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Before you can get into a boxing ring and fight, you must prepare your body with the strength and endurance that it is going to use. One cannot achieve this strictly by hitting a bag a couple of times a week. Therefore, one must incorporate cardiovascular training and strength training, as well as basic fundamental boxing techniques to become a well-rounded athlete.
It is very difficult to concentrate on learning new techniques if a boxer has no endurance and is too tired. You do not box to get in shape—you get in shape to box. My personal opinion is that roadwork is the staple for conditioning in boxing, however, there are other forms of conditioning that can be supplemented to increase endurance.Example:cycling, swimming, weight lifting and roller blading to name a few.
A bare minimum to getting started:
Cardiovascular training 2 days on, 1 day off
(running preferably, or one of the other mentioned) 30 minutes
Boxing every other day:
Rounds should start at two minutes work, one minute rest, to be increased to three minutes work, one minute rest.
Stretch:
Basic stretches to include: Neck Roll, Trunk Rotation, Hamstring stretch, Hip Flexor and Quad stretch, Calve stretch, Tricep and Shoulder Stretch.
Footwork drills for 2 rounds: assuming a fighting stance, incorporate forward, backward and lateral movement while maintaining balance and hand position (UP!)
Rope Ducking drills for 2 rounds: stretch a rope across the gym or garage, hang it just below your ear level. Assume a fighting stance, balanced with hands up, then move forward and back along the rope, using your legs to duck from side to side under the rope. This simulates ducking a punch, which should be your visualization. Your eyes should be up, looking a your opponents body, so that you can return a punch. Do not bend at the waist. When you do this, your eyes are at ground level, not where they need to be—making you susceptible to uppercuts and overhand punches on your way back up. Keep this ducking intense for the entire two minutes. Once your balance is good, incorporate punches and then combinations.
Shadow Boxing (basic punches/combinations) 2 rounds:
Basic punches: jab, right, left hook, right hook, left uppercut, right uppercut.
Beginners: jab jab/rightjab/right/hookjab/right/hook/right
Intermediate: double jabjab/right/jabjab/left hook/rightjab/right/hook/right/duck/right
Advanced: Visualize your opponent, use lots of movement, feinting, counters, keeping the round intense and as realistic as possible.
Heavy bag for 4 rounds: The heavy bag is a very monotonous tool, but it is what is going to build your endurance up. No one is there to babysit you, so it is truly up to you to stay busy and work the punches you know. Beginners stay with beginning combinations and build up to advanced. An advanced boxer working the bag busily throws approximately 230-270 punches during the two-minute times round. Add 70-100 punches when it is increased to a three-minute round.
Double End Bag for 2 rounds: This bag works on hand speed and timing. It is a tear shaped bag that is suspended from the ceiling/floor by two bungee cords. This bag takes time to conquer and is very frustrating. Stick with it, keep your hands up and you'll learn to love it.
Speed bag for 2 rounds: Used to develop hand speed, coordination and shoulder endurance. Worked without gloves and saved until the end of the workout for a true shoulder burn.Practice + Patience = Endurance and speed.
Jump rope for 2 rounds
Abdominal work (See Hard Core Exercises, Feb 2002 issue).
Push ups 4 sets of 10, to be increased over time.
Medicine ball work(See Hard Core Exercises, Feb 2002 issue).
*Suggestion: to increase shoulder strength and endurance, run with hand weights. Weights will vary from 1 lb to 3 lbs, depending on the size of the boxer.
It is very difficult to concentrate on learning new techniques if a boxer has no endurance and is too tired. You do not box to get in shape—you get in shape to box. My personal opinion is that roadwork is the staple for conditioning in boxing, however, there are other forms of conditioning that can be supplemented to increase endurance.Example:cycling, swimming, weight lifting and roller blading to name a few.
A bare minimum to getting started:
Cardiovascular training 2 days on, 1 day off
(running preferably, or one of the other mentioned) 30 minutes
Boxing every other day:
Rounds should start at two minutes work, one minute rest, to be increased to three minutes work, one minute rest.
Stretch:
Basic stretches to include: Neck Roll, Trunk Rotation, Hamstring stretch, Hip Flexor and Quad stretch, Calve stretch, Tricep and Shoulder Stretch.
Footwork drills for 2 rounds: assuming a fighting stance, incorporate forward, backward and lateral movement while maintaining balance and hand position (UP!)
Rope Ducking drills for 2 rounds: stretch a rope across the gym or garage, hang it just below your ear level. Assume a fighting stance, balanced with hands up, then move forward and back along the rope, using your legs to duck from side to side under the rope. This simulates ducking a punch, which should be your visualization. Your eyes should be up, looking a your opponents body, so that you can return a punch. Do not bend at the waist. When you do this, your eyes are at ground level, not where they need to be—making you susceptible to uppercuts and overhand punches on your way back up. Keep this ducking intense for the entire two minutes. Once your balance is good, incorporate punches and then combinations.
Shadow Boxing (basic punches/combinations) 2 rounds:
Basic punches: jab, right, left hook, right hook, left uppercut, right uppercut.
Beginners: jab jab/rightjab/right/hookjab/right/hook/right
Intermediate: double jabjab/right/jabjab/left hook/rightjab/right/hook/right/duck/right
Advanced: Visualize your opponent, use lots of movement, feinting, counters, keeping the round intense and as realistic as possible.
Heavy bag for 4 rounds: The heavy bag is a very monotonous tool, but it is what is going to build your endurance up. No one is there to babysit you, so it is truly up to you to stay busy and work the punches you know. Beginners stay with beginning combinations and build up to advanced. An advanced boxer working the bag busily throws approximately 230-270 punches during the two-minute times round. Add 70-100 punches when it is increased to a three-minute round.
Double End Bag for 2 rounds: This bag works on hand speed and timing. It is a tear shaped bag that is suspended from the ceiling/floor by two bungee cords. This bag takes time to conquer and is very frustrating. Stick with it, keep your hands up and you'll learn to love it.
Speed bag for 2 rounds: Used to develop hand speed, coordination and shoulder endurance. Worked without gloves and saved until the end of the workout for a true shoulder burn.Practice + Patience = Endurance and speed.
Jump rope for 2 rounds
Abdominal work (See Hard Core Exercises, Feb 2002 issue).
Push ups 4 sets of 10, to be increased over time.
Medicine ball work(See Hard Core Exercises, Feb 2002 issue).
*Suggestion: to increase shoulder strength and endurance, run with hand weights. Weights will vary from 1 lb to 3 lbs, depending on the size of the boxer.
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