Training

Boxing for Fitness is For Sissies

admin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:26:09 -0400

If you're one of those people who believe boxing for fitness programs have no place in a boxing gym, for the good of boxing, maybe you need to rethink your opinion. Boxing for fitness programs can be the most important component of any new boxing club or gym, providing the necessary funds and recruitment required to sustain any competitive boxing training program.

To date, I've focused How to Box primarily on the basics and direction for people looking to compete in the sport and have neglected those of you who aren't interested in ever stepping foot in the ring. As the slogan says - "for fitness or competition", I will now be putting more effort into the boxing for fitness aspects of the site.

Much like the boxing tips portion of How to Box, I'm now launching boxing for fitness principles that are going to be focused on general fitness and how boxing can help you achieve your fitness goals whether that is to lose weight, add weight, increase athletic performance, or "insert requirement here". In my opinion, it is extremely important to grow a boxing for fitness culture in addition to cultivating boxers looking to compete both here and in offline clubs.

Are You Thinking of Opening a Boxing Club?

Jennifer Huggins owns
her own boxing and fitness
studio in Toronto.
Photo by ZaNiaC

If anyone out there is contemplating opening a boxing club, then don't scoff at the importance of offering a boxing for fitness program. I know many gym owners that swear by their boxing for fitness curriculum and without it, would not be able to make it financially. A good, well attended boxing for fitness program will bring new boxers into your gym and fund your endeavours to train amateur boxers. Eventually, a small percentage of the boxing for fitness crowd will be converted into full fledged amateur boxers once they get a taste for it. How many will depend on how good your program is.

You see, some people don't want to fight and never will, but they do want the benefits that a boxing workout can provide. They want something different and have no intention of ever sparring with anyone, but the idea of hitting a heavybag or focus mitts, knowing they aren't going to get hit back, is exciting and just what they need to stay motivated for their training program.

Only the best known boxing gyms are strictly boxing gyms. They have built reputations and businesses around popular, successful boxers. Unfortunately for any gym starting out, unless they happen to be promoting one of the top names in boxing, they cannot follow the same business model and succeed.

A Better Boxing Business Model

For a startup boxing club, in my opinion, the best business model is a hybrid type of fitness centre offering various aerobics classes, weight rooms, and so on, in addition to boxing training. These types of gyms cast a wider net, generating more leads and more business that will fuel their boxing program. Focusing only on boxing will lead to stunted gym growth and likely failure. Pinning your hopes on having the next Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis come walking through your door is not good business sense.

Like any business, it's a numbers game -- the more people that come through the door, the more funding you will have to play with and the better training you can offer your boxers so that, if you're lucky, you'll be able to push some of them to their ultimate potential. In terms of your boxing program, the more people that are in your gym, whether boxing for fitness or other programs, the more chance some of them will eventually end up in your boxing program.

Boxing for Fitness:
catalyst for growth
Photo by hmmlargeart

Boxing for fitness has all the benefits of boxing, but zero of the risk which is why it appeals to a much wider cross section of society -- especially women. While female boxing is a growing sport, traditionally, there hasn't been a lot of interest in watching two women beat each other and consequently, not much desire for women to pursue boxing careers.

With the advent of boxing for fitness classes, Tae Bo, and so on, perceptions are changing and women are realizing that boxing is a lot more than fighting. Personally, I've witnessed a greater interest in boxing by women, fuelled by the benefits of the training and the speed with which the workouts deliver results.

The increase in attention and participation in women's boxing would not have been possible without boxing for fitness programs. These fitness programs have brought boxing out of the dingy, sweaty, dark, dank basements and put it in nice clean modern day facilities. Like it or not, boxing for fitness programs are probably the biggest popularity boost boxing has seen in recent years creating a resurgence in interest in the sport. How boxing gyms hoping to train amateur boxers, use these boxing for fitness programs to grow their stables is the real challenge of gyms today.

Fortunately, boxing tends to be its own best seller. Once people try it, whether it is a boxing for fitness program or a full fledged competition training plan, they are hooked. As long as coaches and trainers understand the mindset of those in each category, there is huge potential to capitalize on both.

For those interested in boxing strictly for fitness, the results speak for themselves. Nothing sissie about six pack abs, powerful muscles, and incredible endurance - or am I wrong?

The Bolo Punch

admin — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:34:56 -0400

Once you've mastered the basic boxing punches, you may want to consider adding some other more advanced boxing techniques and punches into your repertoire. The bolo punch is just such a technique. It is not used very often and for reasons you'll soon learn, but if mastered can give you options in the ring. You'll be pretty hard pressed to find a lot of professional boxers who use it and probably even fewer amateur boxers. But, if you look hard enough...

