Different Heavy Bags and Which One To Choose.

1. Standard heavy bag. Generally comes in weights of 80, 100, and 120 pounders. Although you can get some bags that weigh hundreds of pounds. This is where perfecting your basic boxing starts. Putting in those hours on a heavy-bag. 5 minute rounds with only your left hand, then right hand, then both, then just left jabs, then just right jabs. Your arms feel like spaghetti afterwards. Over time, they can throw more punches without feeling weak. They hit harder, faster, grow more accurate. The standard heavy bag is a must for any boxer. 2. Thai bag, like a heavy bag except longer and lower to the ground so you can practice low kicks. If you're a Muay Thai fighter or kickboxer, a regular heavy bag just won't do. You can't practice leg kicks on a standard heavy bag. Generally Thai bags are more narrow but weigh about the same. You see the bags fold in a lot more as you strike them, so they have less swing. It seems like they absorb shock better, so when it comes to throwing a flurry of strikes in one combo. The Thai bag reigns supreme in practicing your kicks and low/high combos. 3. Double end bag. The good ole double end bag, kind of confusing to use at first but it remains just as fun through training from a noob to experienced fighter. It's a combination of practicing your jabs, crosses, head movement, and counter punches. The bag is about the size of your head and fastened between a ceiling and ground bungee. The bag flies around as you hit it, and comes right at your head. So as you hit it, you have to bob your head out of its way. A must for any striker. 4. Speed bag. That thing you see boxers effortlessly bounce around on a wall mount. That there is a speed bag. It's all in the name, it trains your hand speed. Mostly these bags are all about rhythm, being able to move your hands quickly in a pace that matches the bags bounce. The faster the hand speed, the quicker you can bounce it. The fastest boxers can practically make these bags sing. 5. Teardrop bag. The teardrop bag is about the same size a standard heavy bag, but its shorter, wider, and shaped like a waterdrop. It's ideal with Muay Thai and mastering your knees / elbow strikes. It's also great for uppercuts. There's variation like uppercut bags and wrecking ball bags, which are similar but more orientated for uppercuts and just boxing. Many people say they're all different but I believe these types of bags to all roughly fall under the same category. There's of course other punching bags out there on the market and in the gym, but unless you're getting into the more complex striking equipment like the Bas Rutten's - Body Action System or the Liteboxer Pro. There's really not much difference between bags below the fancy stuff. So as long as your local gym has these 5 bags, it's all about your sparring partners and who is running mitts at your gym.