Boxing Stance - The Great Debate

What is the best boxing stance? Should it be wide? Or narrow? How much should the feet be turned? Should they be in a straight line? This is somewhat of controversial topic when it comes to boxing training and you will often hear one side say there is only one answer, one type of boxing stance, that everybody should use. I will tell you that this is 100% not true. There is no one, single way when it comes to a topic like this, where people have different body types and styles. And I am not saying this because I know everything there is to know about the sport. In fact, the more I learn, the more I realize there is to learn! This is one reason I don't ever like to say there can only one way to do anything. I can be absolutely sure about this point, too, because I have seen hundreds of pro boxers and many thousands of people train for boxing. There are many variations on the classic boxing stance that have been successful. Anyone who tells you otherwise is just plain wrong. Now of course many coaches - great, reputable coaches who have trained great fighters - have a way they prefer to teach and believe all new people should be taught their way, but if they really think their way is the only way, they are not as smart as they think.

First and foremost though, I guess I should explain what the heck I am even talking about. As you may know, there is a particular way that boxers like to stand when they fight. It involves their non-dominant foot forward and their dominant foot back. It is a staggered stance that gives them the ability to move in all directions quickly and keep the hips oriented towards their target. But how far away should the feet be? And what way should the toes be turned? This is where the debate can kick in. Here is a general diagram of different foot positions that I have used in the past but I actually do not agree with its representation of "perfect". AND there are many more permutations that I have seen coached where the front foot is turned more to the right and the back foot is turned more forward.

In fact, there are many reputable teachers who will tell you that your front foot MUST be turned at least 45 degrees to the inside (more than any of these images show). I definitely don't agree with that one personally, but it works for many great boxers so it should not be discounted. The problem I have with "Perfect" up above is that both feet are too close to that line, which in my opinion is too narrow. And I don't like narrow for teaching boxing to brand new people because of something I have discussed several times before: the hardest thing to teach, by far, is how to use their whole body to throw punches. Most new folks only use the upper body while the legs and hips remain frozen. Getting them to use the hips and the legs can be a real challenge. What a wider, more square, stance does is give them better balance in all directions and allow them to shift their weight from the left foot to the right and vice versa, which is the essence of just about everything we do in boxing.

Looking at that diagram, I myself lean towards "Too Square". To me, that is just a better stance for learning and a better stance for power. And looking at the bullet points below, I honestly have no idea what they are talking about other than the very first one ("Offer the body as an open target"). It is true that a squarer stance opens up the body, but this may depend a little bit on you, your style, and your build. Some of the greatest technical boxers ever use that stance - Tyson, Canelo, Innoue and Lomachenko to name a few - and good luck finding footage of them taking a lot of body shots. So while technically accurate, it may not actually be in practice depending on the boxer. The next two make no sense to me. I don't feel any more open to falling backwards as long as my feet are staggered (and I turn my back foot out a little more) and not totally square and can jab just as far in the Too Square stance. Then the last bullet point is just a repeat of the first one.

Here is a video where I further discuss my stance on stances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hm9JD-vrfs&t=9s

As a good test, I recommend getting into your boxing stance and having someone push you in 4 directions - forward, back, left and right. You should be able to resist each push equally. If you find you can resist really well in some directions and not others, I think you need a squarer stance than you currently have. Another test is to get down as low as you can and try to shadow box. If you feel really off balance, I would say that your feet are too close together.

When I have seen this discussed online, sometimes the conversation can get muddied up by kickboxing and MMA stances. They are different from traditional boxing stances and what I often read is someone chiming in and talking about versions of the Too Square stance above being better for kickboxing or MMA. This is actually true, in my opinion, but it does NOT that it can't be a boxing stance too. Plenty of boxers use it, including the ones I named earlier. It may not be the best one for you and your particular style but going back to my original point, different boxers have different stances that work for them and that is okay.

Be wary of anyone who claims that their way is the only way for anything. Or that if you do X, Y will happen and that's it. Y is not always true and as sweet scientists, we should always be questioning and learning. The sweet science is never settled. There are strong fundamentals and guidelines - and I recommend everybody at least learn "the rules" before thinking about breaking them. Then stay humble and always be open to things that are new and different, even if you initially disagree.

