Best Garage Heavy Bag & How to Set up a Punching Bag In The Garage
Having a punching bag in your garage is one of the best ways to take your martial arts training to the next level. Training at the gym is fine and dandy, but these days you never know when the gyms are closing down and you’re stuck training at home.
Even when the gyms are open, sometimes life gets in the way and you just don’t have time - or energy - to get yourself to the gym. That’s when having a punching bag in your garage is a lifesaver. You’re able to get a quick workout and get on with your life.
I can already hear some of you saying “Martial arts are my passion! I would never miss a gym day!” Well, then having your own punching bag just makes sense, you can get more workouts in. So do it.
Best Garage Punching Bag – My Two Favorites
Favorite Hanging Heavy Bag
This is the only one I mess with. Its cheap and is among the best out there. Bang for buck is what I go for. The Ringside 100-pound Powerhide Boxing Punching Heavy Bag. Check out it's price and reviews on Amazon by clicking here.
Freestanding Bag
The Century Wavemaster XXL – This is by far the best standing punching bag I have ever used. I own this bag and have put it through abuse for 3 years now and dang thing still looks new. You can not find a better free standing option.
You can read the insane amount customer reviews and check it out on amazon by clicking here
Different Ways to Have a Punching Bag in The Garage
Not all homes are built equal, and that works for garages too. Some of you will have tons of space, others will need something that can be put away because you actually park in your garage.
Some of you can hang your bags from a ceiling joist, others will have to hang them from a drywall ceiling. Hell, some of you may not be able to hang it at all! If you fall into that last category, don’t worry though, read on and I'll show you a way for you to get a bag too!
How to Hang a Heavy Bag from A Drywall Ceiling
Hanging a heavy bag from drywall can be tricky. You’re gonna need to find the support beams beyond the ceiling and use a specialized hanger. Otherwise, you risk damaging the drywall, or even worse, having the bag fall while you use it. That won’t just damage the hardwall, it might even hurt you!
Some punching bag hangers, like the ones I’ll show below, already have hanging instructions and if you get them (I highly recommend it) following those would be the best course of action.
If you’re trying to DIY or use a different hanger, the process will be something like this:
- Use a stud finder to locate two support beams in your ceiling. If you don’t have one, the knock test can work too. Just find the places where it doesn’t sound hollow.
- Find a bag mount designed for connecting two support beams, these are usually a plank, a V, or a C shape.
- Drill into the support beam and really tighten the bolts, use a wrench to make sure everything stays really tight.
The only problem with this method is that most people don’t know how much weight their support beams can bear, and while having a bag in your garage is cool, it’s not worth the risk of having your house collapse.
So, what do you do when you want to hang a bag but would rather not do it from the ceiling? You use a wall mount.
How to Hang a Heavy Bag with A Wall Mount
Wall mounts are a great option for when you don’t know if your ceiling joints can safely bear the load of a heavy bag (some of these bags are 300 lb. so you must choose a really strong place to hang them from). Of course, if you have drywall, you’ll still need to use a stud finder and know how much those support beams can take. If that’s the case, don’t worry because I’ll give you a solution later.
For those of us that have masonry walls, hanging a wall mount is pretty straightforward:
- Calculate a suitable altitude for your wall mount. Don’t just take into consideration the length of the bag you intend to hang, but also the length of the chain.
- Drill into the masonry
- Secure the wall bracket.
- Hang your bag.
Best Punching Bag Hangers
My Favorite Cheap Pick - Heavy Bag Mounting System
This Mount is an absurd piece of equipment. Specifically designed to hang from hardwall ceilings or ceiling joists, it can hold up to 1000 pounds while also reducing vibrations and noise by 58%, hence the name.
Just follow the hanging instructions on the package and you’ll be set. One thing you should be aware though, the bag is not included!
Best Features
- Reduces noise & vibration by 58%
- Load rated at more than 900 pounds, Increases structural strength. The heavier the bag the better it works!
- Easily hangs from drywall ceilings without damaging them.
- Provides free-flowing, 360-degree movement.
Specs
- Dimensions: 20 x 3 x 4 inches
- Weight: 4 Pounds
- All mounting hardware included
The Firstlaw Fitness Spider is not as strong as the one above, as it is designed for punching bags that are 140 pounds or lighter (which should be plenty for most all heavy bags). But what it lacks in weight capacity, it makes up in noise and vibration dampening. Thanks to the characteristic 8-spring design that gives the mount its name, vibrations and noises are absorbed.
So much so, that the Fitness Spider is highly recommended for those who enjoy training in the early morning. I’ve tried it myself and I can attest that you won’t wake any neighbors no matter what you do.
Much like the Silencer, this is a great choice for mounting on drywall.
Best Features
- One of a kind noise and vibration dampening
- 360-degree spherical motion
- Easily mounted on drywall and floor joists
- Built-in bearings provide smooth swivel
- Lifetime Warranty - 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Specs
- Dimensions : 18 x 14 x 4 inches
- Weight: 14 Pounds
- Made in the USA
Yes4All Wall Mount Heavy Bag Hanger
Excellent Cheap Alternative Design Option
The best option for those that can’t hang bags on their ceilings. For starters, there’s no safer way to hang a bag to a masonry wall or even wall studs, thanks to its 8 bolt holes, there’s no way this baby is coming out.
That’s not all though, it’s also height-adjustable, which comes in handy when you’re using different kinds of punching bags and can be turned to the side when not in use to save space.
