Fitness gurus, lend me yer brains: Punchbags, stands and gloves.

[Garacesh]

To compliment my treadmill and bench press, I'm looking to get myself a punchbag at home. Problem is, I may not be able to get my landlord's permission to put a hanging bracket on the wall (cause drilling holes and stuff), so I may have to buy a floor stand for it.

 

Ideally folding/collapsible would be better but the only ones I can find are this one and this one on Amazon, and the reviews aren't exactly fantastic, plus you need an extra 50kg-ish of weights to weight them down with and I don't have that many yet 'cause my scrawny self is only lifting 14KG atm.

 

Also, are there any kind of brands I should avoid? Any I should look to getting? I don't really know the reputation of fitness products.

What about free-standing ones where the base is filled with sand or water? Are they any good? Or are they usually too easy to topple?

Gloves, again, what are worthwhile getting and what aren't? Does it matter, or are gloves all the same for the most part?

 

Thanks

[unixman_again]

Wouldn't one of these be better?

Lonsdale | Lonsdale Omniflex Freestanding Heavy Bag | Punch Bags

[Garacesh]

Possibly, I don't really know.

 

As with any product that costs £100+ I'm running into a lot of mixed reviews about free-standing ones, some saying they're great, other saying they topple too easily if you hit them with any decent force.

For once I'm ashamed to say I'm having difficulty differentiating between shills, overly-dramatic customers and fair-and-balanced reviews

Edited June 16, 2016 by Garacesh

[Disaster]

I have a heavy bag knocking about my house and thought about the same thing. It weighs a lot and would take a monstrous frame to make it usable and that's without the space consideration, you don't want to accidentally kick the frame so it would have to be big!

[Patrick]

Can't help you with freestanding bags and such, but don't cheap out on gloves. NEVER use the free ones you get with a bag, and don't be afraid to wrap your hands. When you just get started learn to throw simple light combos first (jab, cross, hook). Don't be tempted to start smacking the living **** out of the bag, as you'll end hurting your hand if your technique is off.

[Duranis]

In my experience freestanding/framed bags either have a massive, super heavy frame or they fall over. Been awhile since I was really into it though (like over 15 years) so might be that there is some good stuff out there now. Really though anything that is heavy enough to not move when you hit it is likely to be bulky.

 

If you do get a freestanding one don't get one that fills with water. To have enough water to make it usable would make a massive mess if it ever got a hole in it.

 

I always wanted one of those electronic ones that have light up targets built into them and measure your punching force, speed and accuracy. Don't know if they are any good but they always looked cool.

 

Personally if it was me I would just drill the holes, if you move out that's what polyfiller is for

 

Gloves are kind of personal preference and like a lot of things it depends on exactly what you want to use them for. If you are doing some heavy bag work (i.e. hitting it as hard as you can) then I would recommend a heavier glove (16oz) with a good bit of wrist support made out of a decent quality leather or heavy vinyl. You will want to have something that gives a lot of protection and support. If you are doing more speed/accuracy/technique then maybe a lighter pair would be better. Don't use anything lighter than 10oz and make sure your wrists are supported.

 

I would also recommend taking it easy to start with and maybe going to your local boxing gym to get some pointers. You will be surprised how much damage you can do to your hands/wrists with poor quality gloves and bad technique.

 

Edit: Patrick beat me too it with the warning. Honestly my hands are messed up from years of doing boxing/kickboxing when I was younger and not paying proper attention to using the right equipment.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Duranis

[Miscbrah]

Not what you asked at all, but instead of that have you considered taking up a martial art? Could get the bag work in (depending on what you pick) and cardio and get trained too!

[Garacesh]

Not what you asked at all, but instead of that have you considered taking up a martial art? Could get the bag work in (depending on what you pick) and cardio and get trained too!

 

I dislike people. People are the worst kind of people.

Casual jokes aside, that's why I ended up stopping going to the gym, and why I'm looking to work out at home now. I don't really want to put myself in a situation where I'm in a group of people I don't know, not yet. I don't feel comfortable with it.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Garacesh

[Miscbrah]

Aight fair enough. And yes, starting a martial art can seem like one of the most daunting situations, like "okay, we're here, I don't know any of you, I'm going to be awful at whatever we're doing here for at least a few months and what we're doing here is having beat-ups, so that's my awkward well and truly sorted." So yep, not what you need there!

 

Tbh I'd go with Duranis' suggestion of holes, with polyfilla and Dulux before moving day. Those electric ones we've had at the club and managed to break the electric component of them fairly rapidly.

 

Biggest gloves you can I reckon and don't cheap out too much. 16oz is like a big pillow but'll do you. If you're hitting it and your wrists kink like noodles at first then hit it softer. Other than that, I'm far from Mohammad-I'm-Hard-Bruce-Lee and forum technique transmission is difficult, but if it's just a bit of tapping around for cardio then have at it, and I'd say kick the thing also.

