How I believe fitness boxers can benefit from some boxing skills
You can not deny that boxing is a great workout. Something is very satisfying about hitting a bag or having someone hold focus mitts for you. For the layperson, it doesn't matter how you hit. As long as you could get out whatever it was, you were holding in.
Believe it or not, I started as a fitness junkie and fitness boxing was my go-to. The fitness instructor taught me zero technique, apart from keeping your hands up, which we didn't do anyway because a) it was tiring and b) we had no consequences. They had me swinging out wide and engaging none of the muscle groups I should be working. Turning our knuckles over was non-existent, and chicken wings were the norm. But I truly believed I was boxing.
Because the technique is not the focus, spending time on adopting correct movement patterns is minimal.
After years of proper boxing training, I only wish I had been taught the correct technique from the beginning. Not because I wanted a head start in my development as a fighter, but because I realise now, my workouts would have been far more effective. Just like lifting weights, if you don't execute your lift with the correct technique and engage the right muscle groups, you'll either potentially injure yourself or see limited progress. I see boxing very much the same.
As a boxing coach, I train both people who want to learn and apply their skill and those who use boxing to stay fit. Funny enough, my challenges lie in teaching those who only want to engage in fitness boxing. I've had to find a happy medium between technique, work rate and volume. After much trial and error, I believe fitness boxers can benefit from learning boxing skills not only for injury prevention but for an even more rewarding workout. All I ask is you have an open mind. Below are a few fitness boxing myths I've come across since I've been coaching.
1. Boxing is easy
You just hit it. How hard could it be? Make contact, mission accomplished. Punching is hard work, but what's even more hard work is punching with good technique. Boxing is a full-body workout, but 50% of that training is missing because most people aren't engaging the lower half of their body. Because the technique is not the focus, spending time on adopting correct movement patterns is minimal. And then injuries happen. I admit technique is a hard sell when clients want to go full-throttle because you don't need technique for instant gratification. I also understand not all people know how to move their bodies. Many are office workers, have stationary jobs and sit at a desk all day and have lost that inherent ability for the body to do what it's designed to do. More reason to focus on your movement. You may hate me for slowing you down, and you might think that I'm not giving you that workout you signed up for, but I promise you that it will pay dividends long-term (minus the injuries).
I'll still tell you to keep your hands up even though no-one's going to hit you back.
2. You hold pads, and the puncher does all the work
Everyone loves pad work! It's probably the most realistic application fitness boxers get to boxing. Many people don't realise pad holding is a skill and a workout in itself when done correctly. Good punching technique starts with the pad holder. Unfortunately, little time is spent on teaching people how to hold pads correctly. Again, an opportunity missed on extending your workout. Some are a little intimidated by holding pads because there is a skill involved, and it requires some thinking, which you can only get better at with practice. It is for this reason I incorporate pad holding technique components, sometimes in replace of boxing technique. Again, slowing things down to get it right before you dive in won't just make you a better pad holder. It makes you a better training partner so your partner too can train with good practice. Win-win.
Skill takes time, but it doesn't mean it has to take up the entirety of your workout.
3. I don't need to understand boxing to throw a punch
I'll still tell you to keep your hands up even though no-one's going to hit you back. Defence isn't the only reason for this. Hand position determines the trajectory of your punch and also determines which muscles you recruit. For the fitness boxer, there is no context but sometimes context matters. I often get a lot of questions like, "Why do we throw a lot of jabs?" or "Why am I cutting an angle?" These questions are great, and I highly encourage them since it also allows me to talk boxing with you. As a former fighter, I often mistake coaching people as if they already understand that the purpose is to hit someone. But, in my opinion, our best point of reference is another human being if you want to hone good skill and good practice. All your technique, where you aim and how you move is all based on that target. Without that reference, that technique is lost. In saying that, I don't let my fitness boxers hit each other (that's saved for a boxing class). They only need to understand why they are doing something and why it's done in a certain way so they can keep to their objective and maintain good skill. Everyone needs a goal to aim for, and I believe this point of reference is essential.
Skill takes time, but it doesn't mean it has to take up the entirety of your workout. All I ask is to be a little more aware of what you are doing, practice some control in your movements, and work towards improvement. If everyone exercises good practice, you will not only ensure the safety of your teammates, but you will all grow in skill together. I want to give you a great workout, but I also want to provide you with so much more.
If you're looking to start training, contact STRIKE! for more information. You can also find April at Nuckle gym, Newstead.
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