There is a huge range of variety if you are looking for boxing gloves to use for sparring. The most important thing to remember for training is that you want to reduce risk of injury for you and the person you are sparring with, the last thing anyone wants to do is pick up injuries during training.
Gloves protect your hands and your opponents’ body and face. Using the correct gloves for sparring is essential to minimise injury and therefore enable you to continue training.
When boxing in a bout professionals and amateurs will typically use 8oz to 12oz gloves, white collar boxers typically use 16oz boxing gloves. It’s important to understand that when professional boxers spar they use big 16oz boxing gloves to avoid injuries, so when you are sparring it’s logical to do as they do and use 16oz gloves; there is absolutely no logic in using small gloves to spar and getting injured regularly.
So, we have established that for sparring you should use 16oz gloves for maximum safety. It’s now a good idea to look at the various gloves available. There are 2 main fillings for gloves:
Horse hair – Well, not actually just horse hair anymore. Old gloves used to be purely filled with horse hair, but this offered little protection so now ‘horse hair’ gloves have a combination of horse hair and polyurethane foam, like this.
Foam – Most gloves are filled with foam, that said there is a huge range of foams available, they are typically either injection moulded or layered. There is also a huge range of density in foams available. If you look at cheap gloves sold in some high street stores, you will feel that the foam is incredibly soft, when your knuckles impact someone’s face the foam simply compresses and offers little protection to either of you. For sparring, you want to buy gloves that use a ‘high-density safe spar’ type of foam. This type of foam will give you maximum protection and help reduce the risk of injury.
UWCB has been running events since 2009 and tried using all the major brands of boxing gloves over the years, we quickly came to realise many years ago that not all 16oz gloves offer the same protection. We spent a lot of time developing the perfect glove for our events to make them as safe as possible. The gloves weigh 16oz, uses a high density ‘safe spar’ foam, and has the foam over the knuckles where you need it for protection. Our priority at all events is to make it safe for participants, and the gloves we specifically developed drastically reduced injury.
We then realised that getting the safest gloves for training would also reduce the risk of injury during training and started to sell these gloves with the following key features to make them as safe as possible for sparring:
16oz gloves.
Safe spar foam.
Padding over knuckles.
We sell over 5,000 pairs of these gloves every year for people taking part in our events and they always have rave reviews, successfully reducing injury risk during boxing training and sparring.
Ultra Events is about people pushing their limits, doing something out of their comfort zone and raising money for Cancer Research UK.
UWCB can be an achievement of a lifetime, an event that can change participants lives. From taking the plunge and signing up on the website, we are on hand to get everyone through the course and ensure you have an incredible experience. We run 450 events every year, with approximately 20,000 participants and we do our very best to make it accessible and remove what for many is the daunting perception of a boxing gym. Boxing gyms are far more friendly places than most commercial gyms and once you step through the doors you will see how supportive everyone is.
Here is a list of how the process works:
Sign Up: Upon signing up you will receive a text message to join a Facebook group; most of the information across your journey will be posted in this group. You will receive an email from Ultra and an email from Cancer Research UK with details of how to set up your JustGiving page.
Facebook Group: This group is an opportunity to get to know the other participants, feel comfortable and get lots of information about UWCB.
Rep Contact: Every event is assigned a rep that will look after you and be on hand to answer any questions you have. The rep will text you to introduce themselves and post in the Facebook group, if you have any questions you can message them.
Your rep will organise the event and keep on top of you to ensure you are getting the most out of your UWCB experience. They will check you are raising money for Cancer Research UK and selling tickets to ensure you have a big crowd on the night. The rep will also ask you to provide a CD with your entrance music and will get your vest printed for the big night.
Cancer Research UK Contact: Emma CRUK Hallas will be posting in your Facebook group, she works for Cancer Research UK and is on hand to help you with your fundraising. Whatever you need, from fundraising materials to advice, they are there to help!
Registration Meeting: We will invite you to attend a meeting approximately a week before the training starts. It is important that you attend as you can pick up your registration pack and ask any questions. It’s also a great time to meet the other group members!
