# Punching bag/pad alternatives?



## whitebeltforever (Mar 2, 2015)

I would like to practice at home with a punching bag but they take way too much room in my small apartment and are expensive too, or needs to be installed into the ceiling or be on a stand. Even the free standing ones are too big and heavy for my apartment and I would have to move it around when guests come as I don't have a spare room just for exercise... 

What is something I can use instead of a punching bag or pad?
Thank you!


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## Dirty Dog (Mar 2, 2015)

If you're going to strike something with force, then it needs to be mounted. There's no real way to change that. If you don't have room for a mounted or freestanding bag, then your options are pretty limited. 
You could possibly get some use out of a makiwara mounted on a wall, but these tend to be fairly small. Possibly you could mount one at solar plexus level and one at chin level or somesuch. That will allow straight punches only.
Maybe you can find a gym close to you that has a heavy bag.


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## whitebeltforever (Mar 2, 2015)

Dirty Dog said:


> If you're going to strike something with force, then it needs to be mounted. There's no real way to change that. If you don't have room for a mounted or freestanding bag, then your options are pretty limited.
> You could possibly get some use out of a makiwara mounted on a wall, but these tend to be fairly small. Possibly you could mount one at solar plexus level and one at chin level or somesuch. That will allow straight punches only.
> Maybe you can find a gym close to you that has a heavy bag.


ahh damn.. yeah i was thinking maybe i can use my mattress lol but the springs might kill me upon impact lol  and i dont know of any other places to go with punching bags i already have a gym membership but they don't have any pads or bags... hmm... back to the drawing board!


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## Jenna (Mar 2, 2015)

Mattress is a great idea! If I ever desperately needed to hit something at home (and everyone plus the cat was unavailable haha jk) I had used cushions off the sofa stacked against the wall! I imagine that is not what you had in mind though!  Jxx


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## whitebeltforever (Mar 2, 2015)

Jenna said:


> Mattress is a great idea! If I ever desperately needed to hit something at home (and everyone plus the cat was unavailable haha jk) I had used cushions off the sofa stacked against the wall! I imagine that is not what you had in mind though!  Jxx


Hahaha I love the bit about everyone not being available lol! But wouldn't u punch  the wall thru the cushion? Ohh... I just realized some cushions r made thick like those Thai type sit down cushions ?


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## Shai Hulud (Mar 2, 2015)

Try filling a bag with clothes or towels and hanging it from a door. Your knuckles will not be happy, but you will have a passable target. Sleeping bags work too! 

You could also try knuckle push-ups from the floor.


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## RTKDCMB (Mar 2, 2015)

Try getting a kicking shield and propping it up on a chair against the wall.


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## Mephisto (Mar 2, 2015)

Where do you train martial arts currently? Do they have a bag? You might talk to the instructor about coming in and working out alone when there's no class. 

That being said, the bag works your stamina and the impact conditions your body. Youll have to find other ways to get those same benefits. Exercise will build up stamina, burpees are a basic easy way to work explosive power, but it's not as specific as bag work. There are many ways to condition your body to take impact, but I'd be cautious doing it without proper instruction. You can hit bean bags, strike your arms and shins w various materials but I'd make sure I know what I'm doing before trying it out.

I've heard of martial artists hitting a "silk bag" which is basically a sheet of silk fabric hung to be shaped like a cylinder in a manner similiar to a heavy bag, no filling is used. The idea is to time your impacts to pop the fabric. This silk bag setup is easy to hang due to the light weight and easy to store, you can work technique by focusing on proper timing. You have to relax and tense on impact, start w one strike and build up to combinations. You won't get the same type of conditioning as a heavy bag but you can still benefit from it. 
Another option is a double end bag, they're not too expensive the mounting should be easy. you'll just need to find a ceiling stud, for the bottom mount get a heavy dumbbell or some weights. It shouldn't be too involved to setup and take down. But a double end bag suits a boxers movement so I'm not sure it's exactly what you need but it's an option.


