Hurting my wrists, please help!

[Ahoym8e]

I'm hurting my wrists when working the heavy bag. I have these stretchy 160 inch (180 inch?) handwraps, but I can wrap 100 inches around my wrists and after a few minutes of punching it offers no support at all. It is as though I had wrapped my wrists in gauze. I've asked if I am wrapping them properly and I am. I use 12 oz gloves to work out with a BOB (mean looking rubber dude standup bag). Punching him in the chin doesn't durt at all, but sometimes bodyshots crank my wrists some (not much padding on his midriff).

I've looked for wrist wraps and even splints to wear under the gloves, but they are all worthless or wont fit under the glove.

Tape is the one thing I haven't tried yet.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!!

[HtTKar]

Although I'm not really sure why your wrist is hurting. I would suppose that either you are hitting the bag at the wrong angles. Not hitting with your first two nuckles. Or that your forearms need more developement. After punching a bag many times, sometimes your forearms can weaken, allowing your wrist to bend. If you just started hitting the heavy-bag it may take a while to build up the power and perfection. Hitting a bag with weakened forearms hurts your wrists real bad.

Basically I would say that it's bad form. But I do not know the cause.

I would focus on hitting the bag perfectly a couple hundred times for a couple days, though not as hard as you can. And you should be able to find what is wrong. If your wrist was perfectly straight and you were hitting the bag square, your wrist should not give in to the bag. Just a suggestion.

[Ahoym8e]

By "Heavy Bag" I actually mena the torso of a BOB XL. The angles are all funny, especially of you're throwing bodyhooks (which is what makes my wrists hurt)

I'm wrapping with tape now, and I can punch several hundred times before I tweak a wrist. It's getting beter and better as time wears on...

[Uber_Tap]

Bob's a bad MoFo. When you step to Bob, you better step correct.

Just kidding. All crap aside, I would say that your problem is more with your technique than the type of wrap you are using.

I was taught to lower my center slightly and to throw the punch as if I were digging somewhat upward into the ribs rather than on a perfect horizontal line. I also had a natural tendency to bend my wrist a little as I threw the punch so I had to really teach myself to keep my wrist straight. It feels a little funky to start, but it enables you to land the punch with the first 2 knuckles like the other poster said.

I don't want to give you the impression that this is an upper-cut because it's not. You are just modifing the hook to have a slight upward path. Try it at about half power until you get comfortable with it. Once you get a comfort level with it and start blasting away you will notice a big difference in power if you are currently throwing it completly horizontal.

[Patrick G.]

you'll need to focus a little more on developing wrist/ forearm strength...your wrists are hurting because they are not yet used to the force that your asking them to apply to the bag (in this case, BOB)

a very good excercise for strengthening the wrist is the "wrist roller"..

take a wooden closet pole and cut it to about 15"-18" long..drill a hole in it, and tie a piece of rope to it...suspend the other end on some free weights, and practice "rolling" the weight up...it you can, find a flat nylon "tow strap" and use it instead of a round cord, so that as you roll up, the strap stays towards the center of the pole and doesn't walk to either side, which causes the weight to be offcenter and "cheat"...

I can show you pictures of mine if you'd like...i used an eye bolt to the hold the weights so that i can add extra weights when i'm ready (i'm at about 35lbs. right now)...

this should increase your wrist/forearm strength enough and beyond to handle the power that your generating...

once you work up to it, you'll be able to go full workouts on the bag without any gloves/wrap at all!

[MrPARaNoiD]

Hi,
Are there any other exercises to strengthen forearm other then light weight lifts and the technique discussed above?

thanx

[koto_ryu]

It's just a matter of alignment, make sure your wrist is straight when you hit the bag. It's more a problem with technique.

Hi,
Are there any other exercises to strengthen forearm other then light weight lifts and the technique discussed above?

thanx

Pullups, forearm pushups, wrist curls, Captains of Crush hand grippers, plenty of stuff.

[shirase]

"forearm pushups"

what are those? do you have any pictures or links of that?

[koto_ryu]

"forearm pushups"

what are those? do you have any pictures or links of that?

I don't know of any links but I can explain them easily enough. Get into a regular pushup position like you normally would in the up position. Now, lower yourself down onto your forearms until they are completely flat on the floor when you are in the down position. Whenever you push up, concentrate on pushing up first with your forearms and then with everything else.

[koto_ryu]

you'll need to focus a little more on developing wrist/ forearm strength...your wrists are hurting because they are not yet used to the force that your asking them to apply to the bag (in this case, BOB)

a very good excercise for strengthening the wrist is the "wrist roller"..

take a wooden closet pole and cut it to about 15"-18" long..drill a hole in it, and tie a piece of rope to it...suspend the other end on some free weights, and practice "rolling" the weight up...it you can, find a flat nylon "tow strap" and use it instead of a round cord, so that as you roll up, the strap stays towards the center of the pole and doesn't walk to either side, which causes the weight to be offcenter and "cheat"...

I can show you pictures of mine if you'd like...i used an eye bolt to the hold the weights so that i can add extra weights when i'm ready (i'm at about 35lbs. right now)...

this should increase your wrist/forearm strength enough and beyond to handle the power that your generating...

once you work up to it, you'll be able to go full workouts on the bag without any gloves/wrap at all!

Knuckle pushups are badass too, just do regular pushups on clenched fists palms facing towards your feet just like you were punching normally. You'll learn quickly to keep a straight wrist that way and strengthen a lot of good muscles for punching.

[HtTKar]

Koto Ryu;

Thanks.

I dont know why, but I have never heard of forearm pushups. I started integrating them into my training. Now that I've done them for a week, I can say that they work quite well.

Found another pushup to add. Thank you

Another excercise to help with your arms, back and abs is to stand very close to your heavybag, squared-off, and with your first two knuckles (both hands) push the bag as far away from you as possible without changing your stance. Hold this for as long as you can. this really does help as a weighlifting, strength training excercise when your too tired to punch anymore, but it also helps with alignment

[MrPARaNoiD]

thanx Koto_ryu

that has helped heaps and i think my form has improved, my wrists no longer hurt. I started doin more forearm work at the gym and it made a pretty big difference after 2 weeks.

[koto_ryu]

No problem man, glad I could help ya out Some more good stuff to look into is the Captains of Crush grippers, I love those as they're way more hardcore than the average. The Trainer alone takes 100 pounds to close, and only a half dozen people have closed the #4, which takes about 365 pounds to close. Those babies will work out all your lower arm muscles

[MrPARaNoiD]

is it worth sqeezing a tennis ball or ping pong ball i heard that that also works to strengthen wrist and forearms?

[koto_ryu]

Tennis balls work well, I work out with a lot of different types of handgrips to keep some variety but I wholeheartedly swear by Captains of Crush. I saw a dramatic difference when solely working out with those and rollbars (the bars with the length of cord hanging down from them you attach weights to).

There's so many more ways you can build forearm and grip strength: sledgehammers, fingertip pullups, chopping wood, there's tons. I personally prefer those two as they hit everything and really work you hard.