Training Starts: The trainers will take you through a programme to prepare you for your bout. The programme starts with fitness session, footwork drills and then you will progress to sparring. The training will be difficult, it will push you to your limits and you will learn a lot from our expert trainers. The training helps to develop great camaraderie within the group and you will push each other through the process.
If you need any advice on fitness, training or nutrition your trainers are on hand to help. Your trainers want you to get fit and box well, if you need their support, just ask.
Match Up Night: Approximately a week before the event you will have your match up night. The trainers have watched and assessed you across the training period and they match you to have a fair competitive bout. Matching will be based on weight, fitness and ability.
The Main Event: This is where it all comes together, you will be nervous, excited and emotional on the day. Everyone taking part has had 8 weeks of training and this is a chance to show off your new skills and make your friends and family incredibly proud.
You will arrive at the venue 2 hours before doors open. You will have a medical, get familiar with the venue and have a talk through the day by the event representative.
Shortly before doors open we will announce the fight order and the crowd with start to arrive. You have the choice to watch the bouts before yours or relax in the changing rooms. Your bout will come around and it’s time to step into the ring, your corner men will be ready and now it’s down to you. You will walk out to your entrance music with a HUGE cheer from your supporters. The bell will ring and you will have a boxing match, it will be 8 minutes of your life that you will remember forever – so give it your all!
Whether you win or lose, you will feel incredibly proud of your achievement. You will have done something incredible that only a small percentage of the population have done. In the process you will have helped to raise £15 Million for Cancer Research UK!
After The Event: Hopefully you will be feeling super fit as well as leaner and healthier than you were 8 weeks ago. We hope that you decide to continue to keep fit, whether that’s to continue boxing or just continuing to exercise.
One thing is for sure, you will have done something incredible.
At Ultra Events, we love to see our participants change their attitude to health and fitness and get their children involved in an active, healthy lifestyle. Not only have they done something incredible, but they have also had a positive impact on their family by actively engaging in exercise.
8 weeks ago on 10th July, I found myself questioning my sanity. Sitting in my car outside Rigs gym, trying to work up the courage to get out and go inside, every part of me was already regretting my decision to sign up. My heart rate was through the roof, I was sweating and already had nervous butterflies…..and I hadn’t even made it through the door yet! However, I was there and not willing to give up before I had even started and so I had no choice but to take a deep breath and head inside.
I spend my weekends dressing as a princess to entertain kids, walking into that gym for the first time put me further out of my comfort zone than I’d ever been. It took everything inside me not to turn around and head straight back out of the door. The only thing that kept me there was the thought of why I was doing it (well that and by quitting now, I’d lose every ounce of my dignity considering how many people I’d already told about it).
“I signed up in memory of my best friend Annie, who sadly passed away three years ago from cervical cancer”
I signed up in memory of my best friend Annie, who sadly passed away three years ago from cervical cancer, days after her son was born. Before she passed away she asked me, “If I die, will you shave your hair off to raise money?” At the time, I had no idea how poorly Annie was and so I jokingly agreed, deep down believing she was going to kick cancer’s butt. Having bottled shaving my head, I wanted to fulfil my promise and do something equally terrifying and out of my comfort zone. Having never done ANY form of sport, I thought UWCB was the perfect event to do. I was determined to approach it with the same strength, resilience and determination that Annie displayed until the end.
Laura and friend Annie
From that first week, it was clear that the training was going to be brutal; star jumps, burpees, squats, more star jumps, squat-thrusts, press-ups, even more, star jumps, sit-ups, planks and a few more star jumps thrown in for good measure. I woke up the morning after that first session unable to put any weight on my calf, I was more than prepared to throw the towel in. In my desperation to come up with an excuse that I couldn’t continue with the process, I managed to convince myself that I had a serious muscular injury. Funnily enough, it turned out that perhaps my lack of cardiovascular based physical activity had something to do with why I now felt like I had been hit by a bus. And then reversed back over. Twice.
