Gloves or not for heavy bag?

Question

What is your preferance for working on the heavy bag and why? Wrists wrapped with gloves, or no wraps and no gloves?

Answer 1

bare hands

Answer 2

Gloves and wraps every time for me although I've not punched a heavy bag for a few years,the only time I'd hit the bag without is if I was using a palm heel,hammer fist blows.

Best wishes :)***

Answer 3

The skin over my knuckles splits very easily so I wear a bag mit, I know i should wear wraps but have never done so, they makes me feel a bit claustrophobic. I am a bit strange because I also prefer fingerless gloves when hitting pads.

I have been thinking about trying the gel wrap glove things, I think the everlast ones look sturdiest, but they don't show how much wrap there is and I don't think you need the 3m you get with the cimac ones.

Answer 4

Gloves on.

...I don't like scrapies.

Answer 5

Just hand wraps work well. Why isn't that an option? I never felt comfortable wearing boxing gloves, sorry.

Answer 6

No gloves. In my everyday existence, if a time comes when I have to hit a person, I'm not going to be wearing boxing gloves or hand wraps. (keeping in mind, I haven't actually had to hit someone with a closed fist  in over 10 years) You punch differently when your hands are protected, whether you realize it or not. I don't compete anymore, so gloves aren't practical for me. When I have the opportunity to hit a heavy bag, I do it bare knuckle.

Answer 7

I use gloves, no wraps.  Occasionally, my left wrist collapses (minor injury), and if that happens, I lay off for a while or hit more lightly.  

James

Answer 8

At least wraps or 4oz gloves......eventually the heavy bag will cut up your hands.

Answer 9

Sometimes I like to do a round or two bare knuckle, but I'll often scrape myself on uppercuts. Considering how scared I am of staph infection, I don't consider it an option to grapple with open cuts. So I'll usually use thin bag gloves ( like these: http://www.boxingdepot.com/bx-bg-10.html... without wrist wraps. I never wrap my wrist; I'd rather have it conditioned and used to absorbing shock and trauma without reliance on something that I won't have with me all of the time.

Admittedly, I don't train for real life situations anymore; I train for sporting competition. However, that doesn't mean that I shouldn't condition myself just in case. I also figure that if I can withstand full power punching without wraps, I'm sure as heck not gonna break anything if I'm wearing them.

Answer 10

People younger than 22 yrs old shouldn't be allowed to hit a heavy bag with bare knuckles for any length of time as it causes splayed knuckles .Children should not be allowed to strike a makiwara of any kind as bone formation and joint set is still in progress until 20 to 25 yrs of age even knuckle push ups are not a good idea for them.

After 48 years of knuckle push ups and striking makiwara of various resistance to force I can pretty well hit anything without ill results but I wouldn't let students do it.

Answer 11

With gloves. So that my hands will be protected and avoid injury.

Answer 12

Wraps and gloves period, at least if I am doing actual heavy bag work, and not just tagging it slightly for timing, working combinations or giving some resistance to my shadowboxing.

If I am doing REAL heavy bag work, I absolutely wrap up and glove up. It isn't a matter of conditioning, (the tiny tendons and ligaments in your hand and wrist aren't going to get stronger) you are hitting something with the weight of your body, with some serious major muscle groups behind it. You aren't going to condition your hands and wrist to deal with that, you are putting unnecessary strain that can lead to serious injuries, lifelong tendon damage, stress fractures, and early arthritis. Not just in your hands either... you are asking small joints, bones, and your elbows and shoulders to take the brunt of a force delivered by your legs, hips, core muscles, shoulders, pecs, triceps, and body weight. Keep in mind a portion of the force you deliver to the bag is going to reflect back into your body. It's simple physics.

Trust me, I grew up doing the bareknuckle makiwara, and all the stupid ninjer hands in the sand bone conditioning shiznit. To this day I still have some troubles, particularly nerve related problems from compression injuries in my elbows and wrists.