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## Paul_D (Mar 2, 2015)

whitebeltforever said:


> I would like to practice at home with a punching bag but they take way too much room in my small apartment and are expensive too, or needs to be installed into the ceiling or be on a stand. Even the free standing ones are too big and heavy for my apartment and I would have to move it around when guests come as I don't have a spare room just for exercise...
> 
> What is something I can use instead of a punching bag or pad?
> Thank you!


I have something similar to this.

Strong Canvas Kung Fu Wall Bag White 3 Section 29 inch x 13 Inch eBay

I take the coats off the coat hooks in our porch and hang this by the hooks in the top.  It's light, yet has plenty of padding (and also the pockets have zips so you can open them to add more padding if you wish).  They are also relatively inexpensive, so it might be an option for you.


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## donald1 (Mar 2, 2015)

i cant tell the difference between most punching bags(i never use them). a good idea, ask your instructor. he may have an idea on what type of punching bag you should use


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## Mephisto (Mar 2, 2015)

donald1 said:


> i cant tell the difference between most punching bags(i never use them). a good idea, ask your instructor. he may have an idea on what type of punching bag you should use


A good point, if you're not hitting bags in class, should you hit them at home? I'd say no, you need proper instruction on how to hit and use a bag.


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## Transk53 (Mar 2, 2015)

I'm with Paul_D restricted space does not mean a decent workout. As for the bag, speak to an expert on that. Take into account if you could hit a heavy bag, probably not, but with time


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## Dirty Dog (Mar 2, 2015)

Transk53 said:


> I'm with Paul_D restricted space does not mean a decent workout. As for the bag, speak to an expert on that. Take into account if you could hit a heavy bag, probably not, but with time



Why wouldn't she be able to hit a heavy bag? Unless you have one of a very few medical conditions that would make ANY impact a Bad Thing (tm) you can hit a heavy bag.


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## hoshin1600 (Mar 2, 2015)

If you're looking for something like a heavy bag I think your not going to have much luck. Remember anything that is solid like that and is mounted is going to send shock waves through the rest of the building.  My suggestion is to get a boxers double end bag.  Most have an two elastic cords one from the top you can hang from a hook that is screwed into solid wood in the ceiling and the other cord from the bottom you can tie to a weight. And when your not using it you can hang a plant from the ceiling.


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## Danny T (Mar 2, 2015)

whitebeltforever said:


> I would like to practice at home with a punching bag but they take way too much room in my small apartment and are expensive too, or needs to be installed into the ceiling or be on a stand. Even the free standing ones are too big and heavy for my apartment and I would have to move it around when guests come as I don't have a spare room just for exercise...
> 
> What is something I can use instead of a punching bag or pad?
> Thank you!


What type of workout are you wanting and what kind of punching and kicking are you planning on doing? Speed punching , power punching, Snap kicks, power kicks, front kicks, foot jabs, stomps? 
The heavy bag is for power punching and kicking along with footwork and range drilling, double end bag is for speed and timing drills, speed bag also for speed and timing, clapper targets for targeting, multi tier wall bags are for tempering the fist and speed punching drills. Different bags for different  training; this is why you will see a multitude of training bags in a well equipped facility. There are heavy bags that are shaped differently; cylinder, teardrop, round, and several other shapes all designed for specific type of punching/kicking/kneeing/elbowing.
Free standing pedestal bags are excellent for beginners or light striking. Heavy striking and kicking will quickly tear them up or break the pedestals. 
So again what type of workout are you wanting?


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## Hanzou (Mar 2, 2015)

Honestly, depending on your budget, you can buy a decent punching bag at a sporting goods store. I know you said that cost and space are an issue, but I'd still shop around.


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## Transk53 (Mar 3, 2015)

Dirty Dog said:


> Why wouldn't she be able to hit a heavy bag? Unless you have one of a very few medical conditions that would make ANY impact a Bad Thing (tm) you can hit a heavy bag.



I thinking of one full of sand. Yes that was a little presumptuous and not meant to be.


