Hey guys, long time boxing fan and new member of the board,
This summer i've started to work out very hard in terms of conditioning and some weight training and I'm going to look into joining a boxing gym in the fall. My grandfather on my mothers side was a fighter in Korea before he moved to the US in the 60s. He's shown me a few things before, but I never have gotten proper training. I'm 16 years old, and my parents finally decided to let me go to a gym. Now I have a few questions, so I thank anyone who helps me out.

1. When looking for a gym what criteria should I use? One gym in my city trains alot of Junior Olympic/State Champion Youth, has no cost, but you must have your own equipment. Is this too good to be true?

2. What is the basic equipment I need to purchase to get started? And what should I look for when I go to purchase these things?

3. Im planning on investing in a heavy bag/speed bag + stand, my two questions are, how much will a good one run me, and can these be kept/used outside?

Thanks alot for any help you guys can offer.