DIY Punching Bag Ideas: How to make your own punching bag at home
Are you trying to keep your technique sharp, but you don’t have the means or time to make it to your local gym? Perhaps you’re hoping to pick up the basics of boxing without leaving the house and you don’t have the money to buy the best punching bag.
Well, fear not, because there are plenty of methods for us to share with you on how to make a number of different types of DIY punching bag – using basic tools and minimal supplies.
Continue reading below to learn how to make your own DIY punching bag. Here is everything you’ll need for this project:
- An old pillow or dog bed
- A bag full of old clothes
- Any form of firm padding (a yoga mat works fine)
- Duct tape
- Durable rope
- An old belt
How Do You Make A Heavy Punching Bag
Step 1: Crafting The Bag
The first step in creating a DIY punching bag involves placing a bag of old clothes into the dog bed, before then rolling it up like a burrito. You’ll want to make sure the clothes are firmly inside the dog bed before you then roll it up nice and tight. Then, seal the rolled up clothes and dog bed using duct tape (be sure to make liberal use of the tape to ensure it doesn’t come loose).
Step 2: Add The Padding
After you completely seal the bag with duct tape, it’s time to add the padding. Take your first layer of padding and place it around the bag, before using duct tape to seal it on. Make sure you’re squeezing and compacting the bag and the padding to ensure everything is in place.
If you want to use your homemade punching bag in home as a punch or kick shield, feel free only to pad one side. However, for a complete punching bag, make sure to add another layer of padding to cover the entire punching bag (1).
Step 3: Cover The Outside With Duct Tape (Optional)
If you want to make your DIY punching bag more pleasing to the eye, you can cover the entire outer layer with duct tape. This optional step won’t necessarily add to the performance of the bag but will simply boost the aesthetics – which is often an important step when attempting to make a punching bag.
With that in mind, if you have spare duct tape, we recommend that you complete this step to ensure everything is wrapped up tightly, so it won’t come apart after a few intense training sessions.
An optional step in how to make a boxing bag, but an important one nonetheless.
Step 4: Creating The Hanger
Here comes one of the most crucial steps in crafting a DIY heavy bag. Take a sharp knife and make four inserts around one of the ends of the bag. These inserts are where you’re going to weave your rope through the bag so that you can hang it up. After making your inserts, thread the belt through the holes. This part can be a bit tricky, so you can use something like a pair of scissors to lift the padding while weaving.
You can use more duct tape to reinforce the loose hanging part of the belt to make sure it doesn’t flap in your face while using the bag. After weaving the strap through the bag, it’s time to add the rope. Slide the rope through each exposed part of the belt to attach to the hanging apparatus.
After adding the rope, tie up the four ends. It doesn’t need to be the best knot technically, but it does need to be tight. Finally, connect all four ends, seal the knot with duct tape and attach it to your hanging apparatus.
And with that, our guide on how to make a homemade punch bag is complete and your very own DIY punching bag is now ready to use!
Check out this YouTube video for visual instructions.
Homemade Punching Bag – In Conclusion
We hope that our guide on how to make a punching bag may come in useful in your search for the ideal way to live the life of a boxer without leaving your house (2). There are many different types of punching bags out there – with each having their own strengths and general uses. Now you’re ready to set up your heavy bag for punching so you can continue the fight at home.
FAQs
The best punching bags contain various grains, sand, and other collectively dense elements. However, your DIY punching bag only needs somewhat thick materials like clothes, towels, or soft foam.
Absolutely! Not only do punching bags – whether they’re a homemade punching bag or not – help with your coordination (2), but it’s also an incredible cardio workout. Manny Pacquiao has said in the past, “if you work hard in training, the fight is easy,” and working with a punch bag at home is a great way to get started.
When reviewing all of the non-DIY top-rated punching bags, almost all of them have one thing in common: durability. You want a bag that isn’t going to dent or break after a few months of training. As you see in many boxing gyms, all of the punching bags are built to last and are heavy enough to endure rigorous punches. Bringing a high-quality punching bag home with you is always a surefire sign of good intentions.
Sources
- https://www.brawlbros.com/floyd-mayweather-heavy-bag-workout/
- https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/heavy-bag-training-strategies-and-programs.html
