According to boxing coach Bill Packer, circuit workouts are an important part of boxing training. They allow boxers to make the most of their training time by working on disparate and vital skills one after another. Further, the short span of each individual exercise encourages athletes to give more effort to the exercise and focus more during training.
Jumping Rope
This is just like you used to do in grade school. The boxer holds the handles in either hand and swings the rope, forcing him to jump up or get smacked in the shins. The boxer should stay on the balls of his feet throughout the duration of this exercise. Jumping rope builds wind and cardiovascular endurance. The jumping helps to develop footwork. Keeping the heels up puts most of the load from each jump on the calves---muscles vital to maintaining mobility in the ring.
Focus Mitts
The boxer works with a partner wearing focus mitts. The partner stands at punching range in front of the boxer and calls out punches or combinations of punches, which the boxer must then deliver to the mitts. Some gyms use a numbered system to identify combinations. For example, "2" would mean two jabs and a straight punch. While working on the mitts, both the boxer and partner will shuffle and circle as though in a match. In a popular variation, the partner will randomly take swipes at the boxer's head, which the boxer must slip.
Heavy Bag
The boxer lays a series of hard punches on the heavy bag, some of which may be preceded by jabs or other preliminary punches. The goal of heavy bag work is to condition the hands and wrists for the impact of serious punches, to work on punching technique, and to directly work the muscle involved in throwing a punch.
Medicine Ball Pass
The boxer stands 2 to 3 feet in front of a partner, holding a medicine ball at chest level like a basketball. He throws it hard at the chest of his partner, who must decelerate the ball while keeping it at chest level before throwing it back. This works out the core muscles and the arms while building fast-twitch reaction time. One common variation of this drill has participants launch the ball at the abdomen. The catcher allows the ball to strike the stomach, flexing core muscles to absorb the impact, before catching and returning the ball.
Speed Bag
The boxer strikes the speed bag, allowing it to rebound off a backboard before hitting it again. An uninterrupted round on a speed bag takes a surprising amount of timing and rhythm, which is the purpose of this deceptively simple drill.
Calisthenics
Push-ups, sit-ups, burpees and squats are all part of a classic boxing workout. Some circuits will have a single station where the boxer works through a series of calisthenics. Others will have a station for each of several different exercises, such as one for push-ups and another for squats.
Posted in: Boxing Exercises