Boxing training is definitely a good workout, even for people who don't actually box. Punching bags, however, are big, heavy and expensive. That's where the Aqua Boxing Glove comes in, as it uses water to add resistance and work the proper muscles.
Invented by Texas-based professional boxer and trainer Tony Adeniran, the gloves feature a tough vinyl body, an adjustable Velcro wrist closure, and an internal bladder that the user fills with water. Depending on how much resistance is desired, each 1.5-lb (680-g) glove can be filled with up to 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) of water.
Whenever the wearer executes a punch, the water reportedly sloshes to the front of the glove as the arm is extended, its forward momentum producing resistance when the arm is subsequently retracted. According to Adeniran, it is this "fluid resistance" that provides a real boxing-like workout – much more so than if the gloves were simply equipped with static weights.
"The energy or inertia your create by extending your punches works against you when you are retracting," he tells us. "It's very similar to the feeling you get during a fight when the lactic acid builds in your muscles causing fatigue and failure. It's a heavy feeling in the shoulders, biceps and core, so allowing the water to flow freely and communicate throughout the glove and around the hand more closely mimics true fighters' fatigue in the later rounds."
Tony adds that unlike other training methods which incorporate static weights, his gloves also help build the secondary stabilizer muscles, plus they don't require users to hold weights in their hands while training. Additionally, because no punches are actually being landed on a punching bag, there's much less chance of impact-related injuries to the hands, arms or shoulders.
Should you be interested, the Aqua Boxing Glove is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. A pledge of US$99 will get you a set, when and if they reach production. The planned retail price is $199.
You can see them in use, in the following video.
Source: Kickstarter
