Adult Boxing Training

Training methods for boxing focus on speed, strength and conditioning.

Adult boxing training involves a combination of various exercises and training methods that improve speed, strength and conditioning. Prior to training, it is important to stretch and warm-up in order to prevent injury and maximize training performance. Boxing is a physical sport that involves short bursts of intensity. Proper adult boxing training regimens should reflect this by incorporating boxing-relevant exercises.

Conditioning

Boxing is a physically exhausting sport. Training involves complete dedication and a desire to push past your limit. To improve conditioning, you must regularly challenge yourself with exercises that improve your anaerobic and aerobic capacities. Include jump-roping to build calf strength and increase mobility. The boxer should also engage in mitt training. This type of exercise mirrors an actual boxing match, allowing the fighter to become accustomed to constant movement, throwing combinations and punching at different angles. By mirroring an actual fight, you can maximize your conditioning training.

Sparring

Although shadow boxing, heavy bag work and mitt training allow you to hone your boxing skills, the most effective training is sparring. Boxers should spar at least twice a week to achieve the best results. Practicing punches and defensive strategies will build your muscle memory and reinforce proper form. Sparring will allow you to utilize all of your skills in a real fighting scenario. It will force you to react to actual punches and defend against real attacks. In addition, sparring prepares boxers for the intensity of a fight. As a boxer participates in more sparring matches, the anxiety and fear of a real fight can subside.

Heavy Bag Training

The heavy bag is an essential component of an adult boxing training regimen. The heavy bag allows boxers to practice throwing punches correctly and builds muscular endurance. The heavy bag should be used in two ways: speed training and power punching. Speed training involves throwing as many punches as possible in a one-minute interval. It trains fast-twitch muscles, improving speed and conditioning. Power punching involves throwing exclusively power shots for one minute. This trains the slow-twitch muscles, and mimics an actual fight scenario. Power punching drills train your body to throw punches at a high intensity during a short time frame, an important component of boxing.

Circuit Training

Circuit training involves performing several exercises together without a break in between. This is a tremendous conditioning tactic that will improve your cardiovascular performance dramatically. For instance, a common circuit training routine involves doing 20 push-ups followed by a 30 second speed round on the heavy bag. This will be repeated four times without any rest. By engaging different muscles groups simultaneously, you will improve muscle endurance and speed. Circuit training can be performed with any number of exercises.

Speed Bag

Speed bag training builds strength in the shoulders and triceps and teaches you to keep your hands up. Utilizing the speed bag will increase punching speed and muscle strength in the arms. As you perform your speed bag routine, you are performing quick, short punches. This works the fast-twitch muscles in your arms and improves coordination. Speed bag training should be performed after punching the heavy bag to fatigue the muscles fully and achieve optimal results.

References

• Bodybuilding: The Right Way to Train for Boxing
• Boxing Workouts: Circuit Training Boxing Exercises
• Boxing-for-Life: Boxing Training