Table of Contents
- List of Best Alternatives for Punching Bags
- Shadow Boxing as a Punching Bag Alternative?
- Wrist Weights for Punching Bag Substitutes?
- Focus Mitts for Alternatives to Punching
- Floor Bags as Punching Bag Alternatives?
- Used Car Tires for Improving Punching Strength
- Wing Chun Dummy as a Substitute to Punches
- Grappling Dummies for Punching Alternatives
- Kick Shields for Punching and Kicking Bags
- Make-shift Surfaces
- Makiwara Training Board
- Apartment Punching Bag Alternatives You Should Try
When you start boxing, it’s inevitable that the sport will become one of your primary passions. People join gyms and begin lifting weights because they’ve been victimized by bullies who have made them feel ugly because of their physique. On the other hand, I found that lifting weights helped me overcome my doubts and become confident in myself. And at that time I started to think that there would be an alternative for punching bags, especially for those who find punching bags expensive. Savings on alternatives to the traditional punching bag may be had by using the 20% off Amazon promo code on any purchase.
Don’t have a punching bag? Looking for the answer: What can I use instead of a punching bag?!
We have the best answer for you about alternatives to using punching bags… check them out below.
Check out our list of some of the best punching bag substitutes available on the market.
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List of Best Alternatives for Punching Bags
Without actually utilizing a punching bag, I have no basis for making any kind of evaluation. To that end, I decided to sample them all. After that, I typed out a list of my go-to punching bags. The enumerated items are displayed and represented graphically below. You can learn more by looking at things from my perspective.
>>> Why Everlast MMA Punching Bag is best for Muay Thai?
I have tried many alternatives for punching bags. Some went great, some were hard. But I learned that there are substitute to punching bags. These punching bag alternatives won’t be as great as the real punching bags but at least they are good for a start.
After coming up with different options for a punching bag, I decided to test them out. I have divided my final results in the form of a list. You can see the whole list below. Let me know what you think about these alternatives and if they can be any help to you. I will try to post even more boxing bag substitutes once I test them.
Shadow Boxing as a Punching Bag Alternative?
One alternative of punching bags is shadow boxing. It is an ancient and effective way of training. If you have access to a punching bag but are unable to utilize it, you may still train by engaging in the art of shadow boxing.
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In old times, people used to do this workout and nowadays the trainees are also asked to perform this as it increase your stamina and focus on your workout. What you have to do is to stand in front of a mirror and start punching in the air. Like you are hitting someone.
Or else, you will have to stand in the boxing ring and perform your practice by looking at your own shadow. This kind of workout, enables you to enhance your defensive techniques as you are fighting with your own reflection.
Wrist Weights for Punching Bag Substitutes?
The second best and very effective alternative training method of punching bags is the wrist weights.
In this workout, the trainee has to tie up portable weight on his wrists and then punch in the air. Such weight can be tied up by using straps as well. Such wrist weight training enables to increase and enhancement of your strength, stamina and resistance of your arms and shoulders. By having such heavy weight on your wrists, your heart may get increase up to 10 beats per minute.
The wrist weight is proved to be very effective in case of shadow boxing and you can add up this training in your shadow boxing routine.
Focus Mitts for Alternatives to Punching
For this workout, you need a partner who will stand in front of you by holding the pads. He is supposed to change the pad’s position frequently and you are supposed to hit those pads every time. In this way, you speed, and focus will get improved and you will have a sharp look on your target. This workout includes the hitting of pads in various manners like uppercuts, kicks, straight punches etc. in order to improve your defense as well, your partner should strike you back and you have to defense those strikes.
Floor Bags as Punching Bag Alternatives?
Floor bags are a rough form of boxing training. They are most used by military personnel in rough environments. Mostly they are used in places where actual boxing bags are hard to get. They make these by adding sand into a floor bag.
Floor bags are the next best alternative to a punching bag. These are challenging exercises for training purposes. These are commonly seen in the hands of military personnel or in the context of rigorous training. Most of the time, this type of training is done in places where easy access to punching bags is not available.
But as you know that a floor bag isn’t as powerful as a punching bag, because it doesn’t have the nevatear fabric, nor it is made of poly canvas material. Instead, it is just a floor bag or a couple of floor bags that have one inside the other to keep the sand from falling out. The end purpose is to hang it to a pole so military personnel can exercise.