Kid Gavilan
A Famous Bolo Puncher

Kid Gavilan is one of those professional bolo punchers. One of three famous bolo punchers (the other two being Ceferino Garcia and Sugar Ray Leonard), Gavilan said he developed the wide sweeping uppercut motion working in the sugar cane fields as a youth. The machete he would carry was swung in an underarm fashion which he developed into a boxing punch later in life.

While the bolo punch can be an effective punch, it is more commonly used as a distraction. By dropping the back hand and pretending to make an obvious wide sweeping throw, your opponent's eyes gravitate to the dropped hand, leaving you free to throw your front arm. Often you'll see variations of the bolo punch where the boxer will drop the right hand and make circular motions - basically showboating, before throwing a stiff jab or hook with the lead hand.

Over time, your opponent will obviously figure out what you are doing and may then focus on the lead hand. That's when life gets really good for you as you are free to follow through with the bolo punch. Because of the distance and torque you can put into it, it can be a devastating blow when it lands.

The bolo punch is an advanced technique and leaves you wide open, so be aware of that if you plan on using it.

The Left Bolo Punch

Most boxing fans will agree that the monster left handed bolo punch that Ike Ibeabuchi gave to Chris Byrd is one of the most famous bolo punches. See the video to the left at about 6:30 to see it in full speed and 8:50 in slow motion. It resembles a very obvious uppercut. Notice how Ike kind of faked a right - threw it but with very little on it. That transferred his weight to the left which he put every ounce of into that knockout punch.

For more examples of the bolo punch, watch any of Sugar Ray Leonard's fights, in particular his second fight against Roberto Duran and the rematch against Thomas Hearns.

Building Your Boxing Team

admin — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:28:49 -0500

Part of the appeal of boxing is that it is an individual sport. Ultimately, you excel or not based solely on your own merit - if you suck you lose, if you don't you win. It all comes down to the individual and there is no blaming one's teammates or circumstances for your loss. It is pretty obvious when you hit the canvas that things haven't gone so well for you. Only you can prevent that in the end.

That said, the champion boxer is by no means alone in his or her quest for glory. Let's take a look at who else is involved:

The Boxing Trainer or Coach

Websites, books, and DVDs like How to Box are great for those who can't afford a trainer or simply don't have access to one because of where they live.

Quote:

To compete at a high level, you need a trainer

However, these means are no substitute for a good trainer and anyone looking to box competitively needs a good trainer to teach them advanced techniques and correct habits you simply can't notice yourself. You can help your own development by videotaping your training sessions and then playing them back, being very critical of yourself, but there is nothing like another pair of eyes watching how you move, twist, punch, bob, etc... You can even upload those training sessions on How to Box and get criticism from visitors of the site. To compete at a high level in the sport, though, you simply need to find a good trainer.

The trainer will develop the boxer's training plan and it will be all inclusive. He will monitor the boxer's progess and make changes as required. He will teach the boxing skills and drills so that the boxer can win fights. Trainers will often have some nutritional knowledge as well, as a comprehensive program involves both conditioning and nutrition. If not, a boxer's team may also include a sports nutritionist to assist with meal planning that will support the boxer's training regime.

The Boxing Promoter

Golden Boy Promotions

Sometimes the promoter and manager is both the same person (not always a good idea), othertimes it is split up. You've probably heard the names of the big promoters - Golden Boy Promotions (Oscar De La Hoya), Top Rank (Bob Arum), and Don King Productions. These are people or organizations that exist to take skilled boxers and line up paying fights for them. They are there first and foremost to make money for themselves. Never forget that. In order to do that, they need to ensure their professional boxers make money. To that end, they will setup fights that will garner a lot of attention with the hopes of increasing the number of pay per view buys or attendance. This does not mean they will always look out for what is in the best interests of the boxers they promote. These are the people responsible for announcing the latest superfight - or the fight of the century (which seems to occur many times a century:).

The Boxing Manager

The boxing manager will tend to the career of the boxer and not necessarily cater to the promoters. Money is obviously still an issue, but they have more of an interest in the long term career of their boxer. That is their source of income and if his career ends because of a stupid matchup, so does the flow of money. You'll often hear of family members managing boxers. The boxer tends to think they can trust their family more than anyone. Of course that has been proven wrong time and time again (Floyd Mayweather Jr for instance).

The Cutman

Dave Tenny - Cutman

Cuts in boxing fights cause bleeding and excessive bleeding and damage will end a fight. Cuts are also inevitable, eventually you will get one, especially in a professional fight without headgear which lessens the chances. A good boxing cutman can literally keep you in a fight.

