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When it comes to fitness training one of the most enjoyable activities is boxing. I often hear as a personal trainer how natural a feeling it is to punch something. And as rugged as it may also sound, we are made to do this, it's in our DNA. If used correctly boxing can be a great tool for sports performance cross training, overall fitness and weight loss.
So what is using it correctly? lets define boxing performance. When it comes to combat sport training there generally seems to be two areas of practice 1) fight gyms and training, boxers and fighters training to enter the ring for combat, and 2) boxing fitness, or boxercise which you will see in many health and fitness gyms and even with personal trainers.
Boxing performance is a combination of the two, the training side of a boxer with the elimination of in the ring competition and all out sparring, with all the training being backed by solid training principles.
About what has become boxercise
Due to the aggressive nature of fight gyms boxing fitness classes have evolved in health and fitness facilities to the level, or application, whereby it could hardly be called boxing. Instruction and application whereby participants are merely going through what is an aerobics class. Poor technique from head to toe - especially the misunderstanding of a lead hand, knowledge, and purpose of striking is misunderstood. Because of this participants are missing out on elements such as strength, speed, power, agility (both upper and lower body), balance, reaction time, coordination and anaerobic threshold work. Boxercise classes may be good for aerobic fitness, however this is usually a by-product of genuine boxing training. Punching mitts are also worn which will not challenge coordination. Effective defensive strategies are not taught or practiced, which is an essential element of both the mental and physical aspect of boxing.
About fight gym training
Without a doubt fight training gyms carry an aggressive overtone. There can be no apologies made for this. The battle hardening process that a fighter must go through is an art which has been developed by experienced boxing trainers over hundreds of years. Fight gyms will contain a specific or mixture of western boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai and mixed martial arts. The training principles applied in fight gyms are essentially about the most effective forms of attack and defence over an extended period of time, unlike traditional martial arts which are taught to defuse a situation as soon as possible. This is the fight game. However these principles applied in these environments turn many people away who have not experienced it before, and therefore individuals look for other alternatives to increase levels of fitness and conditioning. The boxing ring is a sacred place asking questions of truth deep within our souls. Fight gyms have a purpose and it's all part of the fight game which must be respected and preserved.
Utilise Boxing Performance
To get the most out of our boxing fitness we must take the training methods from fight gyms, and place them in an environment whereby entering the ring is not the objective. It could be seen as a similar structure to how many martial arts are practiced.
There is no reason why these training methods cannot be applied to create boxing performance. Not only will practitioners gain the aerobic fitness of boxers, but also the exceptional benefits of boxing as mentioned in strength, speed, power, agility, balance, reaction time, coordination and anaerobic threshold. If you want the most out of your boxing fitness training then make the wise decision and seek out a suitable program offering boxing performance.
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