Do I wear Handwraps under my MMA gloves?
It really depends on your level of experience and how hard you go. For reference, I am an inside, power fighter. The first two years I did boxing / standup, I always wrapped my hands and I used heavier gloves (12 oz). As my wrists and tendons became stronger, I moved to 6 oz gloves with wraps. Now I use the 6 oz gloves only. Part of it was getting lazy, partly to improve my grappling grip, and partly to continue to condition my hands and wrists. I still tweak my wrists every now and then, and frequently wish I had more padding under my gloves, but I don't I'll wrap unless I'm doing only heavy bag, or I get an injury. That being said, if you have any doubts about your wrist / knuckle conditioning, then wrap. Bruised knuckles take a very long time to heal and really hurt your training. If you use lightweight MMA gloves I would definitely wrap for heavy bag workouts - especially with older bags that have settled and gotten hard.
What are the benefits of using heavy gloves for training?
You use heavy gloves in training so as not to hurt your hands hitting the heavy bag, and also, so that you and your sparmate don't hurt each other that much in sparring. Heavy gloves mean thick padding, and that means more protection.
Are 14 oz boxing gloves good for heavy bag workout or should I go for 16 oz (it's hardly 50 grams difference though)?
I think the general consensus is actually to use 10-12 oz gloves on the bag since, depending on your weight class that you compete in, the feel of your punches on the bag will be exactly how it would be in an actual match. I personally used to train with 16 oz gloves because the more weight on the gloves, the more you work out your shoulders and arms when you're doing bag drills. The 50 grams difference won't make a difference at first, but it will make a difference once your muscles get fatigued and you find it hard to keep your hands up and throw good punches. Then the difference in weight will be felt and it helps you to fight through the fatigue while still practicing good form.So with all that said, 14 oz gloves is perfectly fine for bag work.
When do boxers use 16 oz gloves?
It is the most popular size sparring glove for most weights.16oz sparring gloves: More padding over knuckles for added safety, the weight slows down punches. Great for safely learning and training in the gym against other boxers. Make no mistake you are still getting punched by pillow gloves or not, all punches should be blocked avoided as best as possible. 16oz bag gloves: Firmer padding, offer good hand protection and weight for training on heavy bags but are not suitable for safe sparring. 16oz training gloves: Generally somewhere in between sparring and bag glove. Not for hard (safe to opponent) sparring but usable. Amateure boxing use 10 oz - 12 oz depending on wight class.
Will my hand speed increase if I wear heavier gloves in boxing training?
No. Don’t be fooled. When you first take off a pair of heavier gloves you will feel lightning fast because of the initial comparative difference. But overall, throwing punches with weights attached to your hands will make you slower. You are literally throwing punches slower than normal and therefore doing two things: 1) you are engaging muscles against the weight that your body would not normally utilize without it (making the way you punch without weights irrelevant in the equation), and 2) you are slowing down the entire kinetic chain involved in punching by moving it slower. Punching with weights and against bands and other resistance is STRENGTH work, not speed work. As I said earlier, it can force you to engage other muscles. However, it 100% will not make you faster.Think about this: if moving (even explosively) against resistance actually made you faster, guys who bench press 400+ pounds would be the world’s fastest punchers. And not one of them is or ever will be.
What size boxing gloves should I buy for beginner/intermediate boxing classes?
One easy way to find your glove size is to measure the circumference of your hand. Use your dominant hand to wrap a tape measure around the biggest part of your hand, minus the thumb. You should also take into consideration your body weight. Here is the general rule of thumb:- If you are 40-54 kg and have a hand circumference of 5.5" - 6.5" without the wrap, I recommend an 8 oz. glove.- If you are 54-68 kg and have a hand circumference of 6.5" - 7.5" (without wrap), go with 10 oz.- If you weigh 68-84 kg, have a hand circumference of 7.5" - 8.5" (without wrap), go with 12. oz.- And if you are more than 84 kg, have a hand circumference of 8.5" - 9.5" (without wrap), go with 14 oz.This post also does a good job explaining the other pieces of equipment you may need: The Most Important Equipment You Need to Start BoxingHope you find this helpful!