Do your wrists hurt because of your heavybag training?
If so, you’re not alone. Lots of people complain of wrist pain when they first start using the heavy bag for martial arts or boxing training.
In fact, it’s probably the number one reason that novices quit this sort of high-impact training and either switch sports or substantially alter their workout routines.
What to do if you have sore wrists because of the heavy bag
It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. If your wrists hurt, stop hitting the heavybag and give them time to heal.
Your wrists are sore because of a repetitive-stress injury. This sort of damage usually takes more than one or a few sessions on the heavybag to make itself felt. But once it becomes noticeable, it takes time to heal.
If you don’t let it heal fully, it will just come back worse than before.
There are plenty of guys with more balls than brains who constantly re-injure themselves in the same spot(s) because they won’t allow their injuries to heal.
Trust me, they may think they’re tough guys for gutting it out and pushing through the pain, but they’re not. What really makes you a tough guy is when you do what you know is best even though you really don’t want to. These guys want to work out and live a fantasy instead of rest and get themselves healed up and ready to go better than ever.
How to avoid sore wrists when you use the heavybag
Here is a plan of action you can use when you start out with the heavy bag. If your wrists are already sore, remember to let them heal before you start hitting the punching bag. Don’t follow this plan until your wrists are strong and pain-free.
Always wrap your hands
Wrapping your hands helps to prevent the small bones in the wrist from shifting around under the impact of a punch. If you are not using handwraps, you risk wrist injury. This is doubly true if you are a novice who uses improper technique. There are guys who think they can toughen up their hands and wrists by hitting the bag bare-handed. These guys live in a fantasy world where they imagine themselves winning bare-knuckle fights like they’re the hero of a Karate movie. But really, they’re just risking injury. And what’s more, they can’t work out as intensely as someone who is wearing handwraps and padded gloves. They’re making fools out of themselves.
Use straight punches
Start out with the straight punches like the straight right hand and the left jab. Don’t use the uppercuts or the hooks until you have been working with the straight punches for a while (or at least don’t throw them with any power). Straight punches will build up the connective tissue in your wrists. Hooks and uppercuts take time to learn and when you throw them with improper technique you put your wrist under a lot of stress which will lead to long-term repetitive stress injury.
Concentrate on technique rather than power
It is tempting to wail away at the heavybag as hard as possible. But if your technique is bad, you won’t have any true power, and you risk wrist injury. On the other hand, when your technique is good, power will naturally follow and you won’t hurt yourself.
Build up over time
Don’t try to do 5 rounds on the heavybag the very first time you work out with it. Stick to one or two rounds of heavy bag work three times a week to start. And keep the punches at less than full power to start. You will have plenty of time and opportunity to hit harder when you are sure that your body can handle it.
So there you have it, the reasons why people hurt their wrists on the heavybag, what to do if your wrists are sore, and ways to train with the heavybag so that you won’t have to deal with bad wrists ever again.
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I have a tendency of bending or flexing my wrist slightly when I throw a hook. This usually results in wrist strain, sometimes pretty severe. How can I get in the habit of keeping my wrist straight. Any drills that you suggest?
That’s a good question, but I’m at a loss as to the answer. I suppose it goes without saying that if you are experiencing swelling or actual damage, you have to rest the area until there is no pain.
To a beginner, I’d say stop until you are healed, then when you resume training do it carefully and concentrate on proper technique rather than power. But if you are already know the proper technique for throwing hook punches I suppose your guess is as good as mine.
Maybe you could try orienting your hand differently. In other words, if you’re accustomed to throwing the hook with the palm down, switch it up so you hit with the palm vertical (like holding a coffee mug). Or vice versa. Pain that comes from repetitive stress injuries is called lifestyle pain and it’s often cured by a simple switch in the way you normally do things.
Good Luck.
PS – anyone reading this, if you have some tips or tricks to share, please feel free
I started boxing a while back, and only did it for about 1 1/2 months. I recently started up again and have been going for the last 3 weeks. Last week, i noticed a very sharp pain in my left hand everytime i hit the bag, or even when i hit the pads. I always knew i had to get raps but kept pushing it back till i was actually gona to in the ring. Now that i am going in the ring, i have this pain. Is this sharp stinging pain something common? If it is im guessing i should just let it heal like you said, give it a break for a while? And how long would something like this take to heal? Some advice would be a great help.
also, i have no swelling. Would it be a good idea to maybe put heat or ice on it? If so, which one?
It’s impossible (and it would be irresponsible) for me to give you a definite answer about your hand pain. But it’s obvious to me that you have to cease the impact training until your injury heals. Any “sharp pain” is bad and you should let it heal.
There is a truism in boxing (and other sports): if you push through an injury, you will eventually come to regret it.
I’m surprised that your gym lets you train without handwraps. You really should wrap your hands every time you hit something; it’s the only way to avoid long-term impact damage, even when your technique is perfect.
Heat will not help, but ice may. Normally, I’d say to speak with your coach about the problem, but since he lets you train on the heavybag without wraps, he might not be very experienced. So, give your left hand time to heal and just work on your right hand power.
In this exercise recovery article, there is a bit of info about heat and ice, and when each is appropriate therapy after exercise or injury.
Good luck.
Good advice on throwing hooks-better to start slow!
Is wearing gloves with an elastic wrist sufficient. The reason I ask is becasue the heavy bag that I have is filled with old cloths and is pretty soft. It weighs 118 lbs but it’s not like hitting a brick wall. Should I still wrap my wrists or are gloves enough?
Hi Ian.
I suppose you have to do what you think is best. But I’ll say this: professional boxers always wrap their hands when they work out, no matter what they’re planning to punch.
Gloves stop you from bruising your knuckles, but they don’t really do anything to stop the bones in your hand and wrist from shifting around under the impact of a punch. With handwraps, your hands are like a club, but without them, they’re like a collection of separate pieces loosely held together with connective tissue.
I’d advise wrapping your hands. All you have to lose is a few minutes time and $10 for a pair of handwraps.
Good luck!
So if I don’t wrap my wrists I could end up with problems 15 years down the road?
I bought a pair of UFC Gel Wraps today. They are easy for me to put on and I think they’ll give good support. Do you have any experience with them?
Ian
They were intriguing when they first came out, but I read lots of bad reviews on forums from guys who tried them and didn’t like them. The general concensus is that gel wraps break down too quickly. I wouldn’t recommend sparring with them, but if you’re wearing them for heavybag work, they should be OK as long as they don’t disintegrate. If you start to experience repetitive-stress pain, rest up then stick to regular hand wraps. Les us know how they work out!
They give really good support and I find I can hit alot harder. I hope they last. They are easy to put on which is the main reason I bought them. I hope they last…$40 a pair!