Boxing is one of the toughest and most skilled sports in the world. Competing against another person to see who is superior with their fists has been around for thousands of years and probably since man first appeared on the planet.

Boxing is a dynamic sport in that it requires a dynamic range of movements incorporating every muscle in the body. Boxing can also go from slow to medium to fast pace at the blink of an eye and we need to be ready for whatever our opponent throws at us.

Swimming is great for boxing because it allows us to work every muscle in our body and to build our aerobic and anaerobic conditioning systems without any impact on our knees like running. Since boxing requires such good conditioning, hitting the energy systems in as many different ways as possible is a good idea and swimming is an excellent exercise to incorporate along with our other forms of cardio as it also helps us to control our breathing, relax more, build our arm endurance, lung capacity and get a great workout without putting any pressure on our joints. It’s also works wonders for Active Recovery.

 

Recap On The Energy Systems

Boxing requires all 3 of energy systems (Aerobic, Anaerobic, Alactic) to be in peak condition. We need to have the stamina to last 12 rounds, we need the power and technique to land blows on our opponent and control the action and we need the explosive power to get the knockout when the time comes.

Aerobic Conditioning: This is your base fitness and it allows you to stay fresh for the full 12 rounds of a fight. Aerobic exercises are fuelled by oxygen like jogging or cycling. Boxers run everyday to improve their aerobic conditioning and this is the system that can allow a solid anaerobic system to be built upon it.

Anaerobic Conditioning: Is when the body performs the exercise without the muscles being restored by oxygen. It is like throwing punches as fast as you can against the bag for 30 seconds. You fell the lactic acid building up in your arms, forcing you to stop. Anaerobic conditioning includes bag drills, pad drills, sprints and strength work.

Alactic System: The Alactic system builds on your anaerobic system and it represents your bodies maximum output in under 5 seconds. The Alactic system is like throwing your hardest punch looking for the knockout. The Alactic system tires very quickly and it is in our best interests to develop all three systems as much as possible because boxing depends on all three systems almost equally.

 

Benefits Of Swimming For Boxers

Swimming allows us to build the aerobic and anaerobic conditioning systems along with arm endurance and it is a total body workout with plenty of other great benefits.

1. Perfect Replacement For Running

If you want to be a boxer, you are going to need to train 5 or 6 days a week and this can break the body down, leaving us feeling sore and worn down. Boxing depends heavily on the legs for movement and this puts a lot of pressure on the knees. Add this to running everyday and you will see why boxers are turning towards other methods of cardio like swimming and cycling as an alternative that will allow their joints some much needed recovery.

 

2. Builds Our Aerobic Conditioning In A Different Way

Boxing is like a game of chess. When you spar a new person, you have to get used to their style which takes time and if you are in a fight you need to adapt to a new opponent’s style very quickly.

We want variety in our workouts so we are used to seeing new things and we want our body to be able to be responsive to new challenges and workouts. If we run everyday, our body quickly gets used to it and we need to run faster and longer distances to keep improving or we can try different forms of cardio that can be equally effective.

By swimming 20+ laps, slowly and without stopping, we are giving the body a cardio workout just like running but it is working different muscles in a different way and developing our cardio at a different angle from running.

 

3. Good For Anaerobic Conditioning

By swimming 1 lap as fast as we can and then taking a little break and doing another fast lap for a total of 10 laps, we can easily tap into our anaerobic system which is what allows us to throw punches and combos throughout the fight and recover quickly.

When we are talking about the anaerobic system, this means swimming as fast as we can for 10-40 seconds, taking a little break and going again.

 

4. Builds Arm Endurance

While running is cardio that relies heavily on the legs, swimming is heavily dependent on the arms and shoulders.

When you are new to boxing the shoulders are what gets tired most quickly so having a cardio workout that builds your overall fitness engine while primarily building the endurance in the arms and shoulders is a huge plus.

