Boxing ...

[brikis98]

I started doing a heavy bag routine with a couple of my friends a couple weeks ago, and I gotta say it's bloody hard. each of us does the following routine:

* 6 rounds of 2 minutes each
* first round is free: any punch/kick combos you want, just get real warmed up
* second round is speed: any punch/kick combos you want, but focus on form and especially delivering them very quickly
* third round is power: any punch/kick combos, but focus on on form and especially delivering them with a lot of power behind it
* last 3 rounds are "simon says": one of the other people tells you combos to do (e.g. "1-2-3" would be jab, cross, hook) and you have to do them quickly
* very little rest between combos, almost constant punches & kicks
* last 10-15 seconds of each round is a flurry: burn yourself out by going all out on the bag

it's a grand total of 12 minutes of exercise but absolutely kills me every time, almost as if i've been sprinting the whole time. i'm amazed that the pros can do 12 rounds of 3 minutes, all the while getting hit in the head. it's insane.

i absolutely love it and can feel my stamina and form improving, but any advice - including different routines/games to try - is appreciated.

 

[apac]

Agreed, fighting is one of the most exhausting workouts there is, probably because almost the whole point is to fight unpredictably, without rhythm. the dynamic exercise is like sprinting with all of your muscles. I've been taking a practical karate style for ~6 months, and part of almost all belt tests are two 2-minute full contact sparring rounds. In practice and during the test I would make it about 3 minutes before feeling really drained. Many people fail the black belt tests because those are TEN 2-minute sparring rounds. It's truly exhausting.

So for all of those looking to really burn calories, if you can muster the courage to start a martial art, it WILL help improve your stamina, speed and flexibility. I can honestly say that I've never had a workout as demanding and rewarding as a good 1.5 hour training session.

Anyway, OP can I ask where you're learning your forms? Or is it more as a learn-as-you-go, just for fun kinda deal? Right now what you're doing sounds great, but assuming you're not receiving any formal training make sure you're throwing your hips into everything as you improve. It will help your strikes be stronger and puts a huge core workout into the routine from all the torso rotation. Same thing with kicks.

Another piece of advice that I'm hardly able to give, since I'm utterly terrible at it myself, is to relax while fighting. Make sure your shoulders aren't tensed unless you're striking, your core and legs aren't constantly flexed, etc. It's important to flex them before they get hit, but if you are constantly tensed it's an absolutely HUGE sap of energy. While relaxed you will generate more power as you tense into the strikes, while giving your body a breather in between each one. Of course if you're only doing this for the workout rather than the technique maybe the extra burned energy isn't a bad thing.

I don't really have any other heavy bag advice since most of my endurance training is against other people.

 

[SearchMaster]

When I was a kid, my dad watched a lot of boxing. I always thought it was ridiculous that these highly paid professional athletes would be dead tired after 3 or 4 rounds of 3 minutes each.

Now that I'm older, I understand. Especially when I watch my 4 year old play Wii boxing .

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: apac
Anyway, OP can I ask where you're learning your forms? Or is it more as a learn-as-you-go, just for fun kinda deal? Right now what you're doing sounds great, but assuming you're not receiving any formal training make sure you're throwing your hips into everything as you improve. It will help your strikes be stronger and puts a huge core workout into the routine from all the torso rotation. Same thing with kicks.

no formal training, unfortunately. our main goal is to get some fun & effective exercise, but we know we need to shoot for proper technique to make the workout more productive & prevent injuries. we've watched a number of instructional videos online on youtube & expertvillage that focus on proper form and try to help each other do things right.

and yea, all of our strikes - jab, cross, hook, uppercut, elbows, knees, kicks - involve lots of torso/core strength. i've never done another cardio workout that uses my abs & obliques to such an extent. in fact, i've never had another workout that uses just about every muscle in the body!

