Best Bulgarian Bags
The necessity of having good core strength when grappling is well known but training aids that develop fighting specific core strength are often few and far between.
The surge in popularity in BJJ and MMA training has seen Bulgarian Bags emerge on the market as one of the most tried and tested training aids for practitioners the world over.
Fundamentally, Bulgarian bags are sand-filled, crescent shaped bags that enable fighters to develop strength and endurance in key fighting muscle groups. Designed by former pro fighter Ivan Ivanov in 2005, Bulgarian bags have impacted heavily on some of the best fighters in the world and the methodology behind training with the bags has yielded some incredible results.
Bulgarian bags allow grapplers to train a 360-degree range of motion, on three different planes, improving their holistic fighting skill set. It is a muscular conditioning tool, designed to improve the most important muscles fighters use and for grapplers, it replicates many fighting scenarios perfectly.
Despite its relatively simplistic design, there are plenty of things to consider when choosing the correct Bulgarian bag to fit into your training regime.
Your primary focus when choosing your Bulgarian bag should be the weight. All Bulgarian bags carry similar size characteristics so make sure you get a bag that is weighted to a comfortable level for you. Whilst there is certainly no point in getting a bag you can swing around easily; you don’t want to be struggling to lift the bag either. Progress with all core muscles tends to be very gradual, so don’t dive in at the deep end with Bulgarian bags.
Whilst the original Bulgarian bag was made from leather, there are plenty of functioning alternatives that are made from synthetic leather. Both serve their purposes and are relatively durable to the beating they are sure to endure.
The aesthetics of Bulgarian bags has been the biggest advancement in manufacturing trends in recent times. A decade ago, Bulgarian bags were only available in black and they now come in a variety of colours so find one that suits you and work on those fighting muscles.
