Avoiding wasted workout time is important to most people. One excellent cardio exercise for building endurance and improving hand-eye coordination is the speedbag.
Speed bag technique requires a great deal of focus.
Your time on a speed bag maximizes cardio, strength development, and endurance into one rigorous workout. As you sharpen your hand quickness and reflexes, you'll also be giving your arms and shoulders a super workout.
Beyond the outstanding fitness benefits you can get from a speed bag workout, it's also a tremendous way to release stress. Here's a look at five excellent speedbag platforms followed by five swivels.
We'll give you some quick tips on how to mount a speed bag, plus a guide to helping you choose the right combination of platform and swivel. Let's get started with five speed bag platforms.
Top 5 Speed Bag Platforms
The Best Speedbag Platforms
This is the frame and board that are common along the walls in boxing gyms. They are comprised of a bracket system that is mounted against a wall. There are even portable models today that will mount in a door jamb.
The drum attaches to the frame. This is an important piece of a speed bag platform. They are usually oval and made from wood. Thickness is important as well. The drum is where the bag ricochets off creating the rebound.
A bad drum will mean erratic rebound and it will compromise the effectiveness of your speed bag experience. Here are five excellent platforms, including some advantages and disadvantages for each.
1. Balazs i-Box
Our first platform is from a company that supplies boxing equipment to health clubs, college campuses, boxing gyms and military bases in more than 100 countries. Andy Laudenslager and his cousin founded Balazs.
Laudenslager was trying to find the perfect birthday present for his girlfriend. She was an enthusiastic fitness boxer. After designing a heavy-bag, Laudenslager moved on to other boxing products. One of their most popular products is their speedbag platforms.
They have multi-adjustable platforms, plus the i-Box design. Balazs blends 11-gauge steel tubes with a 1-¼-inch thick wooden drum. Using a V-frame design, the i-Box platform produces an excellent rebound.
The Balazs i-Box Speed Bag Platform is 24-inches in diameter, which allows for various bag sizes. You can adjust the platform position up to 12-inches vertically to accommodate short, medium, or tall users. If you want sturdy and visually impressive, this is a great platform.
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2. Title Boxing Precision (Adjustable)
The next platform on our list for you is by Title Boxing. Title Boxing has been establishing a strong reputation for supplying quality boxing and MMA gear for more than 20 years. This platform is one of their strongest speed bag accessories.
This pick is great for home gyms but built to withstand the intensity of boxing clubs and commercial health clubs. Title Boxing used a walnut laminate for the wood platform.
It produces some of the truest rebounds in the industry. The guide shaft is solid steel chrome, so it will not corrode. There are 14-inches of height adjustment allocated in the worm drive.
The Title Boxing Precision Platform is perfect for people of all heights, from kids to tall adults. The unit comes with a pro-style swivel, so all you have to do is mount it and attach your bag and box.
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3. Valor Fitness Boxing
Valor Fitness products include everything from bench presses to boxing gear. They have three different platform sets, plus single wood drums, hooks, brackets, and swivels. This model platform is a full package.
You get a sturdy, adjustable speed bag platform with a matching 360-degree swivel. The drum uses a durable MDF material that triggers are quick and precise rebound. There are both cement and wooden wall anchors, so you can mount this platform on about any wall.
The Valor Fitness Boxing Speed Bag Platform uses slightly thicker gauge steel in the tubes. It's extremely stable. It's a large platform with a quick-crank height adjustment. You love this platform no matter if you're an aspiring prize-fighter or an energetic fitness boxer.
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4. EZspeedbag
Most people assume that once you mount your speed-bag platform that's where you're going to train. For most platforms that is accurate. However, EZspeedbag has patented a revolutionary concept that changes all that.
EZspeedbag has designed a speed bag platform that mounts in any 27 by 42-inch wide doorway. They didn't cut corners on quality either, as this product has a full lifetime warranty on the frame, brackets, and drum.
You no longer have to miss your speed bag workouts, even if you're away from home. As long as you have a doorway available, you can train using your EZspeedbag Portable Doorway Speed Bag Platform. You can change doors, change rooms, or change time zones.
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5. RDX Speed Ball Platform Set
Our final speed bag platform for you to consider is actually a full package. The RDX Boxing Speed Ball Platform Set has everything you need to begin speed-bagging your way to better fitness.
You get the platform and metal wall brackets, plus a speed ball. RDX also includes a steel swivel, a pair of leather gel punching gloves, hand wraps, and a skipping rope. Open this package platform set and you'll be ready to train like a professional fighter.
Having everything you need shipped in one box is a great idea, especially for beginning fitness boxers. The RDX Boxing Speed Ball Platform Set is a perfect starter set or an affordable addition to your home gym.
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Top 5 Speed Bag Swivels
The Best Speedbag Platforms
Not all speedbag platforms come with a swivel. You may also find that after years of use, the action of the ball bearings becomes slow. If that's the case, you'll need to get another swivel long before you need to replace a durable speed bag platform.
Most speed-bag swivels are made with stainless steel. They have different types of bag connectors. This is the hook and loop connection for the speed bag. You want this to be a simple system that doesn't require a bunch of tools. Here are five excellent swivels.