I'm not going to go into all the methods a cutman uses here, Dave Tenney - The Cutman does a pretty good job of describing those methods, but these people are experts at stopping blood and decreasing swelling. They have an intimate knowledge of the facial structure, arteries, veins. They have an arsenal of drugs and techniques for stopping bleeding. Cutmen are not prevalent in amateur boxing. Amateur boxing requires the use of headgear which prevents a lot of scrapes and cuts, but blood in an amateur match will generally stop the fight. Nosebleeds are an exception depending on the severity.

For must of us, a cutman will not be an option, so remember two things - direct pressure and cold. If you are bleeding, put pressure on it, preferably with something cold. The cold acts as a vaso-constrictor which will assist the pressure with stopping the blood flow. By pressure, I'm not talking about pushing a guys nose through his skull - keep it firm, but not excessive. A minute between rounds is not a long time, but can be enough to allow the clotting to start and the bleeding to stop if you act fast.

One thing to look out for with a cutman is if he is using something called Monsels Solution. It is a lead based homeostatic which works by destroying the cells around the cut (kind of like cotterizing or burning them closed). It causes permanent damage and you can recognize it by the ring of dead flesh surrounding the cut. Yes, it works, but the cost is too great and it is illegal (or should be) in most areas.

The Second

Ever hear the ref shout - "Seconds Out" just before a round begins. They are referring to the Second (and anyone else in the boxer's corner). The trainer can also be licensed as a second (and often is) and acts in both capacities, but a licensed second is someone who is allowed in the ring between rounds to give advice, water, etc... to the boxer. They generally assist the trainer in the boxer's corner.

The Boxer is Not Alone...

Those are the main teammates backing up the boxer. All of the positions require (at least in the US) licensing by the state they are operating in.

It's funny, because in the Army it generally takes a HQ that is 3-4 times as big as the fighting force to win a battle. For every infantry soldier on the frontlines there are 10 people in the rear supporting that soldier doing everything from preparing food, pushing bullets and supplies forward, dealing with medical issues, pers issues, and so on. It is the same for boxing. You can think of the boxer like one of those soldiers and it quickly becomes apparent that although the boxer is fighting alone in the ring, he has a massive support system that is ensuring all he has to worry about is fighting. Everything else will be taken care of.

So, if you are planning a professional boxing career, start surrounding yourself with people you trust that will specialize in these areas. Remain too much of an individual and you will go no where -- build a team with the foundation of support and there will be no stopping you.

Boxing Tip #14 - Jab Fake

admin — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:05:11 -0500

Similar to the Jab Tap, I learned this technique the hard way - glove to face in the ring. I have to give you a little background - so bear with me. You see, when I first started boxing, I tended to hold my hands just below eye level. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but my trainer had a hay day with it.

In the beginning...

Being new to the sport, I didn't have the skill or reflexes to be able to bring my hands up to block what seemed like lightning bolt jabs coming from my trainer. He easily came through my mixed stance type of defence - over and over again, I might add.

Well, eventually, I wisened up a bit and decided fine, if I can't block his jabs, I'll hold my hands higher, adopting a much more peek a boo style of stance at the risk of exposing my body. I have a strong core and figured I could take the punishment the few times that I couldn't get my elbows down to block a body shot.

This actually worked -- for a little while. I held my hands more at the level of my forehead and peeked through the opening between my forearms. My head was completely protected - or so I thought.

My Demise...

Once my trainer wisened up, and it didn't take long, he taught me a valuable tip - again - the hard way. If you think about my stance, hands held high, body more or less exposed, forearms nearly directly in front of my face, getting a jab in there is pretty difficult. If you were fighting me, you could easily go to my body, but because of my stance, I'd be watching for that - I know my body was exposed and had a plan to adapt to a body assault.

Connecting with the left hook
Photo by mborowick

Instead, my trainer said, okay, I won't jab him, I'll pretend to jab and then nail him with a left hook. And that is what he did, over and over. He faked the jab meaning I braced for impact from the front and somehow he managed to change his fake jab into a solid left hook that connected everytime. I couldn't react fast enough to block it when I finally realized the jab wasn't actually going to impact. Back to the drawing board for me as I was pummeled repeatedly by left hooks the rest of the night.

He only had to connect once to make subsequent hooks easier for himself. Just the fact that he made it through my solid fortress of forearms made me question where his jab was going to actually go. Now, if I made a move to block the hook, he just carried through with the jab which nailed me anyways.

If you perfect this technique you will have a punch - hook or jab - that will land 90% of the time (at least until your opponent figures out how to use his right as a block the same time he is using his left to block - something for another tip in the future.)

