Tom Ward, Manager at Fitness4Less Watford, is a terrific fitness enthusiast and is always looking for ways for club members to add variety and challenge to their workouts. He’s particular keen for them to embrace the current “Get Fighting Fit For 2020” campaign, as he’s a great boxing fan and uses some of the techniques you’ll see in the ring to spice up his own fitness regime. He believes that there are considerable benefits that come from training like a championship-level boxer, so he’s put together a video and a set of exercises and tips to help you do just that. The gains you'll enjoy from following this boxing workout include: -

• Burning Serious Calories – depending on how hard you push yourself, the training session outlined below and featured in the video will burn 600-750 calories. Done regularly, you’ll lose body fat and build a leaner, more toned physique.
• Improving Your Heart Health – your heart will need to work hard to do this type of workout. Done regularly, this training will make your heart much stronger and more efficient.
• Relieving Stress – boxing has been scientifically proven to provide huge mental and physical stress relief, as you take out your frustrations with a well-aimed punch.

So here’s Tom’s “TRAIN LIKE A BOXER” workout for you to try: -



Exercise One: Skipping (5 mins.)

This gives you a full body workout, working your core, legs, Achilles tendons, hip flexors, shoulders and forearms. It also improves your hand-eye coordination, trains your brain and improves your rhythm, an important part of a boxer’s armoury.

Exercise Two: Shadow Boxing (3 rounds, 3 mins.)

Perfect your punching and footwork form and find your style by experimenting with new combos or movement patterns, preferably in front of a mirror to assess everything you’re doing.

Exercise Three: Bag Work/Banded Movement Drill (5 mins)

Sharpen your footwork with this drill. Learn to flow and move round the punch bag, pushing through the leg burn, which is something professional boxers must do whenever they fight. Imagine the bag is something you can’t touch, to keep you agile and light on your feet, whilst keeping your hands high and staying covered up.

Exercise Four: Bag Work/Punching Drill (3 rounds, 3 mins.)

Practice makes perfect! Start with one punch at a time, working on perfecting your form and translating power from the floor, through your body and into the bag. Remember, punching is a full body movement, so don’t just use your arms. After going through all the punches, try to progress into combinations.

Exercise Five: Floor Mine Punches (4 sets, 15-20 reps.)

Just working on the straight shots, perform 15-20 reps of a jab, then move to 15-20 reps of a cross. Work on being explosive and generating force, while maintaining a stable base.

Exercise Six: Banding Punches 94 sets, 15 reps)

Just working on the straight shots, perform 15-20 reps of a jab, then move to 15-20 reps of a cross. Work on being explosive and generating force, while maintaining a stable base.

Exercise Seven: Trap Bar Deadlifts (3 sets, 15 reps)

This is a great overall exercise. When performing it, ensure that the only movement produced is in your hips, knees and ankles and try your hardest to keep a neutral spin. Work on being explosive on the drive up and then slowly lower down to the starting position.

Exercise Eight: Kettle Turnovers (4 sets, 12-15 reps)

This is a fantastic drill for working on your explosive punching power and optimal pronation of the forearm, the crucial twisting/turning movement boxers aim to perfect in all their punches. Find a sturdy base for your forearm, resting palms up with the bulk of the kettle bell lying on the outside of your arm next to your thumb. From there, keep your forearm still and drive the kettle bell over your hand, moving through your wrist.

Exercise Nine: Rower (5 mins)

Row away as hard as you can to really work your heart and lungs for a great finish!