Slow pace steady swimming without a break for 20-30 minutes will be an excellent way to improve your cardio and endurance within the ring.

 

5. Swimming Builds The Legs

Water is 700% denser than air so it is the perfect environment for building the legs. Kicking consistently for 20 or 30 minutes with a training aid to isolate the legs can be excellent for increasing overall conditioning in the lower body that has no impact on the knees.

 

6. Swimming Is Perfect For High Intensity Interval Training

High Intensity Interval Training involves mixing intervals of high intensity work (Anaerobic) with an active rest period where we keep working but at a lower pace (Aerobic).

This allows to really hit those two conditioning systems in an effective way without taking a full break.

In a swimming pool this would equate to swimming 1 length as fast as you can and then swimming 1 length at a slow pace to recover but without stopping.

Do 10 rounds of 1 fast length and 1 slow length for a very effective workout.

High Intensity Interval Training is great for fat loss and highly effective for developing our aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, you knees will be thankful for it also, afterwards.

 

7. Swimming Requires You To Relax And Control Your Breathing

Breathing correctly in the ring really increase your fuel economy and efficiency. Relaxing in the ring also conserves energy. Being frigid and stiff will require a lot more energy on your part so if you can learn to get comfortable and focus on your breathing it will be a big advantage.

Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth is the correct way to do this and if you get it right in the swimming pool, you will easily be able to get it right in the gym.

Swimming also release a different set of endorphins from running and boxing so it can get your feeling good and reduce anxiety.

 

8. Swimming Is Great For Active Recovery And Relaxation

If you had a hard session of sparring, training or running, you could take a day off or you could go down the pool and do a few easy lengths for active recovery.

DOMS or delayed onset muscles soreness is the feeling you get when your muscles fill with water after intense exercise causing them to feel sore to move and heavy.

Recent studies have shown that Active recovery on you rest day can actually increase the performance of athletes the following.

Getting down the pool doing 5 or 10 easy laps can be a perfect alternative to sitting at home watching the sport.

Recover with a protein shake in the jacuzzi or the sauna for a real day of relaxation, enjoyment and active recovery.

 

9. Shadowboxing Underwater Can Improve Hand Speed

Boxers can utilise the density of water (700 times denser than air) to work on their hand speed underwater.

The resistance provided by the water is an alternative to shadowboxing with dumbbells and it is the perfect way to build punching endurance, speed and even power.

Your hands get used to pushing against the water and when you are back in the air you will notice how your hands move quicker and more easily.

It’s not only good for shadow boxing but you can also do drills like straight punches as fast as you can under water for a minute etc.

Consistency is the key with all training and you will need to do this exercise once a week to keep getting the full benefits.

 

10. Increases Lung Capacity More Than Running

Swimming is such a great workout for the upper and lower body, giving you a tough workout and as you also have to control your breathing, many fighter find that swimming is better for their overall cardio and good for expanded lung capacity more than just running on it’s own.

 

11. Adds Variety To Your Workout Schedule

As touch on, now two opponents in the ring will make you move in the same way and no two rounds in the boxing ring will make you move in the same way. It makes sense then that our cardio should also be varied.

While running may be your primary method of cardio we would certainly recommend adding in a day of swimming and or cycling, to hit the muscles that running doesn’t hit and engage the aerobic and anaerobic conditioning systems in different ways.

We want to become a better all around athlete and that will certainly help us in the ring.

 

Many Great Fighters Swim So You’ll be in good company:

 

Wladamir Klitschko Prefers Swimming Over Running

We can see this is certainly the case in his later career when he incorporated much more swimming than running into his routines for cardio and endurance work stating:

“I run, but boxing conditioning is different, so you have to get used to running in the ring. Boxing movements are very different. Swimming is one of the best because every single muscle is working. I swim a lot. I train very hard at things that mimic boxing. I have to do mostly sport-specific training, such as lots of sparring.”

