Fighting Fit

More and more people now a days are incorporating boxing in to their  training schedule, whether it be in a fitness class or playing around with your gyms punching bag putting yourself through the paces. The benefits to boxing are endless and for to start with you don’t need to be the next Muhammad Ali to enjoy the boxing experience.

A boxing workout can be suited for all fitness levels to the very beginner to the sessional pro the benefits are still the same.  The combinations and technique can be changed depending on the client with the intensity either increased or decreased.

Boxing is usually seen as a male dominated activity, as due to the physical nature of boxing, though the aspects and benefits of boxing are just as beneficial to ladies as it is men.

For prime example calorie and fat burning are increased due to the intensity of such an activity. As with boxing the workout entails you to use the larger muscle groups and they are constantly been put through their paces increasing the work load.  More importantly for women boxing doesn’t add muscle bulk but more toning giving definition to the muscle.

With fitness just being one of the many benefits, boxing training also allows you build a functional physique while provide self-confidence. 

The actual boxing workout itself may involve pad work, bag work even a little shadow boxing to the more intense sparring depending on your level of experience. There even might be a few cardiovascular and strength drills so the body is fully conditioned.

As with any new activity you give a try to it is also vital your aware of the safety issues and ensures correct technique is maintained.  Go on give it a try; instead of being fit you could be fighting fit.

David Low

Personal Trainer

Thump Boxing Instructor

Kettlebell (Metabolic Conditioning)

Many people use Kettlebells in their workouts, many stick to the basic swings and clean and jerks completing reps for strength rather than endurance. As a kettlebell user, endurance is important as is all your training, 

You need to be aware and able to control the effects of (HLA) ,Hydrogen lactic acid, a common mistake is that lactic acid causes cramp and stiffness, we now know that Lactic acid is an energy system and is quickly dispersed through the body on being produced. The body also has an in built bicarbonate system which soaks up some of the hydrogen and other byproducts.

The Hydrogen on the other hand is a different matter and is the cause of

• Burning feeling in the muscles
• Laboured breathing
• Muscle contraction
• Muscle inhibition

In order to combat these effects and to have effective endurance , we need to train the body to cope with the demands of the sport.

In order to do this we need to “Address all the components of contact movements in our strength training so that the whole spectrum of flexibility, speed and loads that the muscles will see during training or competition”

The SAID Principle (Specific adaptations to imposed demands) comes hand in hand with the above statement, and allows us to use everything from bodyweight to kettlebells.

Try the following circuit with kettlebells , complete as many reps of each exercise in thirty seconds with fifteen seconds rest in between reps, each set of exercises is grouped in sets of eight, this will allow you to train for five minutes with one minute rest after each set.

Set 1

1. Turkish Get-up alternate sides
2. Side press
3. Arrowhead swings
4.  Clean and press
5. Alternate arm swings
6. Pistol
7. Push Press
8. Double Squats

Set 2

1. Squat holding one KB by the horns in the “steering wheel” position
2. Row
3. Swing
4. 1 leg Deadlift
5. Weighted crunches
6. Squat holding one KB by the horns in the “steering wheel”
7. Diagonal Snatch
8.  Saxon side bends

Set 3

1. Round the worlds
2. Double Swing
3. Clean
4. Renegade Pushup’s
5. Squat Snatch
6. Windmill
7. Bottom up military press
8. Hindu squat

Set 4

1. High Pull
2. Burpees (KB’s in each hand)
3. See saws
4. Reaching Lunges
5. Weighted crunches
6. Shooting stars
7. Turkish get up
8. Sumo squats

Ensure that your kettlebell is of an appropriate weight so that correct form can be maintained for as long as possible.

Perform these sets twice a week incorporating them as part of your strength endurance.