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## whitebeltforever (Mar 3, 2015)

Danny T said:


> What type of workout are you wanting and what kind of punching and kicking are you planning on doing? Speed punching , power punching, Snap kicks, power kicks, front kicks, foot jabs, stomps?
> The heavy bag is for power punching and kicking along with footwork and range drilling, double end bag is for speed and timing drills, speed bag also for speed and timing, clapper targets for targeting, multi tier wall bags are for tempering the fist and speed punching drills. Different bags for different  training; this is why you will see a multitude of training bags in a well equipped facility. There are heavy bags that are shaped differently; cylinder, teardrop, round, and several other shapes all designed for specific type of punching/kicking/kneeing/elbowing.
> Free standing pedestal bags are excellent for beginners or light striking. Heavy striking and kicking will quickly tear them up or break the pedestals.
> So again what type of workout are you wanting?


hi Danny! thanks for asking lol  and thanks for everybody else's input i am finding this very helpful. because i'm a beginner, i wanted to practice punching with some sort of target in front of me so that it's not as hard to imagine an opponent in front of me, made of thin air... which at this stage of my training is hard to do.. i guess i'm more of a kinesthetic learner. so being able to feel, touch and sense things can help me to learn better, espeically because i find the hand techniques far more confusing than kicks (dance and yoga experience both taught me to do complicated steps but not so much with arms they're mainly there to look pretty in dance and mostly holding a stationary pose in yoga). i would also like to practice accuracy with kicks because im at a stage where i can't really kick with enough muscle control to precisely hit a target, or even part of a target lol! and again with the imaginary opponent thing... my dojo has a no white belt sparring rule that i think is really good, so i wont need to worry about that till much later. which also means i get plenty of time to get good at 1 simple thing at a time, which is also my learning style... horrid at multitasking unfortunately  

so mostly for practicing with something in front of me and for accuracy of strikes and kicks, and if its a proper bag i guess i can just start to get a feel of what hitting something feels like because i havent actually hit much of anything before lol!!! that proly sounds silly now that i've said it lol but i only have 1 x 1hr class where sometimes they use pads for practicing on but the other classes are beginners classes that's just practicing the really basic techniques. i am literally an absolute beginner... 

thanks again for those who suggested the kung fu bag and the sleeping bag i actually tried stuffing towels n stuff into a pillow case and punching it lol it goes flat very eazily hahahaahahahhaaa ...but better than nothing! i'm going to ask to borrow a sleeping bag to try too   i saw a few kung fu bags too online but are they flat against a wall? would i hurt my hand i have no idea how thick they are


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## donald1 (Mar 3, 2015)

Mephisto said:


> A good point, if you're not hitting bags in class, should you hit them at home? I'd say no, you need proper instruction on how to hit and use a bag.


in the class i go to we dont use punching bags(the instructor has some of the pads you can put on your hands and a pair that go along the arm) yet he does give recommendations on what type of punching bags to use. in a way i should read some of these posts carefully as well (in class we mostly practice forms, and occasional arm and leg conditioning and weapons too)


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## Danny T (Mar 3, 2015)

whitebeltforever said:


> hi Danny! thanks for asking lol  and thanks for everybody else's input i am finding this very helpful. because i'm a beginner, i wanted to practice punching with some sort of target in front of me so that it's not as hard to imagine an opponent in front of me, made of thin air... which at this stage of my training is hard to do.. i guess i'm more of a kinesthetic learner. so being able to feel, touch and sense things can help me to learn better, espeically because i find the hand techniques far more confusing than kicks (dance and yoga experience both taught me to do complicated steps but not so much with arms they're mainly there to look pretty in dance and mostly holding a stationary pose in yoga). i would also like to practice accuracy with kicks because im at a stage where i can't really kick with enough muscle control to precisely hit a target, or even part of a target lol! and again with the imaginary opponent thing... my dojo has a no white belt sparring rule that i think is really good, so i wont need to worry about that till much later. which also means i get plenty of time to get good at 1 simple thing at a time, which is also my learning style... horrid at multitasking unfortunately
> 
> so mostly for practicing with something in front of me and for accuracy of strikes and kicks, and if its a proper bag i guess i can just start to get a feel of what hitting something feels like because i havent actually hit much of anything before lol!!! that proly sounds silly now that i've said it lol but i only have 1 x 1hr class where sometimes they use pads for practicing on but the other classes are beginners classes that's just practicing the really basic techniques. i am literally an absolute beginner...
> 
> thanks again for those who suggested the kung fu bag and the sleeping bag i actually tried stuffing towels n stuff into a pillow case and punching it lol it goes flat very eazily hahahaahahahhaaa ...but better than nothing! i'm going to ask to borrow a sleeping bag to try too   i saw a few kung fu bags too online but are they flat against a wall? would i hurt my hand i have no idea how thick they are



Ok great.

