usin the punching bag. .. any tips/pointers?
 

Hey, guys. I'm startin up w/the punching bag. did a little 1/2hr session the other day sans gloves of any sort and got my knuckles all torn up. you guys have any suggestions on equipment?(where to buy, price, etc.- so far i kno of basic boxing gloves and hand wraps) i plan to do it twice-three times a week on top of some mild lifting. can you guys give me pointers? pros/cons of it. and any suggestions as to how to maximize the workout. thanks a bunch!!

btw.. i believe its a heavy bag. 80lbs+

Get bag gloves instead of boxing gloves. They are smaller and have a metal bar weight in the hand. They help develop the arms better than boxing gloves. If you use those you wont need wraps.

i'm only boxing maybe 3 times a week. would bag gloves be necessary? can wraps handle it? cause.. i am a college student afterall... money's money :rolleyes:

and if i do get wraps, which should i go for. from surfing alone, i found that there were mexican wraps. are they worth paying a little extra?

thx for the reply

i hit the bag on a weekly basis. i use Everlast handwraps that i got at the Sports Chalet for under $10. the mexican wraps, from what i hear, are supposed to be better quality. mine work fine, i like em because they cover my hand from the rough leather, they bulge and make my fist tight when hitting, and they're washable. ever since i started hitting the bag i found it an excellent work out combined with jumping rope, a speed bag, dips and push ups. a good solid hour is plenty work out for me.

I used to use bag gloves, and they made a big difference than boxing gloves. Also, your knuckles just have to get tough. It may take a little while, but it will be ok. Make sure you are hitting it properly also. A lot of people break their little fingers from not knowing what the fuck they are doing.

K. sounds good. thanks for the replies.

I've also heard that aside from protecting your knuckles and whatnot, wraps stabalize your wrists and prevents sprains.

I have some sound advice, learn how to throw a proper punch before starting with a punching bag. I can bareknuckle my punching bag, but I've got some nasty callused hands from frequently hitting things.

Mexican hand wraps are better than normal cotton hand wraps because they stretch (so they are more comfortable) but normal hand wraps will be just fine, also you'll havea tough time finding mexican wraps, they are more rare than normal wraps. I couldn't find a single store in my city that sold them. But all the tips here sound good to me- learn how to punch before just hitting the bag, and your knuckles do toughen up after hitting for a while. Bag gloves are a smart idea and cost only about 15$. Don't go full out on your bag if you are just starting, because there will be potential for wrist injuries. Yep. Have fun with your new heavy bag man!

^^ thx all. great advice

skier>> as for mexican handwraps, i've found quite a few online.
titleboxing for one. I'm planning on getting black everlast mexican wraps and a small meshbag for washing

Your knuckles might look bad, but if you ever plan on hitting someone for real, self defense hopefully, then it would be better to have them toughened. It could save you from breaking your hands in a fight.

That being said, I like the bag gloves too, when I wore them. Wraps didn't feel right and getting them to feel the same consistently was hard for me.