There’s nothing worse than a punching bag stand that constantly shifts and slides when being used. What most don’t realize until after getting one, is that punch bags and bag stands will likely rock and tip during a boxing workout. With the heavy bag swaying and being hit with hard force, the heavy bag stand itself to being shifting and sway. So before you begin your workouts, make sure that the bag stand is weighed down enough.
Heavy bag stands have small pegs on most if not all of its legs. This can be used to hold barbell weights of your choice, to help weigh down the stand and punching bag. It’s meant to be used as counterweight and is recommended to always weigh down your equipment, to help ensure safety as well as an uninterrupted workout.
If your punching bag stand happens to not come with pegs, there are other options to help secure it. Sand bags and floor mats are just a couple to mention. But we will be getting into more detail of how you can keep it from moving, later on in this article.
The build and design is also something to look at before buying a punching bag stand. Are the legs of the stand narrow or wide? Having a stand that is too narrow would increase the chances of it tipping over. If possible, choose a stand where the legs or base of the unit is wider as it gets closer to the ground. This would help in stability and resistance from too much motion.
How Heavy Should A Punching Bag Stand Be
Given that all bag stands are made different and with different materials. It’s understandable that the natural weight of them will vary. Most heavy bag stand manufacturers boast that they can hold 100-300 pound heavy punching bags easily with the stands that can weigh about 60 pounds themselves. This causes a bit of an issue when the punching bag is swinging when being used. So how heavy should the boxing bag stand be?
You should utilize the boxing bag stand pegs with barbell weights for any stand that provides them. Since different punching bag stands will handle the weight of the punching bag and how you use it in its own way. Putting down an additional 50 pounds is a good start, but if you still find that your boxing stand moves during use, then add on additional weight as needed.
Depending on the quality of the bag stand, it may be designed to be easily transported meaning it wouldn’t weigh too much. If thats the case, than it would be likely that it would not manage the weights well of a heavier punching bag.
As a quick rule of thumb, you could add the same amount of additional weight to the boxing bag stand as the punching bag weight. If you have a 100 pound boxing bag, add 50 pounds of counter weight on each leg of the bag stand. It can either be barbell weights or if you would prefer a cheaper option, you can get bags of sand from any local hardware store.
Be sure to check out our complete list of the best heavy bag stands that is tailored to your specific needs.
Weights For A Heavy Bag Stand
The most common way of weighing down heavy bag stands has been with iron plates. The same ones you put on the end of the barbells. They actually work pretty great, are solid and durable. It’s nice to have if you have some extra lying around.
If you are looking for weights for the heavy bag stand, we have 2 options that doesn’t require any iron plates, and they work just as well.
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Decathlon Fillable Weights – This fillable weight is specifically designed to anchor and stabilize the base of a punching bag stand. The donut shape allows the bag to fit perfectly over the pegs of most heavy bag stands and can also double as weights for various workouts.
[product_display title=”MaxxMMA Heavy Bag Weight” description=”The multi-purpose weight training bag serves various purposes in your training routine. It also functions as an additional anchor, offering the necessary weight for reflex bags and double end bags. You can easily fill the bag with bags of sand or bottled water, providing the desired weight for your workouts.” image=”https://thebasementwarrior.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/maxxmma-heavy-bag-stand-weight.jpg” width=”300″ height=”300″ button_text=”Buy From Amazon” button_link=”https://amzn.to/3p6PQDh” banner_text=”Notable Mention” affiliate_disclaimer=”We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.” button2_text=”” button2_link=””]
MaxxMMA Heavy Bag Anchor – This is a versatile anchor bag designed for weight workouts, double end bags and is a useful weight for heavy bag stands. The bag is specifically designed to be filled with sand or bottled water, and it features an extra Velcro flap over the zipper for added reinforcement. It’s important to note that the bag isn’t air tight and is highly recommended to seal the sand in plastic bags before filling.
How To Keep A Heavy Bag Stand From Moving
There are a few options you can try if your heavy bag stand is still tipping and sliding too much when being used. Weighing it down, placing a “grippier” flooring underneath or give the bottom of the stand itself more grip. Are good options to use. Although you likely would not have to, but using all the suggestion in this article would help in making sure your heavy bag stand stays in place.
Check out our article of how much space you should leave for a punching bag.
Here is a short list of options that can help keep your heavy bag stand from slipping around.
- Sand Bags – A quick and easy way to get the punching bag base heavier is with sand bags. They’re relatively cheap, and easy to manage when you need to move the punching bag around. The same sand bags used for film and photography will work great. They have a loose handle that you can link together with rope or yarn and tie it to the top of the base. Placing them on the sides around your punching bag, will also help reduce movement and any type of sliding.
- Cinder Blocks and Bricks – Another alternative to using weight lifting equipment is concrete blocks or bricks. They are a fraction of the price, just like a sand bag would be, however it is a bit more awkward to get these blocks stable on top of the leg of a boxing bag stand. 3 or 4 units of these should be enough, since they can weigh about 40 pounds. Just be sure to have them positioned well to not fall off during use.
- Position It Against The Wall – This may not be the best option if you like moving around your bag. But it definitely would help it from moving around. Push your bag up against the baseboard of a wall. You can even put a towel or an old shirt in between to prevent any damage.
- Floor Mats – Depending on what your flooring is currently like. Investing in a good quality rubber floor mat would make a world of difference. The surface of rubber mats have extra grip to it too, which can “hold” the base much better than concrete, tile or even carpet flooring. If you don’t have any type of mat for your workout space, you should be getting some anyway. A layer of protection for your floors, and a extra cushion for your body is a win win when working out at home.
Our recommendation for home gym floor mats on Amazon - Anti Slip Tape – Sticking adhesive tape, or anti slip tape underneath the stand of your heavy bag is another way to create some extra friction. Depending on the type of flooring you have there are quite a few different options of tape that can be suitable.
- Change Your Technique – When using a heavy bag, having a large sway in the bag causes weight distribution to be uneven. And resulting in movement with the stand. If your heavy bag is swinging wildly during use it can get a dangerous and risk injury. Change your hitting technique that will help control the swinging of the bag, which not only lowers the risks but also gives the boxer more control.
If trying all these various methods doesn’t satisfy your need for a bag stand that stays put, you can check out our full article on other ways in keeping a heavy bag stand from moving.
Conclusion
The last thing you want to worry about is a finicky punching bag. Completing a boxing workout is hard enough, and you want to minimize as much distractions as you can. Having a heavy duty boxing bag stand and stabilizing it, is one thing that can help keep your workouts enjoyable and focused.
Although most heavy bag stands have pegs meant for barbell weights, they can be costly and in efficient. For a fraction of the price you can help weigh down a boxing bag stand with bags of sand, rocks or a couple of cement blocks and brick. In the end, it is up to what works for you the best in keeping your stand sturdy and still.
If you haven’t bought a punching bag stand yet and are still on the fence, we have an article that may help decide if a stand is right for you and if you should use one.
