Many people believe that boxing is only an upper-body sport; however, the true power of a punch comes from your hips, core, and lower body, making boxing a whole-body sport. As a boxer, you must complement your boxing training with strength exercises.
List of the Best Strength Exercises for Boxing Training
A strength training exercise program for boxers could make a difference in the success of your boxing career. Here are 8 exercises for boxers to perform in order to improve athletic abilities such as balance, strength, flexibility, endurance, coordination, speed, power, and stamina.
1. Squats
Squats increase lower-body strength by working the glutes and quadriceps muscles. They also use the core to keep the body stable throughout the exercise. Squats can be done with just your body weight or “weighted” with kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, or bands to increase resistance as you build strength.
2. Push-ups
Push-ups are a series of push or press movements that works all of the upper body pressing muscles, including your chest, shoulders, and triceps. In addition, because you are in a high plank position, you also engage your core and legs for stability.
3. Pull-ups
Pull-ups are another upper-body exercise that utilizes your body weight as resistance and recruits multiple large muscle groups, primarily the back and biceps. To perform a pull-up, grab a bar overhead and pull your body up to the bar with your upper body strength.
4. Deadlifts
Deadlifts are widely regarded as one of the best exercises for training the back, specifically the glutes and hamstrings. There are numerous types of deadlifts, including the Romanian (where you lower the weight as you hinge your hips), the traditional barbell (where the weight is lifted from the floor), and the sumo (with a wider stance and toes pointing approximately 45 degrees out).
To reduce the risk of injury when performing deadlifts, as with all resistance exercises, you must use proper form. Begin by practicing the movement without any resistance. Then, gradually add weight as you build strength.
5. Glute Bridges
Glute bridges (also known as hip bridges) are exercises that target one of the largest muscles in the lower body—the glutes(buttocks). Besides that, they also help to build leg strength and core stability.
6. Walking Lunges
Walking lunges are an alternative to static lunges. Instead of standing back up after performing a static bodyweight lunge on one leg, you “walk” forward by lunging out with the other leg. Walking lunges work the legs as well as the core, hips, and glutes. You can also increase the difficulty of walking lunges by adding weights or performing a walking lunge with a torso twist.
7. Biceps Curls
Biceps curls are an upper-body exercise that focuses on the muscles on the front of the upper arms. This exercise can be done in a variety of ways, including with dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, resistance bands, or cable machines. Begin with a standing alternating dumbbell biceps curl, which can be performed anywhere.
8. Overhead Triceps Extensions
An overhead triceps extension, also known as a dumbbell triceps extension, is a triceps-specific isolation exercise. You can perform an overhead triceps extension exercise by holding a pair of dumbbells while standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then, raise the dumbbells above your head. Maintain your upper arms in place and hinge your elbows, lifting dumbbells overhead in a full range of motion.
Conclusion
Besides using a bob punching bag for your boxing training, you can also do one of the exercises above to get yourself in great shape. Add 1-3 strength exercises to your boxing workouts and follow your training routine consistently. Consistency is the key to building a great body image and becoming the great boxer that you always strive to be.