I learned through a lot of research and training later on, that doing bone conditioning work that way isn't smart, and that the people who have to do punching for a living every day, are always wrapped up. Also seeing proponents of bone conditioning break their hands on people's faces or skulls, was enough to convince me. You don't gain anything from not protecting your hands and wrists during practice, because even with the most severe conditioning, there is still a pretty significant chance of you breaking your hands on someone's skull.

Boxers don't work heavy bags without being wrapped, professional fighters don't work heavy bags without being wrapped. Considering they do this sort of thing for a living, and have to rely on the health of their hands, my thought would be that they might know a little something.

It's isn't about being tough, it is about being smart. I will take working smart over working hard any d**n day. Heavy bag work requires you to be wrapped up, and wearing some gloves to absorb some of that energy. If you are having to do it on a regular basis then you absolutely need that, not to mention it makes your punch stronger, your brain forces your muscles to hold back when striking something to prevent you from injury, the harder you are allowed to hit without injury, the more force your brain will allow you to generate knowing you will not injure yourself.

So Readers Digest version: Wrapping iallows you to hit harder, for longer, with less chance of injury, allowing for longer sessions, less downtime, and therefore more punching power overall.

Sorry for the book.

Answer 13

Some kind of protection is a must on the heavy bag - canvas bags can shred up the knuckles and make a mess, and leather/synth bags usually have seams that can make little cuts or abrasions.  I won't let anybody hit the bags at my gym without protection - at least wraps - but I've got some cheesy Everlast bag gloves for those who don't have wraps.  

I use some of my old 16 oz sparring gloves when I'm just doing a few quick rounds on the heavy bag - because they are easy to put on and take off.  I do circuits that include a 3 min heavy bag set, so easy on/off is a must.

If I'm doing a 10 round bag workout I use Mexican wraps with  12 oz bag gloves - I like the extra support around my wrists for when I start to fatigue.

"Tough Guys" that like bare knuckles are just dumb - they get blood everywhere and end up with scars and those little hickey-like marks from splitting and pulling the skin - it's ugly, messy, and ultimately not beneficial.  I believe in conditioning the hands, but not on a heavy bag - use a makiwara or other striking surface for that.

Answer 14

Wraps and gloves, for the reasons judomofo stated above. I also don't like getting deep scrapes or grazes. I can work for a lot longer without them. Also, if my hands or wrists hurt, I can't play my guitar too well.

Answer 15

i like to wrap my wrist and wear light gloves, i know its a bit self destructive but sometimes i like to go bare knuckled because i want to see my knuckles bleed, to know that ive been working hard

Answer 16

It depends on what I'm doing with the bag.  If I'm just using it as resistance to warm up, I don't bother with the gloves.  If I'm doing simulated rounds, burn drills, or anything where I'm really putting power behind it, then I wear gloves or I'll rip the skin on my fingers.

Answer 17

I have and prefer to never use anything other than my body for any physical conditioning activity. Gloves keep the hands supple, which when in a real situation they could tear and bleed as they aren't used to the tension and friction from the hard surface of the head or a jean jacket with buttons and so on. I also don't believe in wristwraps because they don't only reinforce the joints they compensate for the connective tissue. That makes the wrist weaker and easier to harm in a needed situation.

I like punchin on a Makiwara too, and wrapping the rope around a tree too.

That's just my opinion, could be voided with science, though I will remain steadfast in my personal preference. Besides, there's nothing wrong with leaving a little bit of you on the canvas bag, shows hard work.

Answer 18

While a student is learning to punch for their own protection and the schools insurance premiums we require wraps. I have my personal students use wraps until I feel that the are competent. I than have them practice without wraps occasionally to get the feel of it. During hard workouts where the students are going flat out I want wraps on to protect their wrists. It only takes one bad hit to put you out of commission for months or permanently damage the wrist. As for bag gloves I require them for work outs for the same reason. I still like to have my competent students to work out a little bare handed again to get the feel of a full force punch unprotected.

That Judomofo he is one smart fellow. Always sound advice. I think he has someone lookin over his sholder.