Wlad trained at Stranglwurtz in Germany which had a state of the art fitness centre and many swimming pools which Wlad frequented a lot.

Wlad last opponent is also a big fan of swimming and that is Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua Is A Big Fan Of Swimming

Joshua uses swimming for cardiovascular endurance and building strength. He uses HIIT training, 1 fast length followed by or 2 slow and he is particularly fond of the breast stroke.

“Swimming is great, it actually builds muscle and also keeps your muscles very active. It’s great for cardio and is not as heavy on the joints and muscles as running.”

We are not sure why building muscle would be a goal and Anthony has actually trimmed off a lot of muscle since his first loss to Andy Ruiz.

Anthony also loves the pool for recovery and relaxing. Life can be quite lonely and boring at the top and getting out of the house to do some active recovery has been shown to be more effective for rest than remaining still. AJ was seen just days after his win to Wladamir Klitschko using the swimming pool for recovery.

 

Floyd Mayweather Jnr Trains In The Swimming Pool

Floyd Mayweather Jnr employed swimming in the build up to his mega fight with Manny Pacquiao, a fight which Mayweather won comfortably.

The champ uses a Sunday for some active recovery in the swimming pool, swimming laps and shadow boxing under the water after a long hard week in the gym.

If the best fighter of this era sees the benefits of swimming, you can be sure it is effective for the sport.

 

Lomachenko Takes His Swimming Very Seriously

Lomachenko is another super fighter who prefers the water over running. He’s swimming training include 10k open waters swims as well as shadowboxing in the pool, doing interval training in the pool and bizarrely holding his breath under which he once held for over 4 minutes leading up to his Olympic effort.

 

 

Should I Do Swimming Instead Of Running

If you are boxing, you should be swimming and running every week but running is so fundamental for overall conditioning and building an aerobic base that we would say that you should use long runs 3 or 4 days a week and swimming 2 days a week.

That is placing a heavy emphasis on swimming but we feel it is granted. Swimming works cardio and the arms and running works cardio and the legs. There are also all the other benefits of swimming we have touched and many of the top pros nowadays are swimming including Terence Crawford, Manny Pacquiao, Errol Spence and the list goes on and on.

 

Is Swimming Better Than Running For Boxing

It’s hard to say which is better but we wouldn’t be deviating from the norms and would be placing heavy emphasis on running and sprinting as well as using the pool for cardio work as well as recovery once or twice a week.

 

If you haven’t been to the swimming pool in a while, it might be time to dust the swimming gear off and jump back in.

This is one of the questions we get asked all the time online and in the gym and it is definitely something worth considering.

If you are completely new to boxing, there is a good chance that the lactic acid is building up in your arms quickly as your body is not used to dealing with these kind of movements and this kind of pressure. The best thing to do is just to keep going to classes and doing the punching drills, hitting the bags and the pads for at least a month to see if it will become more comfortable as your body gets used to it.

If you are a more seasoned beginner or even a good amateur or pro, increasing arm endurance is a science and there are plenty of ways we can increase it. We have all had our arms feeling tired in the boxing ring whether its hitting pads or sparring where your arms are taking shots and absorbing damage as well. The pain we get in our arms when boxing is from lactic acid building up in the muscles and causing them to burn. We need to work our Anaerobic and Alactic energy systems to make sure that we are fully conditioned for whatever comes at us in the boxing ring.

 

Intro To The Bodies Endurance Systems

The body has three energy systems or endurance systems which are all invoked by different kinds of exercise. Boxing is one of the toughest sports on the planet because it is the ultimate form of competition, using one’s fists to impose your dominance over another man or woman. it is a dynamic sport that uses the full body and all of our energy systems.

Boxing can be fast, slow or intense and the fighters need to react with speed, precision and explosive power, while defending against oncoming attacks. The fighter may need to grapple in the clinch and throw punches on the inside for minutes of a round or the fighters can be just circling around taking a breather or looking for openings.

