WHICH TRAINING BAG IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

The rising popularity of mixed martial arts and other fitness programs incorporating training equipment has increased the demand for a wide variety of bags. It can be difficult for anyone contemplating a change in workout regimens to tell which type of training bag will be right for their needs.

There are five key factors to consider before you make your ultimate purchasing decision of a training bag. These are the weight, filling, bag cover, use for and desired mobility of the bag. Read on for our quick guide to understanding these five factors.
Weight of the Training Bag

Choosing the right bag weight will go a long way toward maximizing your training. A bag that is too light will not yield the same results as a bag that is the correct weight. On the other hand, a bag that is too heavy can cause injuries to hands, wrists and legs, especially if the person using it is has not yet developed proper striking techniques.

A good rule of thumb when selecting a hanging training bag is to look for one that is roughly half your weight when filled. As your training progresses, you may need to purchase a heavier bag to continue getting the best results.

Freestanding bags have weighted bases, so the same ratio does not apply. It depends rather on how you plan on using the bag. If you’re planning to use your bag for cardio kickboxing, or if the bag will be used by a young martial-artist-in-training, a bag with a ‘lighter’ base (approximately 170 lbs. when filled with water) will suffice. Examples include the Cardio Wavemaster® and Youth Powerline Wavemaster® Jr. If you are a larger person, or you plan on throwing hard kicks, you will likely want a bag with a 270 lb. base like the Wavemaster® 2XL Pro or BOB®.
 
Century Wavemaster 2XL Pro
Cover and Filling
Most training bags, whether they are freestanding or hanging, will be covered with leather or a durable vinyl shell. Genuine leather lasts a little longer, which is why some bags like the Creed 100 lb. Muay Thai Heavy Bag are made with leather tabs, to lend longevity to the straps used to hang it.

Creed 100 Lb Heavy Bag
Hanging bags are typically filled with shredded cloth for cushion and bulk with sand dispersed throughout for weight. Freestanding bags offer a slightly different feel. They use a high-density foam, with either a plastic or foam core. Their weight comes from their bases rather than the bags, which can be filled with water or sand.
There are some exceptions, however. BOB® and BOB® XL training dummies are covered with plastisol and have foam bodies. This is because BOB® is designed to feel like a real human for sparring simulation, and the plastisol has a more ‘skin-like’ feel than other bags.

BOB® XL
Purpose and Mobility Factors
Some martial arts styles call for training bags with certain features, and, likewise, some bags were designed with a particular martial art in mind. You should also have a good idea of how you’re going to be using your bag before you buy one. For example, a hanging heavy bag like the XL HydroCore Heavy Bag is would be great for someone wanting to improve their kickboxing power, while a bag with handles at the top like the Versys™ VS.1or VS.3 is ideal for practicing grabbing and knee strikes. A speed bag is good for boxing training but is an inefficient kicking target. And someone who wants to learn Krav Maga, judo, or any other art with throws and groundwork, would get the most benefit out of a grappling dummy like the Versys™ VS.2. Some other bags designed with a specific art or age group in mind include the Taekwondo Wavemaster®, Youth Powerline Wavemaster® Jr. , and Kick Kick® Wavemaster® or Lil’ Dragon® Wavemaster®.

Versys VS.3
Depending on your living situation, mobility may also be a factor. One of the main benefits to having a freestanding bag is that they can easily be pushed into a corner or storage area when not in use. This can be great for people who don’t have that much free space. There is also no need to drill into a wall or ceiling to install them.
If you are set on getting a hanging bag but want something that won’t require affixing anything to your ceiling or walls, getting a heavy bag stand may be the right option for you. Although not as readily mobile as a freestanding bag, a bag stand can hold any style of hanging bag. Century offers several bag stands capable of holding bags up to 100lbs, including a stand with an attached speedbag platform and the Cornerman, which features six height adjustments and is designed to give you the most striking space.

No matter what you decide, Century Martial Arts has a bag that fits your specifications. Our assortment of training bags includes the Century BOB®, heavy bags, Versys™ bags, Wavemaster® training bags, lifelike grappling dummies and much more. With Century customer service representatives on hand to help you, you’re sure to find the perfect bag for you!

WHY BUY CENTURY TRAINING BAGS?

