tightly to get an even fill.
• Many experts recommend placing a small bag of
  sand on the bottom and then piling the clothes on
  top. Pay considerable attention to the fabric
  against the sides. You can use a broom handle or
  long tool to push the clothing tighter into the
  bag for more compression.

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Fabric Scraps

• If you dont have any old clothes, you can also
  use fabric scraps of cotton or other materials.
  Cutting the fabric into thin strips provides a
  denser filling, but youll need more of it.
• The downside of using fabrics or clothing is that
  the material tends to sink to the bottom, causing
  the top to be too soft and yielding.

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Sawdust

• Sawdust is another common filling for empty
  punching bags. This material will produce a more
  rigid surface, which may offer too much
  resistance for beginners.
• However, you should not use a punching bag of
  only sawdust, and you should never use loose
  particles. Fill bags with the sawdust, wrap them
  in duct tape, and add them on top of clothing or
  other soft materials.

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Sand

• Sand is another DIY filling you can use for
  filling your punching bags. Similar to sawdust,
  you should never use only sand but also add
  fabric. The process is the same as using sawdust.
• Ziplock bags or small rucksacks work well to hold
  your sand or sawdust particles. You can find sand
  and sawdust at your local hardware store.

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Rice

• Some people like to use rice instead of sand or
  sawdust. Fill your bags with dried, uncooked
  rice, tape them up, and stuff them into your bag,
  along with thin pieces of fabric.
• Pack the bag, so the harder materials are in the
  center, surrounded by the fabric packed against
  the sides. Rice provides a strong, hard-hitting
  surface.

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Water

• Some bags allow you to use a water core a
  waterproof container in the middle of the pack
  that holds the liquid.
• This method gives the bag a more natural feel and
  movement. But it also becomes heavier and harder
  to hit, so it might not be the best option for
  beginners or lightweights.