Boxing can go from a slow to a lightning pace in a matter of seconds and we need to make sure our energy systems are trained in the right way to allow us to compete at our highest levels.

 

The Aerobic System

The Aerobic System involves replenishing the body with oxygen as it works and it refers to long pace steady state cardio like jogging, skipping or hill walking. The activity is mildly intensive and can last from 1 minutes to 10 hours+ for ultra runners. This system allows the boxer to stay fresh for many rounds of boxing and it is of the upmost importance.

 

The Anaerobic System

The Anaerobic System is an exercise of high intensity that lasts for 8/10 seconds to about 40 seconds. It would be like Sprint Drills, Boxing Punch Intensity Drills, Strength Training and other exercises where your bodies muscles fill with acid causing them to burn and you to get tired.

 

The Alactic

The Alactic system is the force used for all bodily movements and it too must be replenished. This is the 1 rep max force or power of your body and this is when you are throwing the big shot to try and get the knockout.

Just to Recap:

 

The Aerobic System requires Oxygen and is like jogging for 30 minutes

The Anaerobic exercises cause the muscles to fill with lactic acid and get sore like punching the bag as fast as you can with straight punches for a minute.

The Alactic System is the bodies max power and is like throwing your hardest punch looking for the knockout.

 

How To Maximise Arm Endurance

If we want to take a look at increasing our arm endurance all systems will be important but we want to pay particular attention to the anaerobic system and build our lactic threshold. By increasing our arm endurance we should also increase strength which is very important in the ring.

 

Exercises To Increase Arm Endurance

 

Exercise 1: Bag Drills

If we are talking about our arms getting tired then we can also get unlimited practice with a heavy bag. If you have someone that can hold the bag for you then brilliant if not you can belt away anyway.

Place your round timer on 3 minutes with 30 second intervals.

We will perform 2 exercises for 30 seconds each until the 3 minute round is completed

Round 1: Straight Punches as fast as you can for 30 seconds

Round 2: Powerful And Fast Hooks continuously for 30 seconds

Repeats rounds 1 and 2 until the 3 minutes elapses and do this cycle 3 – 5 times. This is an excellent way to get the lactic acid building up and if you can do this at the end of your work out, even better for your arm endurance.

 

Exercise 2: Pad Drills

Do this pad drill with a partner to really burn the arms and build endurance.

 

Partner 1 holds their gloves up to receive punches from partner 2.

Partner 2 throws a jab to partner 1’s glove and does 1 Push Up

Partner 2 Throws a fast 1-2 to partner 1’s gloves and does 2 Push Ups

Partner 2 throws 3 straight punches and does 3 Push Ups

4 Straight Punches and 4 Push Ups

All the way to 10 Punches and 10 Push Ups

 

Partner 2 then holds the gloves up for partner 1 to do the same.

Do this for 3-5 rounds. Take 30 seconds or a minute break when each partner completes a set or just keep going without a break.

This is really good for building the endurance in your arms as the lactic acid will be present even when you are holding your gloves up for a partner.

 

Exercise 3: Shadow boxing with dumbbells

Shadowboxing is a great way to improve our technique, warm up and increase our arm endurance if we work out at a high tempo. By adding light dumbbells to the exercise we can start to make shadow boxing more intense and therefore more anaerobic than aerobic which will benefit our arm endurance more for boxing.

The dumbbells should weight about 1kg or 2 lbs and not much more. Use the weights to throw your jabs, crosses and hooks. Don’t forget to work on your footwork and head movement as you shadow box.

If you shoot your punches upwards or towards the ceiling, you will bring your shoulders more into play and this is an excellent exercise overall for building arm endurance.

You can shadowbox with weights for the first 2 minutes of the round and then drop them for the last minute and pick up the pace with fast straight punches for the final minute and aim to really burn out the arms with 3 rounds as a warm up.

