A Step by Step Guide to Wrapping Hands for Boxing!

December 4, 2020
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A Step by Step Guide to Wrapping Hands for Boxing!
Table of Contents
1 How to Wrap Hands for Boxing
2 Wrapping It Up

How to Wrap Hands for Boxing

Here is a detailed step-by-step guide for you to follow to effectively wrap your hands using hand wraps for boxing. The set of instructions described below is suitable for boxers of all levels. Whether you are interested in a cardio kickboxing class, training for an intense sparring session or you are a mixed martial arts’ fighter, this technique of wrapping hands will work perfectly fine for you. Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Select a Hand Wrap

Selection of hand wraps consists of two important factors that you must take into consideration before you make a purchase. First, you need to buy the right type of gloves according to your type of exercise and secondly, you need to look for a certain set of characteristics to make an informed decision.

Types of Hand Wraps

Tape and Gauze

Athletic tape and gauze are most frequently used by professional boxers and players to cover their hands for their competitions and training sessions. This is not only the most protective technique for wrapping hands but it is also the lightest.

Tape and gauze wraps, however, can not be reused. Moreover, they require substantially more time to wrap them around your hands and often require you to ask for assistance from an additional individual. Although this approach is very professional and the most protective, it is not practical and realistic for daily training sessions.

Reusable Cloth Hand Wraps

Cloth hand wraps are reusable and are a decent companion for daily sessions. They not only provide added comfort and support for intensive training and workouts but also ensure your hands’ safety.

When choosing a wrap, there are a few choices for you to choose from. You can get them in a variety of sizes, styles, and colours to match your personality, workout outfit, and theme. Despite hundreds of options, it all comes down to personal preferences and choices at the end of the day. Therefore, you need to look for the right features.

Characteristics to Look for When Buying Hand Wraps

Stretchability: Standard style of wraps do not boast a lot of flexibility, which is good, because you want them to fit like a cast on your hand for maximum protection. Some consumers tend to go for Mexican Style wraps which offer a little elasticity to fit the hand, like a glove.

While other people have a whole other reason for sticking to Mexican style wraps for their workouts. The reason is that these wraps do not loosen up as much during workouts. However, this also comes down to personal choices.

Length: Cloth reusable hand wraps typically range in length from 108 to 210 inches. Wraps longer in length offer more security as compared to the shorter ones since there is more material to cover the hand with. Longer cloth wraps are better for people who train to spar and have larger hands or are larger in size, overall. Shorter cloth wraps, on the other hand, are a better choice for people who have petite hands or perform shadow boxing workouts that do not involve any contact.

Width: The width of most of the hand wraps is about 2 inches, but they can differ widely. Some brands prefer to manufacture wider wrap bandages while others manufacture thinner hand wrap bandages. Width is again a matter of personal choice and likeness for comfort, security, style, and ease. Take the width of the wrap bandage into consideration, as well, when buying one. Most wraps sport velcro straps and a wider closure that delivers a better grip.

Colour: Even colour is completely based on your personal preference but it is still better if you go for a colour that does not get dirty easily and also looks good with your outfit if the style is on your list of preferences.

Also read: Tips for Choosing the Right Boxing Gloves for Beginners!

Step 2: Unroll the Wrap

Unroll the wrap. One side of a standard wrap has a Velcro closure while the other sports a loop. Most hand wraps have some type of labelling that specifies “this side down.” if your wrap does not have one, trace the wrap back to the Velcro closure and ensure that you have the right side so that when wrapped up, the wrap will fasten correctly.

Step 3: Start Wrapping Your Hand

Place the side with the labelling ‘this side down’ against the backside of your hand while positioning the loop around the thumb. This will act as the foundation for the end of the hand wrapping bandage. Now, pull the remaining of the wrapping bandage to the outer side of your hand.

Step 4: Wrap Your Wrist

Wrap your wrist firmly. The main intention is to hold your wrist straight and upright so that the force of a punch is absorbed through your arm instead of it resulting in the bending of your wrist. Repeat this step three to four times depending on how long your hand wrap is. End the last round of wrap below the base of your thumb, with the excess material within your palm.

Step 5: Now Wrap the Knuckles

Once you have properly wrapped your wrists, wrap your knuckles now. Wrap the bandage around your knuckles twice. Make sure that your fingers are spread out while you are wrapping them. This is very vital because if your fingers are positioned too close together when you are wrapping them, you will feel crunching in your knuckles when forming a fist.

Step 6: Wrap and Anchor Your Thumb

Keep wrapping the bandage running down to the bottom of your thumb. These diagonal moves are the ones that connect the knuckles to the wrist and, as a result, solidify the structure. Keep wrapping over, and then below the thumb. Be careful not to fasten way too tightly otherwise you might end up cutting off the circulation of blood to your thumb. It is better to circle your thumb twice if you have had any thumb injuries in the past or if your wrap is longer in length.

Once, you have successfully wrapped your thumb, it is now time to anchor it. It is important to anchor the thumb to the wrist to prevent it from overstretching. To do this, wrap around your wrist one more time.

Step 7: Go Back to Your Knuckles

Now, go back to wrapping your knuckles with a diagonal wrap. Keep wrapping and stop when you have 20 inches left only. This will provide your knuckles with additional cushioning and help you to bring the whole wrap together in the succeeding step.

Step 8: Return to Your Wrist and Secure the Velcro

Pull the wrap bandage tightly, around your wrist and run down to the forearm. Keep wrapping until you are out of your bandage. Secure the velcro, and you are good to go.

Wrapping It Up

Once, you have completely wrapped your hands and are familiar with how to wrap boxing wraps, try to make a fist. Ensure that your knuckles are covered and secure, your wrist is not able to flex a lot, and that the wrap is not too tight for you. This is one of the safest ways of wrapping the hands using hand wraps for boxing.

A lot of professional boxers prefer to wrap the hand wraps in between their fingers. You can also do this if you have a longer pair of hand wraps. This is also good for people who want to have some additional support. Happy Boxing!

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