8 Myths For Those Who Already Train In Boxing For Fitness

When it comes to those who haven't boxed before, of course there are always going to be things they
don't understand until they actually start training. But even then, I have seen people box for years and still have some misperceptions about the sport and training practices as it relates to fitness. Here are the Top 8 myths I have heard repeatedly

#1) The More Punches I Throw, The Better the Workout

Besides the general quality vs. quantity argument when it comes to the skill portion of boxing, imagine you jogged for 20 minutes and counted the number of steps you took. Then imagine you sprinted for 10 seconds, at close to max speed, took a 45-second rest doing nothing, and then sprinted again 20 times. You would spend more time jogging for 20 minutes and take significantly more steps but how do you think you'd feel after each respective session? I would say try it and find out but you I would not recommend this to most as sprinting is significantly, significantly more physically challenging and physically beneficial (provided there are no outstanding health issues that make it a bad thing to try). Boxing is about sprints. Many, many tiny sprints. It is not a steady state jog.

If you are able to incorporate dynamic footwork, head movement, feints and concentrate on making the punches you throw more explosive, you will get a better workout than standing in front of the heavy bag and throwing twice as many punches. If you don't believe it, try it some time!

#2) The More the Heavy Bag Moves, The Harder I Am Punching

I think a lot of people know this already but just in case, if your heavy bag moves when you punch it, you are likely pushing your punches and that is not a good thing. It is actually not more powerful, nor does it allow you to significantly improve your power, nor does it help you get better at boxing.

#3) I Am Not Going To Be Doing Any Fighting in the Ring So...

There are a lot of ways to finish this sentence that are incorrect. I will go through some of them specifically but something that applies generally is something I say almost daily and will continue to say it: the better you get at boxing, the better your workout will be. I am sure that there are those out there who think I am just saying that, as I am biased and really love boxing and want people to get better at it, but it is scientifically undeniable. And the more you learn about boxing, the more you realize it is true. For anyone who doubts, I would say that is one of those cases where they don't know what they don't know.

Here are some common sub-myth examples:

....slowing down to work on different techniques will not necessarily help me achieve my workout goals.

This can seem quite true as it will be so in the very short term. If you are throwing non-stop hooks and I ask you to slow down and just work on the lead hook, your heart rate will may very well slow down a little bit for the time it takes to get something down. And if that was the last time you ever boxed in your life, yes, you would have burned a couple less calories that session. Maybe. Depending on how the rest of the session went. But from there on out, your lead hook gets a little better. The benefit becomes far reaching, and then you burn a few more calories in EVERY session thereafter.

One of the great things about workouts is that they are addictive. And while getting out of the comfort zone and pushing yourself can be tough for some, there are others who thrive on it. They always want to push themselves and if they don't, they get antsy and feel like they are not working hard enough. On the surface, this may seem like a good thing- and it certainly can be- but it has one fatal flaw when it comes to boxing: your workout is never going to get much better if you don't get better. It will just be the same, with small, incremental changes at best.

...my technique does not need to be perfect anyway

Of course it doesn't need to be perfect and in fact, no one's technique on anything in boxing is perfect. There is no such thing (more on that later) and EVERYONE can get better at EVERYTHING. When technique gets better, it becomes faster, more efficient, more powerful. Besides the physiological effect, there is a psychological one too. When you get better at something, you can feel it. And you feel better. And that is good. Not just for your general well-being but it makes you work that much harder. Once you level up, you feel more compelled to level up even more. Like playing Candy Crush Saga but healthier.

...defense isn't that important since no one is ever going to hit me

Hopefully no one ever does take a swing at you but defense is still important. I could get into some deeper details here but will just say this, for now: defensive moves in boxing actually help you physically understand the core concept behind the sport, which is how loading and unloading works. Everything in boxing is shifting weight from one foot to the other. This can be harder to perceive when we throw punches but the defensive aspect allows you to witness it more clearly. I have learned that people do not learn this intellectually. I can say it to them, they can certainly understand what I am saying, but their body doesn't understand it. Not until they have practiced it and executed it. But once your body learns, then the lesson is not over. Like everything else, it gets better and better. Then you can start incorporating defensive movements into everything you do, which takes the workout to a brand new level, as mentioned earlier.