 

Exercise 4: Sparring

Sparring is the ultimate way to increase your arm endurance as it perfectly simulates the movements and conditioning needed for a fight. Since you will be sparring for 3 minutes, the more intense the sparring is, the more it will work on our arm endurance and the more slow pace it is, the more it will work the aerobic system.

We want to be constantly working our footwork in and out and using the jab to set up our straight shots, hooks and combos. Get inside on your partner, land body shots, hooks and uppercuts.

Not only will your arms need to endure the throwing of punches, you will also need to absorb your opponents shots with your Arms, Gloves and Shoulders which will also make the exercise require more endurance, building it up over time.

 

Exercise 5: Conditioning Circuits

Conditioning Circuits are an excellent way of getting in great shape and they are anaerobic in nature where you move from once exercise to the next without rest and complete all the exercises in the circuit before a round is complete. This can be a great way to increase overall endurance and conditioning.

Sample Circuit – Work On Each Station 30 Seconds continuously and then move to the next exercise

 

Circuit exercise 1. Pushups

 

Push ups continuously for 30 seconds to see how many you can get.

 

Circuit exercise 2. Straight Punches With Dumbbells

 

Throw continuous straight punches for 30 seconds without taking a break

 

Circuit exercise 3: Crunches

Lie on a gym mat and bring your head up to your knees repeatedly for 30 seconds

 

Circuit exercise 4: Burpees

Sprawl to the floor do a push and then jump as high as you can into the air continuously for 30 seconds

 

Circuit exercise 5: Squats

Either use dumbbells or perform a bodyweight squat and keep doing these for 30 seconds.

 

Circuit exercise 6: Shadow Boxing

Free Shadow Boxing working on your straight punches, hooks, uppercuts, footwork and head movement with intensity for 30 seconds.

Repeat the circuit 3 to 5 times for maximum benefit

 

Exercise 6 – Skipping

Skipping is an excellent way to get the arms working for a long period of time in the anaerobic system where lactic acid will build up quickly, especially if you are a beginner.

If you can skip continuously for 3 * 3 minute rounds with a good intensity before you workout, you will develop good endurance in your arms.

The arms will get tired before the legs with skipping so really try to keep a good pace with your skipping and add ankle weights if you want to be like Floyd Mayweather.

 

Exercise 7 – Sprinting

Sprinting is a great way to increase our anaerobic threshold and this is something all professional fighters will incorporate.

Whether you want to do hill sprints (5 Sets of 3) or you want to do sprint conditioning drills, sprinting is a great way to improve your overall endurance and strength. Sprinting may give you a big boost in many areas of your boxing so we definitely recommend it for arm endurance.

 

In the Weights Room

We can make strength gains in the gym without putting on much bulk and we can work our arm endurance by lifting heavy weights and complementing them with endurance assistance exercises.

 

Exercise 8 – Bench Press

Lift heavy bench press for 5 Reps and 5 Sets with as heavy a weight as you can push for 5 reps. Build up your power over time.

Compliment this with Close Grip Press which is just like bench press except you bring your arms much closer together. Do 3 Sets of 15 reps with a weight that suits this number.

 

Exercise 9 – Military Press For Shoulders

This is perfect for building strength in the shoulder if we stick with 5 reps for 5 sets and using a relatively heavy weight.

Compliment this with lateral raises. Use a very light weight to get 15 reps on each side for 3 sets.

These two weight lifting exercises will do very well for your arm endurance because we are in the rep range that builds strength and we are in the rep range that builds endurance with the complimentary exercise.

Weighted Dips and Weighted Push ups are also very good for building the strength and endurance in your arms so make sure to work on these as well.

 

Exercise 10 – Swimming

Swimming is a great exercise for boxing as it uses all of the muscles in the body as well as the shoulders and arms extensively, while allowing us to tap into the anaerobic conditioning system.

Swimming laps at a fast pace can be very good for our condition, stamina and endurance so if you can get down to swimming pool once a week it can be another great way to improve your cardio and arm endurance.

