A free standing heavy bag is a good option for many people who want to train muay thai at home but are not able to ‘hang up’ a bag for various reasons.
So this post will help you make an informed decision about the best free standing heavy bag for your muay thai training at home.
There are 3 different types of free standing bags i) Cylindrical ii) B.O.B iii) Reflex
These are looked at in further detail below as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the free standing heavy bag for muay thai.
Types of Free Standing Heavy Bag
Free-standing boxing bags are positioned directly on the floor so no suspension is required.
The bag is placed over an empty base, which is filled with either sand or water to weigh it down.
There are generally three types of free standing heavy bag.
You should weigh up the pros and cons of each – especially as it relates specifically to muay thai training.
1. Cylindrical Bag
This type of bag is designed with a similar look and fell to the normal hanging heavy bag.
The main difference is that it is equipped with a base rather than suspended from above.
The base is usually filled with water or sand to provide weight to anchor it down whicl the ‘body’ itself is very similar to a traditional hanging heavy bag.
2. BOB – Body Opponent Bag
This type of ‘bag’ is instnantly recognizable as the ‘body’ is in the shape and likeness of a real human body.
The ‘body’ is skin like in texture but tough and firm enough to strike with a good deal of power.
The main disadvantage is that you cannot train low kicks on this type of bag.
Also you mainly strike from the front of the bag as the rear of the BOB is susceptible to damage more than the front. You wont have 360 access to strike like the cylindrical bag or traditional heavby bag.
3. Reflex bag
The reflex bag trains your reaction and defensive reflexes as this bag will utilize momentum to swing and ‘strike’ back at you.
This is great for training reflexes and defensive/counters.
The main disadvantage for a muay thai practitioners is that you cant reall train all your strikes such as knees and kicks.
Low kicks again are impossible with this type of bag.
This type of bag is mainly for boxing.
For muay thai this type of bag is not recommended.
Advantages of a Free Standing Heavy Bag
For those who wish to train muay thai at home the free standing heavy bag is a great option.
Commercial gyms also see benefit in the free standing bag and many have set up these types of bags in their gyms.
The main advantages of a free standing heavy bag are:
- Ease of installation. Does not require extra equipment such as installing mounts and tools for drilling.
- Can be set up virtually anywhere – even your living room or kitchen.
- Great for people renting living space so you don’t need to drill into your ceiling.
- Excellent tool for developing fight endurance, cardio and technique.
Disadvantages of a Free Standing Heavy Bag
While the free standing heavy bag offers benefits such as ease of installation and set tu, there are some disadvantages also.
- Users have said that free standing bags move around and need to be reset every so often.
- Users have also stated that free standing bags don’t take punches or kicks as well as traditional heavy bags and thus are not as effective for developing power in your strikes.
- Thai boxers often use the traditional swinging movement of the heavy bag to work in strikes and defense/footwork. The free standing heavy bag only flexes from the base and does not provide the same type of movement.
- Low kicks – many free standing bags do not allow for low kicks as the base is not padded to take impact from strikes.
- Cost – a free standing bag is generally more expensive than a traditional bag and you can expect to pay USD $200. For an unfilled traditional heavy bag you can pay less than half this price and fill it up yourself.
Recommendations for Free Standing Heavy Bags for Muay Thai
Despite the disadavantages of the free standing heavy bag – for many people, especially training a lot from home, the free standing bag is the best option for them.
So these are my top 3 recommendations for a free standing heavy bag for muay thai.
1. Century Wavemaster XXL
The Wavemaster is probably one of the most popular free standing heavy bags around.
The Wavemaster XXL is 70″ in height and the base is 28″ in circumference.
The striking bag cyclidrical component or the ‘body’ is 18″ in diameter pretty much the same as a traditional heavy bag.
The main thing with the Wavemaster for muay thai is that training low kicks is not really possible due to the base of the bag being for anchoring the bag itself and not for striking.
2. BOB XL
The B.O.B or Body Opponent Bag is another very popular free standing bag used in gyms and homes alike by all martial artists.
The BOB is adjustable from 60″ to 80″ in height which gives good versatility. Further specs include:
Mannequin – 40″ x 15.5″ x 10.5″
Base – 24″ Diameter x 19.5″ Tall
Approx. 270 lbs. when filled with water
Similar to the Wavemaster and most free standing bags – the base is not made for striking and so low kicks are not able to be trained well with this bag.
3. Versys Series
The Versys series free standing bags are the most versatile free standing bag available.
With fully functional BOB torso and head with simulated arms, this bag allows for training defensive blocking, deflecting and redirecting punches.
With the extra versatiltity of the Versys series there are some drawbacks.
This bag will allow to train low kicks and even takedowns from clinch including sweeps and trips.
However this also makes the bag quite light and easy to knock down when powerful shots are delivered.
Cheaper Options for a Free Standing Bag
One of the main disadvantages of the free standing heavy bags is the cost.
You will need to spend about $200 to get one.
However here are two options for those who are on a budget.
1. Make Your Own Free Standing Heavy Bag
Check out this post from Ryan Gregory (backinthegi.com)
In the post linked above you will get instructions on how to make your own free standing heavy bag for around $50.
It will take some time and a bit of research, shopping and know-how.
But at $50 this is really a great option for people on a budget.
2. Unfilled 6ft Thai Bag – Lean Against a Wall
You can also do what I do sometimes which is to lean a 6ft Thai bag against a wall and train your strikes that way.
You wont have 360 degrees access to the bag.
However the big advantage is the mobility of the bag and not needing to have to hang the bag up.
Leaning a bag against a wall will reduce its height so therefore I recommend only doing this with a 6ft bag so you can practice low, middle and high strikes.
Final Thoughts
For some people a free standing heavy bag is a much better option for home training due to the reasons discussed above.
However there are some disadvantages to a free standing bag for muay thai such as not being able to train low kicks effectively.
There are some cheaper options as well if a free standing bag is your best choice and these have been discussed above as well.
For muay thai, I would recommend in order these free standing bags:
