First Double End Bag

[thedesertfox99]

Hello to all,

A year and a half ago I quite smoking. Even as a smoker I still lived an athletic and active life- as much as possible considering. After I quite smoking I gain a lot of weight. Needing a way to get my figure back I picked up boxing. I'm having a great time with it. I put speed and heavy bags in my garage, made a make shift slip bag, and I hit the treadmill every day.

Having fun with this, I want to keep going with it. So it's time for my first double end bag. I've heard a lot of trainers say its their favorite bag, and many say it's their favorite training tool of all.

So I'm going to order one from Title Boxing this week, but I'm not sure what kind to get. The Mexican style looks interesting, and there are some other varieties as well. Being a beginner, should I get a larger rounder model, or should I get one of the more oval and oblonged style bags? Feel free to send me any links to a model you favor, or mention any brand you prefer

Thanks for any time and advice.

[greynotsoold]

Keep in mind that, with the Mexican style bag, you are going to have to keep it tighter than you would have to otherwise. This will limit you in how you can use the bag in that it will not move a whole lot, but still may prove frustrating to hit cleanly. IF you can kan keep it strung tight enough, which will prove difficult. Take a look at this page, for reference
Boxing & Punching Bags | Ringside
The elongated bags are meant to be pulled tight. I would suggest any of the four least expensive bags on that page- making no recommendation as to product or quality of the brand, just suggesting the type of bag you might like. With these you can hang it with less tension and the bag will move a lot and give you some action.
Start with a larger bag, and start out hitting it with your jab. This will teach you to control the bag. Pretty soon you will want a smaller bag to make it more challenging.

[thedesertfox99]

That helps a great deal greynotsold. My garage is not the sturdiest structure in the world, I'm already thinking of ways to try and keep the bag tight. I'm probably going to have to put a concrete screw in for the bottom strap. Half of my garage floor is concrete and the other half is dirt. I don't want to be tripping over the lip between the two while I'm circling, and I don't think there is a way I can keep the bottom strap tight in the dirt. How do they usually anchor to the floor?

Either way, I think I'll pass on the Mexican style bag for now. Thanks for the advice. I figured if any group of people would be territorial to new comers it would be boxers.

[greynotsoold]

That concrete screw will come out. I anchored a bag like that and it held for a while, then pulled loose and I ended up getting cut pretty good on my left arm when it wrapped around and hit me.
I used an o-ring with a wood screw tip at the top. On the bottom I used a sheet of 1 inch plywood cot to a 2 foot by 2 foot square. In the middle I used another o-ring, this one with a nut and bolt attachment. To hold it down, they sell sand bags for this purpose; I'd get 2 50 pounders. Or you can use weights from a weight bar set. Again, 100 pounds should hold it down.