Learn how to wrap your hands for boxing at home
When you’re first getting started with learning how to box, and boxing training at home, you’ll need to also learn how to wrap your hands. If you’ve ever used the heavy bag without properly wrapped hands, then you already know why, and if you haven’t, you’ll want to stay protected from the get-go. Here’s a quick how-to on wrapping hands for home boxing training.
First, a few clarifications:
- Is this how everyone wraps their hands? No.
- Is this how you need to wrap your hands, and will it be the best way for you personally in terms of protection and comfort? Not necessarily.
- Is this professional-level, complete hand wrapping and taping that will be sufficient for sparring and actual ring competitions and professional fights? No.
So what is this guide? It’s a quick tutorial to get you started, enabling you to protect yourself and dive into boxing training at home.
You’ll prevent cuts, bruises and worse, and you’ll give yourself the basic protection you need for home boxing workouts, and beginner work at the gym.
You don’t need any assistance, and you don’t need any additional products. All you need is one high quality pair of hand wraps, and some completely optional gauze as a base layer.
How to Wrap Hands for Boxing Training at Home
So you have all of your essential equipment and gear, and you’re ready to get started. I prefer 180″, extra long hand wraps. The more layers and padding, the better, as my knuckles bruise and cut easily.
Take a seat on a bench, and put your thumb through the loop at the end of the wrap, if applicable. Align the wraps facing the right side up, so the Velcro or other fasteners will match when you’re finished. Throughout the process, keep the wraps tight and secure, but not so tight as to cut off circulation.
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Make two wraps at the base of your wrist, and then bring the wrap between your thumb and index finger and diagonally across your hand. Repeat in the opposite diagonal direction, so that your palm and the back of your hand are well covered.
Move the wrap up to your knuckles, and wrap straight across your knuckles several times. Bring the wrap back to your palm, and make several more diagonal passes, making the wrap even and secure, before bringing it back to your wrist and closing it.
Optional: Create an extra layer of protection by using gauze under your hand wraps. The gauze layer only needs to be placed on your knuckles, and the base of your fingers.
With a single roll of gauze, make several passes laying the gauze directly over your knuckles. Then weave the gauze over and under the bases of your fingers, creating a secure layer of padding which completely covers the base of your fingers.
This isn’t the kind of protection that you’ll want to take into the ring with you for a professional fight. But it’s just what the (fight) doctor ordered when you want to protect yourself from pain and injury while training at home and learning the ropes, so to speak.
