Can You Punch A Heavy Bag Without Gloves?

Can you punch a heavy bag without gloves? Hitting a heavy bag without gloves or any type of hand protection may be the most insane idea you have ever heard of. But does it work?

Actually, it is 100% normal if you see anyone in the gym hit a heavy bag not wearing bag mitts. It’s popularly considered beneficial for strengthening your knuckles as well as your wrists and forearm muscles. However, this will somehow bring some disadvantages. 

Let’s continue reading our article to know more about this field.

Can You Punch a Heavy Bag Without Gloves?

As we mentioned before, you can punch a heavy bag not using gloves. However, beginners should not try it because your knuckles still don’t reach a certain level of flexibility. In other words, you must be able to combine techniques so as not to injure yourself. 

It would be best if you asked yourself these questions: “How often will you hit a punching bag without hand protection?”, “Are you training for precision or power?” That decides whether you must use gloves or not.

Can Punching a Heavy Bag Without Bag Mitts Injure Your Hands?

A punching bag usually weighs 70-200 pounds; then you understand why boxing trainers and professionals recommend hand protection. It would help if you considered the force needed when you punch a heavy bag; that’s why bag mitts or other kinds of protection are very important.

In boxing and Mixed Martial Arts in general, you have to hit the punching bag with your hand, and this probably leads to severe damage to your knuckles. In some worse cases, it may even break your fingers or palms. What is more, you will take at least a month to recover from this injury and continue kickboxing.

Here are some tips you need to know to stop wrist pain when punching:

• Keep your thumb outside your fist
• Flatten your wrists when you hit a punching bag
• Wear boxing gloves or hand protection to minimize your possible injury
• Hold dumbbells to strengthen your wrists

How to Punch a Heavy Bag without Gloves? 

Here are guided steps to punch a heavy bag without gloves:

Step 1: First, make sure to flatten your fists. Your knuckles and the bag must come in contact at the same time.

Step 2: Don’t bend or buckle your wrists because this can cause a wrist wrench. Feel your body like all parts of your body are in harmony. Tense yourself.

Step 3:  After that, throw precisely, and notice your speed. Pull your punches right after they land on the bag. You should not add more power because this only leads to more possibilities of injury.

Step 4: Stick to your jabs and your hands. Throwing a hook with bare knuckles will make your fists more vulnerable since there is no bag protection.

Step 5: Most importantly, take a 10-minute break if necessary. Your skin over your knuckles or fists can crack easily when hitting without gloves. So give yourself time to heal before you continue punching.

What Techniques to Punch Without Gloves?

Check out some methods we mentioned below to hit a punching bag safely with or without any hand protection.

Flatten Your Fist

Remember to flatten and cover your hands with your fist. Your fingers and knuckles should immediately come in contact with the punching bag. You should not loosen your hands when you stand in the offensive position. Remember that you only tighten your fist when you punch the bag.

Prepare for Techniques Needed

After that, you put your forearms, hands, and wrists in a straight line. There is one thing you should avoid: Do not bend your wrist when you prepare to hit the bag. Then before your knuckles touch the punching bag, tighten your shoulders, arms, wrists, and muscles to minimize the chances of getting injured.

It’s highly recommended that you should focus on speed rather than power because adding more power can injure your knuckles, leading to wrist sprain. Remember to pull your hands right after you punch the bag.

Practice Makes Perfect

To become a professional, you have to practice a lot because mastering these skills requires a lot of time and persistence. However, do not force yourself too much. Remember to give yourself time to rest after practicing. 

You also need to follow our tips and techniques mentioned above to avoid damages to your hands.

Read more: Are boxing shoes necessary?

Conclusion

Well, we have to admit that It is really hard to punch a heavy bag without gloves. But you do not need to worry anymore because we are here, providing you with certain knowledge of how to punch a heavy bag without gloves. We hope that after reading our article, you can answer that question: “Can you punch a heavy bag without gloves?” to yourself.

To avoid damaging yourself, you should follow our methods strictly. Hope you will have a wonderful experience when kickboxing!