Blog: Boxing Fitness
Work It Out: A Breakdown of the 6 Essential Parts of a Boxing Workout
A comprehensive boxing workout is structured into six essential parts — Ropework, Mirrorwork, Padwork, Bagwork, Partnerwork, and Floorwork — each designed to develop specific physical and technical skills. This structure ensures training adheres to principles like individualization, sport specificity, and progressive overload, avoiding common mistakes such as irrelevance to boxing or excessive workload.
The Art and Science of Boxing Technique: 20 Books to Explore
Mastering boxing technique, from footwork to specific punches, is crucial for success and can be developed using a wide array of specialized literature. This list of 20 essential books covers fundamentals and advanced strategies, featuring foundational texts like Championship Fighting by Jack Dempsey and How to Box by Joe Louis, alongside modern guides.
Film Study Stages
Effective film study for boxing involves a six-stage process that begins with setting a clear focus, such as technique or tactics, and carefully observing the footage without audio. The subsequent stages require the coach to analyze and name observed patterns, translate the skill into a teaching progression with drills, develop verbal and non-verbal coaching methods, and creatively brainstorm new applications for the technique.
Creating Winning Workouts: A Quick Guide to Effective Session Planning
Effective session planning in boxing coaching requires a flexible, advanced approach where the coach prepares multiple versions (e.g., Version A, B, C) for each workout phase, including the warm-up, main workout, and cool down. This "versioning" allows the coach to smoothly adapt to common issues like equipment failure, participant confusion, or location changes, ensuring a safe, effective, and continuous training experience.
Footwork Programme
A comprehensive footwork programme for boxers develops skills through a progressive eight-stage sequence, starting with foundational stance and basic Half-Steps before advancing to Full Steps, Skipping, and Switching stances. The later stages focus on combining these movements into complex Footwork Combinations, integrating them with defensive and offensive layers (Layer Defences and Layer Attacks), and finally mastering dynamic movement within the Boxing Ring.
How Boxing Coaches Can Improve Training with Film Study: Tips and Strategies
Discover how boxing coaches can improve their training programs with film study in this informative post. Learn about the benefits of using film study to analyze and improve technique, tactics, and strategy in boxing, and explore practical tips and strategies for incorporating film study into your coaching practice. Whether you're a personal trainer or a coach, this post has something for everyone looking to enhance their coaching skills and get better results from their athletes or clients.
Counter-Punch Development Programme
A boxer develops counter-punching skills through a progressive, staged program that begins by mastering defensive actions like the Catch, Block, and Elbow (Blocks Only), followed immediately by offensive responses. The core of the program involves increasing complexity by progressing from Block and Single Punches (Stage 1) to Block and Two Punches (Stage 2) and Block and Three Punches (Stage 3), training the boxer to immediately and effectively retaliate using the hand that just defended.
Boxing Lesson Plan for Large Groups
This 60-minute boxing lesson plan for large groups (24–30 participants) focuses on improving fitness and skills by splitting the class into three groups that rotate across three locations: Punch Bags, an Indoor Circuit, and an Outdoor Partner-work area. After a skipping warm-up, the main content involves three 16-minute segments, each with four structured routines (3-minute rounds/1-minute intervals) focusing on different skills like single-hand bag drills, bodyweight circuits, and specific defensive/offensive partner combinations before concluding with a cool-down.
Cornerman Kit
A well-prepared cornerman needs a comprehensive kit to handle a boxer's physical needs and injuries during a match, organized for quick access and efficient care. Essential equipment includes protective gear like a Cornerman Jacket and Latex Gloves, medical supplies such as Petroleum Jelly, Gauze Swabs, Nasal Plugs, and Bandage Scissors, along with hydration and cooling tools like a Water Bottle with Straw, Ice Bag, and Sponge.
Fitness Boxing Lesson Plan
This 60-minute fitness boxing lesson plan for small groups (2–10 participants) is structured to prioritize individual attention and high-intensity, skill-focused training, with timing adjusted based on class size. The workout follows a robust warm-up with skipping and shadowboxing, dedicates the bulk of the time to 8–12 rounds of themed Bagwork and individual Padwork with the coach, and concludes with a targeted Conditioning circuit before the cool-down.
