One typical problem with a heavy bag is that the filling sinks to the bottom of the bag after a time. This way, the bottom becomes very hard, the middle soft, and the top very lax or even empty.
Working out with such a bag is annoying and might be dangerous. If you hit the bottom, it cracks your knuckles and wrists. If the middle is soft, the resistance is clumsy, and your gloves may slip. And, if the top is almost empty, your fist sinks into the bag leading to wrist pain.
How fast the filling sinks depends on the materials you used. Rugs and clothes are more willing to sink and get hard. Flexible materials like foam do not drop, but the bag will be very light and soft if you only use them. You can also purchase unique filling made for heavy punching bags, but I was not satisfied with it.
But, after testing many times, I came out with a solution that works well. I combined light and flexible materials with heavy and firm things. I don’t have to modify my heavy bag’s filling for over a year now with this stuffing.
Let me show you how I did it.
My punching bag filling method
When I bought my bag, the manufacturer filled it only with clothes. After a month, the bottom was so hard that it was like hitting a brick wall.
First, I took some of the clothes off, threw the bag on the ground upside down, and kicked it here and there to soften it up. It got better, but after some usage, the bottom hardened back.
I was fed up with this “solution,” so I decided to refill the bag using clothes and foam. The idea was that the clothes would add the hardness, and the foam would not allow the sinking.
I had a foam mattress that I used for nothing. I cut it up into small pieces, about 2×2 inches.
Then, I put a lot of foam on the bottom to avoid sinking. Since the foam is flexible, the weight of the clothes above presses it down. This way, the bottom is not soft, and it doesn’t allow the sinking of the fabric.
Then, I put one layer of fabric, one layer of pieces of foam, and so on until I reached the top.
During the filling, I hit the bag to the ground and press the filling to get the materials everywhere. And when I reached the top, I filled the shell as much as I could to get a good shape.
The more foam you put in, the lighter and softer the bag will be. With cloth, you can teak the hardness and the weight.
This filling works well for me. I could tweak the hardness to my needs, which is somewhat medium. The bag’s hardness from top to bottom is almost the same, providing an enjoyable workout experience.
If you have no foam, you can use other soft yet flexible materials such as styrofoam bubbles or foam peanuts. Rubber mulch is also good to keep the bag flexible, but it’s heavier and firmer.
Related: What do you fill a punching bag with?
It needs time to refill your bag, but it is worth it. You will not be annoyed anymore because of the uneven hardness.
To sum up, you can do two things to stop your punching bag from sinking.
- Get off your bag and relocate and loosen up the filling by beating. But, you must do it regularly. Anyway, slapping and throwing the bag to the floor is a great workout as well.
- Or use the clothes and foam combo I recommended above to fill the shell.
Do you know others who may find this guide helpful? Share with them.