Making/ Improvising a Punching Bag

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showdown

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Hey guys,
So as some of you may know, I'm a student. And generally, when students own cars, have to pay for gym memberships and club fees and sports fees, they tend not to have a lot of money, even with part-time jobs. I also don't have a basement with enough room to hang a bag and my only place to put a bag would be outside in my backyard.

I would like help in creating a homemade punching bag (preferably freestanding, but a hanging bag would work, too, I am just trying to work with what I have). If anyone has every made or designed a bag (freestanding OR swinging), please feel free to give me some tips, ideas or post pictures.

My idea for a bag has been a standard issue US Army duffle bag (with hook and hole top closure) that is either 1/8 sand in the bottom and hard stuffed with rags or 100% sand. This idea would have to have a frame built, but I would like to have a lot of room so I can move around it and get all my angles in.

I'll appreciate all the help I get greatly and yes, I have researched this here on Sherdog and on Google and haven't come up with much. Thanks, guys, I know at least some of you will have some ideas and/or help for me.
 
You can find used bags on craigslist for cheaper than what it would cost you to make one. You can probably talk to people to even give you one.
 
^ Ditto the above response. There are new bags available in the $50.-$60.00 price range or less, so finding a used one should be considerably cheaper. You would be cutting it real close on the cost of some basic materials to build the type you are talking about, and unfortunately it would probably fall short of an actual premade bag. Good luck with it though if you try to make one!

:icon_chee
 
you need to go, "Road House", on this!

Get your fathers/grand fathers military duffle bag, the big one he used to move from base to base. Fill it with cut up cloth, jump on it, fill it with more...
 
I've tried to search on Sherdog and haven't found answers to a couple more questions that have come up along with your advice.

Should I look for a leather or canvas bag? If a particular one, how come?

There are a bunch of free-standers out there for the same price as the normal bags; any cons to free-standers?

The only brands I am seeing on Craigslist, Kijiji and Used Ottawa are ATF, Everlast and Century. As far as I know from best to worst, they are ATF, Century, Everlast. Am I right?

Thanks, guys! :D
 
Things on craigslist comes and go. YOu just need to keep looking and hopefully find a better bag.

Leather basically last longer but many of the non leather bags nowadays are well built that tend to last longer than they ever did before.

Free-standers won't swing like the regular bag... For some reason I don't like free-standing bag. It just don't feel right to me. Then again that's just me.
IMO free-standing is better than building your own.
 
Hanging is better than freestanding. Unfortunately all we have at my gym is freestanding :(
 
So, i'm partially on my way there. Yesterday, I obtained a used heavy bag (no name, unfortunately, but better than nothing) from a local fitness centre. They had kept it in the back for a year or so and not thrown it out for some reason. The problem with it was that a tooth in the zipper was broken and everytime the bag moved, it unzipped (the bags top zips off - probably so one can add more weight, replace stuffing, etc.). I took it home, stuffed some more material in it, along with a brick and a half in the top-center for added weight, zipped it up and superglued the broken tooth.

Now that my bag dilemma is solved, I now only need help to create a hanging apparatus that would allow me enough room to move around the bag and perform kicks and skip knees. I'm thinking of something along the lines of the frame of a cable set (http://www.fitnessscape.com/Merchan...end-Adjustable-Pulley-Cable-Crossover-954.jpg).

Anymore tips, tricks, ideas or feedback? And again, thanks for all of your input!
 
Too bad you don't live closer to me or I'd make you a good deal on one of my bags and I'd get a new one.
 
Try to see if you could taped around the whole part of the bag where the broken zipper is.
 
Thanks for the offer, though Fighter. Where you located, anyways? Too far? :P

Nickyrr, if I taped around the zipper, it would look way too awkward and most likely not be functional.
 
century-heavy-bag-stand.jpg


I have one of those in my 2nd story apartment. Its amazing and doesnt take up too much room. You can find them on amazon etc, I bought mine off a guy on craigslist for 100 bucks with both bags.
 


This is one that I am looking at (bag and stand).

The guy selling it is selling it with this stuff in the package along with an ATF leg kick shield. All for $175. Definitely don't want the jock. And the shinguards won't fit me. Maybe I can widdle him down to $150. Good deal or not?
 
showdown said:
Thanks for the offer, though Fighter. Where you located, anyways? Too far? :P
Click to expand...

I live in the central part of Illinois. It's about 4 hours south of Chicago and about 15 minutes northwest of Peoria. I live in Princeville,IL. It's just a real small little town of about maybe 5,000.
 
showdown said:


This is one that I am looking at (bag and stand).

The guy selling it is selling it with this stuff in the package along with an ATF leg kick shield. All for $175. Definitely don't want the jock. And the shinguards won't fit me. Maybe I can widdle him down to $150. Good deal or not?
Click to expand...

the stand alone is proably worth 150, id try to go for that. But you will probably do like i did buy the stand from somewhere cheap (craigslit) and go get a good quality bag to hang from it (big 5's in my area are having a massive sale, got a 100lb bag for 45 bucks)


edit: now that i look a little closer, the fact that that is one bar from top to floor means your going to need ALOT of weight onthe bottom of it, its going to tip bad, try and get one with more support like my picture above
 
So, from that seller, I got him down to $100 for:
ATF leg kick shield (1)
Ringside focus mitts (1 pair)
Heavy Bag (1)
Heavy Bag Stand (1)

Good deal or not?

Then I found another seller who has the same setup as you, but no speed bag. I'm looking into it- no prices as of yet? If they are both steal-of-a-deals, then I could maybe pick them both up, or sell the lesser stand.
 
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