 

Dealing With Shoulder Fatigue

Shoulder fatigue is something all fighters have to contend with and for some it can create serious uncomfort even when they have plenty of stamina and aren’t that tired.

 

This can be down to a few different elements.

You might be too tense which is causing you to drain more energy in your shoulders. If you are rigid, your shoulders are locked in place and your fists are clenched, you are using up a lot more energy than if you just relax, get your breathing right and let your arms flow. Release the tension from your arms, place your gloves on your cheeks with purpose but allow yourself to move without being on edge.

Shadow boxing should help you get your rhythm, learn to relax and let you get your breathing right, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Let your arms shake and flow by your sides and keep this looseness in the ring.

 

Add Endurance To Your Arms

As we have discussed in depth in the article, there are many ways to increase our endurance for fighting.

Maybe your arms aren’t strong enough.

Getting stronger in the weights room might be what you need to increase your shoulders strength and endurance so you don’t suffer fatigue too easily. We don’t want to build useless muscle with weights, we just want to build strength and power so it is important to lift heavy weights for only a few weights and see if this helps with your arm endurance.

 

Will Boxing Build Arm Muscles

Yes boxing can build arm muscles. If you are eating enough and getting good protein your arms and the muscles in your whole body will also get stronger.

Muscle is built when muscles fibres are ripped from intense exercise. The muscle fibres repair themselves by feeding on protein and they come back bigger and stronger.

Boxing and all the circuits and exercises that training entails and the sport itself is enough to build overall muscle, tone, keep your fat levels down and make you look amazing.

 

Why Does A Boxer Need Muscular Endurance

Fighters need muscular endurance because holding your arms up to your head and throwing punches require a lot of effort from your arms, shoulders and your body in general.

If a boxer tries to fight without endurance they will not be able to keep throwing punches and they will not be able to avoid their opponents blows.

 

Should A Boxer Lift Weights

We have touched on this a bit in this article and we have gone into it in great detail in this article. The bottom line is that yes, boxers should be lifting weights but with the goal of adding strength and power without adding useless bulk that we will need to carry around the ring.

By keeping the weights heavy and the reps low we can build strength without a huge amount of extra size and that is why 5*5 training is so good for boxing.

 

Are Lateral Raises Good For Arm Endurance In Boxing?

Absolutely, lateral are a very good complimentary exercise to a heavy compound lift like the military press.

You should arm for 15-20 reps on lateral raises if you want to work your shoulders endurance. Remember the anaerobic system is for relatively difficult exercise of about 20-40 seconds long. Do three sets for a killer shoulder endurance exercise.

 

Do Boxers Do Push Ups Everyday

Boxers will probably be doing push ups 5 or 6 days a week if not 7. It is a very good exercise for building the chest, arms and shoulders endurance so that it is an exercise you probably should be doing every day.

You can add different variations to your push ups like jumping at the end, using a weight vest or plate on your back or lifting one leg off the floor. Push ups are a dynamic exercise for a dynamic sport.

 

Is Boxing 3 Times A Week Enough?

That really depends on what your goals are. If you are doing different workouts on the other days including weight training it will probably be enough to be a good club fighter or an amateur.

If you want to be a professional or top amateur, you really have to have your eyes on training 5 or 6 days a week.

Everyday doesn’t have to be boxing if you incorporate weights, cardio and maybe another sport.

It really is down to yourself. 3 days a week will get you in great shape if your lifestyle is healthy so for the average fitness junkie, 3 days a week is probably perfect.

If you want to fight, you need to train 5 or 6 days.

 

How Often Should I Hit The Heavy Bag

You should hit the heavy bag 5 or 6 times a week if you want to. Work on different things like jabs, crosses, hooks, set up punches, head movement, foot work and use a timer to get 5 * 3 minutes rounds or whatever you want to do that day.

Hitting the heavy bag is good for endurance, stamina and conditioning so any day you are training you should be hitting it. Always remember to wrap your hands to avoid injury to the knuckles and wrist.