Have a Punching Bag in Your Garage without Drilling
Maybe you live in a rented home and can’t drill without pissing off your landlord, maybe you just don’t feel like putting holes in your wall. Whatever the case, you want a punching bag in your garage without drilling. I’ve got you covered.
The solution to all your bag-hanging problems is a heavy bag stand. A metal contraption that can hold up your bag while you go to town, without having to drill a single hole.
Of course, there are some trade-offs. Mostly in space and stability; A heavy bag stand won’t be as stable as hanging it from the ceiling, but it can be weighed down with plates or sand to make up for it and it would be better than a DIY solution like a tire punching bag.
What you can’t get around is the fact that heavy bag stands take up a lot more space than hanging, so if you’re concerned about space, these may not be for you, there are other bags that are more suitable for small spaces and are also really portable, for example the Wavmaster XXL or the Wavemaster 2XL Pro jump to mind as one of the best for small places.
I won’t walk you through setting up a punching bag stand because all of these come with instructions that are designed for whatever stand you ended up getting.
What I will do is give you my top 3 choices of bag stands below:
One of the most well-known names in boxing brings us another great piece of equipment, with an assembly process so simple you can get it ready to go in minutes.
Built to last forever (get it? Everlast?) thanks to the heavy-duty steel and powder coating, you can be sure this stand will be with you for long, paying for itself multiple times over with its usefulness.
This stand can only take heavy bags up to 100lbs, which is more than enough for most of us, but may not be ideal if you’re a heavy hitter.
To make the most of this stand, you need to weigh it down somehow. That can be done with weight plates placed on the bottom pegs, or by tying it down by the hooks placed on either end.
I've been using this stand as an outdoor stand along with a cheap canvas bag for my outdoor punching setup, and for years it has delivered.
Best Features
- Wide platform to allow movement while training
- Accommodates heavy bags up to 100lbs
- Can be weighed down with plates or tied down.
- Powdered steel coating.
Specs
- Footprint: 69" L x 48.25" W x 84.13" tall
- 120 day warranty.
Century Heavy Bag Stand
Budget Option
This century stand is for those that are newer to martial arts and aren’t looking to break the bank to get some extra training.
It’s remarkably cheap and a great bang for your buck, you can probably tell is pretty similar to the previous stand. It’s easy to assemble, offers a wide platform for training, and can be weighed down by plates or rope.
The only downside is that it’s not as strong, only rated at around 80lbs, and it’s a little bit less stable, so be sure to rope it down nicely. You can check it out here, although it's somehow quite often out of stock, in which case you can check if this stand is available on Amazon by clicking here.
Best Features
- Budget Option
- Dimensions : 53 x 5.1 x 21.5 inches; 50.25 Pounds
- Holds up 80lbs bags
- can be stabilized with plates or tied down.
- Durable build
- easy to assemble.
Outslayer Muay Thai Heavy Bag Stand
Nicer Costlier Option
If our previous entry was the budget option, this is the premium, break the bank option. Only for the most committed martial artists out there.
Standing almost 8 feet tall, this monstrosity can hold up a 350-pound bag like it’s nothing and comes with 3 unfilled sandbags that will hold down the stand no matter what. Even better, it manages to do all that with a smaller footprint than our other entries.
While this is not a budget option, it’s still a great bang for your buck because the stabilization solution comes included. Usually, you’d have to go out and buy plates to stabilize something so heavy, and plates cost a pretty penny.
This way, you only need to get some sand, which is - literally - dirt cheap.
Best Features
- 350lbs weight capacity.
- Comes with 15 Year Warranty.
- Easy 7 screw assembly
- Comes with 15 Year Warranty.
Specs
- 7.8ft tall
- Made in the USA
- Each leg is about 30" long and they can extend an additional 12"-15"
How Often Should You Hit the Heavy Bag?
Alright now that you have your bag set up and ready to go, it’s time to train. If you’re a seasoned martial artist, you probably don’t need me to tell you when and how to train. But just in case you’re a newbie, here’s a little guidance.
Of course, this is a topic we could write volumes about, so don’t take this as the end all be all too heavy bag training. In fact, if you’re attending any kind of martial arts gym, asking your coach how you can supplement your training at home is probably the best course of action.
With all of our warnings and disclaimers out of the way, let’s talk about how often you should hit the heavy bag.
Heavy Bag Training Frequency
As with most things in fitness, it depends. It depends on how far along you’re in your training, if you’re doing any other forms of training during the week, whether you use or don't use gloves when punching the bag etc.
We could spend all day discussing this, but for simplicity’s sake, I’ll give out a good estimate for a newbie.
At first, you should only do it one or two days per week, then move to 3-4 and eventually 5-6. You shouldn’t only increase how many days you train, but also how many rounds you do per day. I’d say a good long-term goal is to hit 5-6 rounds 4-5 days a week.
Of course, if you’re trying to be a pro boxer, you’re gonna have to take it further than that, but you’ll also have a coach to guide you.
Related Readings:
- Floor Punching Bag: How Do They Differ From Other Bags? Which Are The Best Ones?
- Amateur Boxing Gloves: Which Are the Best Ones? Which Is the Best Bang For Buck?
- Best Low Top Boxing Shoes
- Aqua Bag Vs Heavy Bag: What Is the Difference? Which One Should You Get?
- Best Martial Arts For Big & Tall Guys
