Heavy Bags/injury comeback

I guess this is a two part question.... one to do with a heavy bag, and the other a injury..

1. I would love to get a heavy bag for my house, but don't have room for one, my bedroom is tiny and my ceiling wouldn't be able to hold the weight of one, not to mention theres no place to really put it, I would put it in my basement if my sister didn't make that her room. (was supposed to be mine but she threw a tantrum and got her way like most younger siblings do) I was thinking of getting one and using it outside, but the only problems with that is i live in Mass, and we have winter here until april most years, so it only leaves a few months i can actually use it.. is there anything i can use as a heavy bag to work on strikes that might not be as room consuming or should i just suck it up and get one with a stand and throw it outside and bring the bag in after each use?


2. About 3 weeks ago now I sprained my knee (thats what the doctor said at least by just asking if i can walk on it..) I have no idea how it happened but i was doing a takedown drill and the guy took me down and my knee popped it felt like, for the last 2 weeks walking on it wasn't to bad, had a limp and this week its fine when i walk, the only time i get any kind of pain is when i try to straighten out my leg or bring it up like a traingle it starts to bother me, its still swollen a bit and i ice it every night after working out, is it a good idea to get back into training MMA so soon (thinking starting again on monday) or should i give it more time, i've never injured my knee before so i don't know my recovery time for it.

For number 1, I don't have any answers outside of a BOB or Wavemaster type standing bag. The only good news I'll give is that they are very light and portable when they aren't filled.

For number 2, it's almost a given that people (myself definitely included) don't give injuries enough time to heal and then reinjure themselves. This can even happen on your other knee or ankle, because you'll be favoring the strong side and putting disproportionate amounts of weight on it. For a knee injury I'd recommend working out on a stationary bike, elliptical machine or stairmaster for a few weeks before going back into grappling or even running. Those exercises will give you a chance to loosen up the knee joint with no jolting impact.

yea, i've been doing both the eliptical and bike at the gym this week every night earlier in the week it bothered me to do it and in the morning my knee was killing me but as i kept doing it, it stopped bothering me all together in the morning, I think if i do go back next week ill only be going like 50% and only doing some boxing and BJJ just to get myself ready again, it seems like if i miss a day my cardio just dissapears, can't wait to see what its like after 3.5 weeks haha

Your cardio never goes away to the point you can't get it back...sometimes knee and shoulder joints do. The problem with boxing/BJJ is that even if you say you're going to go light, it's tough not to react to someone attacking you. I've been in your place a lot of times before and I never heeded my own advice about coming back slowly, but I'll still throw it out there and hope you're smarter than I was

Great advice as always from Fullerene.

Question 1: Standing heavy bags are the answer if you have the room to set them up. The only problem in that case is storage, as the bases are large and heavy if you're filling them with sand, which you should definitely do being a heavy weight.

Question 2: This is kind of funny because I sprained my ankle and knee on the same leg in a catch wrestling class last Saturday. I'm a veteran of busted ligaments though, so heres my advice. Take Aleve, as it helps mend ligament damage. Also, eat pineapple like its going out of style, as its a natural healing agent for ligaments. The problem with icing joints is that it can lead to arthritis over time, so I personally don't do it.

Now, you said the joint bothers you when you wake up? If thats the case, you might be doing something to it during sleep. Find a way to immobilize your leg while sleeping to keep yourself from injuring it. I generally sleep with a brace on when a joint is injured, and cut back on blankets, as you can hurt your knees kicking them around if you're a restless sleeper. Otherwise, be very concious of the way you move during the day, as to not put undue pressure on your injured or uninjured limbs, and definitely cut back on sparring. If you're anything like me, or Fullerene apparently, that won't happen, but at least try.

Question 2:

I'd check for a torn meniscus too...the scope is a real easy surgery and recovery doesn't take that long, if indeed that's what it is

2) I also injured my knee in BJJ , i was going for a butterfly guard sweep when i hear and feel " snap snapitty snap " . I was like oh sh*t!

I couldn't stand or straighten my leg out. Got home and iced it, the next morning it was swollen like a grapefruit. After a week of laying in bed i decided to see the Dr. He gave me 800 mg of Ibuprofen and some kinda muscle relaxer ( i forgot the name ) , swelling went down, but still had a slight lim;p for a month. I was supposed to get an MRI done but at 700 bux a pop and not being at work for a week i ddnt go.


All because i ignored a slight tear in my MCL. I had to stop training because every time i would go i would injure it again without realizing it.


Don't ignore injuries period. As small as you think it may be you may make it worse and have longer downtime if you don't stop training and let it heal properly.

yea, i went to the doctor a week after it happened she said seeing as i could walk on it and it didn't bother me to bend it, it was just a sprain... i already have 600MG ibprofen and some muscle relaxents from a previous injury so she said to take them.. my knee is still a little swollen, not huge like a grape fruit but its noticeable, right on the top of the knee cap.. its getting better though, at least i hope it is

They make free stands for heavy bags. It would be a little better then a wavemaster, I broke mine in a few months, they aren't very sturdy or durable.

yea i was looking into everything, and literally there wasn't anything i could use, i was thinking of getting a grappleling dummy for awhile just so i could work on striking, but my sisters boyfriend may be moving out which frees the room next to mine up so if the parents allow it ill just throw a heavy bag/stand in there along with anything else and make that my workout room... and if im lucky they will let me tare down the wall in between my room and his to make one giant room..

Well last night i went back to training, had a boxing class then BJJ. The knee was fine during boxing, only bothered me during a slow jog around the mat, and i sat out during the warmup for BJJ ill have to give it a few more weeks before i can get the flexability back in it.