Gear

Checklist

Workouts on the bags only

_ T-shirts

_ Shorts or sweats

_ Athletic socks

_ Athletic footwear

_ Wraps $6

_ Bag gloves $50

_ Heavy bag$80

_ Partner drills and sparring

_ Headgear $70

_ Mouth guard $10

_ Sparring gloves $135

_ Groin protector $145

Assuming you know what T-shirts, shorts and athletic socks are, we'll start with the footwear.

Athletic footwear

Sneakers that fit well are fine for now. Don't bother with actual boxing shoes. If you're training in a gym you may need to avoid dark soles that could mark up the floor. High tops are nice because of the extra support.

Wraps

Before you put on gloves you must wrap your hands for support and protection with long strips of cloth called wraps. Get the kind that have Velcro ties since they're the most convenient to use. Many fighters prefer Mexican-style wraps because they're longer and provide better protection. $6.

Bag gloves

Bag gloves are different from sparring or competition gloves. Bag gloves have just enough padding to protect a boxer's hands as he whales the heavy bag. Training or sparring gloves are more carefully designed to protect the hands and offset the force of a blow from a sparring partner.

Bag gloves come in various weights, styles and degrees of quality and convenience. We suggest a quality pair of 12-ounce leather gloves with a wide Velcro strap closure for easy on and off. Such gloves cost about $50 or $60.The cheapest pair costs half as much, but heck, for $25 more you can get professional durability, design and safety. They're your hands, it's your choice. Like a good pair of shoes, make sure they fit and stay secure on your paws.

Heavy bag

Heavy bags come in a variety of styles, but a basic bag is about 14 inches in diameter, 42 inches high and weighs 70 pounds. They can be made of canvas, vinyl or leather. You can buy a bag with hard fill or soft fill — the soft fill simply has a thicker foam liner. It should come with hanging chains, hooks and a swivel so it can be hung from a beam. About $80 for a canvas bag.

Headgear

Don't skimp here! Purchase a design that covers as much as possible: chin, cheeks and forehead. There are models with a face bar that protect the nose and mouth, but breathing in them is a little difficult. Get headgear with lace straps in order to keep the thing tight on your head. You don't want headgear slipping over your eyes after every punch you take. About $70.

Mouth guard

Very important unless you plan on never getting hit. The "boil and bit