How To Perform Cardio-Boxing For Super Fitness
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.
About the author:
Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.comright now for your 'free' weight loss or muscle building e-courses. |
Add Comment |
View All (0)
become a