How to Wrap Hands for a Boxing Workout

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How to Wrap Hands for a Boxing Workout
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(No Transcript)
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• This set of instructions explains how to
  effectively wrap your hands for a boxing work
  out. Boxers wrap their hands before practice and
  competition to protect their wrists, knuckles,
  and fingers from injury. The hand wrapping
  technique described here will work well for
  boxers of all skill levels.

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• A number of beginners have asked my advice on how
  to wrap their hands. The main idea is to protect
  the hands from injury, but the trick is making
  the wrap solid without coming loose or cutting
  off blood circulation to your hand. Most people
  wrap their hands a little differently because not
  everyone's hands are the same shape. So, after
  practicing a few times, feel free to adjust the
  procedure to your liking.

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Step 1 Select Your Hand Wrap

• There are many different hand wraps to choose
  from.Tape and Gauze Professional Boxers often
  wrap their hands using athletic tape and gauze.
  This is the most protective and the lightest
  method for wrapping hands. However, these wraps
  cannot be reused, take considerably more time to
  wrap, and often require an additional person to
  assist.  This instructable will not focus on this
  method because it is not practical for everyday
  training.

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• Cloth Reusable Hand Wraps The pictured hand
  wraps are Ringside 180" Classic Hand Wraps. These
  are a good standard wrap. There are a few options
  to choose from when selecting a wrap. There are
  many brand names selling hand wraps, but it
  mostly comes down to a matter of personal
  preference. The characteristics are covered
  below.

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• -Length Cloth hand wraps usually vary between
  108 and 210 inches in length. The longer hand
  wraps provide more protection because there is
  more material to wrap your hand with. I would
  suggest the longer wraps to individuals with
  larger hands or individuals planning to spar. I
  would suggest shorter wraps to individuals with
  smaller hands or individuals planning a shadow
  boxing (no contact) workout.

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• -Elasticity Standard wraps do not have much
  stretch to them because you want them to conform
  to your hand like a cast. Some people prefer
  "Mexican Style" wraps that stretch a little to
  conform to the hand. Others prefer the "Mexican
  Style" wraps because they will not loosen up as
  much during the course of a workout, however, it
  is a matter of personal preference.

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Step 2 Unroll the Hand Wrap

• Unroll the hand wrap. One side has a Velcro
  closure the other has a loop. Most wraps have
  some sort of marking which says "this side down."
  If your hand wrap does not have this marking,
  follow the wrap back to the Velcro closing and
  make sure you have the correct side so the wrap
  will fasten when rolled up. It will be
  frustrating if you get to the end of wrapping
  your hand and realize you started with the wrong
  side down.

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Step 3 Start the Wrap

• Place the loop around your thumb with the "this
  side down" marking against the back of your hand.
  This will serve as an anchor for this end of the
  wrap. Pull the rest of the wrap to the outside
  edge of your hand.

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Step 4 Wrap Your Wrist

• Wrap around your wrist tightly. The goal is to
  keep your wrist straight so the impact of a punch
  is absorbed through the arm instead of bending
  the wrist. Repeat this step 3-4 times depending
  on the length of your hand wrap. End the last
  wrap beneath the base of the thumb, with the
  excess material to the inside of your hand. It
  should look like the pictures below.

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Step 5 Wrap Your Knuckles

• After supporting you wrist, continue the wrap up
  to your knuckles. Wrap your knuckles twice around
  so that it looks like the attached picture. Make
  sure to spread you fingers out during this step.
  If your fingers are too close together, your
  knuckles will feel crunched when making a fist.

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Step 6 Wrap Your Thumb

• Continue the wrap back to the base of your
  thumb. It should look like the first picture
  below. It is these diagonal steps that tie the
  knuckles to the wrist and solidify the structure.
  Continue over then under your thumb. Careful not
  to wrap this step too tightly or you will cut off
  blood circulation to the thumb. If you have a
  longer hand wrap, or have suffered thumb injuries
  in the past, I would suggest circling the thumb
  twice.

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Step 7 Anchor Your Thumb

• After wrapping the thumb, it needs to be be
  anchored to the wrist to keep it from over
  extending. Wrap around the wrist one time to
  accomplish this.

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• Step 8 Return to the Knuckles
• Step 9 Return to the Wrist
• Step 10 Secure the Velcro
• Step 11 Finished Product
• Step 12 Optional Wrap In-between Your Fingers
• Step 13 Optional Finished
• Step 14 Wash Your Wraps