Punch Bag or Grappling Dummy Which One is Best for Workout?

Want to start practicing boxing or strength training? Punching bags and grappling dummy are highly useful work out gears that can help you in many ways from improving your cardio to muscle strengthening. But which is a better option? Well, in order to get an answer to this question, you need to consider their workout benefits as well as your goals. In this article, we will share some of their workout benefits that will help you make our decision easier. Keep reading.

Punching bags – How Are They a Useful Workout Gear?

Punch bags and sand bags are highly valuable training tools for boxers, kick boxers and for those who want to practice MMA.

punch bag workout

Here are some benefits of using heavy bags.

  • Form practice – while shadow boxing and drills help you with basic practice for boxing and martial arts form, this practice does not allow experience the force of impact while striking. Punching bags can help you practice at full power and speed.
  • Strength training – resistance is the key to strength training. While the equipment that is usually used in strength training is resistance bands and weights, punching or kicking a punch bags also provides resistance.
  • Cardio exercise – using punching bag in training is an effective way of strengthening the heart and improving the health of a circulatory system.
  • Improved balance – punch bags are very effective for improving balance as you can move around and involve your entire body in your workout.

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Grappling dummy – How Are They a Useful Workout Gear?

There is no substitute for live training partner but sometimes the partner isn’t available. For those, grappling dummy can be a beneficial option. You can’t improve your fighting skills without practicing striking and grappling.

grapling dummy workout

For some, grappling dummies let practice striking and grappling more effectively. Here are some workout benefits of the grappling dummy.

  • Upper body power – training with the grappling dummy is perfect for improving upper body muscles including lats and pecs.
  • Grip strength – grappling bag can help you work on the entire body in a way that traditional weight training can’t. For example, when using dumbbells and barbells, you are able to work out in a limited motion only while grappling dummy helps you work out utilizing entire range of motion. This helps improve grip strength.
  • Core muscles – when multifidus muscles located in the spine and erecter spinae muscles usually known as lower back muscles are weak, one is unable to work at full capacity. Grappling bags can help you work on these muscles and improve their strength.
  • Posterior chain – people tend to train glutes and hamstrings with leg presses, squats and deadlifts. But they are not enough for a combat athlete as the movements have little resemblance to anything that happens in reality. Using grappling bag is however more helpful to train glutes and hamstrings.

Now when you know the difference between punch bags and grappling dummy, you can choose the right gear that can better help you fulfill your workout goals for your training.