How to Train Like a Professional Boxer

Introduction 

It takes years of hard work and dedication to become a professional boxer. It requires unwavering perseverance, utmost dedication, and tremendous will power. It’s definitely not a sport for the faint-hearted. Boxers often devote their lives to the sport and commit to a routine of high-intensity training sessions.

Jason Strout, head coach at NYC’s renowned Church St. Boxing Gym, gets to the heart of the matter when he says “You’re trying to mimic what it’s going to be like in the ring.”

Endurance, strength and power, and speed are the four core elements of being a professional boxer. Keeping these aspects in mind here are a few tips on training like a pro.

Focus on cardio for endurance

In order to build on your endurance you need to first start working on your cardio. Good cardio ensures that your oxygen intake is high enabling you to perform better without running out of breath. For instance, morning runs for five days a week. You need to push yourself, being relaxed while exercising nullifies any positive outcome. Swimming, cycling, running, and skipping are great cardio exercises. Boxing in itself is excellent cardio as it requires continuous movement over and over.

Mix things up for strength and power

Normally boxers train for strength thrice a week. Remember boxing is not just about strength so just deadlifts or dumbbell curls are not going to help much.

Boxing requires your whole body to work like a well-oiled machine. If even one part of your body is weaker than the other, it will hinder the other body parts to perform to their full potential.

Therefore, a combination of deadlifts, push exercises, squats, battle ropes, sit ups, crunches, and chin ups works best to strengthen your shoulders, arms, core, and legs.

The need for speed

To pack some serious speed into your punches, you’ll require a lot of punching bag routines. Practice speed punching combos of 2, 4, or 6 punches for a minute and a half to two minutes each set.

Bear in mind that for speed punching you don’t need to focus much on power or endurance. Also, dumbbell shadow boxing, clap push-ups, punch-out drills, and working on speed bags help improve hand speed. For faster footwork sprinting, jump squats, and water running are excellent exercises.

Master the techniques

Sooner or later you will need to perfect your technique. Proper technique will enable you to execute the same job with lesser loss of energy. Good offense and defence techniques will allow you to punch harder and with precision as well as evade your opponent’s punches effectively. Get help from an experienced trainer or a coach and learn from them. The more time you spend on practicing and perfecting a technique or a move, the more natural it becomes for your body to execute it time and again.

Eat like a king and sleep like a baby

For highly demanding and intensive training sessions rest is pivotal for muscle recovery. When you train so intensely, getting a good 8-10 hours of sleep is of paramount importance. Your diet should include a tub load of salad, chicken, fish, a lot of vegetables, and a lot of water. You are what you eat and eating bad will make you feel just as bad.

Invest in the right equipment

Training like a professional boxer requires a lot of heart, drive, and the right punch equipment boxing gloves. Along with hard work, getting top-notch equipment will ensure faster muscle development, better time management, efficiency, and better control over your workout sessions.

The Takeaway

Becoming a pro boxer is isn’t an overnight job. But these tips will help you take your training to the next level, so you can get there faster.

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About Theresa Duncan

Originally from Detroit, MI, Theresa has been offering health and fitness advice for the last 30 years while working as an engineer. She decided to turn her passion into a profession, and finds nothing more satisfying than helping others reach their health and fitness goals.