Boxing is a competitive sport that demands maximum effort from competitors. It is not enough to want to throw punches and to move around the ring. Boxers can learn the basics of the sport rather quickly. However, when you decide to get into the ring you have to understand that the intent of it is to throw hard punches at your opponent and he wants to do the same to you. Your health is at risk. As a result, you have to train and fight intently to have a chance to win and preserve your health.
Conditioning
The first commitment you have to make when you start boxing is to get into great condition. This requires you to burn fat, get stronger and improve your reaction time. Boxers run to get in shape. They call their running road work and they usually run three to five miles at a time and they do it four times a week or more. Boxers also lift weights to get stronger. Strong fighters have to learn the right technique to throw powerful punches, but the strength will give them a base to build punching power. An activity like rope jumping is also a traditional boxing exercise. It helps with reaction time and quickness.
Punching Accuracy
In order to throw quicker punches and do it accurately, boxers regularly hit the speed bag and the floor-to-ceiling bag. The speed bag will enable you to develop a dominating left jab. Most fighters use the left jab to establish all their punches and use it to throw combinations. The floor-to-ceiling bag is a protruding bag that is stretched on a floor-to-ceiling rubber band. When you hit the floor-to-ceiling bag it will react in an unpredictable manner. Hitting it with consecutive punches take concentration and accuracy and will help a fighter hit the spot he wants when he throws punches. Hit the speed bag for five minutes, take a one-minute break, then hit it for another five minutes to build the intensity and accuracy you will need to take into the ring.
Punching Power
Physical strength is a solid tool for any fighter to bring with him into the ring, but it does not necessarily correlate to punching power. Fighters have to throw punches in the correct manner. A heavy bag will help fighters throw punches by using their body. The best punches start in the feet and legs and use the power in the glutes, back, core muscles, shoulders, arms and the fist. Hit the heavy bag for 10 minutes at a time to build punching power and endurance. Take a two-minute break and then repeat the exercise.
Pre-Fight Sparring
As you get ready for an important fight, the most important aspect of your preparation is probably your sparring sessions. While you will have protective head gear and padded gloves, you will be throwing punches with the intent to hit your opponent with force. He will be doing the same to you. If you can effectively hit him while avoiding his punches, you will develop the confidence needed to go into the ring against a competent opponent. If you are getting hit and your punches are not hurting him, it will demonstrate that you have more work to do. You will want to do heavy sparring--three times per week--up until the last week before your match. At that point, you will want to get stronger but avoid taking damaging punches.
Function
The more intense your training and the clearer your mind is during the pre-fight process, the better chance you have of performing well in a fight. You may have a trainer to help you get ready and teach you skills, but it is all up to the work you do while getting ready. If you are not interested in putting in all the effort needed, you will go into the ring with less than full confidence. This will leave you vulnerable. However, a great effort will have you prepared to fight well and win your bout.
Posted in: Boxing Training