Whether you’re a male or female, everything you ever need to do to stay in tip-top condition can be accomplished thanks to training like a fighter.
That doesn’t mean you need to tape up your hands, slip on a pair of boxing gloves and box twelve or fifteen rounds in the ring to get in shape and stay healthy.
Re-enacting the Thrilla in Manilla is NOT going to make you live longer.
But if you TRAIN like you are Joe Frazier (minus all the blows to the head and kidneys), you will find yourself feeling healthier than you ever did, you’ll see yourself growing muscles in places you didn’t realize you could, you’re endurance will increase and hopefully your confidence and self esteem will go the distance as well.
Make no mistake, a boxing regimen is not “boxing aerobics” or whatever the heck it’s called. Although I guess there is some merit in that. No, I’m talking about a back-to-basics boxing workout. Most of this can be performed in your home – on your patio or in your garage or even your local park. You don’t need to join a gym and spend money on flash and substance. You don’t even really need to actually step inside a boxing ring. What you’re doing is the “training” part, not the hit-another-person in the head part.
So let’s begin. We’ll go over some basics… and then progress to some intermediate and advanced exercises.
Part One: The Prime Suspects
Let’s face it: running, skipping rope, and doing push-ups and sit-ups are not necessarily fun. But these exercises bring great results. They improve your coordination and endurance, while increasing muscle tone and strength. And don’t tell anyone – but these same exercises burn fat and lots of calories.
Running/jogging:
Let’s do some quick math: twelve rounds of boxing x 3-minutes per round is 36 minutes. So want to run for at least this long. Don’t run for distance, run for time. In fact, I hate the term “running” because it implies “speed”, I prefer the term “jogging” or actually “plodding” (which is probably what I do at this stage of my life). This is meant to warm you up for the “real” fun that awaits.
Skipping Rope:
The length of rope should be about as long as you are tall. Personally, I skip with 6 feet of cable – the type used to make the connection from your TV to roof antenna – because it’s a little bit heavier. Maybe you haven’t skipped rope since you were a kid, so I suggest getting the simple “skipping” rhythm down first. You know, bring the rope over your head and under your feet and back up again while you bounce up and down. Looks simple. Try doing it for a minute at first with a minute rest in between. Remember, in boxing – you get 60 seconds to recuperate in between rounds. The goal is to build up to 3 minutes of skipping. Why? Because in boxing, you box for twelve (used to be 15) three-minute rounds. After you do this the first time, your shins will probably hurt and your calf muscles will feel like they are going to explode. So go slow. Try 3 x 1 minute sets. Work up to 3 x 3 minute sets of skipping rope. Do this every day after your run. After a week or so, try switching from skipping to alternating your feet – you know what I mean, kind of like running in place but with a rope. This will force you to raise your knees higher and gives you an additional work-out on your legs.
Push-ups:
Again, go for time. The goal is to do as many push-ups as you can in 3 minutes. Your arms will probably explode – along with your pectoral muscles – after about a minute. So again, you want to work up to this. Try not to count, but I know you will anyway. (You’ll be surprised how many push-ups you can do in a minute). My suggestion to people is after your arms start to swell up, continue doing push-ups on your knees. This takes the pressure of your lower back. (For a great push-up workout, check the AC Health and Fitness archives). And don’t forget, after each set of push-ups take a minute rest.
Sit-ups:
Sit-ups have undergone a lot of a criticism in recent years due to the potential stress you put on your lower back and spine, especially if you do them incorrectly. I suggest you do abdominal crunches. Again – you want to go for a minute at first and build up to three minutes. And because I’m a nice guy, take a minute rest in-between.
So now let’s take a look at your two weeks of training:
Monday – Wednesday – Friday
36 minute run
3 x 3 minutes jumping rope (1 minute rest in between)
3 x 3 minutes push-ups (1 minute rest in between)
3 x 3 minutes abdominal crunches (1 minute rest in between)
You should get the entire workout done in just over an hour. It will take less if you are performing sets that last less than a full 3 minutes.
Starting on Week Three, you will incorporate shadow boxing into our regimen. Specifically concentrating on your right and left jab and right and left upper-cut.
A proper jab is not that difficult. Raise your hands, make a fist, extend your arm. You need to extend your arm straight. What you DON’T want to do is use your arm like you have a hinge at your elbow and flex your arm outwards. The arm needs to extend forward. You hands need to stay up with your elbows in. When you throw your jab, exhale at the same time. You may have seen a boxer throwing a jab and snorting at the same time. They are expelling air when they throw the jab.
You want to throw jabs in series of one, two (a double jab) and three (a triple jab). Try to go for a minute with your left hand, and a minute with your right hand and a minute alternating your hands. You will feel quite sore later as the jab uses your latisimus-dorsi muscles (the muscles under your arms and above your rib cage). If you can shadow box in front of a mirror than so much the better.
The uppercut is just what it says it is: a hooked punch that comes up underneath with the intent of hitting your opponent in the jaw. You don’t need an opponent. Again, a well done uppercut works the lat muscles. Alternate uppercuts from left hand to right and with your jabs.
Once more, the goal is twelve 3-minute rounds with one minute rest in between making for a grand total of 48 minutes.
You want to shadow box on Tuesday and Wednesdays while continuing your other exercises on Monday-Wednesday and Friday. This makes a full week of training. Take the weekends off.
Follow this regimen for a full six weeks. By the end of six you will feel like a new man or woman. I’ll bet my laptop on it. Training for a real boxing match is for from fun. It’s hard work. In your case, you don’t have to worry about getting hit; only getting in shape!
In my next article I’ll get into more intermediate skills.
Now get out there and get swinging!
