Boxing is the art of punching, evading and countering your opponent’s blows with your own. To master your defense and evade your opponents attacks requires every boxer to be equipped with sharp reflexes. On the other hand, your offense is just as important, requiring you to be fast and accurate with your punches. The combination of well developed defense and offense guarantee a victory in combat against even the professional boxers.

Perfecting your boxing skills demands practice and can require you to train using different equipment. One of the most effective training equipment used by boxers and MMA fighters to develop their speed, agility, reflexes and accuracy is the Mexican double end bag. The bag is specially designed to train your reflexes and punching speed due to its ability to rebound. 

The Mexican double end bag is a variation of a double end bag with the difference being that it has two bladders instead of one. The top bladder is used to mimic the opponent's face and the bottom bag is used to train the combinations thrown on the opponent's body. You can perform a series of combinations using both the bladders for optimizing your boxing efficiency. 

How Does it Work?

The Mexican double end bag consists of balls known as bladders wrapped inside leather. So, the external part that makes contact with the boxer's hand is the leather. The bag is connected to wires on both ends which allows the bag to reposition itself back in place. The elasticity between the wires can be increased or decreased which changes the speed of the recoil of the bag either more or less, respectively. The top bladder is attached to the wire above it and the bottom bladder is attached to a wire below it. Since it has two bladders wrapped in leather, the bag has an hourglass figure. 

The top bladder is used by boxers to perform combinations that they would hit on the opponent's face. This bladder is also used to train their head movement by evading the ball when it recoils. However, the lower bladder is used to perform punches that fighters would perform on the opponent's body. This is to train them on executing speedy and accurate combinations on the upper body of the opponent. You can perform combos on both bladders simultaneously as well to improve your punching coordination, speed and combinations.

Advantages of Mexican Double End Bags

Like every equipment designed for perfecting your combat skills, Mexican double end bags also have a plethora of advantages. Its unique design allows boxers to develop their reflexes, rhythm, speed and defense unlike many other bags that mostly focus on offensive traits only.

Trains Reflexes

The requirement of sharp reflexes is essential in any combat sports for both offense and defense. The Mexican double end bag enhances an athlete's reflexes due to its recoil property. When punched, the bladder rebounds towards you, allowing you to either strike again or evade the bladder. Using different drills on the bag can improve your reflexes, allowing you to react appropriately during actual combat.

Enhances Punching Speed

Even the most professional of boxers fail to react to swift combinations. The bag allows boxers to execute fast striking combinations. It also allows boxers to perform upstairs and downstairs combinations. These combinations can penetrate the defense of the opponent and even result in knockouts.

Improves Accuracy

Missing a strike exhausts the body and opens space to get counter punched by the opponent. Accurate strikes are vital to gain points or even knock the opponent out to secure a win. The Mexican double end bag improves accuracy of each punch as it is harder to hit. This is due to its constant back and forth motion.

Durable

The outer part of the bag is made out of leather and the inner part of the bag consists of high grade inflatable bladders. The combination of the leather external and high grade bladder provides maximum durability. This makes the bag perfect for intense training sessions without wearing it out or tearing it apart.

Burns Fat 

The constant head and body movement required when training with the Mexican double end bag burns calories. Similar to cardio, the bag requires complete body motion during training. This includes ducking and swaying, footwork, and throwing all types of punches allowing you to effectively workout your biceps, shoulders, legs and even your back muscles simultaneously. 

Develops Hand Eye Coordination

Due to the shape and unpredictable motion of the bag, striking the bag can be challenging. It requires precise hand to eye coordination which can be developed with time training with the bag. Start the training by having the cables tightened to keep the bag more controlled when punched. Once you’ve improved your hand eye coordination, loosen the cable. This will allow the bag to move more freely and the bag will be harder to hit. This technique can help master your hand eye coordination.

Boxing Drills for Mexican Double End Bag

The Mexican double end bag can help you master multiple abilities depending on the drills you use. Every drill has the capability of enhancing your defense, offense or both. To maximize the potential usage of the bag, learning and applying these drills during training can improve your overall fighting experience.

Constant Strikes

Constantly punching the bag without a pause can develop rhythm. Rhythm is essential for mastering combinational strikes. This drill also helps you burn fat as it requires constant motion of your punches. The best way to practice this workout is by tightening up the cables of the bag so it has less recoil. This keeps the bag in place and allows you to strike with more precision.

Strike and Slip

One of the most effective ways to improve your defense is to strike the bag and evade it by ducking or swaying. As the bag pulls back after being hit, you can evade it by ducking, improving your reflex and defensive abilities. Loosening up the cables of the bag can increase the distance of the bag's recoil. After each strike or combinations, avoid the bag using your head movement. 

Footwork

Boxers constantly move around the ring using bounce steps to space their opponent out and make them whiff their attacks. This not only exhausts the opponent but also leaves them open for a counter attack. When training with the Mexican double end bag, you can focus on these bounce steps as you attack both bladders. You can change the direction of your body through your footwork while you strike to improve your evasiveness and increase your stamina as well.

Combination Strikes

Although body shots are not considered as points in boxing, they can deliver severe damage to one’s defense. Training to strike both the lower and upper bladder can improve your boxing combination. Train yourself to combine head and body shots to become lethal in a close ranged fight.

Train With a Partner

Whether you’re in a gym or training at home with a friend, you can train with a partner. Take turns to perform combinations on the bag. Step up and perform your combos then step back and let your partner perform theirs. Repeat the process to improve your footwork, reflexes and accuracy all while staying in shape. Motivate each other to train for longer duration all while enjoying your partnered training sessions.

Conclusion

There’s no limit to how skillful you can be when training in any sport. However, making the necessary improvements in your preferred sports can require certain equipment, practice and even diet control. Every piece of equipment used to train in the art of combat can uniquely benefit your fighting style. The Mexican double end bag is no exception.

It’s a variation of the double end bag but has two bladders instead of one. This provides the boxer with a chance to train their body shots as well as their high punches. The ends of the bag are attached with cables that can be loosened or tightened depending how much recoil is required by the practitioner.

Mostly used by boxers and MMA fighters, the Mexican double end bag is used to enhance your overall defensive and offensive abilities. It improves your reflexes, punching speed and accuracy while keeping you in shape. You can also use the bag with a partner to make training more enjoyable. The bag's durability makes it last longer and worth every cent.