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Punching bags make an excellent addition to any home gym. They provide a great cardiovascular work-out and are quite effective in helping people shed those unwanted pounds. There are two things to consider when buying a punching bag i.e. your exercise routine (which will determine bag size) and where you would locate the bag itself.

Your exercise routine will help determine what kind of bag is good for you. For those looking for a cardiovascular workout, I would recommend looking into lighter 40lbs to 60lb bags. They provide enough resistance for a good cardio workout. Their light weight makes them move when struck which in turn causes the user to rapidly change positions. This constant movement gets the heart beating quicker and makes for effective calorie burning. If you're more into sparring, the light bags work well too however; I would recommend a heavier bag. Its size alone can help you visualize a sparring partner, so to speak. Heavy bags also assist in building punching and kicking strength as they provide a lot of resistance. If your sole purpose is hand-eye co-ordination, then I would recommend using a speed bag as it develops rhythm.

The location of the bag is important as you will need enough space to be able to move around the bag freely. I find that a six feet radius around the bag seems to work fine. In terms of mounting the bag, there are a few different ways of setting one up. Everlast, a famous manufacturer of boxing goods, provides many different mounts for setting up various punching bags. There are wall mounts, ceiling mounts and floor mounted stabilising brackets that are readily available at your local sports store. Whatever the setup, installation is quick and easy with only a few things to keep in mind:

If using a wall mount, ensure that you are mounting the kit on an actual stud rather than just mounting it straight to the drywall.
If you are mounting it from the ceiling, ensure that the bracket is fixed to a sturdy support beam.
If your bag is double ended (attached to the floor and ceiling) then ensure that it attaches securely to some kind of support beam in your floor. Setting these kinds of bags are easier in basement or garage settings where the floor is a strong concrete spread. In my personal experience, using concrete anchors that come with special sleeves works best for securing mounts to concrete floors.

I hope this article clears any questions that you might have had on purchasing a punching bag. They are efficient in any workout routine, and I would definitely recommend their use to everyone.

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