Session Plan Template
This simple lesson plan template is structured to guide a boxing coach through the four core phases of a training session: Warm Up, Skills, Conditioning, and Cool Down, ensuring a balanced and effective workout. The template requires the coach to pre-define the session's Aim, necessary Equipment, Timing (duration), and the key Coaching Points for execution, concluding with an Evaluation section for post-session reflection.
HIIT Boxing Lesson Plan
This 30-minute High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) boxing lesson plan for intermediate to advanced participants utilizes ten 3-minute rounds (30 seconds work/30 seconds active recovery) alternating between high-intensity bodyweight exercises and punch bag routines to maximize fitness. The workout follows a Warm Up (Rounds 1–3) that integrates basics with squats, a Build-Up (Rounds 4–6) adding defensive slips and push-ups, a high-intensity Peak (Rounds 7–9) introducing rolls and burpee variations, and concludes with a core-focused Cool Down (Round 10) and static stretches.
SWOT Analysis: How to Study a Boxer
The SWOT analysis is a strategic tool adapted for boxing to comprehensively assess a fighter or opponent by evaluating internal Strengths and Weaknesses, alongside external Opportunities and Threats. By using this framework, a boxer can identify patterns and formulate targeted counter-strategies, such as understanding a taller opponent's reliance on reach and planning to close the distance or noting a shorter opponent's need for pressure and maintaining range with a versatile jab.
Coaching Philosophy
Develop your coaching philosophy with this informative post. Discover how to define your coaching values, mission, and goals and how to align them with your coaching style and approach. Whether you're a personal trainer or a coach, this post is a must-read for anyone looking to develop a clear and effective coaching philosophy that will help guide their practice and improve their results with clients or athletes.
Coaching, Creativity and Critical Thinking
Discover the power of creativity and critical thinking in coaching with this informative post. Learn how to use these skills to enhance your coaching effectiveness and help your clients achieve their goals. From brainstorming to problem-solving, explore practical strategies for fostering creativity and critical thinking in your coaching practice in this informative post. Whether you're a personal trainer or a coach, this post has something for everyone looking to improve their coaching skills and help their clients reach their full potential.
The Training Session
A typical training session follows a cyclical structure, moving from low to high intensity and back again, which mirrors the principle of periodization. This structure is segmented into five key phases: a Warm-up (cardiorespiratory), Movement Preparation (dynamic stretches), the Main Workout (resistance exercise), a Cool Down (cardiorespiratory), and Tissue Restoration (static stretches).
Partnerwork for Boxing
What boxing drills can be done with a partner? Partnerwork is the cooperative practice of techniques that gives boxers a safe, light, and slow glimpse into sparring without the risk of injury. It differs from sparring by being highly specific and requiring less protective equipment, with the core challenge being a clear definition of the task by the coach.
The Kinetic Chain Principle
What is good movement? The Kinetic Chain Principle (KCP) views boxing movement as a functional sequence of linked body parts, essential for transferring power efficiently from the lower body to the upper body. A full engagement of this chain, from the ground up through the hips and trunk, is crucial for generating maximum punching power and maintaining vital balance and stability.
Here’s an IDEA: How to Clearly Demonstrate Techniques
The IDEA acronym — Introduction, Demonstration, Explanation, and Action — is a powerful, whole-to-parts approach coaches use to clearly and efficiently teach movement techniques. It begins by stating the name and showing the complete technique, then breaks it down into component parts, before finally commanding the practice.
Coaching: Instruction and Plain Language
Improve your coaching with the power of plain language. Discover how to communicate more effectively with your clients and athletes by breaking down complex concepts into simple, easy-to-understand language in this informative post. From jargon to technical terms, explore the common pitfalls of ineffective coaching and learn how to use plain language to inspire and motivate your clients to reach their full potential.