When to use the Jab Fake

This works best when your opponent is in a peek a boo stance. With his arms held high, it is much more difficult for him to react quickly - partly because of the position of his arms, but also because his vision is likely partly obstructed by his own arms and hands. This lends perfectly to faking a punch, especially if you manage to do it behind one his blind spots.

If you don't know what I mean by a blind spot, sitting where you are, lift your arms up in front of your face as if you were in a peek a boo stance. Notice your arms. Anything that happens behind them is partially obstructed from view. If you can initiate a fake punch in your opponent's blind spots - causing him to flinch, you are going to buy yourself a little time to throw the actual punch.

Granted, throwing something in a blind spot is more a matter of luck than skill, but it is still something you should strive to achieve.

To summarize, use the jab fake against someone who is squared off in front of you in a fairly upright position, with arms held high partially blocking their view.

Utilizing the Jab Fake

You initiate a jab fake like you would any jab and you have to make it believable. Your opponent has to believe a jab is coming at him and is going to impact. That way, in a high peek a book guard, he will brace his forearms for impact (if he doesn't try slipping). If it is not believable, he won't, and you'll have less chance of landing the actual punch.

So, throw your jab, but pull it back about a quarter of the way into it and loop it into a left hook that goes around your opponent's forearm and strikes the intended target. This is hard to do. Stopping the forward momentum is difficult and the more you can loop on the way back, the more powerful the hook will be as you change the direction of the force. Speed is key here.

Another way to aid in making your opponent commit to an incoming jab and brace is to give other cues - such as throwing your shoulder forward. Read the boxing tip on feints for other ideas on making a believable fake.

Practicing the Jab Fake

You can practice this pretty much anywhere. The biggest thing to master is halting the forward momentum of your jab and re-routing that force into a left hook. It is going to feel awkward, but with practice you can do it and even get your torso to throw a little extra force behind it. Do this on a heavy bag and strive to achieve a solid left hook after you fake the jab.

Then, if you can find a partner willing. Have him spar with you with hands held high. See if you can get him to believe in your fake jab and trick him into receiving your left hook. It will give you a good idea of how much you need to pretend to commit the jab in order to give you the time required to land the hook.

An Alternative - Cross Fake

Of note, you can easily adapt this and do the exact same thing with a straight right. Fake throwing the fake right and instead turn it into a looping right hand (right hook). You are doing the exact same thing, just to the other side. I've actually had some good success with this and find it easier to alter the path of my right as opposed to my jab. Maybe it's because I'm right handed and have better control with my right. At any rate, it isn't a stretch to do this from either side.

Strike Fast, Strike Hard...Good Luck.

Hey Fatty - How Long is it Going to Take You to Lose 10lbs?

admin — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 13:32:25 -0500

There is nothing magical about weight loss. As I've pointed out in the boxing nutrition part of the site, it all comes down to the number of calories you put in your mouth - the number you burn off in day. If it is a negative number (caloric deficit), you lose weight. If it is a positive number (caloric surplus), you put on weight.

So, if you're fat and not liking it, then you know what you have to do - burn calories or prevent them from entering your body in the first place. I think that has been made more than abundantly clear...

How long will it take to lose your bulge?
Photo by Juan Shot

But, how long do you have to wait to start seeing results?

It's actually pretty simple. 1 lb of bodyfat is approximately 3500 calories. So, the quicker you create a deficit of 3500 calories, the quicker you are going to lose a pound.

Let me walk you through it...

Say I am 165lbs and have a bodyfat percentage of 25%.

1. How much of me is fat? Take your total weight and multiple it by your bodyfat percentage:

165lbs X .25 = 41.25lbs of fat.

2. Figure out how much fat you really want to lose. Remember that 3% is absolutely essential for survival and you will live a miserable existence trying to reach that number. For a really ripped look on a man, 7% will do just fine. So take your total weight and multiple it by your ideal bodyfat percentage:

165lbs X .07 = 11.56lbs

3. Figure out how much fat you actually need to lose. Subtract your ideal level of fat from your current.

41.25lbs - 11.56lbs = 29.69lbs

In this case I want to lose 29.69lbs of fat.

4. How many calories is 29.69lbs of fat? Well if one lb is 3500 calories - multiple 29.69lbs x 3500:

29.69 x 3500 = 103,915 calories that you need to lose.

