Wrist Weights for Boxing: 5 Quick Answers (Must-Read)

If you’re looking for a way to make your workout more intense, wrist weights are the most convenient way to build strength and your upper body muscles. Although you can use it in many different ways to target different parts, here’re my insights for you:

Is Punching with Weights Good for Boxing?

Doing your workout with additional weights in your arms will increase your shoulder resistance and help you to get better at hitting punches with more power.

Their main purpose is to increase the resistance on your arms in order to boost the intensity of your workout.

According to ACE, if you workout with wrist weight bands in your hands, your heart rate will increase by around 5 to 10 beats per minute and you end up consuming more oxygen and burning around 10 percent more calories.

Such hand/wrist weights are noted to be beneficial in boxing training, as they put little extra load on your arms and increase your overall muscle activities.

Do Wrist Weights Make You Punch Faster?

Wrist weights do make your punch faster because the stronger the muscle is, the better you’ll be able to accelerate your arm and move your punches with greater speed.

Specifically, your triceps are involved in the straight punches whereas your biceps mainly helps you with the snap of your uppercuts and hooks.

Wrist weights help you to tone up your muscles and increase their strength without bulking up your arms. that’s why it is preferred by many fighters who want to keep their arms lean for faster punching combinations.

Wrist Weights vs Dumbbells

When it comes to dedicated strength training exercises, Dumbbells are still one of the popular options for many people because it is available in every gym. But, they do not serve the need for cardio workouts and put unnecessary pressure on your fingers.

On the other hand:

Wrist weight bands are heavy enough to provide good resistance and make your workout more effective while allowing you to move your arms freely.

One of the biggest benefits of using a wrist weight over dumbbells is, it allows you to adjust the weight limit by adding or removing the weight rod, which is great for target exercises.

Generally, wrist weights ranging from 1 pound to 3 pounds are considered as a good alternative to dumbells and you can use them in almost any type of physical workout.



How Heavy Should Boxing Wrist Weights Be?

Boxing wrist weights should never be more than three pounds for each wrist. One should always start with light weights and work their way up because using heavy weights may put unnecessary stress on your muscles and joints.

Usually, 2 pounds of wrist weight is more than enough for most boxers but feel free to adjust it between 1 pound to 3 pounds as per your needs.

Disadvantages of Wrist Weights for Boxing

Despite there are many benefits of using wrist weights in the boxing workout and cardio exercises, there are a few reasons why you should think twice before using them:

When it comes to boxing workouts, training with wearable weights is quite a discussion-worthy topic, because if used incorrectly, it can lead to bad form and might affect your punching technique too.

According to the study done by Harvard, Swinging your hands back-n-forth with heavyweights can put unbalanced pressure on your muscles and increase the risk of injury. that’s why it’s important to start smaller and not exceed the 3 Ibs weight limit.

If you continuously use wrist weights while punching, it automatically develops a counter-resistance of the muscles to overcome downward pull by gravity. It makes harder for your brain to contract & relax the correct muscles required for a speedy and powerful punch.

Also, you need to stay away from low-quality weight bands by any unknown brand that might slip off your arms and fall on your foot in between the workout.

Here’s one pair that I used (Linked to Amazon) in my early days:

Final Thoughts

I hope you get a clear idea about the different aspects of wrist weights. If you’re thinking about using wrist weights, you should be aware of your weight limitations and the exercises you want to do.

If possible, speak with your boxing guru and ask for his opinion. He’ll be able to provide you with more personalized suggestions based on your strengths and skill level.

Priya Dorge | Cargofighter

Priya Dorge

Priya Dorge is a passionate boxer and author, dedicated to sharing her expertise in the world of combat sports. With her deep knowledge and experience in empowering individuals in their journey has garnered a loyal following, making her a trusted resource in the martial arts community.