I've said it plenty of times before but I have been lucky enough to meet literally thousands of people brand new to boxing and interested in checking it out. And have probably met hundreds more since I last wrote it. It's always interesting to hear about everyone's expectations going into their first boxing experience. Based on these chats and just what I've read and heard from others, it is safe to say that there are quite a few big myths associated with boxing training. Many of these seem perfectly logical and rational but are not necessarily true at all. Here are my Top 6:
#1) Boxing is an Upper Body Workout Only (Whereas Kickboxing Works the Lower Body)
We definitely hear this a lot and again, it makes sense if you aren't familiar with the sport or experience since you imagine punching as something you do with your hands, arms and chest. By contrast, it would seem logical that since you throw kicks with your legs, kickboxing is all about the lower body while boxing is upper body.
The truth about boxing is that you actually don't throw punches with your hands, chest, upper body, etc. Punches start with the hips and legs. And I think it's fair to say that on certain punches, like hooks, the mast majority of your power comes from the lower body. The lower body is just naturally stronger and the source of most, athletic explosive movements. Now of course we hit someone with our fist and that boxing training very much DOES work the upper body. Every time you land a punch, your arms, shoulders, chest and back absorb the impact. So if you are looking to tone those arms, boxing is a great way to do it but the initial power is generated by the entire body.
#2) Boxing is Cardio Exercise Only
I already gave this one away in the last paragraph but whether you are punching a heavy bag, mitts, or even another person, you receive the benefits of resistance training every time you land a punch. Also, explosive energy and strength is required to generate a punch too. You could extend your arm, touch the bag and bring it back but that would not be a punch. A punch is a sudden distribution of force delivered in a short period of time. Imagine a squat vs a squat jump. You can do a squat in place and take it as slowly as you want. No matter how strong you are, your feet will never leave the ground unless you push both hard and fast, creating enough explosive force upward to make it into a jump. That requires leg strength and it is the same when throwing a punch,
Now of course, boxing is an AMAZING cardio workout too. Going back to the squat/squat jump analogy, if you were to do, say, 15-20 squat jumps in a row. Your heart would be beating fast and you'd be breathing heavy. Exactly how you feel after doing intense cardio. But your legs would feel worked too. Like you had done strength training. Once again, this is the same kind of thing with boxing. Intense cardio PLUS strength.
#3) Boxing is Primarily For Men
This perception has changed a lot over recent years and I hope it continues to do so. In the older days, boxing was primarily for men. Only men competed and very few people trained in boxing who did not do it competitively. We always knew it was a great workout and that if 2 people were going to get into a ring and duke it out, it makes sense to be in the best shape as possible, since your very life depends on it but it took years for us to figure out that you can train exactly like a boxer, get in that great shape, and not have to put your life on the line in combat. There was also this perception, from both movies and in real life, of an old school boxing gym. It's dirty, grimy, in a run down building with spit buckets and hard cases working out. And maybe that works for some but certainly does not have to be the ONLY option for legit boxing training. Fitness has certainly evolved since then and there are lots of good boxing options for everyone. Women also box competitively now, as well as in MMA, kickboxing, etc. and the stigma has definitely changed. At our club, the majority of our members are female.
One side note that I want to throw in here is that in the 90s, a fitness trend emerged at gyms all across the country where cardio kickboxing was introduced into group exercise classes. This was largely due to the success of Tae Bo. It was based on throwing kicks and punches but not in a combat type of scenario. Instead it was more akin to traditional step aerobics. It was fairly popular and since the vast majority of people who took step aerobics classes (or just group exercise classes at big box gyms) were women, I think it created a perception that kickboxing was more friendly to women than boxing was. This was amplified by what I already talked about in Point #1 - the misconception that kickboxing is more lower body and boxing is more upper body - as women generally are more interested in that working their lower body than upper (you will see this in action at just about any weight room you go to). My hope is that women continue to be inspired to take up boxing for fitness because there really are so many benefits that are good for EVERYONE!
