Interval Training for Boxing and MMA

interval training bag work with free-standing heavy bag

High intensity interval training (also known as HIIT) is perfect for boxers, MMA fighters, and other fight sport athletes. 

Interval training can help fighters increase power and improve endurance. In addition, HIIT routines mirror the pace of a typical bout by incorporating multiple intensity levels over the course of the workout.

For fighters looking to give themselves an edge over their opponents, or just a way to add some variety to their training routines, consider HIIT and other interval training options. Continue reading “Interval Training for Boxing and MMA”

Boxing Drills: Agility Training for Boxing Footwork

 

agility training for boxing - athlete doing side step with resistance bands at ankle and holding medicine ball

A lot of boxing training is oriented on what’s in front of you. Running, jumping rope, shadow boxing, bagwork–all of it tends to focus primarily on linear movement forward and backward.

But when you’re in the ring, you don’t just move up and back, you step in all directions. And that’s where agility training for boxing comes in.

Agility training teaches your feet to step quickly and smoothly out to the side, without losing your balance. It also builds up the muscles that support these movements to reduce the risk of injury.

If you want to be able to slip and slide in all directions around the ring, then you need to incorporate some form of agility training into your routine. Continue reading “Boxing Drills: Agility Training for Boxing Footwork”

Boxing Drills: Plyometrics for Boxing Footwork

 

plyometric box jump for improving boxing footwork

Plyometrics have become an increasingly popular training option in recent years. It’s hard to find gym that doesn’t have a few boxes for people to jump on top of. 

While it may look like a way to have fun in the gym, plyometrics are serious exercises, based on a fair amount of science with a very specific goal: to improve your power. 

Despite what it may look like, there’s more to plyometrics than just jumping up, down, and around the gym. True plyometric exercises have some very specific requirements. And you’ll need to be more mindful of rest and recovery in order to get the best benefits.

Plyometrics, performed correctly, could significantly increase your power output.  More importantly, plyometrics could be the key to improving your boxing footwork.

Read on to find out more about how it works, how it affects your boxing footwork, and some key exercises you’ll want to incorporate into your training. Continue reading “Boxing Drills: Plyometrics for Boxing Footwork”

A Guide to Jump Rope Workouts for Boxing

 

If you’ve been around boxing for some time, then you’ve seen fighters jumping rope in the gym. And if you’re just getting started, someone’s probably told you to jump rope as a part of your training. Many of the boxing greats, Ali, Marciano, Tyson, Mayweather, all used the jump rope to get ready for their fights. It’s clear that the jump rope is a fundamental part of the boxing workout. But why?

Obviously, spending 5-10 minutes jumping rope is a great cardio workout, but it’s more than that. Jumping rope can be a great tool for improving your footwork and focusing your mind.Jumping rope before boxing workout

In today’s blog, we’re going to lay out a few reasons that jumping rope is a critical part of your boxing training program. We’ll also help you decide on the right rope for your needs. Finally, we’ll lay out a few jump rope techniques that will challenge and add variety to your routine. Continue reading “A Guide to Jump Rope Workouts for Boxing”

Boxing Drills: How to Improve Your Boxing Footwork

In the sport of boxing, all of the attention is focused on the hands. In a fight, success depends on how often those gloves land and how hard they hit. And knowing how to hit is essential for anyone wanting to step into the ring. But good boxers know that, in fact, victory flows from good footwork.

boxing footwork balls of feet stance

Good boxing footwork allows you to keep moving and keep your balance. It means never standing where you opponent’s punch ends up. You maintain control over your spatial positioning and stay hyper-responsive to your opponent’s moves. You can quickly step in and take advantage of an opponent’s mistake, deliver powerful, controlled punches, and then slip out of range again.

