Step-By-Step: How To Fill Your Heavy Bag Base
Getting your at-home boxing gym set up is the first step towards taking your training to the next level. Unlike a heavy bag, which is typically suspended from the ceiling, a freestanding punching bag can be moved around to make room for other workout equipment you may want to add.
With that said, a freestanding punching bag with stand needs to have some weight so that it doesn’t topple over the minute you strike it. This guide will cover what to fill a punching bag base with so that you can complete your punching bag set up and start working out.
What Do I Need To Set Up My At-Home Boxing Space?
Before purchasing a bag, there’s one important thing you need to set up your home boxing gym: space.
When your punching bag is filled, it’s going to be extremely difficult to move anywhere. You’ll be able to shuffle it side-to-side, but picking it up probably isn’t going to happen. That’s why you need to plan out your boxing space before purchasing any equipment.
A space as small as six feet by six feet can be more than enough. As with other equipment, figure out where you want to put your punching bag before purchasing everything you need to set up your punching bag. As for the punching bag, we get two common questions:
- How do I fill my FightCamp bag base?
- What do I fill the base of my heavy bag with?
To answer the first, you’re going to need to address the second. The three (3) most common options are sand, water, or both. For this guide, we recommend using sand as it will weigh more, but a bag base filled with water will still give you a great workout. The reason we recommend sand is that the base can fit 350 lbs. of sand, but only 250 lbs. of water. If you need more stability, sand is preferred.
Here’s what you’ll need to fill the base of your heavy bag:
- 4 bags (350 lbs.) of dry sand (or enough water)
- Any type of masking tape or stronger tape
- Scissors
- Funnel
Once you have the items above, grab the base of your FightCamp heavy bag or another bag, and let’s start to fill.
How Do I Fill My Freestanding Heavy Bag Base?
Follow along with FightCamp trainers Flo Master and Aaron Swenson as they show you how to fill your heavy freestanding punching bag base, and give you all of the tips and tricks to make this easy!
Step 1
First, take a towel and put it under the base of your bag in case you happen to spill some sand
Step 2
Attach the funnel to the opening of the bag’s base using tape
Step 3
If available, grab a table tall enough to be above the funnel and place the sand on top (otherwise, you’ll have to hold the bag of sand while pouring)
Step 4
Cut open a corner of the sandbag directly above the funnel
Step 5
Start pouring the sand into the funnel, shaking the funnel slightly as the sand pours to ensure the opening doesn’t get clogged
Step 6
Once you’ve emptied the first bag of sand, shake the base of your bag so that the sand inside evens out
Step 7
Repeat steps 4-6 with the rest of your sandbags and finally secure the punching bag on top
Now, you’re ready to start training!! If you’d like more weight in the base, you can top off the sand with water. This will take the base weight to 400+ lbs., which is more than enough for a workout.
After you have your bag all set up, consider purchasing additional boxing equipment such as gloves and hand wraps to make your boxing experience better and safer for your hands.
To learn more about equipment that can benefit your training or to learn boxing for beginners, visit FightCamp’s YouTube and website.
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The Author: Aaron Swenson, aka ‘Speedy,’ began his Martial Arts journey under his father’s guidance in the family’s dojo in Chicago. By 2013, Aaron was an accomplished fighter with two National Kickboxing titles and a USA National Kickboxing Team spot and fought for the prestigious GLORY Kickboxing organization. Since then, Aaron has become a sought after trainer in LA known for his technical approach to teaching, fancy pad-work, and utilizing music to make the workout fun and engaging. Aaron is a Founding Coach at FightCamp, where he leads boxing and kickboxing workouts and plans to make his return to the ring.