How to Hang a Boxing Bag

by Matt Wilson
Last Updated: 22/03/2021
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How many Polish guys (it’s a meme, just type Polish guy and you’ll get it) does it take to hang a boxing bag? 15? 20? 

I really don’t know, but what I do know is that in this article you may find all the information you’d require to successfully hang your boxing bag

I am going to talk to you about a number of different ways to do just that – hang your punching bags. 

If you read this article carefully you will end up with an amazing home gym that will stand the test of time like the writings of Plato.

So, don’t slack off, and pay attention to what I am about to tell you in this step by step instructions article. 

Before Getting Started

Location for the Punching Bag

Most of the punching bags in the world are found in boxing or mma gyms (honestly, I don’t know of the top of my head but it sounds true). I know I have just told you nothing, but I am paid by the word, so please deal with it and I’ll promise you, it will get better.

When looking around for a perfect spot in your house to put a punching bag, you could think of a place close to the ceiling. However, there are a couple of things that you should be aware of, before you start drilling holes in your ceiling.

The most important thing when trying to hang a bag is to make sure that you have enough space in your house to do so (not having enough space is not an option!).

The most popular place to hang a heavy bag is usually a support beam (that’s that beam that supports your whole house, kind of important). 

Sometimes that beam is in the middle of your living room (that’s the case with my home), and you don’t want to have a punching bag in the middle of your living room (do you?).

So, to summarize, when looking for that perfect spot to hang a punching bag you should make sure that the bag would be out of the way (ideally, against a wall or somewhere in the corner).

If you have a garage, you can pretty much do whatever you want. In my opinion that would be a perfect location to place your heavy bag.

The Wall Set-Up

Imagine a TV – wall mount, and you’ll understand the gist of it. The only difference is that this wall mount can withstand the weight of one heavy bag. 

Depending on how well your wall is made (and from what materials), hanging the bag using a wall mount, just might be the best way to go (it’s really secure). 

It’s infinitely easier to find a free spot on your wall to hang the bag, then to think about all the electrical and plumbing stuff (stuff – a technical term) that may be inside of your ceiling. 

Installing the Hardware To Hang the Bag

Before you hang the bag, you will need to install some hardware, first. Depending on what way of hanging the bag you’ve chosen, the installation of said hardware will vary. 

Hanging a bag in your home is not an easy task, but don’t fret, cause I am here to tell you how to do it. You will need to do some work, but in the end it will all be worth it.

In the next part of the article, I will be telling you all about the different ways of hanging a heavy bag and all the different hardware that comes with it. 

Most of it you should get with the purchase of your bag, but in some cases you will have to go out and purchase the installation equipment on your own. 

4 Ways To Hang A Punching Bag 

1. Using the Ceiling Joist

In order to hang the bag from the ceiling joist, your first step should be to find it. The easiest way to do it is to use a stud finder. If you don’t have one make sure to get it.

With a stud finder in your hands, you should start inspecting your ceiling. Start from one side and slowly look for the ceiling joist. Once you’ve found it, you should poke a little hole with a small nail, just to find the center.

And when you’ve found the center, you are ready to start hanging your heavy bag. Support beams can have cracks on them, so keep your eye (or eyes, if you have both) open.

Now comes the “somewhat difficult part”. Next step is to drill a hole in the center of the ceiling joist. 

Next part involves you putting in an eye bolt into the hole. Use a wrench to twist it as safely and securely as you can.

Get your bag connected to the chain (you should get some chains with the purchase of the bag), and then connect the chain to the S-hook. 

Hang the S-hook from the eye bolt (with the bag attached to the S-hook) and you’re pretty much done. 

Congrats, clap yourself on the back or just start whaling on the heavy bag (it’s up to you). You did all the work, afterall.

2. Using a Ceiling Mount

This mount uses the same method as the previous one – you need to find the ceiling joists first or just use the support beam.

Instead of attaching the bag directly to the support beam (like with the previous technique), you’ll get a ceiling mount whose “job” is to better distribute the weight, and in turn lower the pressure on your ceiling joists.