40 Years of Innovation
For the last 40 years, Century has been at the forefront of martial arts innovation. One of our best inventions (if we do say so ourselves!) is the freestanding training bag. These days the bags are so ubiquitous you might have seen one without knowing it came from Century. Back in the early 1990s, that certainly wasn’t the case.
All training bags used to be hanging. These are great bags. In fact, they’re still popular. But they posed a problem for gym owners whose schools didn’t have the right structure, or those who didn’t want to drill into their ceilings. Bag stands partially alleviate the problem, but they are hard to move and don’t let you work all the way around the bag.
But Century’s Research and Development team members are problem solvers. In 1995, we released the world’s first freestanding bag, the Wavemaster®. It was a hit! Today, we offer an entire line of Wavemasters, from the Cardio Wavemaster® to the heavy-duty Wavemaster® 2XL Pro. In 1998, we introduced another game-changer – BOB® the Body Opponent Bag. BOB was the first freestanding training manikin and has also evolved into a line of his own, with the BOB® XL, Bobby Bully and VS. BOB®.
Sometimes you need something to slam as well as strike. So Century created the Versys™  line. Check out the versatility of the Versys™ bags here, on our site.

Different Bags for Different Needs
Why so many different bags, you ask? The answer is simple. It’s because there are so many different martial arts! And why are there so many different martial arts?
Well…
That might actually take a book or two to answer. We’ll just stick to covering why the bags are the way they are, and what they’re used for.
Taekwondo is a kick-heavy art, so it requires a sturdy bag with a large surface area. The Taekwondo Wavemaster® was built to accommodate. Other bags that are great for taekwondo are the Wavemaster 2XL Pro (the version with scoring zones, if you’re super cool!), or a hanging heavy bag like the Creed Muay Thai Bag. The 2XL and Creed bags are also great for Muay Thai, another kicking art, as well as karate.
What about martial arts that have little, if any, kicking? Judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu players will both benefit from training using the Versys™ VS.2 bag. Like all the Versys™ items, it is freestanding, but features tripod legs and two hooked arms so you can work throws and takedowns. Unlike a human, it doesn’t complain about being slammed into the mat again and again. It’s perfect for groundwork practice.
These are all common sport martial arts. If you’re learning a martial art primarily for self-defense – like Jeet June Do or Krav Maga, the BOB® bag (or BOB® XL or VS.BOB®) is what you want. This manikin bag lets you practice striking a human-shaped target, complete with a scowling face so you won’t feel bad for hitting him.
The Torrent T1 and Torrent T2 Pro Bags are one of our newer designs. They’re great for both at-home and at-the-gym training, but they were made to be easily moved on and off the floor. The base can be rolled either way without loosening, so if you need to clear floor space in a hurry, these are the bags for you!

Made in the USA
There are many great things about getting your bags from Century. One is the variety. Another is knowing you’re supporting an American company. Our headquarters are located in Oklahoma City and employ around 200 Oklahomans, or “Okies,” as the locals say. Our facility includes a warehouse where we make Wavemasters™, BOBs®, and many of the other cool products you get from Century!

Tested by Champions



One of the perks of making our own products on site is that we’re easily able to test them in the real world. Not just your standard quality-control test (although we do that too), but a martial arts quality test.
Many people in our company are martial artists. We have two on-site training studios, and during the week, over a dozen classes are taught at lunch and after the work day. Whenever our R&D team has as new product, they bring a prototype to class. Everyone has fun kicking it, punching it, slamming it, and beating up on it as much as possible. If it breaks, R&D takes the prototype back and engineers a way to make the final product better. If it doesn’t break, they make it better anyway, because they thought of some improvements while watching the class work.
Century also works alongside professional martial artists when making our products. We send samples of certain new products to John Hackleman’s The Pit gym, where MMA fighters test it out. We’ve also teamed up with Matt Hughes and Ricardo Liborio, to name a few.

Highest Quality Materials
We have more official tests too. Our products undergo rigorous testing to ensure they meet industry standards. We fill our bags with high-quality material. We firmly believe that the better the equipment you train with, the better your training results will be.

Branded for Excellence
You know the importance of having your school’s name and logo on your uniforms. It creates a unified feeling of team spirit and helps promote brand recognition. Take those benefits one step further by branding your bags with your gym’s logo as well! Custom bags make your school look great. They add another element of professionalism to your environment. If you don’t have a logo, Century will help you create one. Just give your Century Customer Service Representative at (800) 626-2787 with any questions!