I understand wanting to have a target and an object for understanding range. Thing is hitting a pad or a bag is quite different from hitting a human and especially one which is constantly moving, adjusting, and striking back.

You stated; “ i am literally an absolute beginner...”

If this is so my suggestion is to get a mirror and practice your movements:
Footwork, punching, elbowing, kneeing, kicking etc, slowly in the mirror refining the fine points through repetition, repetition, repetition ingraining the fundamentals.

I also suggest you use a double end bag for hand-eye coordination, timing, and range. They are light and take up little room. They are not for power punching but you can do more of that type of training when you have access to a heavy bag or someone to hold pads for you.


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## tshadowchaser (Mar 3, 2015)

have someone hold a pillow or a stuffed pillow case.  It may be held and moved so you have a target that moves and can act much like a pad would.  No it is not going to harden your knuckles but it is a moving target and it will not wake your neighbors when hit


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## Transk53 (Mar 3, 2015)

tshadowchaser said:


> have someone hold a pillow or a stuffed pillow case.  It may be held and moved so you have a target that moves and can act much like a pad would.  No it is not going to harden your knuckles but it is a moving target and it will not wake your neighbors when hit



Nice. But also perhaps the OP could go with a mate to the open air environment just to practice with some strike pads. Could even be the beach. Only the sound of the waves to interrupt maybe


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## Andrew Green (Mar 5, 2015)

A double end bag might work for something, don't try propping something up against a wall in a apartment and hitting that... if you got any sort of power and do it for any length of time you may find your damage deposit long gone.

If space is ok, but storage is the problem Century's Versys VS.1 bag might be a option, it's a lot easier to move around then a wave master and a lot quieter too so you won't shake the whole building.  If you want to hit with power your options are going to be limited because that force needs to be absorbed by something.


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## whitebeltforever (Mar 6, 2015)

Ohh great tip!! I was actually thinking if I wld do damage if things r against a wall.... Thanku!!


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## whitebeltforever (Mar 6, 2015)

Pillow cases stuffed with stuff at the beach with a practice buddy sounds great!!!! ...just hav to convience my bf to come n let me punch him lolol


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## Flatfish (Mar 6, 2015)

whitebeltforever said:


> Pillow cases stuffed with stuff at the beach with a practice buddy sounds great!!!! ...just hav to convience my bf to come n let me punch him lolol




You mean you don't do that already?


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## Orange Lightning (Mar 29, 2015)

Jenna said:


> Mattress is a great idea! If I ever desperately needed to hit something at home (and everyone plus the cat was unavailable haha jk) I had used cushions off the sofa stacked against the wall! I imagine that is not what you had in mind though!  Jxx


I used to do nunchuks against my mattress during the winter. 
It's a bit weird for punching and kicking though. Mine always wanted to fly off the wall. Better than nothing though.


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## whitebeltforever (Mar 29, 2015)

no luck so far with my bf lol mattress idea sounds good. i think i might lean it against the wall and try...


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## Troubadour (Mar 31, 2015)

Before I got a heavy bag, I used to use a plain small hand-held pad, set it flat on the floor, kneel in front of it and punch downward. Definitely not good for proper form, but did help strengthen my wrists and harden knuckles.


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## Transk53 (Mar 31, 2015)

Troubadour said:


> Before I got a heavy bag, I used to use a plain small hand-held pad, set it flat on the floor, kneel in front of it and punch downward. Definitely not good for proper form, but did help strengthen my wrists and harden knuckles.



That is a great one there. Thanks for posting in all sincerity. The back garden area where I live has a small confined patio roofed bit. The floor is concrete and the house (us) knows a builder. I reckon a bracket and plate could easily be put in. It would go some way to easing the space issue with a heavy bag and kick bag. Nothing to say that a pole could go in first. Thanks for the silent help


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