 

 

Fighters are well known for their conditioning and when it comes to cardio there are plenty of options. Two of the most popular ways for boxers to condition themselves is with running and skipping.

Jogging and skipping have gone hand in hand with boxing for over 100 years and if we always think that fighters should use boxing and skipping as part of a training routine that incorporates many different forms of cardio and exercises to ensure that the body is ready for anything they might face in the ring. Boxing is one of the most demanding sports in the world and we want to train our aerobic and anaerobic systems in as many effective ways as possible to become better athletes and improve our all round conditioning.

 

Introduction To The Aerobic And Anaerobic Conditioning Systems

Aerobic fitness means ‘With Oxygen’ and it refers to exercises where the body continual takes in oxygen like long steady paced runs, cycles or even walks. It allows fighters to be fresh for long periods of time like 12 rounds of boxing

Anaerobic means ‘Without Oxygen’ and it can be thought of as sprints, swimming full speed or throwing a 12 punch combo. Anaerobic represent explosive bursts of action usually followed by a period of inaction

Boxing uses both conditioning systems heavily so we want to blast them in as many different ways as possible.

 

 

Why Do Boxers Do Long Steady State Runs

Long, steady state jogging is perfect for tapping into the bodies aerobic conditioning system and strengthening it and allowing a fighter to stay fresh as the fight wears on.

Most pros will run everyday and it is seen as an absolute key to fighting by almost everyone.

Running will also build the legs which the boxer will have to use extensively to move around the ring.

Long steady state runs are perfect for conditioning the Quads Hamstrings, Glutes and Calves which are used heavily in boxing with a fighters footwork having a huge bearing on their overall success in the ring.

 

 

 

Why Skipping Is Important For Boxers

We have gone through why skipping is so important for boxing in this article. Skipping allows to develop the coordination between our hands and our feet and it also perfect for working on movement in the ring.

Skipping has many uses and benefits for boxing but the ring movement and improving our footwork and foot speed in the ring are among the most important.

If you are a beginner to boxing and still finding your way around the ring, skipping is probably a better use of your time than running as it coordinates the movement between the hands and feet and simulates what its like to move around the ring more realistically.

Increasing The Pace And Working The Anaerobic System

 

It’s easy to add intensity to both running and skipping and this is the perfect opportunity to work the Anaerobic system. This is sprinting and hill sprints for running and it is increasing the tempo of skipping and lifting the knees as you sprint as fast as you can depraving the body of oxygen.

Boxing and skipping are so popular for boxing because you can work both conditioning systems which are both crucial for performing inside the ring.

 

High Intensity Interval Training

This was a fitness buzz or fad from about tens years ago that has stood the test of time and is a great way to burn more calories and reduce body fat. HIIT involves periods of intense work like 10 second sprints or 10 seconds as fast as you can on the rope and using an active recovery period of 30 seconds where you continue to jog slowly or skip slowly followed by another 10 seconds of intense exercise tapping into the anaerobic conditioning system.

You can incorporate HIIT into your routines and see if it is something you get the benefit out of as it is certainly a good way to train for boxing.

 

Other Reasons Why Skipping Is Good For Boxing

Perfect Warm Up

A fighter enters the gym cold and they want to get warm before they start to train to avoid the risk of injury. Skipping is an easy way to warm up gradually before shadow boxing, hitting the bags or hitting the pads. You can increase the intensity gradual to get the heart rate up and ready for to train.

 

Its Progressive and Enjoyable

The more you practice the better you get and the more techniques you can add to your workouts from double to triple unders. Its just like boxing where the more you train the better you get.

 

Skipping Builds The Shoulders & Arm Endurance

Skipping uses the arms and shoulders which is great for building the endurance in the ring adding another benefit to an already great exercise. Arm endurance is crucial for fighting and very often with skipping, the arms will get tired before the legs so to do longer rounds of skipping can build endurance in the arms.