#4) You Must Be In Good Shape or Be a Good Athlete To Start Boxing
I can definitely understand an empathize with all of these points that I am identifying as common boxing myths. There is logic to them for sure. This one though, is a little tougher for me to get. I have spoken to people who tell me that they are very interested in boxing but want to get into shape BEFORE they start training. Or lose a few pounds before they start. Boxing training is the best, fastest way to get in shape and burn calories! If these are your goals, start boxing today!! Sure, you will get tired but just like anything else, you can go at your own pace and increase that pace as your physical capacity changes.
You don't have to be a good athlete either. Boxing is something anyone can do and skills like balance and coordination and agility will all improve though boxing, just like your cardio and strength will.
#5) The Best Boxing Coach is a Competitive or Former Competitive Boxer
If someone has boxed professionally or at the amateur level, they must know what they are doing right? Makes total sense. I would have once agreed with this and in some cases, it can be true but you'd be amazed at how many times it isn't. When it comes to sports, especially sports at a high level, many competitors are blessed with physical talents the rest of us do not have. Certain things come naturally to them and/or, they are able to be coached up by good trainers without necessarily developing an instructional mindset. This is true in just about EVERY sport too. If it weren't, the best athletes would also be the best coaches and this is not even remotely the case. Almost the opposite in fact. Do a cursory search for the best coaches of all time in football (American and otherwise), basketball, boxing and even other individual sports like swimming and sprinting and look at their athletic achievements
Now of course that doesn't mean than any ordinary schmo can be a great boxing coach. Because coaching and teaching are separate, specific skills. Just as important, a great coach must have an understanding of the sport on a deeper level others. Be able to break down the physical and mental elements like an expert and know how to improve those things through drills, training, etc.. Be analytical, thoughtful about every little piece. This usually goes hand-in-hand with loving what you are studying and analyzing but more important than even that is loving the process of teaching and helping people get better. And that last part may be even more important still. Most great coaches care about the people they are coaching. Many fighters and other athletes don't necessarily possess these skills and feelings. It's not a knock on them at all. It's just a totally different job.
To compound the problem, I have also seen fighters fool themselves into believing they can coach boxing and teach others with no experience how to box. Not only do they not have all the other skills necessary to be a good instructor but they don't know that they don't have them. This makes it very hard to grow and get better, which is essential to the job. Nobody starts off a great boxing coach. It takes time and hard work. I knew how to box, had messed around a little in the ring, was a certified PT and Group Exercise Instructor and had personally trained people for fitness as well as taught other group exercise classes. I just assumed that all this meant that I would be a great boxing instructor. But I wasn't. I was good at some things. probably. but really had to humble myself and put in the work to to get to where I am now, which still isn't good enough. There is no "good enough" for a coach. Note that this can create a false sense of security in the people being trained. I have met folks who trained with legitimate boxers, champions even, who were never taught some of the critical elements of boxing but since they had been taught by someone of high pedigree, assumed they understood everything too.
#6) I Don't Want To Be A Boxer Or Fight Anybody So I Don't Need To Learn All The Proper Technique
If you've read any other posts on this blog, taken one of my classes, watching any of our videos or spoken to me personally, you have probably heard me say this many, many times before: the better your boxing technique gets, on every level, the better your overall workout, health and wellness will be. You will burn more calories, build more muscle, build muscle in more areas, increase all of your cardio measurements, improve your balance, agility, quickness, reaction time, coordination and top of all that, you will feel better mentally. I will continue to say this over and over and over again too because it is demonstrably true and yet still, I am not sure if people always believe me.
On a similar note, when I tell people that if they throw powerful uppercuts like Mike Tyson, for instance, that all of these fitness benefits I have just described will come and they may think, "Well, I can't physically throw uppercuts like Mike Tyson so this ultimately does not matter." It is true that you probably can't throw uppercuts with as much skill and force and power as Mike Tyson but can you throw uppercuts with more skill and force and power than you currently do? You absolutely, 100% can! I don't even have to know you to know that it is true. Everyone can get better. How much better will depend on a number of factors but you can throw better punches, move better and improve every one of these things I have mentioned through learning better technique. If you STILL don't believe me, I can prove it to you really easily. All you have to do is try.
