Ever wondered why most sports scientists agree that
cardio-boxing is one of the best forms of exercise, well it is
because it conditions the total body and provides a
complete workout for your cardiovascular and endurance
systems. Lets have a look at the benefits:
The major benefits of cardio-boxing include:
* Increased Stamina
* Increased Strength
* Increased Speed
* Increased Coordination
Cardio-boxing also promotes a person's well being by
strengthening their self-discipline and combined with
strength training it's well and truly the total package for self-
defence and fitness and usually consists of:
* Adjusted heart rate work
* Actual boxing techniques
The usual workout consists of the age-adjusted heart rate
work starting with 10 minutes for beginners and leading up
to 20 minutes for the more advanced. For the second part
of the workout, you'll need to perform and practice 20
minutes of actual boxing techniques.
Cardio
The best way to measure the effects of an exercise
program on your body is to check your pulse.
The easiest way to check the pulse is to place your index
and middle fingers on your carotid artery or the wrist.
Immediately after the exercise, count your pulse for 15
seconds and multiply by 4.
You can also check your pulse during the exercise but with
safety as a first priority. To get a more precise reading of
your pulse rate, purchase an electronic device from any
sports store.
Now you have your exercising pulse rate or heartbeats per
minute. We'll be concentrating at the upper end of your
pulse region: the 50% - 70% ranges.
To figure this out, deduct your age from 220. Suppose your
age is 40, deduct this from 220 and you get 180.
50% of 180 is 90 beats a minute,
60% of 180 is 108 beats a minute,
70% of 180 is 126 beats a minute and so on.
Don't jump into 70% work straight away. Start with 50%
and slowly work your way up to the 70% upper limit.
Start with no more than 10 minutes, and work up to 20
minutes. Once you're comfortable with working out for 20
minutes at 70% then try to increase the heart rate up to
80%.
Mix up your cardiovascular activities in the gym. Use the
treadmill, skipping, rower, climber, and bike and other
equipment that might be available to you.
Boxing
The boxing stance is the posture a boxer takes before and
after every action depending on whether you are left or
right handed. We'll be dealing with the most common;
right-handed. For left-handed people, just reverse the
instructions.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, with your left foot
in front of your right foot. Your right heel should be slightly
raised with your left foot flat on the floor and toes pointing
ahead.
Bend your knees a little and balance your weight
comfortably and evenly.
Place your elbows close to your body with your left fist held
at head height and in a position that corresponds to your
left foot.
The right fist should be at head height also and guarding
the chin, with both elbows protecting your body and both
fists protecting your chin.
This is your defensive and offensive position after throwing
punches, so please practice this before going any further.
When moving forward in this boxing stance the left foot
moves forward first and then the right follows.
When moving back, the right moves back and then the left
follows. When moving sideward to the right, the right foot
moves first followed by the left. When moving sideward to
the left, the left foot moves first followed by the right.
Practice this moving forward, back and sideward in the
boxer's stance until it is done smoothly and quickly.
Remember to keep your guard up and elbows tucked in to
your sides.
Keep your head at eye level with your upper body leaning
forward slightly. In boxing it is important that punches are
thrown quickly and then bought back quickly to assume a
defensive posture.
Punching
A left jab has many uses, it can be used for both offensive
and Defensive actions. From the set stance the left arm is
pushed quickly and forcefully forward, the weight is shifted
to the front foot. The fist moves in a straight line and
straight back again for defence.
At the moment of impact the back of the hand and the
lower arm are in a straight line. Keep the right fist in the
defensive position and elbow tucked into the body during
the movement.
The straight right is also known as the punching hand and
can be thrown with considerable force. The arm moves
straightforward from the chin, the body weight is shifted to
the front foot with the ball of the foot of the back leg pushing
into the floor for more power.
The back of the hand is straight and pointing up at the
moment of impact. The arm is then immediately pulled
back for protection after the hit.
The left hook to the head and body is an effective punch for
closer range work. From the set stance turn your left
shoulder quickly and move your elbow up to shoulder
height. The fist moves in a circular motion to the target,
with the elbow bent.
Rotate your hip and body whilst pressing your front left
down keeping the back of your fist pointing up and in a
straight line with the lower arm. The left hook to the body is
similar to the above but increases the rotation of the body
The right uppercut is also carried out at close range. Drop
the lower part of your punching arm until the lower and
upper arm is at right angles to each other. The back of your
hand should be pointing away from you, now thrust your
arm forward and upward to your target.
Shift your body weight to your front leg and rotate your hip
and shoulder on the same side. Remember to keep your
left fist guarding your chin during the entire movement.
Now practice all your punches until they are done quickly
and smoothly.
To develop speed and endurance, try punching straight left
and right combinations into the heavy bag.
The duration of the exercise period is the same as the rest
period i.e. 10 seconds exercise, 10 seconds rest, 20
seconds exercise, 20 seconds rest, and so on. Move up
higher as your condition improves.
Believe me after you start applying Cardio-Boxing to your
regular fitness workouts your cardiovascular and
endurance systems will thank you for it.
Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight loss or muscle building e-courses.
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