5. Figure out how long that is going to take. To do this you need to know what sort of caloric deficit you have created. Using the boxing nutrition calculators, I've determined that I need to eat 2700 calories a day in order to maintain my current weight. If I stay that course, I likely won't quickly lose any weight. I can do two things: eat less, or exercise more to create the caloric deficit. I suggest doing a bit of both. So, I drop my calories to 2500 and do an extra 30 minutes of cardio in the day to burn 500 more calories giving me a caloric deficit of:

(2700 calories - 2500 calories) + 500 calories = 700 calories

6. Figure out how many days it takes you to lose one pound. If 3500 calories equals one pound, how many days will it take to burn an extra 3500 calories?

3500 calories / 700 calories = 5 days for 1 lb of weight loss.

7. Figure out total days required for your goal. Therefore, how long will it take me to lose the 29.69lbs?

29.69lbs X 5 days/lb = 148.45 days or approximately 5 months.

In reality, as you train you will increase in muscle size and your metabolism will increase as well which will further add to your caloric deficit and speed up the weight loss.

And, finally, here is a calculator that can figure all of that out for you. I didn't present it first, as now you have a good idea of how this calculation is made. Knowledge is power, so if you understand the process, you understand hwo to accelerate or decelerate the weight loss.

So how long is going to take you to reach your ideal level of bodyfat? Leave a comment and let us know.

How to Be a Training Partner

admin — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 19:16:54 -0500

A couple of days ago I tried to convince all the wannabe boxers out there that they really should go out and find a partner to learn to box with - not to become hermit boxers. This is part two of that two part series and is a guide for all you partners that were recently recruited.

Hopefully, you want to learn to box yourself, but even if you don't you can still help train that aspiring boxer who came to you looking for someone to train with. You do need to learn a few boxing basics and be willing to go through the motions, offering advice and motivation where you can.

There are five areas a partner can really a boxer excel. Use these techniques with your training partner and your skills, reflexes, and level of conditioning are going to improve dramatically.

Focus Pads

Focus pad drills are extremely useful for developing accuracy, speed, and instinctive movements. Focus pads are basically targets that you present to the boxer along with some type of instruction. For instance, you can call out jab, present the target and the boxer will jab. You then hide the target or move it to a new location in preparation for the next set of instructions.

Focus pads are held in one of three basic ways:

Target to the Front - for jabs and straights;
Target at 90 degrees - for hooks; and
Target flat - for uppercuts.

Focus pad progression - notice the positions of the pads and which punches are hitting them

Focus pad drills can be instinctive or planned. With instinctive focus pad training, your boxer doesn't know what he is going to be doing before the target is thrown. You call out the instruction as you present the target. For instance, hold the focus pad to the front and yell out 1-2 (Jab, straight right). Planned focus pad training is when the boxer and you are working a certain combination. The video on the left is an example of planned focus pad combination training. He knows and you know what he is trying to drill. There is no need for an audible.

When presenting the targets, it is not enough to just limply hold them out there to be hit. You should present them crisply and move slightly into the punch - kind of like you are swatting at it, but only a very little bit. That just prevents the boxer from knocking your arm backwards and allows you to get the pad in the next position quicker. Basically, you don't lose control of it.

Notice how both boxer and trainer know what is happening - no thinking, just reaction

Also to note, when showing the target, don't hold it directly in front of your own head. A good hit will send your own hand into your own face and that is never a good thing. Check the training center for additional focus pad drills.

Partner Flow Drills (aka Chain Drills)

Boxing chain drills or boxing flow drills resemble sparring but are highly controlled. Both you and the boxer are going to respond in a very choreographed fashion. There are boxing flow drills in the training section of the site. They are used, much like focus pads, to drill responses to certain situations. The key to these is to start very slowly and make the boxer understand why he is blocking something or slipping a certain way. Eventually, between the two of you, these flow drills will look really awesome - something straight out of Rocky.

Technical Sparring (aka Situational Sparring)

Technical sparring is similar to flow drills, but introduces a bit of randomness into the equation. With flow drills, you and the boxer both know what the other is going to do, but with technical sparring, you keep the boxer in the dark. Not completely though. You both know which drill you are going to work on, but you initiate the drill without warning. Once it is complete, you pause and then do it again. The randomness occurs with the boxer not knowing when you are going to start the drill.

Start with one drill, but then make it even more challenging by combining different flow drills. Don't tell the boxer which one is coming, and he will have to recognize the drill and react accordingly. This is the perfect lead up to actual sparring. A good starting point for this, would be to start with these technical drills.

