Boxing: Has much more to offer!
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Although many peoples’ first thought of boxing is often the combative side of the sport, it has much more to offer!
Being involved in the sport competitively over the past 11 years has given me the opportunity to see the many benefits of non-competitive boxing for many different people. It was important to me as a boxer, trainer and athletic therapist to come up with a program that was fun, accurate to actual boxing training, and safe for people from all fitness levels. It doesn’t matter if you are an elite athlete, weekend warrior, or someone just starting to exercise, boxing can be a great addition to your fitness program.
What Muscle Groups Does Boxing Training Work?
You may be thinking that boxing is an upper body activity, but one boxing training session at Advantage Conditioning will change your mind. Between the strength work, footwork drills, core work, and punching exercises it is truly a whole body workout. I have yet to meet one person that has put a solid effort into a round of punching a heavy bag that was not sucking wind by the end of it!
What Makes Boxing Training Burn Fat So Well?
The premise of “HIIT” or “high intensity interval training” refers to short bursts of activity that generally use large muscle groups or whole body movements at a high level of effort. This “burst” of activity uses something called your anaerobic energy system.
The anaerobic energy system is used to produce muscle contractions during the first few minutes of exercise prior to the aerobic energy system taking over. By using a high level of effort over a short duration followed by intermittent breaks, the body is pushed to consume more fat than it will during traditional “cardio” or “aerobic” movements like slowly jogging or biking. This form of exercise has been widely popularized in recent years as the ultimate fat burning and conditioning system, but it is not a new concept. In fact it has been around for as long as boxing has been a sport.
Boxing training is typically comprised of a series of “rounds” with a set time frame. For example, a given station will be 3 minutes long, followed by a 1 minute break. This keeps the body in a high fat burning state throughout the workout.
Why Boxing Training?
Boxing training is a great form of exercise for all of the above listed reasons, but one of the most important reasons is that it is FUN! I cannot think of a single person that I have worked with over the years that did not enjoy putting on a pair of gloves and throwing some punches. It is a satisfying skill set to pick up, you can get a great workout in a short period of time, and is unlike anything you have tried before.
Besides, hasn’t everybody wanted to punch their trainer at some point?
Ryan Walkoski
Certified Athletic Therapist