Boxing is a sport that requires fitness on many levels. Any boxer determined to become proficient in his craft must commit to strengthening both his mind and body. While developing and refining skills necessary to the art, the boxer is also responsible for preparing his physiology to undergo the tasks required during competition. A conditioning regimen, specific to function, can accelerate the progress of any athlete aspiring to attain success in the sport.
Jumping Rope
Jumping rope not only builds endurance, but also improves timing, burns fat and develops strength in the wrist, shoulders and forearms. Configure your jump rope routine so that progress is measured by time. Start by jumping for 10 to 15 minutes without rest. As doing this becomes easier, adjust the duration of your practice accordingly. Allow your feet to leave the ground only once during each orbit of the rope: avoid the urge to hop or skip in between. When you become proficient at keeping an even tempo, begin attempting to "double" jump. This means encircling your body with the rope twice every time your feet leave the ground. Double jump for 10-second increments, at first. Move, then, to 20 and eventually 30 seconds.
Rapid-Fire
Position yourself directly in front of a regulation-size punching bag and begin throwing straight punches, directly from the shoulder, Repeatedly strike the bag, with both hands, alternating between right and left. These punches need not be delivered with any significant force, but merely placed upon the bag, in an unbroken, rhythmic onset of attack. Continue this exercise for one minute during a regular round, and as you get more conditioned, two minutes and then three minutes. Doing this exercise, over time, will give you the upper-body strength necessary to keep both hands held high during competition.
Interval Running
As opposed to the traditional conditioning model of running for many miles at a single pace, interval training utilizes the best aspects of endurance and fitness to create a superior method. For instance, an interval training regimen might include running at top speed for three minutes, and then pulling back to a light jog for one, then moving back up to a medium speed for the next several minutes. Doing any exercise in varying intensity intervals keeps the body confused so it must continually adjust and build to support the various workloads.
Posted in: Boxing Exercises