So, you want to start boxing, but need to put boxing wraps on and don’t know how. I’m going to simplify this as much as I can for you, because it really is no big deal.
Once you’ve done it a few times, you’ll be a pro at putting them on for your garage workout.
If you’d like a quick run down on the basics for boxing, especially if you’re just looking at this as a fun form of exercise, check out my Boxing Basics for Total Beginners blog and video tutorial as well.
I’ll share some workouts to get started, but you can also find more boxing and other workouts in my 20 Minute Workout Ideas blog as well.
But let’s dive in!
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2 Options for Boxing Wraps
The first thing though, is knowing that there are 2 options when it comes to boxing wraps.
There are the traditional boxing wraps that I will be breaking down how to put on in this blog. I’ve been using them for a couple years now and they’re still going strong. I just got another pair recently to switch up the colors.
And then there are the glove boxing wraps that are the quickest option.
When I was coaching at a boxing gym (it was more for the cardio and then weight training, not an actual combat gym), most of our members used our version of these. They’re the quickest thing to get started.
So if the traditional wraps are a little intimidating, these are a great option to at least break the barrier to get started.
Boxing Wraps: Simple How To
So now that you have your traditional boxing wraps, let’s dive in!
When you first get your wraps, they’ll be wrapped up nicely. You can do this each time to make sure they don’t get tangled, but I’d recommend letting them air out a little before rolling up again.
Also, be sure to get a mesh washing machines bag (here’s an example of one) so when you wash them, they also don’t tie up all your laundry.
But once you’ve unrolled the wraps, at the very end you’ll see a thumbhole and one side of the wraps will say “This Side Up”. So, by no surprise, make sure the side that says “This Side Up” is facing up when you put your thumb in.
Wrists
Now that you’ve got the first step done, you’re going to wrap it around your wrist at least 3 times. You want this to be tight enough that it won’t move, but not too tight that you start to lose feeling in your fingers.
Everything from here on out is to support your hands.
Knuckles
Next you’ll start wrapping your knuckles 3 times as well. You’ll figure out what works best for you as you box and find where you need more coverage and support.
But I try and get it to not only cover my knuckles, but also the base of my fingers too. I find it gives me a little more support and protection as well that works for me.
Fingers
Once you’ve done 3 times around your wrist and 3 times around your knuckles, you’re going to wrap one more time around your wrist.
After that, you’re going to go through each finger.
And this can be personal preference, but I usually start between the pointer and middle finger. So you did the one wrap around the wrist after the knuckles, then you’re going to come up and between the pointer and middle finger, then back down and around the wrist.
Same thing, up and through the middle and ring finger, then back down and around the wrist.
Finally between the ring and pinky before it’s back down and around the wrist again.
You can either come up and between the fingers from the palm of the hand, or the back of the hand. It doesn’t really matter outside of personal preference. But this too, make sure it’s tight enough that everything lays flat, but not too tight that it hurts your hands and is uncomfortable during your boxing session.
Closing Up
Now that you have wrapped between all the fingers, you’re going to go around the knuckles again to “close up” the wrap so everything is flat and even again. This I usually do at least 3 to 4 times, focusing on covering the knuckles and some of the fingers.
This will give you more cushion and coverage when you’re boxing, and I notice that it helps my hands and supports them a bit more.
Finishing Up
Finally, now that you’ve got everything covered once, you’re just going to use up the rest of the wrap that you have. And this, again, is up to personal preference. So any injuries you have, any extra support or cushion you need, this is where the last of the wrap is going to be used.
So for example, overuse from jobs or lifting has caused my wrists and elbows to hurt. So I want to make sure that I’m supporting everything enough to not make it worse.
I like to wrap around my thumb 2 different ways to give my wrist more stability as well. This can be, if you’re coming up from the palm side of your hand, is going up and around your thumb, then back down the way it came. And then again, coming from the back of your hand, around your thumb and going back the way you came again.
I follow this up with a few more times around the wrist to really secure it in and maybe the knuckles again if there’s any more.
The leftover wrap is just whatever is going to support your arms best, and some of this comes with time as you box and learn what you need more or less of.
So don’t take this as the end-all-be-all of boxing wraps. I adjust and change things up from time to time too, but this is still a great starting point for how to wrap your wrists for boxing.
What now after your hands are wrapped?
Now that your hands are wrapped and supported, you can put your boxing gloves (my current favs) on.
This seems like a simple next step, but here’s just a quick heads up and help to feel less frustrated with it.
Because you are going to be taking them off and on with bulky gloved hands.
The first hand is going to be simple. Just put the glove on all the way, and tighten it around your wrists until it’s comfortable and secure with the velcro.
The second hand can be a little tricky. Make sure the velcro isn’t touching and use your other hand to support the glove while you put it on. It’s really just helping to push your hand all the way in the glove, and then you’re going to use your already gloved hand to “hook” the velcro of the other and pull tight to close.
That’s also how you’re going to take your gloves off too. Pull at the end of the velcro until you can “hook” it and pull it off.
Again, the video above will help better walk you through what to do, but that’s it!
Now that you’re ready to get started, don’t forget to check out the Boxing Basics again, and you can get more boxing combo ideas when you join my Diary Newsletter and get my Healthy Balance Starter Kit with 20 workout ideas, including boxing combos.
See you inside!
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