 

If you CAN stretch to it (personally and financially) then treat yourself to a private lesson with a Muay Thai instructor. Reason I recommend that is you can get a few kicking AND a few punching bag drills, get set up to develop half-good habits and maybe even return for another in a few months and see how you're progressing or not or what needs undoing or not. If you really only want punching of course, boxing instructor instead. Also these folks will be professionals in technique instruction and might really help you avoid developing bad habits which could potentially lead to injury, though hitting a bag at half-strength for a few minutes a day you're really unlikely to do yourself a wrong.

[3s-gtech]

Problem with holes is that you'll need to get into something *really* solid. Rawlplugs into plasterboard won't do it If you can bolt or frame-fix through studwork into the block/brickwork behind it should hold up. The bracket will still place a lot of pressure on the plaster/plasterboard though. Can all be repaired if you're careful and have matching paint.

[Garacesh]

Aight fair enough. And yes, starting a martial art can seem like one of the most daunting situations, like "okay, we're here, I don't know any of you, I'm going to be awful at whatever we're doing here for at least a few months and what we're doing here is having beat-ups, so that's my awkward well and truly sorted." So yep, not what you need there!

Maybe once I've lost a little weight, toned up a little bit, and have more both body-confidence and self-confidence.. Maybe then I'll get out there and join a group, just not right now..

 

Biggest gloves you can I reckon and don't cheap out too much. 16oz is like a big pillow but'll do you. If you're hitting it and your wrists kink like noodles at first then hit it softer.

Duly noted. Any glove brands to recommend? I've seen a lot of cheap-looking ones on Amazon that even with my limited knowledge I wouldn't go near, but I have no idea how to separate "Doesn't look cheap" from "Actually decent".

 

If you CAN stretch to it (personally and financially) then treat yourself to a private lesson with a Muay Thai instructor. Reason I recommend that is you can get a few kicking AND a few punching bag drills, get set up to develop half-good habits and maybe even return for another in a few months and see how you're progressing or not or what needs undoing or not. If you really only want punching of course, boxing instructor instead. Also these folks will be professionals in technique instruction and might really help you avoid developing bad habits which could potentially lead to injury, though hitting a bag at half-strength for a few minutes a day you're really unlikely to do yourself a wrong.

Again, maybe once I'm a bit more confident. I don't expect I'll be thrashing the thing like I'm Battlin' Jack Murdock, it's more just to add a bit of something different 'cause, I won't lie, the treadmill is boring as heck I think that adding some variety to my routine might motivate me to work out a little more, because right now I'll admit I'm doing it less than I ought to (but still, some is better than none, right?)

 

Problem with holes is that you'll need to get into something *really* solid. Rawlplugs into plasterboard won't do it If you can bolt or frame-fix through studwork into the block/brickwork behind it should hold up. The bracket will still place a lot of pressure on the plaster/plasterboard though. Can all be repaired if you're careful and have matching paint.

Yeah, if I do have to bolt it up, then it'll be to one of the brick walls here, not the internal stud walls. Which is handy, because I'm at the end of a row, so I have a few external-facing brick walls which, so I shouldn't annoy the neighbours that way.

[Miscbrah]

Cool cool. Good luck with the endeavours too! Getting motivated to do cardio I never used to have a problem with, but these days I STRUGGLE, so I feel you on that.

 

Any glove brands to recommend? I've seen a lot of cheap-looking ones on Amazon that even with my limited knowledge I wouldn't go near, but I have no idea how to separate "Doesn't look cheap" from "Actually decent".

 

Well, my favourite gloves for bags and sparring are my Meijin 10oz boxing gloves. Just looked on eBay though and nothing's available in that brand. I don't recall where on earth I got them! Most guys I train with seem to use Hayabusa gear. Never used any but they're popular. I have some Blitz Firepower MMA mitts which seem to stand up to general bag duties fine, also same brand and line in shin guards, but they're dying now after a couple of years.

[Patrick]

Any RDX stuff of Amazon will do you for gloves and wraps and the like. I have a few things off them, good price and decent gear really.

[CHR1S]

Can't help you with freestanding bags and such, but don't cheap out on gloves. NEVER use the free ones you get with a bag, and don't be afraid to wrap your hands. When you just get started learn to throw simple light combos first (jab, cross, hook). Don't be tempted to start smacking the living **** out of the bag, as you'll end hurting your hand if your technique is off.

 

I went through a period of never wearing gloves and my hands never forgave me (I decided my knuckles needed toughening up or something haha) This is great advice I was coming to say too!

[rad]

Could you hang it from a tree outside?

[Garacesh]

I have no garden.

 

I've identified a chunk of wall in the front room that should work. It's full brick as it's an edge wall and it's not got neighbours on the other side of it. It does mean I need to find a new place to put the living room mirror, but ah well, I'm sure I'll figure something out.