Alternative Training for Injured Knuckles

[nylawshin]

Hi! I'm a beginner female boxer, and I am looking for alternative training routines while I'm resting my injured knuckles. My coach mainly focuses on punching bags so whenever I go to the gym I feel really demotivated as I can't punch or spar or do mitt work. The only things I do include jump rope for about 4 sets of 3 minutes, push ups (about 100 but 10-20 times each set), 3-4 sets of shadow boxing, sit ups, leg ups, and 10 sets of 20 reps of 1-2s with a resistance band tied to the ceiling. It has been like that for a week. Are there any routines that could help me with my footwork, strength, and power that don't involve my knuckles? Any routines that could be done in a boxing gym? Also, is using the resistance band this way effective? Are there other resistance band training that could help me with my power?

My coach doesn't do any footwork and it's starting to really frustrate me

[greynotsoold]

There is a book call either Boxing or On Boxing by Edwin L Haislet. It was written in 1940, probably the best boxing instruction book written...Any way, you can find it on-line and it includes some very simple yet very effective footwork drills. It is very important to coordinate the movements of your hands and feet and these drills teach you how to do that. Also, there are some drills/exercises that will help improve your punching technique but don't involve you hitting anything.

[HtotheZ]

Your training routine doesn't sound bad at all for a beginner. I personally think the best thing for you to train boxing while having injured knuckles is probably to do a lot of shadowboxing. Although weight/size is a factor, most power actually comes mainly from technique & speed, and shadowboxing will help improve both.

Resistance band training is actually good especially if you're using it to shadowbox. It will help increase your handspeed and is actually more effective than dumb bells because your hands are pulled back to your face instead of being pulled downward. Attaching them to the celing sounds alright but the BEST way is probably to have them attached to the ring so that the bands can be level with where your hands would normally be when they're up.

For footwork, I think your best bet is to talk to your coach and ask him/her how you can improve your footwork. If they're good, they should have an answer for you. This would also be good on your part because trainers tend to focus more on the people who take initiative or seem eager to learn.

Barry Robinson from this board posted up a good footwork drill for beginners. I personally think it's might be worth practicing:



Hope this helps

[NVSemin]

Hi! I'm a beginner female boxer, and I am looking for alternative training routines while I'm resting my injured knuckles. My coach mainly focuses on punching bags so whenever I go to the gym I feel really demotivated as I can't punch or spar or do mitt work. The only things I do include jump rope for about 4 sets of 3 minutes, push ups (about 100 but 10-20 times each set), 3-4 sets of shadow boxing, sit ups, leg ups, and 10 sets of 20 reps of 1-2s with a resistance band tied to the ceiling. It has been like that for a week. Are there any routines that could help me with my footwork, strength, and power that don't involve my knuckles? Any routines that could be done in a boxing gym? Also, is using the resistance band this way effective? Are there other resistance band training that could help me with my power?

My coach doesn't do any footwork and it's starting to really frustrate me

All I can advise it next time you ready to hit a heavy bag, do not try to impress anybody, and choose the lightest. By doing so, you will
1) Develop the ability to throw hands fast without mental blocking to hurt or knuckles, wrist
2) strengthen the knuckles
3) use bigger gloves
After you feel comfortable with a given bag, move on
If you do not believe me, that's exactly how Cus Damato develop Tyson's striking abilities, so after several years he was hitting a bag which is TWICE heavier than the regular bag for heavyweights.

The bottom line, patience is the key.

[TheBodySnatcher]

How did you injure you knuckles? If boxing related a good start would probably be learning how to make a fist properly as well as wrapping wrists correctly.

Also I could be wrong but from what you wrote it sounds like your in a cardio boxing gym as I call them. Do any fighters train out of there. Do they have people competing in amateur or pro events? Cardio boxing gyms are good for a workout but as far as real boxing goes you need to be somewhere people are actually teaching you the fundamentals of striking as well as implementing them in live sparring. Make sure you find a gym suited to your goals.

As far as exercises while injured your best bet is to rest as much as possible and get back to the gym asap! However shadow boxing and running are problem harmless.

[nylawshin]

I downloaded the PDF version of the book and it's really helpful! I think I'll try to do the footwork that's listed in the book. They're pretty basic and it's really good that way so that I'll build up on my basic footwork and technique. Thanks a lot for this book!

