Expert: Alan Kahn - 7/25/2006

Question
My names Tom I am 19 years old, I have been messing around with boxing ever since I was 15. I have always enjoyed hitting the speed bag because of the complexity of the technique. It looks so easy but when you actually get in there you can really embarress yourself. I am moving down to college and I want to put up a speed bag on the wall in my room. I have a bag, but I need to know what I need to build a stand for it, I want to attach it to the wall, What parts would I need, and how would I go along assembling it? Thanks a lot. I have seen your other answers to questions and by far you have the most detailed responses, hopefully you can help me with this project.

I have always wrestled and messed around with boxing, I am studying Jiu Jitsu down at school and hopefully I will get into some MMA back home in Chicago next summer, do you have any special workouts you could recommend to me? Maybe some that emphasize the core muscles, thanks again.

Tom Urban

Answer
Hi Tom,

Since you want to hang a speed bag unit on the wall, you may need to consider "the wall" you will hang it on. You need to know if it is an "inside wall" (simply a room divider) or an "outside wall", with more of a weight supporting function (it will be more solid then the other).

If it is an inside wall, (room divider)consider what is on the "other side".  If the other side is in YOUR apartment, then the noise and vibration may be more tolerable, (since it's your space...) but if the other side is someone else's apartment or room, you will really have to buffer the sound and vibration. I doubt you will be able to remove all the noise or shake from the unit. Inside hollow walls just don't do well with speed bags on them unless you build an exceptionally solid and wide frame to hang it on.

First, find the studs in the wall and measure the distance between them. either 16 or 24 inch centers. Then measure the distance between your speed bag unit's vertical brackets to see if they will align to the studs. If they can, than you may want to put them on the wall vertically over the studs for more support. This may depend on where the studs fall within the wall, particularly in a small room. You may not get two studs together in convenient place for a speed bag.

Whatever your room arrangement, I really suggest you build at least a light weight wall frame of 1x4 wood. Screw these two the wall studs, and attach the speed bag unit to the wood. This will protect the wall surface better from the vibration of the speed bag unit, AND buffer the noise somewhat from the other side of the wall. Yuu can build several types of wall frames.  Check this out:

http://www.speedbagcentral.com/ssp/speed_bag_setups#A

The two pictures on the top show three horizontal 1x4 wood strips that cross three wall studs. The vertical brackets of the speed bag unit are hung in the center of the boards, with a stud in the center of these black brackets.
The bottom pictures show a couple of 2x4 wood runners placed vertically on the studs underneath, with the vertical brackets attached to the 2x4's. The screws that attach the black vertical brackets go through the wood into the studs also.

After you chose your wall frame style, then attach the speed bag unit. I like to hang the vertical brackets first and then add the other parts, but that may depend on the unit you purchased.

Bag choice
For apart or small dorm rooms, I suggest using a small 24in board (shown above) and a 9x6 bag. That smaller bag will make less noise and vibration, as well as stay under the board (not extend past the end. If the 9x6 is a little too fast for you, just let a little air out of it. You will feel it give when you hit it, but that's alright.

Swivel suggestion.
Use a quieter ubar swivel such as: http://store.titleboxing.com/dps-ez.html

here is a tip: For the newer bar type swivels, put some tape around the bag loop to draw it tight and keep it in contact with the bar at all times. Otherwise it may “float” up, losing contact, when you make hit in an upward direction. This will slow the bag down enough to screw up your routine.

that should get you going on your speed bag workout.

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AS for your questions on exercise, I am not really a personal fitness trainer, and the exact individual exercises for YOU may depend on your goals, your experience, the exercise equipment available and your present physique/fitness level.

Tom, rather than attempt an educated guess at what might work for you, here are some links to some information that will help you chose what you need. These will be to what I consider legitimate sources, not the latest "fitness fad".

Core Exercises
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/abdominalcorestrength1/index.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/core-exercises/SM00071

http://www.talkbodybuild.com/fitness/article2.html

http://www.athletes.com/fun/wrestlingtrain.htm

http://www.athletes.com/fun/plyometrics.htm

...and I highly recommend Ross Enamait's fitness workouts. Any of his books and training regimes are first rate:  

http://www.rosstraining.com/articles.html

http://www.rosstraining.com/products.html

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I hope this give you enough information to answer your questions. Good luck and train safe.  I hope your speed bag unit works well for you.

sincerely,

Alan Kahn
author, The Speed Bag Bible