Northwest Fighting Arts
1200 SE Morrison St. Portland, OR 97214
Most of us have a hard time getting motivated to do cardio. Running on the tread mill or stair master can very quickly get boring and make it difficult to stay consistent. Boxing is a great cardio exercise as well as a full body workout. A good boxing workout will get your heart pumping while strengthening your core, arms and legs. Along with this training comes the benefit of learning an art form as well as a form of self-defense. In this article we will discuss everything you will need to know to get started with a boxing workout including some ideas about how to locate a gym that will help you with your goals.
Here are some things you will need to get started with your work outs. They will help you be safe as well as give you the ability to change the variety of drills you have during your workouts. With a boxing workout you will soon learn that with body weight exercises, speed drills and rhythm drills will be all you need to train every muscle in the body and burn as many calories as you like.
Wraps
Wraps are designed to cover your knuckles, support your hands, wrists and to prevent from injuries or cuts. I prefer the Mexican style wraps because they are longer and elastic. They fit better and have more options with how you wrap for support.
Bag gloves
Bag gloves are designed to protect your hands. They are not safe for sparring or competition. You will find them in various weights and styles. I like the bag gloves that closely resemble a fight glove maybe a little larger in size than a standard bag glove, but they get you used to the weight and comfort of a fight glove and usually offer more protection.
Jump rope
Jump ropes are good to get the heart rate up and burn some extra calories. They are also a great tool for rhythm and footwork training. You can use them for warming up as well as cooling down.
Heavy bag
Heavy bags come in a variety of sizes and shapes some made for uppercuts and others designed for hooking. Some will be up to 250lbs and others as light as 40lbs. If you are just getting started a lighter bag maybe 70lb bag would be a good place to start. This is because if you are not conditioned for punching it is easy to injure yourself striking some of the heavier bags.
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The most important part of boxing is technique. Knowing how to make a proper fist, throw punches with structure and sufficient support as well as having a good base/stable stance will help prevent injuries as well as give a good start to your future with the sport.
Making a Fist
Start with your hand relaxed fingers spread open. 1. Close fingers 2. Make a half fist (curl the fingers half way) 3. Fold fingers in into palm so tips of fingers are touching your palm 4. Wrap thumb over fingers 5. Check wrist from top and side to make sure it is straight. This will give you a fist with good support and structure for punching.
Stance
If you are right handed move as instructed, if a lefty do the opposite. Stand with your feet touching side by side. 1. Pivot on the heel of the right foot 90 degrees, toes will be pointing out to your right 2. Pivot on the toe of the right foot 90 degrees, toes will be pointing forward 3. Pivot on the heel of the right foot 90 degrees, toes will point out to the right 4. Pivot on the toe of the right foot 45 degrees toes will be pointing 45 degrees forward to the right 5. Raise heel of right foot and bend the knees (this should put you in a stance similar to that of a sprinter) 6. With arms hanging close to the sides bend at the elbows to lift the fists to a pillar guard position. Right hand will be resting on the jaw like you were talking on the phone and left hand will be about one fist width in front of the face. Elbows close to sides and relaxed. 7. Turn left shoulder forward about 15 degrees. This will give a basic stance to start with. There are many variations of boxing stances some used for different strategies or styles of fighters, but this is a good defensive starting position.
Jab
This is your most important tool in a boxer’s bag of tricks. A professional boxer will know many different ways to deliver the jab. Using it for offense and for defense it will give opportunities as well as help you to set the pace of the fight. When striking with the jab the punch should move out straight from the guard position right before contact turn the palm of the fist towards the ground. If you turn your fist to early it will usually make your elbows open out to the sides. On the recoil of the jab pull the hand straight back (do not drop on the return).
Straight right
The straight right is your power hand. 1. When throwing your right it should travel straight out from your guard position without cocking the punch or dipping the shoulder. 2. As with the jab right before contact turn the palm of the fist towards the ground. On the full extension of your right hand your rear shoulder, lead knee and the ball of your right foot should be on the same vertical line if being observed from the side. If you lean past this point you will be off balance and if you do not come this far forward you will not deliver your full power. On the recoil pull the hand straight back to your guard position.
Hook
This punch is used mostly on the inside, but long hooks will be occasionally used as well. 1. Shift your weight over your left leg 2. Raise your left elbow so your forearm is horizontal to the floor 3. Shift your weight back to the right as you punch with your left hook. 4. Your left shoulder will cover the jaw as you punch make sure your chin is tucked so the shoulder is able to come in to contact as you punch. The punch should use a circular momentum almost as if you were punching yourself in the chest. Then bring back to your guard.
Uppercut
The uppercut generates power from the legs. Do not try to wind up the arm for extra power. It may feel in the beginning like a more powerful punch to swing the arm, but it is not and it will leave you open for a counter attack. 1. Shift your weight over you left foot and dip your left shoulder 2. The elbow will not break the plane of the back 3. Extend your left leg and drive your hip for power as you turn your palm up to strike. The three main target areas are the abdomen, solar plexus and the jaw.
Combinations
These four punches can be put together with many combinations. A good offensive strategy includes an arsenal of punches that can be thrown in a variety of combinations. Here are some examples of straight punch combinations you can use with your boxing workout.
1. Jab
2. Double jab
3. Triple jab
4. Straight right
5. Double straight right
6. Jab, straight right
7. Straight right, Jab
8. Double jab, straight right
9. Straight right, jab, straight right
10 Jab, straight right, Jab
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Using these basic combinations and techniques you can put together thousands of different workouts. If you would like some more ideas or advice on how to put together a boxing routine check out NWfighting.com or contact us through the site and we can set you up with some class instruction or give you some ideas to help you get started.
