HOW TO FILL A MUAY THAI PUNCHING BAG

May 06, 2021

If you’re working to improve your Muay Thai, you must be taking the time to practice using your punching bag equipment. The Muay Thai Punching bag is an underutilized tool that provides a plethora of benefits such as improving your combinations, developing better timing and rhythm, strengthen your knuckles and shins, working on reflexes, improving your cardio as well as your footwork and movement.

 

If you’re ready to improve your progress in Muay Thai, you’ll need to set up your equipment correctly, which includes filling up your Muay Thai Punching Bag. This article will walk you through that exact process to ensure you’re able to train whenever you want.

 

Understand Your Muay Thai Bag Size

Before you can get to filling your Muay Thai Bag, you’ll need to understand the differences between sizes because that will determine how much product you’ll need to fill it, and it can impact how you train. Here are the most common types of Muay Thai Bags you can find on the market:

1. The Classic Heavy Bag – This is the main practice bag you’ll find provided at Muay Thai Gyms. They are around 100-150 pounds depending on the filling and approximately 4 feet in length. This bag can be filled according to how much of a swing you’re hoping for from the bag.
2. The Long Heavy Bag – This is a less common type of bag you’ll find at Muay Thai Gyms. These bags are half the width of a standard bag and typically six feet or longer in length. They’re designed to help you work on low kicks.
3. Heavy Angled Bags – This is an excellent middle ground between the long heavy bag and the classic bag. The unique shape of the Heavy Angled Bag allows you to work on low kicks and uppercuts with one bag. They are generally thicker bags to allow for a sturdier feel and range between 4-6 feet. Due to the thickness and size of the bag, there is not much swing in the bag, making it an ideal bag to practice on.

 

 

 

Suggested Weight of Your Muay Thai Bag

• Classic Heavy Bag (Fairtex HB2) = 57 – 66 lb. (26 – 30 kg)
• Extra Large Heavy Bag (Fairtex HB3) = 66 – 75 lb. (30–35 Kg)
• 3-foot Tear Drop Heavy Bag (Fairtex HB4) = 60 lb. (27 kg)
• 4-foot Syntek Heavy Bag (Fairtex HB5) = 68 lb. (31 kg)
• 6-foot Muay Thai Banana Bag (Fairtex HB6) = 79 – 92 lb. (36 - 42 Kg)
• 7-foot Pole Bag (Fairtex HB7) = 308 lb. (140 kg)
• Bowling Bag (Fairtex HB10) = 77 – 86 lb. (35 - 39 kg)
• Uppercut Heavy Bag (Fairtex HB11) = 44 – 50 lb. (20 - 23 kg)
• Angle Heavy Bag (Fairtex HB12) = 132 – 137 lb. (60 - 62 kg)
• Super Angle Heavy Bag (Fairtex HB13) = 132 – 137 lb. (60 - 62 kg)
• Super Tear Drop Heavy Bag (Fairtex HB15) = 84 – 88 lb. (38 – 40 kg)

 

 

What Materials Can I Use to Fill a Muay Thai Bag?

There are many fillings you can use for your Muay Thai bag. However, not every material is suitable to give you the best training experience. In fact, using the wrong material can create unusable equipment and produce poor training results. In general, there are three types of material you can use to fill your bags: Cloth, Sawdust, and Sand filling.

• Cloth: Cloth is considered one of the safest fillings you can use for your Muay Thai Bag because it provides a good balance in the bag. It won’t sink or break easily. Cloth is the perfect filling if your goal is to practice medium or soft punches.
• Sawdust: If you’re looking for a happy medium between a hard and soft Muay Thai Bag, consider using sawdust as your filling. It provides a lighter bag due to the consistency of the material.
• Sand Filling: Sand Filling is the perfect filling for tighter and harder punches. Using sand ensures safe and enjoyable training because it tends to collect at the bottom of the bag. This allows the top to be softer while creating a durable base. However, this does have its drawbacks. It can be hard to get the ideal shape due to the heavy nature of the sand filling. Plus, if you hit the bottom the wrong way, you can cause severe damage to your legs, shins, or wrists.

 

Step by Step Process to Fill a Muay Thai Punching Bag

Now that you’ve decided which type of filling you’d like to use, it’s time to fill up your Muay Thai Punching bag. To ensure you fill it perfectly the first time, follow our step-by-step guide.

1. Shred Fabric: First, you’ll need to fill your Muay Thai bag with fabric to allow it to settle evenly. Get a variety of old clothing, including sweaters, jeans, t-shirts, and shorts. Grab a pair of scissors and cut the fabric into strips. You want them to be small and flat.
2. Open the Bag: Next, you’ll need to prepare your bag to start the filling process. Open from the top, and roll down the sides of the bag so you can easily fill it as needed.
3. Layer the Clothes: Take the clothing you cut up and place it into the base of the empty bag. 
4. Insert Your Filling: Once you have a solid base of clothing, you can continue filling with your chosen filling method, which may include more clothing, sawdust, or sand filling. You’re finished once the sides of the bag become sturdy.
5. Close it Up: Finish the last layer by adding additional clothing at the top, and properly close it to ensure that none of the material falls out. You’ve now successfully filled up your Muay Thai Punching Bag!

 

What Should I do If My Muay Thai Punching Bag Settles?

You might find that a week or two after filling your bag, it starts to feel less full than it previously did. This is a common issue and happens because your punching bag is beginning to settle. You might need to top off your punching bag with additional filling material to get it to your ideal weight and size.

 

What Should I Do If My Muay Thai Punching Bag Is Too Heavy?

If you’ve overstuffed your bag, it’s easy to reverse the issue. Simply take down your bag, and open it to reveal the inside stuffing. Take out the amount of filling you feel is appropriate and reseal your Muay Thai Punching Bag. Test it out to see if it feels better. If it still is too heavy, you can repeat the process until you have the perfect-sized punching bag.

 

Filling a Muay Thai Punching Bag might seem complicated, significantly since different sizes and weights can impact your training. However, by following the information provided above, you’ll feel confident filling up your Muay Thai Punching Bag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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