5 Boxing Workouts That'll Get You Into Fighting Shape to Last 12 Rounds

Ever wanted to try a boxing workout? Have a punching bag in your basement you’ve been too intimidated to use—let alone that speed bag in the window of the local boxing gym? Training like a boxer is all about intensity and offers about as complete a workout as you can get. If your goals this new year involve shedding pounds, gaining overall strength and muscle mass, or improving your mental well-being, boxing should be at the top of your list. 

“You’re trying to mimic what it’s going to be like in the ring,” says Jason Strout, head coach at NYC’s renowned Church St. Boxing Gym. Aside from technique, that means lots of fast and varied movement, with active rest. You’re almost never not moving in a fight unless, well, let’s not go there.

“Workouts vary the exercises as much as possible to mimic the fight, which is never a steady pace like a run for an hour,” he says. “The pace is changing constantly.” Boxing workouts are often long to fit in a warmup, strength and conditioning exercises, and drills. And when preparing for a match, sessions are five or six days a week—coupled with strength training, weight training, and let’s not forget healthy eating. “Rest is very important, but you need to be able to perform under pressure,” Strout says. “The boxing training gets your mind prepared for it, too.”

Think you’ve got what it takes? See if you can go 12 rounds with these tough punching bag workouts designed by Strout.

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First, Master the Stance

If you don’t know your jab from your cross or don’t have a clue on how to stand properly, start here.

Stance is crucial to your success—it sets you up to both throw and dodge punches. Optimal posture puts you in the best position to take a punch should your opponent land one. If you’re right-handed, your left leg will be in front, so your more powerful arm is further back to maximize the force it can generate. “Southpaw” or lefty stance is the opposite.

To find your stance, start with your feet shoulder-width apart standing on an imaginary line. To get a good stagger, righties should move the left foot forward so your heel is now touching that imaginary line, and shift the left foot back so the toe is on the line. (Lefties do the opposite.) Bring your weight onto the balls of your feet and soften your knees. 

Bring your dominant fist up so you’re just touching the side of your chin with your index finger, and bring the non-dominant fist up to about cheek height. Keep your elbows in close, touching your ribs. “If you let your elbows flare out, it leaves your body exposed,” Strout says. “Keeping your elbows tucked also increases the power of your punches.”

3 Basic Boxing Punches

Now, onto the punches. The three basic ones are:

1. Jab

This is the lead hand punch thrown straight ahead with your nondominant hand. It’s not a power punch but instead is used to set up other punches.

“When in your boxing stance, it’s the closest hand to your opponent so you will use it the most,” says Strout.

Need an example? Boxers with a good jab include Larry Holmes, Ike Quartey, Muhammad Ali, and Gennady Golovkin. Cue up YouTube and start studying.

2. Cross

The cross is thrown with the rear, dominant hand, which is farthest away from your target. It’s also thrown straight but much more powerfully, using your legs and torso to generate force.

You rarely lead with the cross unless you’re countering an opponent’s punch. Boxers with a good cross include Thomas Hearns, Sergey Kovalev, Deontay Wilder, and Manny Pacquiao.

3. Hook

These can be done with either hand, but you should focus more on the hook done with the lead (non-dominant) hand (hooks done with the other hand can leave you more vulnerable).

Unlike the others, this isn’t a straight punch: Its aim is to come at your target from the side, using your hips and legs for power. “The hook travels out from your shoulder and turns in toward your target halfway through the punch,” Strout explains.

“Don’t let your elbow travel out wider than your shoulder, nice and compact, and return it the same way you throw it.” Boxers with good hooks include Joe Frazier, Felix Trinidad, Oscar de la Hoya, and Mike Tyson.

Once you’ve got the individual punches, you need to put them together. Common combinations include:

• Jab-cross
• Jab-cross-hook
• Jab-jab-cross
• Jab-hook-cross
• Cross-hook-cross
• Hook-cross-hook
• Jab-cross-hook-cross
• Jab-cross-jab-cross-hook-hook

Boxing Workout 1

Warmup

• 10 minutes jump rope
• 20 squats
• 20 pushups
• 40 crunches

Shadow Boxing

• 5 x 3-minute rounds: Basic jab, cross, and hook punches
• Rest 30 seconds between

Heavy Bag Workout: Basic Combinations

• 5 x 3-minute rounds
• Rest 30 seconds between

If you’re new to this kind of intensity, do 3 rounds, not 5, and give yourself 1 minute rest between. “Pace yourself,” Strout says. “Don’t go all-out in the first 20 seconds, then stop: Keep punching the bag even if you’re just touching it.”

