With over 20,000 professional boxers and millions of amateurs around the world, boxing continues to be a fast growing sport. It is physically demanding, mentally taxing, and requires skilled technique to perform at a high level.
That being said, boxing is not reserved for those who want to knock other people out for a living.
If you simply want to shed off a few pounds, gain confidence with your hands, or post pictures of yourself looking intense on Instagram, then boxing may be for you.
Before you do, let’s go over some of the basics.
TRAINING VOLUME
In order to become the best boxer you can be, how many times a week do you need to train?
Well, that depends on your goals.
If your goal with boxing is to shed body fat, then between 2-3 sessions per week is ideal for most people. As mentioned earlier, boxing is a surpassingly exhausting activity. It’s a lot harder than it looks on the TV. You may be thinking a 30 minute boxing cardio class is easy, but that is far from the truth. In fact, boxing can be completely exhausting after only a couple swings on the heavy bag. Working on your conditioning is key to longevity in this sport.
What about for people who want to take it more seriously?
As long as you are getting adequate rest, staying hydrated, and avoiding boxing sessions that leave you gassed for hours, boxing every day might be doable.
Again, the emphasis needs to be on recovery. If you feel good, put the gloves back on and hit the bag. If your shoulders feel numb and your knuckles are bruised, it’s probably time for an off day.
DOES BOXING BUILD MUSCLE
Many weight lifters ponder adding boxing to their routine as a way to build muscle fibers that are not activated during a typical weight session. Is this a practical approach?
While boxing will build lean muscle mass, it is far less efficient than typical weight training. Certain muscle groups such as the core, deltoids, and biceps may see extra stimulation and growth.
However, if your goal is to look like the prototypical bodybuilder, boxing could do more harm than good.
The average boxing class burns around 500 calories an hour, which is equivalent to running around 4 miles at a 7-minute pace. For most people, this will be all the physical activity their body can handle for the day. Lifting weights is already challenging enough, but boxing on top of that? All but experienced weight lifters and well conditioned athletes should probably pass on that.
Yes it is! As previously noted, boxing burns a ton of calories. It also gives you the benefit of the “after-burn effect”, which allows your body to burn additional calories after the session is ended. This is due to the fact boxing is more HIIT, or high intensity interval training, than it is steady-state cardio. The peaks and dives in heart rate is what continues to burn calories hours after your class is over.
Boxing is a full body workout that will leave you exhausted. In order to be able to repeat the process, recovery is essential. Does boxing require any special recovery methods that an average weight lifter wouldn’t use? Well, not really.
Professional boxers use advanced recovery techniques such as cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, and more. These professionals also train intensely multiple times per day and require higher levels of attention than other people.
For someone attending a boxing class a few times a week, the recover process looks very similar to that after a weight training session or athletic event.
The basic tenants are stretching, hydrating, eating a balanced diet, and sleeping well. Beginner boxers will surely feel soreness in their shoulders, biceps, and forearms once they get started. Stretching these muscles adequately after a hard boxing session is one of the best ways to prevent injury and increase longevity.
Now that you know the basics about boxing, the benefits, and how to recover, it’s time to book your first class at O Athletik. We offer a variety of boxing classes depending on interests and experience level.
The fastest way to improve your skill in boxing is to train with experienced coaches and boxers who know their stuff. Fortunately, we have just that at O Athletik.
We recently welcomed Metro Fight Club, an organization led by Saul Soliz that has coached the likes of UFC Champions Cris Cyborg, Tito Ortiz, and Ricco Rodriguez. They are the only gym in Houston that has trained that many UFC champions, and they are now available at O Athletik.
Not only can you now train with one of the most elite boxing coaches in Houston, but you will also have access to O Athletik’s state of the art fitness facility for weight training and cardio routines outside of the ring.
To take your boxing game to the next level, click here to gather more info or here to sign up with O Athletik today.