beginner boxing help

[zoss]

hey, i recently decided to get into boxing for fitness purposes only to ****e up my exercise routine a bit, but i have a few questions. my plan is basically to work out on the punching bag, do some burpees/shadow boxing drills, and finish it with some ab exercises. I plan to do this boxing drill 3 times a week. Also, i'll be going to the gym still about 2-3 times a week to do weights and jog a few times a week.

my questions are,
1)well firstly, does my boxing routine sound pretty good for a new guy just looking to reap the physical benefits of boxing, without sparring.

2) is a 70pound bag the best thing for me to get? I weigh 165pounds and have never really boxed a bag before.

3) should i get 14 oz gloves for punching the bag? I know there are lighter "bag gloves" but i read its better to go for more protection to prevent wearing down your hands/wrists in the long run from beating on the bag.

4) i know the boxing is a lot of cardio in itself and im wondering what kind of running regimen most boxers go after. Should i jog for a few min before this boxing routine to warm up? should i jog on separate days? how long should i jog for?

5) what kind of conditioning should i do before going at the bag my hardest?

any advice would greatly be appreciated, whether it be in regards to my questions or just other things i didn't address that a new boxer should probably know.

thank you

[FeelTheA-Force]

hey, i recently decided to get into boxing for fitness purposes only to ****e up my exercise routine a bit, but i have a few questions. my plan is basically to work out on the punching bag, do some burpees/shadow boxing drills, and finish it with some ab exercises. I plan to do this boxing drill 3 times a week. Also, i'll be going to the gym still about 2-3 times a week to do weights and jog a few times a week.

my questions are,
1)well firstly, does my boxing routine sound pretty good for a new guy just looking to reap the physical benefits of boxing, without sparring.

2) is a 70pound bag the best thing for me to get? I weigh 165pounds and have never really boxed a bag before.

3) should i get 14 oz gloves for punching the bag? I know there are lighter "bag gloves" but i read its better to go for more protection to prevent wearing down your hands/wrists in the long run from beating on the bag.

4) i know the boxing is a lot of cardio in itself and im wondering what kind of running regimen most boxers go after. Should i jog for a few min before this boxing routine to warm up? should i jog on separate days? how long should i jog for?

5) what kind of conditioning should i do before going at the bag my hardest?

any advice would greatly be appreciated, whether it be in regards to my questions or just other things i didn't address that a new boxer should probably know.

thank you

1) NO
2) NO
3) NO (thin bag gloves are fine)
4) NO (jogging majority, but running fast up hills. 4 miles)
5) NO (None, whats the point, just get to a boxing gym)

[Ringo]

Answers to your questions:

1) Please don't take offense to this, because I honestly don't mean any, but without a coach, you don't really have a "boxing routine." What you have listed is a good workout that will help you get into the habit of boxing-oriented workouts, which is good. It is always a good idea to try to work on boxing fitness, but form is just as important for health-boxing as it is for the real deal. Look for a coach.

2) If you do make a personal investment in a heavy bag, I'd (personal recommendation) get a 100lb. Reason for this is because as you start boxing, your going to want to be very slow, measured, and form conscious. A 70lb bag will tend to swing a lot more and you'll spend a lot of time hitting then stopping, hitting then stopping.

3) You can basically get any gloves you want. Tip, though - get some handwraps and ALWAYS wrap your hands before you put on gloves. This will keep your knuckles from getting mutilated and also keep your wrists from breaking.

4) Good question. Ease yourself into jogging if your not used to it BEFORE you start your "boxing workout." I made this mistake. Jog about a mile at a good pace before you do anything else. Jogging IS the warmup. Eventually you want to get up to a good pace running about 3 to 4 miles prior to your workout. This will not happen in a week, don't worry, it takes a little time. Jogging every day is not unhealthy, but tone it down on non-workout days.

5) Shadowboxing and form. Shadowboxing will make sure you dont get clumsy through combonations, or throw two punches at once, etc. Getting your form right will make sure your punches are more effective and that you dont hurt yourself.

Hope all this helps. Good luck.

