Ask Me Boxing

Catching body shots all afternoon turns into a real injury risk without the right padding. The best body protector boxing coaches and sparring partners can wear protects ribs, solar plexus, and floating ribs from full-contact hooks and uppercuts to the body. We tested seven options across coach belly pads and fighter chest guards, scoring each … Read more

You bought a heavy bag. It’s sitting in the corner of your garage, still in the box, and now you’re staring at the ceiling wondering if it can even hold that thing. I’ve been there — twice, actually, once in a rental apartment where drilling wasn’t an option and once in a house with exposed … Read more

So you finally bought a heavy bag and now you’re staring at your ceiling, your wall, and that empty corner of your garage wondering how the heck to actually how to hang a heavy bag without ripping your house apart. I get it. I’ve installed bags in three different homes — a basement with exposed … Read more

Most heavy bags ship unfilled for a reason — freight costs would be brutal, and honestly, filling it yourself gives you control over the weight, density, and feel that a factory-stuffed bag never will. I have filled and re-stuffed more bags than I can count over 15 years of coaching, and I can tell you … Read more

Your boxing hand wraps absorb more sweat than any other piece of gear you own. After a hard session on the heavy bag, those wraps are soaked through with moisture, salt, and bacteria — and if you keep stuffing them back into your gym bag unwashed, they will start to smell terrible and break down … Read more

You just walked into a boxing gym, tried on two pairs of gloves, and now you’re staring at a price tag that’s four times higher on one of them. The cheaper pair feels fine. The expensive one smells like a new baseball mitt. So what gives? The difference between boxing gloves leather vs synthetic comes … Read more

Most people walk into a sporting goods store, try on a pair of gloves that “feel okay,” and end up with sore knuckles three weeks later. I have coached fighters for over a decade, and poorly fitted gloves remain the single most common equipment mistake I see — from first-timers hitting the heavy bag to … Read more

That stiff, cardboard-like feeling when you slide your hands into a fresh pair of boxing gloves? Totally normal. Every pair needs a how to break in new boxing gloves adjustment period before they feel like an extension of your fists. I have broken in dozens of pairs over the years — from budget Everlast trainers … Read more

You dropped $120 on a pair of gloves six months ago, and already the padding feels flat on your lead hand. That sinking feeling — literally — means your knuckles are absorbing impact your gloves should handle. Understanding how long boxing gloves last saves you money, protects your hands, and keeps you from training with … Read more