This floor bag is perfect for those who cannot afford a boxing bag of price $60 to $100 but would like to start boxing.
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Used Car Tires for Improving Punching Strength
Using Car tires is another great punching bag alternative. Also, it is one of the cheapest yet effective techniques that one can use to train.
I have seen that in my village, people prefer to use used car tires as a makeshift punching bag. These car tires are mostly used in the martial arts academies where they can’t get actual punching bags due to low fees, But come to think of it, these used car tires are a great way to box. Why? Because they are powerful and soft just like a real punching bag. They are also made of rubber so they don’t hurt the hands.
Just make sure you are wearing gloves when you start punching them. Some of them have sharp edges or tiny wires protruding from within the bag that can pierce your hands if you aren’t careful.
Wing Chun Dummy as a Substitute to Punches
Though a wing chun dummy isn’t an ideal punching bag alternative, but these are great for practice. In fact, I personally made my own kung fu dummy when I started martial arts. These help improve your reflexes and make the elbows as hard as a stick.
You can make your own dummy by watching most youtube videos. But if you aren’t sure that you will make it right or you don’t have the right equipment, then in that case it is better to buy one. The average price of a wooden dummy is between $40 to $60, which is affordable in comparison with a punching bag that costs at least $100 for starters – unless you are visiting craigslist.
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Grappling Dummies for Punching Alternatives
Next we have the grappling dummies as a great alternative to punching bags. These aren’t recommended as a replacement for punching bags but they are great for grappling and jiujitsu training. The grappling dummy is actually a man-sized dummy filled with sand or synthetic filling. It can be in different sizes ranging for, 70lbs to 150lbs. You can buy most from amazon. The price of these grappling dummies is between $100 and $150 at most.
I have seen most people using grappling dummies to complement their punching bags because the first one is used for standing training while grappling dummies are used for ground training.
Kick Shields for Punching and Kicking Bags
If you don’t have a punching bag but work with a partner, the best way to go about it is to get a kick shield. The kick shield will provide the same level of impact and it will help you focus on specific parts of the body. These are one of the best alternatives available for punching bags.
The kick shields are just like a crusader’s knight’s shield. Your partner can hold it while you kick or punch. It is one great way of training and many kick boxing gyms have kick shields instead of heavy bags.
These are also lower in cost.
Make-shift Surfaces
A great punching bag substitute is to use anything cushioned. You can use a sofa, a cushioned chair, a pair of newspapers, or even an old book.
Just make sure that the surface is thick, padded, and stable. You may find it difficult to use these boxing bag alternative options in the beginning but you will become used to them later on. We found this when searching for ‘Punching bag alternatives’ on reddit. You can also try this one at home!
Buy Punching Bags for Home Gym
Makiwara Training Board
Last but not the least is to make a Makiwara training board at home. These are some of the oldest ways of training. Makiwara means wooden board and it was originally used by Karate masters in Okinawa, Japan. You can create your own Makiwara training board or buy one from Amazon. This is one great boxing bag substitute for home gyms that is also low cost.
Apartment Punching Bag Alternatives You Should Try
Now you must be wondering which one of these will be a good alternative for Apartments. The answer is simple. Apartment folks are looking for a punching substitute that is light-weight but impact absorber. A couple of alternatives that fit this description are:
- Car Tires: We have already discussed how they can be beneficial. Just use them as dummy practice.
- Flour Bags: They can help you improve performance, and endurance.
- Punching Mitts: They work similar to a boxing bag. But some one will have to hold them.
- Target striking bags: These are just like mitts. Someone will have to hold them though.
Check Out Punching Bag Alternatives for Apartments
You can easily hang them in your room in your apartment and they will provide you the desired workout that you need.
The good thing is all these are easily movable. So, you can move them whenever someone objects. Just kidding. Start using these boxing bag replacements for your apartment and improve your boxing.
That’s it for now. I will post more substitutes of punching bags in near-future. Until then, make sure to start training for whatever goal you have in mind. Train smart and safe.
Let me know if you have any alternative of the heavy punching bags in mind and I will add that to the list.