There’s a reason why the best fighters in the world put hours into perfecting their boxing footwork. Read on to learn about some ways to help perfect yours. Continue reading “Boxing Drills: How to Improve Your Boxing Footwork”

Workout While Traveling: How to Keep Training when Away from Home

Working out tends to be easier when we have a plan, a routine. But what happens when it’s time to travel away from home. Whether it’s a vacation or a work trip, we often fail to keep up on our workouts while traveling. If you’ve got a trip coming up, though, don’t worry about throwing a wrench into your training plans. We’ve got a few tactics that will help keep your training on track when you’re off your beaten path.

workout while traveling - shadow boxing on the beach
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Continue reading “Workout While Traveling: How to Keep Training when Away from Home”

Get Outdoors: Taking your Training Outside

As the weather warms, many of us dream of spending more time outdoors. The seasonal thaw draws folks out into the world to jog, hike, bike, and play in the fresh air. The most obvious benefit associated with exercising outside is the simple change in environment. Getting outside breaks up the monotony of seeing the same walls and equipment day after day. But there are deeper benefits to sweating in the sunshine. Studies have shown that time spent outside makes you happier, decreases stress, and boosts creativity.

Outdoor training, shadow boxing on the roof

For boxers, MMA fighters, and other martial artists, it can feel be challenging to heed the call of the wild outdoors. So much of our training relies on equipment that is fixed inside the gym. From heavy bags to sparring rings, the life of a training fighter seems to be confined to the gym or dojo.

If you want to bust down those walls, though, and feel the sun on your back while you work out, here are some great ideas to get you started. Continue reading “Get Outdoors: Taking your Training Outside”

6 Ways Boxing Training Improves Mindfulness

 

mindfulness - a moment of quiet contemplation before stepping into the ring

Last week we focused on how training to box was good for the body. This week, let’s talk about how it improves the mind. Specifically, we’re going to talk about mindfulness: what is it, why it’s important, and how boxing training can help you get it.

If you’ve been paying attention to health and wellness news over the past few years, mindfulness has become an incredibly common recommendation. This focus on mindfulness comes in response to studies showing that living in a world of over-stimulation and constant distraction is not good for our mental health. Perpetual sensory overload affects our dopamine receptors, prevents us from properly focusing, and contributes to mood disorders like anxiety and depression. The act of seeking mindfulness helps to calm, center, and de-stress the brain. When successfully practiced, the pay off is significant. Psychologists say achieving mindfulness can help us better regulate our emotions and open ourselves up to long-term happiness. Continue reading “6 Ways Boxing Training Improves Mindfulness”

Boxing Training for Stronger Fitness

As far as elite-level athletes go, boxers and MMA fighters are some of the toughest, most adaptable in the world. When you go toe-to-toe with another combatant in the ring, you have to know how to respond to whatever might come at you. That means hours upon hours of training to gain power, speed, endurance, and strength, all of which leads to a level of fitness unlike any other: Boxing Fitness.hitting the heavy bag with blue boxing gloves as part of boxing fitness training

Therefore, we suggest that all kinds of athletes—and anyone looking for a great way to get more out of their exercise routines—should invest in some quality boxing gear and take on some boxing training to pump up their fitness performance. Here’s how you can get started with boxing strictly as exercise. Continue reading “Boxing Training for Stronger Fitness”

Ireland and the Sport of Boxing

Few sports are as synonymous with the nation of Ireland as boxing. Like the Tolkien-esque landscape, the malty red ale, and the rich folk music, boxing is a staple of the nation. Not only do Irish people love to watch big prize fights, they also love to participate—and dominate—in the sport. The nation has nabbed 31 Olympic medals overall, and over half of those wins (16) were earned by boxers, including two golds.

Michael Conlan holds Irish flag after defeating Tim Ibarra in 2017
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The Emerald Isle has a long association with the sport of boxing, producing heavyweight greats like Jimmy McLarnin and Steve Collins. Interestingly, however, it was Irish-American boxers who popularized the sport when they brought it back with them to Ireland. Though the modern form of boxing we practice today was born from U.K. prizefighting, Ireland didn’t really enter the ring, so to speak, until Irish immigrants began fighting stateside.

This is only a small part of the story, though. From the equipment we wear to our most fundamental boxing training techniques, boxing has changed a lot over the years. To understand how the sport took off there over 100 years ago, we should look at a brief history of boxing in Ireland. Continue reading “Ireland and the Sport of Boxing”