Perhaps, you have been wondering: do I need gloves for punching bag? Although you can opt not to wear gloves when punching this heavy bag, it might not be the wisest thing to do. You have to know that punching bags are usually heavy and filled with air, water, or sand.
Although you can strengthen your knuckles by punching without protection, you should not do it often. Remember that your wrists and hands have fragile bones.
Hitting a punching bag too hard without gloves can break your bones. So it is better to wear minimal to heavy protection when training for your upcoming fights. Everything stated here is just an overview. Scroll down and learn more information!
What Is A Punching Bag?
Before anything else, you need to master how important is a punching bag for the training of boxers and martial artists. But first, what is a punching bag? Well, a punching bag is a heavy bag usually hanging on the ceiling or placed on the floor, which you can punch to relieve stress. It comes in various range, materials, shapes, and sizes.
Using a punching bag for training can help with improving accuracy, balance, and coordination. It also improves reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and cardiovascular fitness. It is also helpful in toning your leg, shoulder, and arm muscles.
In other words, a punching bag helps in improving your overall fitness. But aside from serving those purposes, you also use it for tension release. On top of that, it helps in reducing the risk of injuries.
The Benefits Of Gloves For Punching Bags
So, do I need gloves for punching bag? On average, people can punch a punching bag about 10-15 times every minute. In 30 minutes of hitting that heavy bag, your body can burn a maximum of 200 calories.
But as you exercise, do you need to wear gloves? This section will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of wearing gloves when hitting a bag. Before you start punching with or without these products, better read the entirety of this post first.
#1. Improves your strength
You can use a punching bag for various exercises, including elbow strikes, kicks, and punches. With this heavy bag, you can improve your power, strength, cardiovascular fitness, and coordination.
Often, it is used for self-defense and martial arts training. Punching this with gloves allows you to enhance the strength of your hand muscles, fists, fingers, and knuckles.
#2. Prevents injuries
Punching a heavy bag using your bare fist can only cause wrist or forearm injuries. Although this is practiced by some, it is not something beginners should do. Remember that it is not safe if you fail to do it right.
One needs to achieve the proper technique before throwing a jab. So it is better to use a pair of gloves so that you will not injure your wrist or knuckles and break your skin. You can also end up with hand fatigue, restricting you from proceeding with your workout for a few days.
For a beginner, you need to consider boxing gloves for an amateur. Even if you are an avid boxer, training without gloves shouldn’t be something you should do for longer sessions.
If you choose to train without gloves, make sure to do it in a way with caution. Also, take note not to do it for more than 30 minutes. In addition, you should not do it every day.
#3. Better preparation for your fight
Not wearing gloves during workouts allows you to move your hands at speed. However, when the boxing match comes, you will have to wear gloves mainly for support. This is a form of avoiding injury and safety.
When that happens, you cannot throw your punches well because you are used to hitting the punching bag without gloves. For that reason, it is better to wear gloves while training. Through time and training, you will be able to throw more condensed and crispy punches, even with padded hands.
#4. Prevent fights full of blood
If you have watched a street fight with the fighters not wearing boxing gloves, you know how much blood drips from their faces. Without gloves, the sport becomes risky. You will potentially tear your opponent’s skin, bruise their skin, fracture their bones, or even impact their skull.
So, to lessen the risk, gloves are required for professional boxers, making the sport less bloody.
#5. Provides better grip
Besides protecting your hands, the gloves will also help you better grip the heavy bag. With that being said, you can generate more force and powerful punches.
Additionally, gloves are helpful in preventing the bag from slipping as you are hitting it. If the bag slips, there is a tendency that you will fall or lose balance.
Steps To Choose The Right Size Gloves
Choosing the right size gloves starts with assessing the hazards and risks you will likely encounter. Even as minor as those risks may appear, like scrapes or cuts, they can still result in an infection.
This will require medical intervention and some unpaid days out of work. Other than this, consider the techniques below.
Step #1. Choose the right fit and size
If you get gloves smaller than your hands, they will easily tear out. On the other hand, those gloves that are larger than your hands will affect dexterity. Meaning to say, it will hinder your movements.
Step #2. Consider the protection levels
It is unavoidable that you will face a trade-off between some factors. So you must know which aspect must be given attention. For instance, the protection level must be on top of the list if you are working on hard labor or performing extraneous activities.
The level of protection offered by gloves varies. Choose the gloves that meet the protection you need. Not to mention, the price and the quality should not be compromised. It depends on your option, anyway!
Step #3. Check for wear and tear
Before you decide, always check the gloves properly. Look carefully and leave out those that show any physical damage. This can include swelling, discoloration, and tears.
Step #4. Consider the expiration
Remember not to use a pair of gloves that is about or has already expired.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are the answers to your questions:
#1. How to know whether or not you need gloves when punching a punching bag?
This will depend on several factors, including the hardness and size of the punching bag, the glove type you wear, the padding contained by the bag, and your personal preference. If the punching bag is hard with only a little padding, then your hands will need the hand protection offered by gloves.
#2. What types of gloves to use when punching a heavy bag?
You must consider a lot of factors. If your punching bag is small, you can use those lighter pairs. For instance, you can get a pair of gloves designed for boxing. Check out the right boxing gloves size guide for you.
Heavier gloves would also be necessary if you have a bigger bag. Consider getting those that are made for MMA. In case you’re interested, it’s best to answer the question: can you use MMA gloves on a heavy bag?
#3. What problems can occur when hitting a bag without gloves?
We touched on this earlier. Not wearing gloves when hitting a bag can lead to blood and bruised knuckles. Remember that your knuckles have very thin skin, which can easily tear out.
For instances where you hit the bag too hard, you might break the bones in your wrist or hand. Lastly, you can experience elbows or wrist joint pain from the repetitive punching.
#4. How can you avoid the problems above?
There is no one answer, which will vary depending on the situation. Some of the general tips to keep in mind include the following:
- Be aware of what or who is around you while doing the activity
- Avoid taking unnecessary risks and be cautious
- Listen to your gut feeling or intuition
- Ask a question and get clarification if needed
#5. What Are The Things to Remember When Punching A Heavy Bag?
If preparing for a boxing match, ensure the gloves are not too loose. They should fit your hands snugly.
Of course, slipping off your gloves as you throw punches is something you do not want to happen. You should also place some hand wraps before you wear these items. This will prevent wrist and hand injuries. You should not wear too small gear.
It’s A Wrap!
Do I need gloves for punching? This question is debatable. You choose your stance; this is one of your rights, but in order to be safe, wear gloves. Since you know all the risks of not wearing gloves when punching a heavy bag, I hope you won’t toss your gloves aside when training.
For closure, and for someone who does boxing, kickboxing, muay Thai and other martial arts or self-defense, always wear gloves when punching. That’s it for today’s content! Thank you for being with us until the end. Hope to see you on our other posts!