Truth be told, I wanted to get a heavy bag but had nowhere to put it. I got Bob at the end of 2019 but put him into semi-retirement because punching him always ended up with my wrists getting hurt and the insides of my fingers getting scraped. I am a long-time MMA fan and had gotten some 4oz UFC gloves to beat on Bob. 4oz gloves really aren't adequate, nor are bare fists advisable against Bob unless you punch with the strength of a baby.
Fast forward to quarantine and I ordered some 14oz Hayabusa T3 gloves, and Bob is a whole new experience. I've been beating on him about every other day for the past month and he's helping me to lose fat in conjunction with diet modification. I put on some heavy metal and go to town on Bob for about 30 minutes as hard as I can. Great stress relief and I always work up a sweat. Fat is coming off and my diet can stay a little closer to maintenance since I'm getting the cardio in.
The best thing about Bob / a heavy bag is that the cardio is actually fun. I HATE running and I hate jumping rope. Most forms of cardio really suck. But beating the living hell out of this mean-mugging dummy really doesn't get old. You can get creative to keep it fresh. Sometimes I will blast his stomach with a hundred punch jab/straight combo just to max out my heart rate. Other times I will practice slipping into hooks. And still other times I will get elaborate and technical, maybe start out with a jab to the face followed by a 4 hook body combo and ending with a thunderous shovel hook to the head. I've given Bob my best spinning backfists and teep kicks and he still sits there with that mean mug, ready for more! It's also fun to emulate fighters. Pretend to be Nick Diaz and throw a pitter patter smattering of body and head hooks, or pretend to be Dan Henderson and throw a lights out Haymaker. Bob can take it all!
Bob is very durable and setup only took me about 30 minutes all told, just filling up the base with a hose.
The worst part about Bob is that even if he is fully filled with water, the base will scoot around as you beat on him. I know this can be mitigated with sand, but I have him in a small corner of the room and I don't want to exert myself super hard if I ever want to move him outside or into the living room.
HOWEVER, I have figured out a way to somewhat deal with the scooting. Once Bob has scooted somewhere you don't want him, all you need to do is "clinch" him and then scoot him clockwise or counter-clockwise in little circles. For instance place your left hand into Bob's right shoulder and PUSH and then put your right hand onto the back of Bob's left hip and PULL. This will scoot him in a counter-clockwise circle. This way you are using leverage to scoot the base around rather than manually trying to get near the ground and scoot the base.
The wobble can also be mitigated by going to the body more. If you whack the head really hard, this causes the base to displace more than if you hit the body just due to the physics involved. Doesn't mean you can never hit the head, but you'll just have to be aware that if you do, the base will move more. So if you want to go full power for an extended period without worrying about resetting, attacking the body will be to your benefit.
Of note, the full size version has thighs, and it is fun to sink kicks into them. Probably my favorite thing to do with Bob is to body-kick him though. A flush roundhouse body kick feels amazing and realistic.
I highly recommend Bob if you are serious about losing fat and hate running, biking, jumping rope, etc. Just make sure you get a pair of good quality boxing gloves so that you can hit Bob and not screw up your hands or wrists. Also beware that he will scare the sh*t out of you and others for the first couple months lol. He cuts a very convincing silhouette and looks mean as all hell.
I've seen videos of Conor McGregor beating up on Bob, so if Bob is good enough for Conor, he should be good enough for all of us.
| Size | X-Large |
|---|---|
| Sport | Martial Arts, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, Tactical & Military |
| Brand | Century |
| Color | Multicoloured |
| Item Weight | 50 Pounds |
| League | MMA |
| Age Range (Description) | Adult |
| Product Dimensions | 24"W x 78"H |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 44.88 x 22.83 x 12.99 inches |
| Package Weight | 12.93 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 24.02 x 24.02 x 61.02 inches |
| Brand Name | Century |
| Warranty Description | One-year limited warranty on all BOB training mannequins. |
| Model Name | BOBXL |
| Material | Vinyl |
| Suggested Users | Sports and Outdoors |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Century |
| Part Number | BOBXLK |
| Model Year | 2011 |
| Style | BOB XL |
| Included Components | BOB XL, BOB with shorts, BOBXL |
| Hand Orientation | Ambidextrous |