 

Other Benefits Of Running

 

Running not only builds the aerobic system but is also a great way to get out of the gym, clear your head and get some miles in.

 

Running Builds Overall Toughness and Discipline

Running is tough, especially if you live in a cold climate and you have to run on an empty stomach on a cold and wet morning. That not only builds the bodies but it also builds mental toughness along with offering top class conditioning.

 

It’s Enjoyable

If you can get on your fitness watch and try to beast your time every Sunday or you want to extend the route or increase the pace, running can be very good for stress and most people will actually grow to like it.

 

Conclusion: Which Is Better For Boxing

 

Skipping Is More Important For Beginners

To learn the foot and hand coordination is more important for people getting into boxing. You have to know the basics before you can become a master and footwork is going to be the first thing you need to learn in boxing. The second thing you learn is how to throw a punch. Skipping coordinates to movements of hands and feet in a very similar way to boxing making it a great exercise for beginners.

 

Skipping is also excellent for cardio conditioning and anaerobic conditioning so skipping is always going to be extremely important to fighters at all levels by allowing them to stay light on their toes.

 

 

As You Get Better Running Becomes More Important

If you are going to be sparring, having amateur fights or going on to box professionally, you will want that steady pace aerobic cardio of jogging and you will want to stretch out your fast twitch muscle fibres with sprints before you are jumping in the ring. This will help you to last 3,6,9 or 12 rounds every time with only a short break in between.

 

Do Both As Much As You Can

For almost everyone in boxing it will be better to run and to skip if you can. Go running 1-3 times per week and skip 1-3 times a week for 3, 3 minute rounds before you start you workout to get a good sweat on.

 

 

FAQ Questions On Running For boxing

How Much Should I Run For Boxing

This will vary greatly from person to person but generally 1-3 runs of 5km to 10km should suit most boxers and even amateur fighters. Pro’s fighting in longer bouts should run 3-5 times a week and incorporate sprints and hill sprints into their work outs as well.

 

How Important Is Running For Boxing

Running is crucial for getting into fighting shape, it builds conditioning, stamina, endurance and discipline and it is great for building aerobic capacity. Check out our article on the importance of running for boxing here:

 

Why Do Boxers Run So Early In The Morning

Boxers like to run early in the morning as they often like to run on an empty stomach to burn as much fat as possible if they are trying to make a certain weight or even if not.

They also like to run early in the morning as it will allow them to recover for another session in the afternoon or even two more sessions if you are Floyd Mayweather.

 

 

FAQs About Skipping For Boxing

How Long Should You Skip For In Boxing?

If you are warming up for a boxing workout with skipping, we would recommend 3 * 2 Minute rounds or 3 * 3 minute rounds. This will get you used to working solidly for 3 minutes and then resting for a minute to mirror a fight.

You can also increase the pace gradually to get your heart rate up and get you ready for your full workout.

 

Can Skipping Give You Abs?

Skipping can help to get you Abs but your diet and overall training will be the most important thing to consider. If you are eating crap all the time and only skipping for 10 minutes, it wont give you Abs.

Skipping can help in giving you Abs because when you raise your knees high in skipping, you are really hitting the mid-section and this can definitely help to tone you stomach and help to build and show the abs if you have a low enough body fat percentage.

 

Does Skipping Improve Footwork for boxing?

Yes, skipping is great for improving footwork as you have to constantly be moving and making sure your feet are in the correct position at all times. It also builds coordination between the hands and feet that will allow you to glide around the ring effortlessly.

Skipping is also progressive so as you get better you can add new tricks to your routine and your footwork should continue to get better as you push ahead.

 

Conclusion

Skipping and running are both very important for a fighters conditioning, stamina, endurance, mental strength and discipline.

We would encourage boxers and amateurs alike to practice running and skipping as part of their routine and if you are serious about fighting, you should make these are two components of fight training that you master.