Sparring

Sparring seems like it is all out boxing, but in reality, both you and the boxer are there to learn. Now, if you have no interest in boxing, then you'll probably not want to do this the boxer and that is where he should now go out and find a sparring partner. It is not an all out boxing match, but rather it can be done at half speed or three quarter speed, or even full speed, but the goal is not to knockout the other person. You just want to train as if you were in a boxing match and try to prevent any injuries from occurring in the process. Obviously important to use all the right protective equipment including headgear, mouthguard, and groin protector (and chest protector for the women out there). More detail on boxing sparring is available on the site.

Physical Training

In addition to all the skill development we just went through as a partner, you can be tremendously beneficial in the gym. In the boxing gym or weight room itself you can:

offer motivation and encouragement;
hold the heavy bag, especially for punch out drills;
time the rounds in the absence of a round timer;
be a waterboy;
assist with gloves on and off for various drills;
select appropriate training music;
coordinate equipment for circuit training;
act as spotter; and
prepare weights and monitor intensity and form.

Sound like you're someone's slave? Maybe, but when your boxer gets in the ring and wins, it was all suddenly worth it.

Ideally, you are training as well, in which case everything I just went through is reciprocated. You get a slave for being one yourself. You will then share the same goals - trying to become as conditioned as possible, as fast as possible, as powerful as possible, and as skilled as possible. It's funny, often you will get more enjoyment out of teaching and training other boxers than you will in training yourself.

So, there you have it, a starting point for being a world class trainer. Obviously, this puts you no where close to being able to walk into a boxing gym and seek a job as a boxing trainer, but who knows, perhaps you'll get the coaching bug and can then seek certification.

Are You a Hermit Boxer?

admin — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 20:05:40 -0500

When it comes to training hard and eating right, it is far easier to stick to a training plan or regime if you aren’t doing it alone. Unless you are one of those people in the world that is extremely strong willed and has the self discipline of a Navy Seal, it is highly unlikely you will follow any training plan or regime in isolation for any significant length of time. You will get bored and your training will stagnate.

Box in isolation, live like a hermit, and the majority of you will give it up. Maybe not in a week or even a month, but eventually you’ll move on to something else to alleviate the boredom. This is part one of a two part series that will first tell you why you should be looking for someone to train with. Part two will then tell you how to effectively use your partner in your training sessions.

Partner Drills: A whole new level of training
Photo by mborowick

Why Do You Need to Find Someone to Learn Boxing With?

A partner, friend, enemy or some other human shaped body is absolutely essential if you really want to learn boxing and here are the reasons why:

Accountability – Put aside boxing for a moment and look at this strictly from a fitness viewpoint. If you are training with a partner, you will naturally compete with each other and push yourselves harder. That is, of course, if you both have similar goals and reasons for training. The wrong partner could just as easily sabotage your training as make it better. However, if you get the matchup right, you will be accountable to someone. They will ensure you don’t slack off, miss training, and stick to your schedule and you will ensure the same of them.

Chaos - There is a randomness and chaos to boxing that cannot be replicated by yourself in front of a heavy bag or shadowboxing in front of a mirror. You can pretend to slip punches all you want, but the reality is that you know when you are going to throw them at yourself. If you don’t I question your sanity. A sparring or training partner introduces that bit of randomness into the training session. You don't know what he or she is thinking and thus have to react. This builds your reflexes and fine tunes your ability to pick out the subtle cues that precede an onslaught of punches. You'll have a much better idea of how good your defensive and offensive techniques are when it really matters.

Bigger Selection of Boxing Drills – With a partner, your training toolbox gets a lot bigger. There are plenty more partner boxing drills that you can use to hone your technique. Your partner only has to be willing to go through the motions to help you train – they don’t necessarily need to be boxers themselves (although it helps). I regularly try out combinations on my wife (no I’m not beating her). No offence to her, but her idea of a cross hangs in the church. A partner allows you to do focus mitt drills, technical sparring, and work out techniques and combinations in real time. This helps you to truly understand the mechanics involved in a situation rather than trying to imagine every possible event. Again, part two of this series will explain more in depth how to train with a partner.

I hope I’ve convinced you not to limit yourself to training and learning to box alone. I also want to point out that where one partner is good, many are better. The more variation you have in skill level, the more variables and randomness is inserted into your training. That is the reason boxing clubs exist – they bring people with the desire to learn the sport together. You will do yourself a huge favor by joining one.

Plus, inherent to any group is a sense of belonging and competition. The social aspect of the group is going to help you stick to your training and push you to raise your standards. Boxing naturally attracts people who are competitive, so a group of boxers who are intent on learning and improving will naturally push each other harder than you ever could alone. Plus it makes training a lot more fun - can only talk to a heavy bag for so long no matter what kind of relationship you develop with it.

