You are probably taking on one of the toughest sports in the world. If that statement puts you off then boxing isn’t for you. If you can stick around, then get ready for a sport that will give you agility, strength, stamina, speed, mental fortitude, and of course, the ability to throw a great punch.
The Challenge
Welcome to the most challenging activity you have ever done in your life. Now start off with a 7-mile run! Just a joke…that comes later. For now, you have to develop a mindset, a mindset that no matter how difficult it is you will become a boxer. You have to prepare your mind and body for boxing.
Let’s begin with the body first.
Prepping your body
Start by going on runs and working out on alternate days. You can start with a 20 to 30-minute run. The distance doesn’t matter in the beginning, but you have to run like clockwork every other day. The endurance will come in handy for what comes later during boxing training. The workouts should include bodyweight exercises at first, then you can add barbells and dumbbell exercises as you progress.
The exercises that you should include are:
- Squats – 10-20 reps
- Pushups – 10-15 reps
- Dumbbell rows – 8-12 reps
- Jumping Jacks – 25-30 reps
- Barbell shoulder press – 8-10 reps
- Bench press – 8-10 reps
You can do 2 or 3 rounds of these exercises if you can manage and choose weights that you can lift comfortably. Next comes the mental preparation.
Prepping your Mind
You have to start thinking like a boxer before you start boxing. Believe that you are invincible.
The confidence you build in the beginning will take you far. You also need to have patience. You will not become Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson or Rocky Marciano in a month, or even a year. You need to be disciplined and you need to develop that before you ever enter the gym.
Root out negativity from your mind – yes you can move at your own pace, don’t let people demotivate you. As soon as you start boxing and hit your first hurdle, “they” will be there to tell you that you should quit and that boxing isn’t for you. DON’T listen to any of it. There is a reason you chose boxing over any other sport, you are a fighter and hurdles will help you in your first fight; way before you step into a ring. You can also try some yoga poses that will give you more focus and mental strength.
Two poses, in particular, Plank and warrior II, are beneficial for someone who wants to be a boxer.
The Entertainment
Boxing isn’t all work and no play, hardly, it is one of the most entertaining sports in the world.
Just imagine all the skills you get to learn while you are in a gym, so many ways to punch people! We are in no way condoning violence, the hitting should be restricted to the inside of the gym at all times and should only be used to pummel and defeat opponents.
There is much to learn in this great sport of boxing that you will never get bored of it. You will have like-minded people who feel the passion for the sport. There is equipment to master, skills to learn, punches to take and opponents to beat. You will be having fun every minute you are in the gym.
The Fitness and Muscle Growth
With all the work that goes into the training for boxing, you will never have to worry about fitness. You will use muscle groups like anterior and posterior deltoids, biceps, triceps, core, back, and most of your leg muscles too.
To complete the action of a powerful punch, you will have to put your whole body’s weight into it, clearly, every muscle will count. You won’t get buff doing boxing, but your muscle will increase and your body will be more toned.
The Proprioception
What is that? Perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body.
- Boxing raises your spatial awareness.
- Boxing improves your hand-eye coordination.
- Boxing makes your mind and body work as one unit.
- Your Kinesthetic Intelligence will increase as a result of all of that. You can learn more about what exactly Kinesthetic Intelligence is by clicking here.
There is nothing more that you need to know for now. Get yourself into a gym and start prepping yourself.
That’s it for now. This was only the first step, we will have a whole series of blogs for you; everything you need to know about the world of boxing. You should stick with us while you go on your journey to becoming a boxer.
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