A punching bag is an essential piece of boxing equipment and a great way to stay in shape – even if you’re not into martial arts. But you’ll need to hang a heavy bag before you can start throwing those kicks and punches.
Thankfully, the process can be fairly easy if you follow the proper steps. We’ve written this article so that you could get through the tricky parts, and get to your killer workout quickly.
Before You Start
If you want to hang a heavy bag, make sure that you’ve secured a good location. Ideally you want to be able to move 360 degrees around the bag. At the very least, you want five feet of clearing on each side.
If you’re using structural beams, make sure that they can handle the heavy bag. Along with the weight of the bag, you need to take the force of your kicks and punches into account as well; for example, if your heavy bag weighs 100lbs, the beam needs to be able to support at least 300 lbs of weight.
Always consult a contractor or a professional before hanging a heavy bag. While we can describe the mounting process, we can’t know how your home was constructed. Always keep in mind that mounting a punching bag incorrectly can cause heavy structural damage, and we don’t take any responsibility for any harm or damages caused by improper installation.
If you’re feeling unsure, a free standing punching bag or a heavy bag stand is always an option.
How To Hang A Heavy Bag On The Ceiling
What you’ll need:
- Stud finder
- Good heavy bag hanger or an eye beam
- Strong wooden beam
- Drill
- Level
- Wrench
To hang a punching bag from a ceiling, your house needs to have strong support beams which can handle the weight. For a hanging mechanism, ideally you’d want a heavy bag hanger. Most will come with all the nuts and bolts you need to complete the installation already included. You can check some out in our top 5 best heavy bag hangers review. Alternatively, if you don’t have a heavy bag hanger, you can use an eye bolt.
You can also spread the force of the heavy bag across multiple beams by drilling multiple beams, then attaching a wooden board perpendicular to the beams. The punching bag is then mounted to the board directly.
This helps spread the weight of the heavy bag across multiple beams, which will lower the overall pressure on your ceiling.
If your beams are covered by the ceiling, always use a stud finder to locate them, rather than drilling randomly.
Once you’ve located a support beam, drill a hole. You want to be drilling dead center to ensure more stability. If you’re using an eye bolt, use a wrench to twist it until it can’t go any further into the hole. If you’re using a mount, you may need to drill two holes to hang your heavy bag. Use a level to ensure you’re drilling the holes evenly.
How to hang a heavy bag on an exposed wooden beam
What you’ll need:
- A strap heavy bag hanger
If you have an exposed wooden beam, you can hang a heavy bag by following the same steps as before – but exposed beams also open up an opportunity of using a strap hanger. A big plus to this process is that there’s no need to do any drilling; simply attach the strap, and you should be good to go.
Overall, a strap hanger is a much more simple and versatile solution. Although they don’t seem like it, some heavy bag strap hangers can handle weights around 300 lbs, and some even come with adjustable heights.
If you’re fortunate enough to have an I-beam, I-beam hangers are extremely simple to use, and you can just use on of those.
How to hang a heavy bag on an exposed wooden beam
What you’ll need:
- A wall hanger
- A screwdriver, drill, and other tools depending on the heavy bag mount
If you have concrete or brick walls, you may also be able to hang a punching bag with a wall mount. While this is a practical and relatively easy method, keep in mind that it limits your space and you won’t be able to circle the bag. On the other hand, hanging a heavy bag with a wall mount can open up more space and allow a better approach to the bag – even though it’s not from all sides.
While most wall hangers come with all the nuts and bolts you need, make sure to ask around before buying so you could get all the hardware that isn’t included. Keep in mind that most wall hangers are rated up to a certain weight limit – a hanger with a maximum capacity of 75 lbs shouldn’t be used for a punching bag that weighs 100 lbs.