7 Tips to Keep Gas in the Tank

admin — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:40:28 -0500

One of the principles of combat is economy of effort. In a nutshell, economy of effort means you want to expend as little effort and resources as possible in order to fulfill the mission.

In terms of boxing, this equates to the amount of energy you expend during the match. You need to conserve as much energy as possible and use what you have at the appropriate times (concentration of force - but that is another article). You have a finite supply -- when you're out of gas, you're out of gas.

In a previous article I showed you ways to increase your energy level, now I'm going to offer some tips on maintaining what you have.

Knockout: Run out of fuel and get
knocked out!
Photo by Jpeepz

Here are 7 tips for conserving energy in the ring:

Relax - tense muscles burn fuel. When not engaged, think of your happy place and stay loose. It takes practice and plenty of sparring to remain loose in a fight.

Don't Clench Your Fists - Keep your hands open until the moment before impact. Holding a fist requires your muscles to work and that uses fuel.

Avoid Excessive Movement - Strike a balance. You don't want to present a static target, but likewise, there is no reason to jump around like a jackrabbit. Use your movement sparingly and explosively when you are within striking distance or engaged in combat.

Control Your Breathing - requires you to be well conditioned. The less you are heaving and sucking air, the less energy you will use in the respiration process. Your VO2 max will increase which is your body's ability to extract oxygen out of the air you breathe in.

Don't Eat Right Before a Fight - Digestion requires huge amounts of energy. Eat long enough before the fight so that digestion is done and the food is in the tank.

Lean in a Clinch - if you're involved in a clinch, use it to your advantage and put your weight on your opponent. Conserve your energy and sap his. As well, don't fight or wrestle in a clinch. If your opponent wants to push you across the ring, let him (to a point - not into a corner or something against your game plan).

Sit Down - Between rounds, put your butt on the stool. Unless you're trying to psych out your opponent, showing him how untired you are to play a mental game with him, then sit your cheeks on the stool, get out your mouthpiece, and relax. This is the time to listen to your trainer and incorporate small changes into your game plan. It is not the time to waste energy strutting around out of combat.

In the end, all you have to do is ensure that your opponent runs out of gas before you do. Boxing is as much a game of competing smart cars as it is about powerful monster trucks.

The Biggest Reasons People Fail at Boxing

admin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:59:50 -0500

Hundreds and hundreds of people come through here with the best of intentions to become great boxers. Some even think they have what it takes to become professional boxers and win world titles. I'm about to tell you what I think are the biggest reasons these potential boxers never see the big payday. Boxing exists in nearly every country in the world in one form or another and yet you only hear about the top 200-300 boxers in the sport. While the vast majority of boxers in the world are not necessarily in it for fame and fortune - but rather for the health and fitness benefits, there are those who picked up a Sports Illustrated or saw Friday Night Fights and think they are the next big thing.

The sad truth is that the majority of the people who visit this site, want to learn to box, and have that fire to step into the ring will fail at making any meaningful impact in boxing or on their overall level of fitness. Why is that? I've come up with the following top reasons. I'm sure there are more. Feel free to add them in the comments.

They don't take it seriously

Most new boxers don't look at what they are doing as a complete change in lifestyle, and they don't take boxing as seriously as they should. Look at the champs - Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oscar de la Hoya. They have committed themselves totally and completely to the sport. Every waking minute is devoted to training. Every action, meal, and thought is integral to their success. They take what they do seriously. Now you can say they take it seriously because they are the champs and it is expected -- they have the resources, the time, and the trainers. But guess what - they started out as nobodys. The key is they took it seriously from the get go. They made a committment to themselves that they weren't willing to break. It's really easy to continue training and eating right when one is making real dollars. However, it is a lot harder to do when you are the one sacrificing everything for your dream.

When I built this site to get people interested in the sport and help people looking to learn the sport get in shape and pick up the basics, I didn't dabble. I built as many features and helpful hints into the place as I could to try and keep you on track - and I continue to spend hours and hours every week improving it and writing articles. Treat your career as a boxer the same way if you ever want to make a serious go of it.

Easy In, Easy Out

Sometimes I wonder if I should continue giving away the information I do for free. Because the barriers of entry into boxing are so low (you can start with very little equipment), people don't have much to lose, and as a result, don't take it seriously. You visit the site, find a training plan, learn a few basic moves and then when you realize how much work it actually is, you quit. Easy in, easy out. Contrast that with a sport like hockey where you invest hundreds and even thousands of dollars into equipment and rink fees and league fees. When you outlay that much money just to get started, you are more apt to stick with it no matter how hard it really is.