1. Everlast Professional
One of the most well-known names in the world of boxing is Everlast. Their trademark name is on the elastic across the trunks in some of the most famous boxing matches in history. It isn't surprising that they provide fighters and fitness boxers with quality equipment.
The Everlast Professional Speed Bag Swivel is made of stainless steel. It's machine-crafted design helps to give a true rebound off the drum. The swivel attaches with a U-bolt and pine on a ball bearing swivel.
This is an affordable swivel that's excellent for home gyms. While it's not as responsive as higher-end swivels preferred by professional boxers, it'll handle most speed bag workouts.
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2. Pro Impact Swivel
Our second swivel has a tough stainless-steel build. The Pro Impact Pro adds a triple chrome-plated U style hook with a quick-connect pin. The extra chrome plating creates lower friction on the swivel surface.
This is a swivel with outstanding action. With the quick-connect U-hook, you can change the style and size of the speed bag in an instant. You will pay a little more for this swivel, but you will be pleased with the level of precision in the rebound and the enhanced range of swivel.
The Pro Impact Pro Speed Bag Swivel is designed for professional fighters. It gives incredible rebound action, plus swivels at any angle across a 360-degree radius. This is a swivel made for all levels, but especially the advanced fitness trainer or competitive boxer.
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3. Forza Sports Evolution
The Forza Sports Evolution Speed Bag Swivel uses a single brass metal ball hook. The hook swivels on a Delrin ring. This swivel has one of the smoothest and consistent rotations.
The housing is stainless steel and protected with an electro-polish for a sheen finish and oil-free maintenance. This swivel isn't as restrictive as single-axis speed bag swivels. You can punch in a 360-degree range, shifting hand angle easily.
This swivel has outstanding movement and responsiveness. It is an excellent swivel for any experienced boxer. This swivel is also a great choice for beginners, as it helps teach proper speedbag technique.
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4. Ringside Mexican-Style Swivel
Our next swivel has a unique design. The Mexican-style is a central cylinder. This creates impressive bag speed and precise action. The Ringside Mexican-Style Swivel gets high marks for smooth and consistent rebound motion.
The Ringside Mexican-Style Swivel's distinctive central cylinder design ensures rebound motion and helps ensure swivel consistency with every punch. This is a great bag when users have a favorite speed bag that they want to be able to change out fast.
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5. TITLE Pro
Our final swivel is a simple type of swivel that is extremely durable. The price of the Title Pro Speed Bag Swivel is appealing as well. It has such a solid reputation for long-lasting durability it mounts with an essentially permanent attachment to the drum.
There is a chain-link type of connection for the bag holder. This makes it very difficult for someone to remove the bag and walk off with it. Title added a triple layer of chrome plating, which is why the durability rating is so high.
The Title Pro Speed Bag Swivel uses a simplistic design but doesn't cost as much as other swivel models. It attaches securely to the drum, plus has a hook system that helps protect your investment.
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Buying Guide
How to Mount Your Speedbag
Plan Ahead
Choose The Right Hardware
One of the most common mistakes people make is using the wrong hardware. You must use the proper type of mounting hardware for concrete or wood walls. One will not work for the other. This will make your speedbag unstable and could cause injury.
Double Check
Placement
Summary
Pick a good location for your speed bag mount and then follow the previous suggestions for a secure mount. Safety and sturdiness are the two key parts of mounting a speed bag platform you must follow. Once you're finished, you'll be ready for that first workout.
What to Look for in a Good Speed Bag Mount
We've laid out five excellent platforms and five quality speed bag swivels. If you're still a little confused about how to pick the right one for your needs, here are some suggestions. Let's break our information down into five basic criteria.
- Fixed vs. Adjustable Height – This may prove more important than you realize. Even if you plan on being the only person using your speed bag, you may want to adjust the bag height periodically. A fixed platform limits you to a single height. Having adjustability is a key benefit.
- Frame Construction – The last thing anyone wants; trained fighter or novice puncher is a speed bag platform that wobbles. You want the frame to be sturdy and secure.
- Strong Brackets – The second important thing that keeps your speed bag sturdy are the brackets. You want strong brackets that affix the platform securely. Look for brackets that are thick metal with a protective coating for durability and good looks.
- Drum – The sturdiness of the frame and mounting brackets keep the whole platform secure. However, the drum is where you get your rebound effect. The best drums are thick, wooden, and allow for different sizes of bags.
- Swivel – Many speed bag platforms come with the swivel in the package. This helps guarantee your swivel is centered and matched with the drum. You can get a raw platform and separate swivel.
But try to research platform and swivel compatibility before making your final choice. The degree of swivel is also important. Always look for a swivel rated at 360-degrees. There are cheaper swivels with reduced swivel radius that you should avoid.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you've never used a speed bag to fitness box, you're in for an exciting new adventure in training. If you have, you'll already have an appreciation for the intensity and diversity a speed bag workout can offer. Take a close look at these five platforms and swivels we've covered.
Each one has features that appeal more specifically to your needs. Once you narrow your choice down, go ahead and schedule your new speed bag platform for shipment. You'll soon be on your way to punching your way to a stronger and healthier body.