Boxing Gear to get started
The most frequent question I receive in regards to boxing is what boxing gear do I need to get started? I am usually asked this question after the individual has returned from their local sporting goods store with a set of boxing gloves.
So here I will discuss what you need but I will only include items you need right now. In the case that this is not for you I do not want you going out and making a large scale purchase for something that you will not use.
As you continue to read though all the stages in preparing to box. You will notice there are basic conditioning work outs as well as body weight work outs. That you can do at absolutely no cost to you. The only item that you will need is a stop watch or a regular watch with a second hand to keep time.As you progress to differn stages of conditioning you will need to buy a jump rope.
In my personal experience there is no substitute for the cardio work out a jump rope provides. I highly recommend a leather jump rope they can usually be acquired for less than twenty dollars American.
Once you have completed preparing to box and move on to boxing basics you will start to learn how to throw different punches such as jabs and hooks.
Here is when your gear comes into play. Shadow boxing is essential in your training but is limited help for gaining power. This is when a heavy bag becomes an important part of the training. A lot of great fighters base the majority of the work out around the heavy bag. It offers a lot different training options to fighters.
Heavy bags come in all shapes and sizes and range greatly in price. You can find them starting at around seventy dollars going as high as five hundred.
When you work out with heavy bag your hands are prone for injury, so you must also invest in hand wraps. Almost every boxing exercise that you partake in you will want to have your hands wrapped. This is something that should not be taking lightly. I have broken a knuckle and have had a boxers fracture. Both incidents delayed training for months.
After you have purchased hand wraps and a possible a heavy bag, there is some other boxing gear you might want to consider purchasing: bag gloves. A variety of bag gloves are available as well it all depends on personal preference. I personally like the traditional 16 oz training glove when working-out on the bag. This allows for individuals to become accustom to the weight on their hands.
Another great purchase would be to buy is a mouth guard. A mouth guard serves a few purposes in training, first would be to prevent you from biting down while you are striking the bag damaging your teeth. Second is if you decide to fight competitively it will benefit you to use to work on breathing through a mouth guard and how it feels.
Boxing gear can be relatively expensive when you are first getting started. So I highly recommend gradually buying gear as your progress in you training.
If you decide to compete as a boxer in fights you will need more boxing gear than what has been stated above. Most gyms will provide most of the gear necessary for fighting in competitions or sparring. The above is a suggested list of items when training.
Heavy bags come in all shapes and sizes and range greatly in price. You can find them starting at around seventy dollars going as high as five hundred.
When you work out with heavy bag your hands are prone for injury so you must also invest in hand wraps. Almost every boxing exercise that you partake in you will want to have your hands wrapped. This is something that should not be taking lightly I have broken a knuckle and have had a boxers fracture. Both incidents delayed training for months.
After you have purchased hand wraps and a possible a heavy bag. Some other boxing gear you might want to consider purchasing is bag gloves. A variety of bag gloves are available as well it all depends on personal preference. I personally like the traditional 16 oz training glove when working-out on the bag. This allows for individuals to become accustom to the weight on their hands.
Another great purchase would be to buy a mouth guard. A mouth guard serves a few purposes in training first would be to prevent you from biting down while you are striking the bag damaging your teeth. Second being if you decide to fight competitively it will a benefit you to be used to breathing through a mouth guard and how it feels.
Boxing gear can be relatively expensive when you are first getting started. So I highly recommend gradually buying gear as your progress in you training.
If you decide to compete as a boxer in fights you will need more boxing gear than what has been stated above. Most gyms will provide most of the gear necessary for fighting in competitions or sparring. The above is a suggested list of items when training.
Continue on to the Boxing Equipment page to learn more about the gear, our preferences and the cost of these items. Also feel free to check out our boxing product reviews page.
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