Finisher

• 100 pushups
• 100 squats
• 200 situps
• Rest as little as possible

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Boxing Workout 2

Warmup

• 50 jumping jacks
• 50 jump lunges
• 1 minute run in place
• 10 pushups
• 10 squats
• 10 lunges
• 5 minutes shadow boxing
• Rest as little as possible between   

Footwork Drills

2 minutes Side Steps

1. Start In your boxing stance, take 10 quick steps to the left, then 10 steps right, side to side.
2. When moving to the right, push off the left foot, and when moving left, push off the right foot.

Rest: 30 seconds

2 Minutes Forward and Back Steps

1. In boxing stance, take 10 quick steps forward and 10 steps back, back and forth.
2. When moving forward, push off back foot, and when moving backwards, push off front foot.

Rest: 30 seconds

2 Minutes Box Steps

1. In boxing stance, move 6 steps forward, 6 steps right, 6 steps back, 6 steps left. ‘
2. Switch direction after four squares.
3. Focus on pushing off the correct leg.

Rest: 30 seconds

2 Minutes Circle Drill A

1. Put something on the floor to use as your center point.
2. In boxing stance, step using your technique to make a complete circle around the object, then reverse the circle.
3. “Always make sure you stay in your stance and your lead leg is pointing in the direction of the center,” says Strout. “This is to train you on moving away from an opponent.”

Rest: 30 seconds

2 Minutes Circle Drill B

1. Using the same center point, face away from it, keeping your back to it the whole time.
2. Start in your stance and complete full circles in each direction. “This trains you on stalking a moving opponent,” says Strout.

Finisher

• 10 minutes jump rope as cooldown

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Boxing Workout 3

Warmup

• Jog 20 minutes

Shadow Boxing

• 5 x 3-minute rounds
• Rest: 30 seconds

Bag Workout

• 3 x 3-minute rounds on heavy bag
• 3 x 3-minute rounds on speed bag

Conditioning

• For 3 minutes, do:
• 10 pushups
• 10 jump squats
• Repeat, then rest 1 minute

Finisher

• 200 situps

Boxing Workout 4

Warmup

• 20 minutes jump rope, varying speed

Shadow Boxing

• 8 x 1-minute rounds shadow boxing, focusing on speed
• Rest: 30 seconds

High-Intensity

• 20-yard sprint or 10 Burpees

Finisher

• 10 x 5 pushups, focusing on speed
• Rest: 30 seconds

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Boxing Workout 5

Warmup

• 4 x 3 minutes fast jump rope
• Rest: 30 seconds

Shadow Boxing

• 4 x 3-minute rounds: Work basic jab, cross, and hook punches
• 4 x 30 pushups 

Heavy Bag Workout

• 3-minute rounds, as follows

Round 1: jabs only
Rest: 30 seconds
Round 2: double jab-cross
Rest: 30 seconds
Round 3: jab-cross-hook
Rest: 30 seconds
Round 4: any four punches
Rest: 30 seconds
Round 5: any punch combination, with 180-degree semi-circles around bag between combos
Rest: 30 seconds
Round 6: non-stop punching at 60% of full power. Focus on rotation of the body and using the legs.
Rest: 30 seconds

Then:

• 20 hard hooks, lead hand
• 20 hard crosses
• 40 quality jabs

Finisher:

• 200 situps
• 20 pullups
• 40 lunges

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Benefits of Boxing

Boxing is traditionally a combat sport used to train people for fighting, but in recent years has turned into a favorite for people trying to better their overall fitness. Below we break down the benefits of boxing. 

Improved Mental Health

Although boxing is known for its ability to help people shed pounds and gain strength in both their upper and lower bodies, research shows the sport also does loads for our mental well-being. Non-contact boxing can provide a cathartic release of anger and stress, with evidence of improved mood, self-esteem, confidence, concentration, and more, according to a study from the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

Aids in Weight Loss

There’s a reason pro boxers like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao were always shredded to the bone. According to an estimate from Harvard Health, a 155-pound person can burn around 324 calories from 30 minutes of boxing.

Improves Balance

When you look at any trained boxer you’ll see they have to be coordinated, quick to react, and have a cat-like balance that helps them land on their feet more often than not. Research shows that boxing can improve coordination and balance and has even been shown to boost the balance of those who’ve suffered a stroke. 

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Source
Las Vegas News Magazine