Honestly, the intensity of boxing workouts has to be the biggest reason people don't stick with it, and that's really too bad. I'm pretty sure boxing is more fun, more challenging, and more results oriented than other fitness programs out there. Part of me thinks that if I could make it harder to get involved, those who do, would stick with it longer.

They’re Just Boxing for Fitness

It's a fact that with boxing, the natural progression is to eventually fight someone. People who box for fitness never make it to that level and thus can't learn the strategy behind the sport. Sparring is so much more than getting a beating. Once you begin to understand the mechanics, it opens your eyes to a whole new level of training. It encompasses everything from principles of combat to psychology and behavioural science. Physics suddenly has a huge part to play. Problem with boxing for fitness is that these people never see the added benefit of sparring. As a result, they eventually get bored and move on to the next fitness fad.

I'm not saying boxing for fitness is a bad idea. Boxing, period is a good idea. Boxing workouts will have you leaner and meaner in no time flat. It's just too bad that those boxing for fitness never see the full benefit of what boxing can deliver and the added challenge an opponent can add to their training.

They Don’t Believe In Themselves

Boxing is an individual sport. The biggest limiting factor in your boxing career is yourself. If you don't believe you can be a successful boxer or meet your fitness goals, then you won't. It's that simple. “Whether you believe you can or cannot, both are true.”

How to Get a Six Pack

admin — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:57:14 -0500

How do I get a six pack has got to be one of the top questions asked on How to Box - so here is the answer...

You have probably noticed a lot of boxers with unbelievably ripped abs and you want a set too. Their six packs are literally bursting out there for all to see.

Boxers, like bodybuilders, are masters at cutting fat off their body. They need the absolute maximum amount of muscle they can get and still remain in a certain weight class. That means there is no room for fat on their bodies. That plus the punishment of being hit in the stomach repeatedly means boxers have really nice six packs (abs of steel).

I've got good news for you. You already have a six pack. If you didn't your stomach and guts would fall out all over the place. Take your fingers and push on your stomach. Feel the resistance? Your abs are in there somewhere and you were born with them. They are naturally formed into that six pack (actually eight pack) you want so bad.

Now, the bad news. The only way to expose your six pack is to remove the layer of fat that is suffocating them. That is where boxing and more importantly - boxing nutrition can help you. In the next few pages I will teach you how to create meal plans and menus that will cause your body to eat up all that fat and expose your six pack. Doing 1000 crunches, 1000 situps or 1000 leg raises a day by itself is not going to give you a six pack -- eating right --> will.

I'm not saying exercise is not important. It speeds up fat removal, and ab exercises are important for shaping your six pack. But first you need grab all that fat, rip it off your stomach and expose your six pack so you can see what you are shaping. Unless you plan on cutting it off which I do not recommend :), you need to persuade your body to use the fat it has stored on your abs, your butt, your hips, or wherever else that last doughnut ended up.

A Word on Genetics

Your genes are going to have something to say about how quickly you get rid of the fat and show off your six pack. On the one hand you have those who are genetically advantaged. In the words of Tom Venuto, author of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle,

Tom Venuto: Fat Burning Expert

Quote:

On the extreme right edge of the curve, you have the people who can eat chocolate and donuts all day long, they don't work out at all and they have "six-pack abs.” These are the “genetically gifted,” or as I affectionately call them, “the genetic freaks.”

On the other hand, are those people who are going to have to work really really hard and be really really patient to get their six pack to show. These people are the genetically disadvantaged. In the middle is everyone else - the vast majority - who are going to get their six pack by following an exercise routine and nutrition principles on a consistent basis.

Notice that eventually nearly everyone will show off a nice set of six pack abs if they are consistent for long enough. There is only a very small percentage (<1%) of people who are beyond hope. Chances are you are not one of them - so don't blame your inability to follow an exercise program or limit what you put in your mouth on genetics.

So, How Do You Get A Six Pack?

Let me make this really easy for you:

1. Start the 12 week boxing training program or some type of consistent exercise program.

2. Read the entire boxing nutrition book on How to Box and use the information to put together a meal plan that burns the fat and builds the muscle. If that seems hard to you, consider a meal planning solution.

The pages that follow explain boxing nutrition in general, but the principles, if applied are literally going to transform your body. You will lean how to control your weight so that you can box in whatever weight division you want and a nice side effect of that will be that your six pack will become more and more visible as the days go on. Stick to it and you too can have a six pack.

Current Weight		lbs
Bodyfat		%
Total Fat		lbs
Ideal Bodyfat		%
Total Fat to Lose		lbs
Total Calories to Lose		calories
Daily Caloric Deficit		calories
Days to Lose the Fat		days
Months to Lose the Fat		months