Blog: Musings of a Boxing Fitness Coach
The Silent Confession: Why Padwork Reveals More About a Fighter’s Mind Than Their Words
Padwork is often viewed as a physical drill, but it functions more accurately as a psychological interrogation that bypasses social filters. By analysing a boxer’s reaction to rhythm, error, and fatigue, a coach can uncover deep-seated personality traits that a conversation alone cannot reveal.
ABC’s of Combo Style
To elevate your boxing fitness training and develop unpredictability, you can vary your punch sequences based on the "ABC's of Combo Style": Aggressive, Body, and Counter. Aggressive combos build cardiovascular fitness and power, Body combos target the midsection to boost core strength and endurance, and Counter combos improve reflexes and defensive timing by being thrown in response to an attack.
ABC Blocks: Mastering the Letter System for Effective Defence Training
Dive into the 'ABC Blocks' method for streamlined defence training. This guide breaks down each move from Rear Catch to Lead Elbow, helping you refine your skills one letter at a time. Explore, practice, and perfect with this systematic approach.
Padwork Inspiration: 30 Examples of Excellent Padwork for Boxing
Excellent boxing padwork is an essential tool for coaches and trainers to elevate a boxer's skill level, focusing on improving punches, blocks, footwork, and head movement through dedicated practice. The examples showcase 30 legendary and influential coaches demonstrating diverse approaches to technical mastery.
Pro Boxer Inspired Boxing Combinations
Take your boxing skills to the next level with these pro boxer inspired combinations. From jabs and hooks to uppercuts and crosses, learn how to execute these advanced techniques with ease and finesse.
Combos All Year Round: 12 Boxing Themes for Each Month of the Year
Keep your boxing training fresh all year round with these 12 boxing themes, one for each month of the year. From "Counter-Punches" to "Head Movement," discover new training challenges and techniques to improve your skills and stay motivated in this comprehensive guide.
Fight Like a Pro: A-Z Guide of Boxing Combinations by the Greatest Fighters
Learn from the best with this A-Z guide of boxing combinations by the greatest fighters. From Muhammad Ali to Mike Tyson, explore the signature moves and techniques of boxing legends and incorporate them into your own training in this comprehensive reference. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced boxer, this post has something for everyone.
7 Styles of Padwork in Boxing
To add variety and complexity to boxing training, padwork can be structured into seven distinct styles that help improve everything from single-punch mechanics to advanced combination delivery. These styles include foundational Single Punches and Short Combinations, progressive methods like Stacking and Layering, continuous drills like Looping, memory-focused drills using Names & Cues, and the high-pressure endurance training of Old School padwork.
Combo Collection: 100 Iconic Boxing Combinations from Ali to Mayweather
Discover 100 iconic boxing combinations from the greatest boxers of all time in this informative post. From Muhammad Ali to Floyd Mayweather, explore the signature combinations that have made these boxers legends in the sport. Whether you're a fan of boxing or simply interested in learning more about the art of boxing combinations, this post is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their technique and add variety to their training routine.
Punch Patterns
A punch pattern is an abstract rule that helps boxers systematically practice and mentally chunk a wide variety of punch and defensive combinations. This structure allows a coach to generate numerous training drills across different themes, such as a Straight Punch Pattern or a Roll Pattern, improving both striking and defensive transitions.
Routine Padwork vs Reaction Padwork
Routine Padwork involves the systematic repetition of specific, pre-determined techniques and combinations, primarily focused on developing perfect form, coordination, and memory, and serves as a crucial prerequisite for advanced training. In contrast, Reaction Padwork prepares a boxer for the unpredictable nature of a fight by requiring them to execute different punches, defensive movements, and combinations in real-time as cued by the coach, moving immediately to the next instruction even after mistakes, reflecting the flow of a live opponent.
26 Punch Combinations
Practicing boxing combinations, or sequences of rapid punches, is vital for a boxer's training as it significantly improves hand speed, coordination, and overall punching power. These drills are essential for scoring points, landing clean shots, and catching an opponent off guard, and this post provides a list of 26 varied combinations to incorporate into shadowboxing or padwork sessions.
30 Boxing Coaches to Follow on Instagram
The pace of new boxing techniques and training methods requires boxers and coaches to stay constantly informed to avoid a disadvantage. To gain a deeper and broader knowledge of boxing, follow them on social media. Here is a list of 30 expert coaches on Instagram.
Boxing Padwork Basics: Punches
Padwork is essential for practicing combinations in a controlled environment, but it requires the coach (or partner) to use clear cues and proper pad positioning. The fundamental challenge for the pad holder is to effectively call out a punch and present the target pad correctly, while the boxer focuses on execution.
26 Block Combinations
Practicing block combinations, even without throwing punches, is a valuable aspect of padwork that significantly improves a boxer's defence, anticipation, and reaction skills. By chaining together purely defensive techniques like the Lead Elbow, Rear Block, and Catch, a boxer develops the fluid defensive reflexes necessary to evade punches, disrupt an opponent's rhythm, and quickly set up subsequent counterattacks.
99-Punch Combination
The 99-Punch Combination is a challenging, extended drill designed to focus training and test a boxer's memory, speed, and endurance. This demanding sequence systematically integrates punches with defensive movements, such as Elbow Blocks, Slips, and Rolls, to create a complex routine that requires execution in under 30 seconds.
Boxing Padwork: Non-Verbal Cues
Expert coaches use non-verbal cues — specific hand positions, pad angles, and body movements — to efficiently command multiple punch combinations without excessive talking. This method provides shorthand instruction for techniques like Punches, Blocks, and Head Movement, allowing for faster, more complex, and less predictable padwork sessions.
Boxing Padwork: Verbal Cues
Improve your boxing padwork with these essential verbal cues. Discover how to communicate effectively with your partner during padwork drills and improve your technique and precision in this informative post. Whether you're a personal trainer or a boxer looking to improve your skills, this post is a must-read for anyone interested in the art of boxing padwork.
Cycles and Plug-Ins: An Advanced Type of Padwork for Boxing
How does Roger Mayweather teach combinations? Cycling (or Looping) is an advanced padwork method that involves repeating a chosen combination indefinitely, effectively creating an automated baseline rhythm. During the cycle, the coach introduces "plug-ins" — pre-set, non-repeating combinations — at key moments to force the boxer to immediately break rhythm, promoting mental focus, quick adjustments, and improved stamina.
The 3 Mayweather Padwork Styles
Take your padwork to the next level with these 3 Mayweather padwork styles. Discover the secrets behind Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s legendary skills and learn how to incorporate his signature techniques into your own training in this informative post. From the "pull=counter" to the "shoulder roll," explore the techniques that have made Mayweather one of the greatest boxers of all time.