By the time my next training date rolled around, the constant ‘cramp-of-death’ tightness in my calves had eased rendering my “I’m injured”excuse void. Off I went to session two – using my entire drive there to try and concoct another reasonable cause for exemption! However, to my complete surprise, it felt like the entire hour flew by and as the days passed, I found that I was actually starting to enjoy the training – in fact, some small twisted part of me started to actually look forward to it (I know, I can’t believe it either!!). I even brought my own head guard and roped my poor unsuspecting dad and brother into sparring with me in the garden – much to their delight.
“I found that I was actually starting to enjoy the training”
As the weeks flew by (funny how fast 8 weeks go when you know you’re going to be getting punched in the face at the end of it). The atmosphere and spirit within the gym got better and better. Although most would assume that the hardest part of boxing is being hit, it’s actually just as hard (and if not harder!) hitting someone else. I lost count of the times that I apologised after landing a blow – it seems I needed to work on my fighting talk!
As the big fight night got closer and we had moved from drills to sparring. This was the BIGGEST shock to the system ever, it’s amazing the effect that being in a ring has on your adrenaline and ability to remember any kind of skill whatsoever. I was enjoying the whole process so much that I even started to believe that I may actually be able to do this and pretend to be a real-life boxer for a night. I had gone from ‘all the gear, no idea’ to ‘Whitey the Mighty’ and I enjoyed telling people about it and listening to their (mainly useless) tips and hints ranging from “counter with your defensive” to “just knock her out” (neither of which I managed to pull off)!
Laura’s entrance at her event
In the blink of an eye, we were completing our final week, attending the match-up and arriving at the venue all ready for the big night. The culmination of 8 weeks of blood, sweat (from areas I had never even realised it was possible to sweat from) and tears (ohhhh so many tears!) was finally upon us and suddenly, everything that had seemed like some kind of bizarre future nightmare became very, very real. Money raised (over £1,600 in total for Cancer Research UK), hair plaited, medical passed, friends and family in their ringside seats, I was as ready as I was going to be!
Laura and her opponent go head to head!
Now, I would like to apologise to our amazing trainer Sam but I’m not going to sugar coat this – the fight itself was the hardest physical (and mental) thing I have ever, done and I hated every single second of those six minutes in the ring! (No really, no exaggeration here, I really, really hated it!!). If I’m honest, I don’t remember a great deal of details about the fight itself as it felt like it passed in a huge blur of shots (mainly to my face). I took everything she had, I gave her everything I had left back! Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough on the night and my opponent was crowned the (very worthy) winner. I finished knowing that I had left everything that I had in that ring, and in the respect of having done myself proud, I could walk out of the venue a winner.
So Ultra White Collar boxing – what can I say?
As a challenge, I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. 8 weeks ago, I was a girl who secretly battles every day against a lack of confidence and self-esteem, convinced that she wasn’t going to get to the end. On Saturday 1st September, that same girl left the ring. Now she also is starting to believe that she is, in fact, strong and able enough to do so much more than she had ever thought possible. For that alone, I owe the whole experience and everyone involved in it so very, very much.
Would I do it again?
Well in answer to that, If you check eBay you will find one pair of gloves, boxing boots, head guard and hand wraps listed as a bundle deal – perfect for someone else to take up the challenge to help punch cancer in the face and raise money for this truly incredible cause.
As Floyd Mayweather said, “Everyone is blessed with a certain talent, you have to know what that talent is….you have to maximise it and push it to the limit.” I think it’s fairly safe to say that my talent doesn’t lie in fighting (and trust me, I am more than OK with that). I have made a promise to my mum to stick to chocolate detoxes and sponsored walks from now on! So now, this is ‘The Mighty Whitey’ signing off for one last time… just ‘Whitey’ suits me fine!!
Boxing training is difficult, but it is incredibly effective at improving fitness. Boxing has stood the test of time and is classed as one of the toughest sports in the world.
The Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB) model of 8 weeks of FREE training WORKS, you can become incredibly fit & get in great shape in just 8 weeks. It’s just long enough to get really fit but not so long that life gets in the way of the training.