First you need to set the ceiling mount in place, and mark the spots where you will be drilling. Once you’ve done the marking part, it’s time to get to the drilling part of the proces.

Next step is to drill a hole! Free advice, use a drill for that (or you can go for the “shawshank redemption” style and use a spoon). Choose the option that suits your needs. 

Use a screwdriver (or a wrench) to attach the mount to the (you’ve guessed it!) ceiling. Next step is to attach the chains to a heavy bag and then to an S-hook. Great, now all that’s left to do is to lift the bag up and hang it!

And that’s how you hang a bag from the ceiling mount! 

If the weight of the bag is too much for you to lift up alone, make sure to get someone to help you with it. You don’t want to get yourself injured before you’ve even started with the punching bag training.

3. Using a Wall Mount

This method (as the previous two), will also involve a couple of holes to drill. The biggest difference is that you wont need to look for the support beam or ceiling joists in order to do it. 

The only thing you need to remember is that you shouldn’t use drywall to hang punching bags. Masonry walls are kind of a “must have” if you want to hang your bag with a wall mount. 

First, mark the places for the bolts. You should do that by holding the wall mount and marking the holes. 

Now, just drill holes. Place the mount on the wall, and install the bolts (using a wrench). Attach the chain to the S-hook and to the bag. Use all of your strength to lift the bag up and attach it to the mount.

If that’s not working, ask your neighbor to help you. After you’ve done all of that, you’ll have a perfectly working home gym.

4. Using a Freestanding Support Bag

If you don’t want to do any work (I am talking about drilling) then this method is the best one for you. You won’t need chains, hooks, joists or a support beam. All you need is a little bit of floor space and you’re done.

Put the stand at the location that you’ve previously chosen. This option is considered to be the least secure, because the stand may wable and move while you throw your punches. 

The most common thing that people do to combat this, is to weigh the stand down and hope for the best. 

FAQ

How to Hang a Heavy Bag

Most heavy bags weigh around 100 pounds, so hanging them will require a lot of support. We’ve talked about some of the different ways that you can mount a punching bag, and in those the heavy bags are included.

You could use a ceiling or a wall mount, or a ceiling joist (to hang the bag from the ceiling). You could also find a support beam in your home, and use that as to hang your heavy punching bag.

But, before you do any hanging, make sure to look around for the perfect location that has enough free space for the bag. 

It may not be the best idea to hang your bag to the support beam if that support beam is right in the middle of your living room. I’m just sayin. The final decision is up to you, but still, try to consider not doing that.

Different Ways to Hang a Heavy Bag

The most common way to hang your heavy bag is to use a ceiling mount or a wall mount. You should attach one of those to the support beam or the ceiling joist (The main thing that holds your ceiling, like really important!).

To set everything correctly, you are going to need some chains, an S-hook, a drill, some bolts, and a willingness to do some work (maybe the most important thing).

How To Find the Joist

If you can’t find the joist just by looking at your ceiling, then there are different things that you can do.

The most secure option is to get yourself a stud finder (it’s not an add-on for Grinder). Stud finder works by detecting density changes in the wall or by locating the metal nails in your ceiling.

Hanging a heavy bag may be tedious, but at the end all of it will be worth it. You’ll have a place to train and to let off some steam.

How to Hang a Punching Bag in Garage

Probably the most common place, people choose to hang punching bags. Before you start, you should check the support beams in order to make sure there are no cracks (or any other type of damage) on them. 

Once you’ve done that, the next step would be to choose the method of hanging the bag.

We’ve talked about a variety of options, so if you just scrolled through the whole article and ended up on this spot, you should just scroll to the top and start reading (before you start to drill).

The Bottom Line

Well done! You’ve just finished reading the meat of the article. I am just going to review a couple of important points before we end this.

Most of the hardware you’d need to install your heavy bag should be included in the purchase. That equipment includes chains and bolts (it’s usually an eye bolt), and of course the mount you’ve chosen for your home. 

Before hanging the bag, check out your support beams for any unwanted cracks. If you chose to mount the bag on the ceiling, look for a ceiling joist before you start to drill holes.

Heavy punching bags have their weight between 50-100 pounds, so make sure your beams can support that amount of weight.

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