There is a book call either Boxing or On Boxing by Edwin L Haislet. It was written in 1940, probably the best boxing instruction book written...Any way, you can find it on-line and it includes some very simple yet very effective footwork drills. It is very important to coordinate the movements of your hands and feet and these drills teach you how to do that. Also, there are some drills/exercises that will help improve your punching technique but don't involve you hitting anything.

[nylawshin]

Thanks a lot! I'm actually really trying to train up my body and I really want to have my first amateur fight by September or October. The problem is I'm having a lot of trouble imagining my opponent as I don't spar often. Maybe I'll watch some boxing videos or something.

I don't have enough power in my arms to shadowbox with the resistance band yet, so i'm just doing 1-2s. I will try making them the same level as my hands and shadowbox that way. I usually step really far from the place where the band is attached and maybe that's why it's really hard to shadowbox.

My coach trains a bit strangely, as he just tells people to punch bags. He says power is key to winning, and footwork and technique comes later. Which is why I'm in such a rut.

And the drill looks pretty simple and effective. I'll try it out when i train tonight. Thanks!!

Your training routine doesn't sound bad at all for a beginner. I personally think the best thing for you to train boxing while having injured knuckles is probably to do a lot of shadowboxing. Although weight/size is a factor, most power actually comes mainly from technique & speed, and shadowboxing will help improve both.

Resistance band training is actually good especially if you're using it to shadowbox. It will help increase your handspeed and is actually more effective than dumb bells because your hands are pulled back to your face instead of being pulled downward. Attaching them to the celing sounds alright but the BEST way is probably to have them attached to the ring so that the bands can be level with where your hands would normally be when they're up.

For footwork, I think your best bet is to talk to your coach and ask him/her how you can improve your footwork. If they're good, they should have an answer for you. This would also be good on your part because trainers tend to focus more on the people who take initiative or seem eager to learn.

Barry Robinson from this board posted up a good footwork drill for beginners. I personally think it's might be worth practicing:


Hope this helps

[nylawshin]

I tried out the lightest but it was still very uncomfortable. I was punching using 16oz gloves and it still didn't work. That's why I'm so desperate.

All I can advise it next time you ready to hit a heavy bag, do not try to impress anybody, and choose the lightest. By doing so, you will
1) Develop the ability to throw hands fast without mental blocking to hurt or knuckles, wrist
2) strengthen the knuckles
3) use bigger gloves
After you feel comfortable with a given bag, move on
If you do not believe me, that's exactly how Cus Damato develop Tyson's striking abilities, so after several years he was hitting a bag which is TWICE heavier than the regular bag for heavyweights.

The bottom line, patience is the key.

[nylawshin]

How did you injure you knuckles? If boxing related a good start would probably be learning how to make a fist properly as well as wrapping wrists correctly.

Also I could be wrong but from what you wrote it sounds like your in a cardio boxing gym as I call them. Do any fighters train out of there. Do they have people competing in amateur or pro events? Cardio boxing gyms are good for a workout but as far as real boxing goes you need to be somewhere people are actually teaching you the fundamentals of striking as well as implementing them in live sparring. Make sure you find a gym suited to your goals.

As far as exercises while injured your best bet is to rest as much as possible and get back to the gym asap! However shadow boxing and running are problem harmless.

I'm not quite sure how I injured my knuckles. I wrap my hands the way all the boxers in my gym do, and they seem ok with it.

Amateur fighters have trained in my gym, all from the program my coach made. Since he only started coaching about 2 years ago, he has had 10 fighters fight in amateur fights and 9 of them won their matches. I get to spar from time to time but because of my injury I haven't been able to spar in about 2 weeks. Also, my coach doesn't do mitt work which worries me.

I am considering changing gyms, but I want to be absolutely sure that this gym isn't working out before I do so. I wouldn't want to find out that it's only because of my injury that I'm not improving.

[mconstantine]

Once you make the decision to compete in boxing as an amateur seriously, you absolutely need to make sure you have a good boxing coach that knows their shiet and will help you develop a style that works for YOU. It's critical early in your career to develop GOOD habits because any habits are extremely difficult to reverse. You may feel a sense of loyalty or obligation to your current gym/coach because you've established a relationship with them, but **** that. You're the one getting in that ring. Boxing is too difficult and unforgiving of a sport to put your health at risk because you don't have the fortitude to cut off bad gyms/trainers and get the best training and guidance you can.