You can become incredibly fit & get in great shape in just 8 weeks
UWCB events give incredible focus. People will say they want to get fit, in shape or give up a vice, but fall off track and quit after a few weeks. With UWCB you are committed, 8 weeks from the start you ARE stepping in a ring in front of 100’s of people for a boxing match. If that’s not motivation to stick at training for 8 weeks and get super fit we don’t know what is.
We provide 2 free sessions per week at UWCB, but we do advise people to train as much as possible.
The 8 week training can be a great time to give up smoking, drinking, refined sugars or any other vices you may engage in. It is genuinely an opportunity to change your life for the better, make you fitter and healthier.
Why is boxing training so effective?
If you sign up with any PT or fitness class they will encourage you to do interval or HIIT training because it is super effective for fitness, fat loss and increasing strength and power. Whether this is using weights, body weight, a treadmill or any other method it is all interval training.
When boxing at the big event you will do 3 x 2 minute’s rounds. From the first to the last bell it will be 8 minutes so the training should prepare you for that. You don’t need to be using up hours of every day doing 15 mile runs to get fit.
You don’t need to be using up hours of every day doing 15 mile runs to get fit
Different interval lengths have varied beneficial effects and during your boxing training you will experience a variety of different types of interval training. Boxing training puts you through different length intervals for a reason; whilst it may seem obvious to do 2 minute intervals with one minute rests, in reality, you don’t do that during a bout, you may do 20 seconds flat out then move around at a slower pace for 10 seconds then work hard again for 30, it could literally be any intervals within that 8 minutes.
The training works because your body adapts to challenge and literally improves itself; imagine if every time you drove your car fast then parked it up it got a bit faster? Well, your body does that, push it hard and it will improve. Your body is absolutely amazing!!
Improving fitness
Your body is incredible and is constantly working to improve itself.
To adapt it must be pushed, if you stay within what you think are your limits your body doesn’t need to improve, so you must work hard. There are lots of sayings like ‘Your body can do anything your mind tells it to’ or ‘Don’t stop when your mind tells you to, stop when your legs tell you to’. If you are new to exercise your mind will tell you its hard and the response to that is to stop. When doing burpees, for example, you may feel its hard and want to stop, but in reality, you don’t have to stop until your legs don’t work anymore, so keep going until you fall over; you will find this is a long time, certainly a long time past your legs hurting.
Over the 8 weeks you will get super fit
UWCB is all about pushing people beyond their comfort zone and helping them to do the amazing things they are capable of; the trainers will be on hand throughout the 8 weeks free training and push and motivate you.
One of the big benefits of boxing training is that the trainers will push you to your absolute limits, whatever they are because they want you to do well at your event, you will also be surrounded by others on the same journey as you who all want to do well.
Probably the single most important thing to remember in sessions is to work hard, if you want to get fitter you absolutely must work hard and push yourself.
Over the 8 weeks you will get super fit and hopefully keep training after the event, making a genuine positive change to your life.
Weight loss
Weight loss is actually simple, you need to create a calorie deficit (use more calories than you consume) and you will lose weight. The target is to lose fat rather than muscle. Fat loss is a controversial subject with everyone having their view. So, here’s what we think:
Being fit makes you more efficient at burning fat.
The fitter you are the longer and more regularly you can maintain higher work rates and thus burn more calories.
Following high intensity exercise you will continue to burn more calories than usual for a long period after the session has finished.
Body weight or any weight-bearing exercises will help you to retain muscle whilst losing fat.
Food is also key to weight loss and fat loss, we will talk about that in our next post.
Psychological effects of training
If you regularly exercise you will feel better, you will sleep better and wake up better. Doing thing’s you didn’t think you could do in the gym will also carry over to other areas of your life and all of a sudden things you thought were impossible you have a go at and can do.
If you regularly exercise you will feel better, you will sleep better and wake up better
Being fit and healthy will make you proud and respect your own body which will obviously increase confidence and hopefully make you more content.
