The basic principle when training on punching bag is to ensure your safety.

Ill-considered training that breaks basic technical rules can very quickly lead to painful injuries and, after all, this should not be our goal.
Here are some basic rules to help you properly protect your hands while training on the bag.

See video tutorial on. of what gloves to choose for training on a boxing bag:

Gloves for training on a punching bag

One of the basic mistakes beginners make is not properly protecting their hands. Note that no professional athlete training on a punching bag trains with his bare fists - not because he feels pain but because the basic principle of professionalism in sports is to take care of your health.

Lack of protection causes skin chafing on the knuckles of the hands which can effectively discourage us from regular workouts. In turn, the lack of proper bracing of the thumb and wrist can lead to the formation of micro-injuries which, over time, can develop into permanent degeneration. So if you are planning to train on a bag be sure to stock up on training gloves and optionally in boxing wraps.

What type of gloves to choose?

If you're just starting to train, you don't need to invest in expensive branded glove models right away. However, it is important that the gloves are comfortable and adequately protect your hands.

Depending on your preference, you can choose one of the types of gloves:

1. BOXING GLOVES

Advantages:

- very good shock absorption
- very good brace for the wrist.
- high training comfort and the highest level of safety.
- can also be used for sparring

Disadvantages:
- the need to take off when performing exercises with other instruments
- sweating hands during training - the use of boxing bandages is advisable

2. INSTRUMENT GLOVES

Instrument gloves is a lighter variety of boxing gloves. Similar to boxing gloves, they protect the entire hand but are also easier to put on and take off. Versions with an exposed thumb provide better ventilation for the glove and maintain grip capabilities so you don't have to take them off, for example, when interspersing sessions on a punching bag with training on a skipping rope or lifting dumbbells. This is the most common type of glove among those who train on the bag.

Advantages:
- good shock absorption
- good wrist bracing
- good ventilation
-lightweight

Disadvantages:
- compared to boxing gloves, instrument gloves provide less shock absorption for strikes.

3. MMA Gloves

Although MMA gloves by design are primarily used for mixed martial arts training they are just as often used for training on a punching bag. Their primary advantage is full breathability and full retention of grip capabilities. Gloves of this type are even advisable when training with an MMA bag during which you train not only strikes but also throws and grabs. We recommend that for training on the bag you use such models of gloves that have an elongated velcro to ensure proper stiffening of the wrists and additional protection for the thumb that will prevent skin abrasion on the thumb.

Advantages:
- very good ventilation
- good wrist bracing
- full retention of grip capabilities
- lightweight

Disadvantages:
- compared to boxing gloves and instrument gloves, they provide less impact absorption.
- exposed fingers are more prone to damage (if proper hitting technique is not maintained)

Boxing wraps - boxing bandages

The use of boxing wraps is not necessary, however, it is highly recommended due to two of their main advantages:

• improve safety - wraps allow for additional stiffening of the hand , especially the thumb and wrist which are particularly vulnerable to damage.

• hygienic considerations - the wraps are designed to absorb sweat from the hands during training. By protecting your gloves from sweat, you will maintain their aesthetics much longer and avoid their odor. Remember that it is much easier and safer to wash the wraps than the whole gloves.

Inner gloves - an excellent alternative to boxing wraps

An excellent alternative to boxing wraps are ie. inner gloves. they perform exactly the same function as typical boxing bandages but are much faster and easier to put on. An additional advantage of the inner gloves having an extra layer of foam/gel that provides extra cushioning during impacts.

See also:
How to take care of training gloves? What to do to get rid of unpleasant odor? >>
the 6 most common mistakes when buying boxing gloves >>.
Boxing gloves - what size to choose?>>