[KingDosia]

hey, i recently decided to get into boxing for fitness purposes only to ****e up my exercise routine a bit, but i have a few questions. my plan is basically to work out on the punching bag, do some burpees/shadow boxing drills, and finish it with some ab exercises. I plan to do this boxing drill 3 times a week. Also, i'll be going to the gym still about 2-3 times a week to do weights and jog a few times a week.

my questions are,
1)well firstly, does my boxing routine sound pretty good for a new guy just looking to reap the physical benefits of boxing, without sparring.

2) is a 70pound bag the best thing for me to get? I weigh 165pounds and have never really boxed a bag before.

3) should i get 14 oz gloves for punching the bag? I know there are lighter "bag gloves" but i read its better to go for more protection to prevent wearing down your hands/wrists in the long run from beating on the bag.

4) i know the boxing is a lot of cardio in itself and im wondering what kind of running regimen most boxers go after. Should i jog for a few min before this boxing routine to warm up? should i jog on separate days? how long should i jog for?

5) what kind of conditioning should i do before going at the bag my hardest?

any advice would greatly be appreciated, whether it be in regards to my questions or just other things i didn't address that a new boxer should probably know.

thank you

Your goal is to be fit. Combative athleets are amongst the "fittest" so you have a good strategy. I would say you need more work if becoming a boxer was your goal, but your routine sounds fine to start. If I were you I would mix it up and add some variety this is to keep from getting into a tiresome rut. I love burpees for strength trainig and fitness. Add some body weight "explosive" squats, some lunges. Do them inbetween rounds with the heavy bag. On that note try to mix up the routine with the bag maybe one time put in 4-5 2 min rnds. Keep it intense through out. Next time do 10-1 min rounds at a very fast pace. (remember the burpess, lunges, and spuats inbetween) Keep moving the whole time give yourself 30 seconds or so to catch your breath, but no more. And three times a week should do.
I don't know how hard you hit or intend to hit, I myself couldn't use a 70lb bag the thing would swing like crazy. I also don't know how much you intend to spend. So I gues thats up to you, I will say if you do train on your own. Keep in mind that you don't intend on using those skills at any time. Bad habits are easy to pick up. And unlearning them take valuable gym time. So if you truly never intend to fight it's ok to use this tool. If you think that possibly you may take up boxing get a coach to show you the correct form and use of the heavy bag. This wouldn't be a bad idea anyway, just to make sure your doing it right and don't injure yourself.
I advise fitness boxers to use 16oz gloves. You are not used to
punching and don't need to get use to it. So the extra padding helps. HANDWRAPS ARE A MUST. NOt an option, "that is if you intend on keeping your hands in good health"
Jog on your "boxing days" keep those days your "hard" days and go to the gym on easy days. You want to be able to run a mile under 8.5 to 9 min before your begin training. When (if) you get more advanced in your fitness level. add some sprints for 50 mtrs or so in the jog routine. Idealy you'd run for 4 miles or so.
You want to streatch excessivly before you get to the bag do a lot of push ups. and shadow boxing for a couple of weeks before you start the Bag. Shadow box for 10-15 min do ab work, burpees, squats, lunges, run, and jump rope in the begining. Your back and sides are going to kill you the first time you unleash on the bag. Be prepared for your recovery time. I'd leave the gym alone for the weights for the first couple of sessions. You need to let your body recover.
These pointers should have you well on your way and you should see some good results in 2 months provided you eat right. Good luck and have fun

[zoss]

thanks a lot for your advice, guys.

yea i don't plan to ever actually box competitively. what i call my boxing routine is purely just for fitness cause i got bored of the stuff i've been doing for the past few years. i don't really want to put out the money for a coach, so i'll just stick to friends and the internet for figuring out proper form.

[jumpman_jones]

Wouldnt you wanna run harder on your offdays and keep your running lighter on the days you use the heavybag so you can go harder on it? at elast while u start off.

[Coreano]

you could always try a class at a local gym or workout place. 24 hour fitness and golds gym offer classes in my city. if you dont have the money just borrow a friends membership card, go for one day and never return. you just need to learn the basics if your simply doing this for fitness and not as a sport.