Originally posted by: apac
Another piece of advice that I'm hardly able to give, since I'm utterly terrible at it myself, is to relax while fighting. Make sure your shoulders aren't tensed unless you're striking, your core and legs aren't constantly flexed, etc. It's important to flex them before they get hit, but if you are constantly tensed it's an absolutely HUGE sap of energy. While relaxed you will generate more power as you tense into the strikes, while giving your body a breather in between each one. Of course if you're only doing this for the workout rather than the technique maybe the extra burned energy isn't a bad thing.

thx for the advice, we'll def. give that a try.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I have been involved in some form of martial art/fighting system or another for nearly 27yrs now, the first 6yrs of which *14-19yrs old* I was competitive. As with any other form of athletic endeavor, not developing bad habits is superior to having to break yourself of them later. That requires having someone capable of recognizing and assisting in correcting, those bad habits. I'd personally be greatly surprised if you and your friends are capable of doing that for each other after just watching some instructional vids. I wouldn't recommend any traditional martial arts system i.e. the ones involving Kata, for what you are grooving on, any sport/competitive oriented system would be a much better fit.

If it is just about the fun workout, then more power to you, but if you are at all interested in anything beyond some pseudo Tae Bo shat later on, you will find yourself forced to correct some bad habits you have developed, and that is much harder than learning it correctly from the get go. Just something for you to think about, as you sound really stoked about it, and having seen the bug bite many people, I somehow doubt you will be satisfied just fighting Mr. Heavy bag down the road. My best friend and I, who started out together, definitely weren't.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
I have been involved in some form of martial art/fighting system or another for nearly 27yrs now, the first 6yrs of which *14-19yrs old* I was competitive. As with any other form of athletic endeavor, not developing bad habits is superior to having to break yourself of them later. That requires having someone capable of recognizing and assisting in correcting, those bad habits. I'd personally be greatly surprised if you and your friends are capable of doing that for each other after just watching some instructional vids. I wouldn't recommend any traditional martial arts system i.e. the ones involving Kata, for what you are grooving on, any sport/competitive oriented system would be a much better fit.

If it is just about the fun workout, then more power to you, but if you are at all interested in anything beyond some pseudo Tae Bo shat later on, you will find yourself forced to correct some bad habits you have developed, and that is much harder than learning it correctly from the get go. Just something for you to think about, as you sound really stoked about it, and having seen the bug bite many people, I somehow doubt you will be satisfied just fighting Mr. Heavy bag down the road. My best friend and I, who started out together, definitely weren't.

i appreciate the advice. the instructional videos we used were for thai boxing & kick boxing techniques from MMA fighters, so no tae bo crap here

we actually are trying to find some formal MMA classes in the area, but are struggling. most of the martial arts around here *seem* to be focused more on forms/styles/belts and very little on the practical aspects of self defense.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: brikis98


i appreciate the advice. the instructional videos we used were for thai boxing & kick boxing techniques from MMA fighters, so no tae bo crap here

we actually are trying to find some formal MMA classes in the area, but are struggling. most of the martial arts around here *seem* to be focused more on forms/styles/belts and very little on the practical aspects of self defense.

Hopefully like many other areas of the country, that will change soon. The pseudo Tae Bo comment was meant to impart my opinion of trying to learn any form of fighting from a instructional vid. I can tell you to stop letting your right drop, tuck your chin, ect. all day, but nothing will make you take advice to heart like getting thumped for it.

As to trying to find some place for your desired training, If you speak with whomever is running one of the traditional schools/Dojo, you may find they also have full-contact or even MMA training, it is just that the most money is usually in the "Art" side of it, handing out belts to kids and adults for learning Kata and perhaps some light points style kumite, because they don't want or desire the real contact part. You may find 1 or more of the area Judo or boxing places that offer non-traditional or extended training as well. The old boxing school in my area now offers MMA and Kick boxing now, the biz model adapts to the market, ain't capitalism grand.

 

[conorvansmack]

PM'd

 

[IceBergSLiM]

I've been training with heavy and speed bag regularly since the summer. As well as keeping up my weight training. People are beginning to give me "holy shit your got fvcking big" and "damn, your getting brolic" and at the club the other day a bartender commented that I was as big as a football player and another customer said don't fuck with him he looks Swoll as fvck.

Definitely the best workout I've ever done.