...footwork isn't important either as I won't be moving around and am just here to punch.

Beyond reiterating the point about how footwork increases the intensity of the workout through additional movement, learning boxing footwork will actually make your punches better even while standing still. Or it can. I can teach someone a fighting stance, explain how the base works, how you use your feet and legs and hips to throw punches but once again, their body will not truly understand this until they do it a lot. Moving around forces you to check in with your base and your balance and the physical way that punches work. There are some pitfalls here too but when done properly, good footwork has a positive effect on everything you do.

#4) Once I Have the Basics Down, I Can Train On My Own

You certainly can train on your own, even when you don't have the basics down, and it may be a great thing to do but I will tell you this again: you are not going to get much better. There is also a chance you will actually get worse, not know that you have done this, and then build up bad habits that become harder to fix later. All boxers need coaching. All athletes in any sport do too. You can box casually on your own but if you are looking to get healthier, stronger, more fit, etc., you will need some help to get to that next level. Of course it is important that the coaching itself is good as well.

#5) My Jab (or anything) Is As Good As It's Gonna Be!

I will guarantee you that right now as you read this, there is at least one highly-talented, professional boxer throwing jabs somewhere in the world. Or working any particular punch/movement. Tom Brady is probably also throwing footballs (depending on what year you read this, I guess/hope). Why would he need to keep throwing the football? Hasn't he done it enough? He's won twice as many championships as anyone else. He is unquestionably the greatest quarterback of all time. Hasn't he figured out how to throw the football? Not only can you always get better at everything in boxing but the better you get, the better you can get. No one has ever mastered anything perfectly. No one ever will. You can always get better and you don't have to be Tom Brady or Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Now you might feel like it's been a while since your jab (or anything) has gotten better. Like maybe you have plateau'd once you know all of the basics. There are plenty of potential reasons for this but they can all be fixed. You just have to commit to fixing them and believe that you can. Doesn't necessarily mean more training either or different training. A lot of times, it is really just a mindset. Allowing yourself to get out of the comfort zone. Allowing yourself to learn, which is not always as easy as it may sound.

#7) I Should Switch Stances To Work Both Sides Evenly

I could (and have) go on and on about this point and how it is wrong on multiple levels but you may have heard it before and may not believe me anyways. How about this? Go onto to Google and look for pictures of boxers. Maybe search for "boxers weigh-ins". You will see boxers without their shirts, usually flexing. Take a look at their arms. Does one look significantly larger or more defined than the other? If the above statement were true, every right-handed boxer's left arm and shoulder would be very different-looking. Because in the ring, I would say that 70-80% of their punches come from the left side. Their non-dominant hand. So how come that arm doesn't look any different and then have enormous triceps on one side vs the other? They're definitely not switching stances in an attempt to work both sides evenly.

Now I do acknowledge that the first time you box, you may feel it a little more on the left side (if you are right handed). Those muscles are not used to working in that particular way. But switching stances doesn't work both sides evenly. It doesn't help you become a better boxer or help you learn boxing. The opposite, in fact, at least for several years of training. And it makes your workout less effective. I have seen examples time and time again. Are there any actual benefits? Yes, but the 3 statements I made above are 100% true. So if any of those benefits are worthy of not helping you learn boxing or get a less effective workout, then by all means, go for it.

#8) I Don't Need To Go All-Out As Pro Boxers Don't Always Throw Every Punch At 100% Power

The last part is undeniably true but I think the way some people interpret this is often incorrect. First and foremost, if you are talking about how pro boxers train, then the comparison may not be applicable to how someone trains for fitness. Most pros train at least 6 hours a day and the intensity levels are different. If we are talking about the punches boxers throw in a fight, it is true that they do not throw every punch with 100% power. There are probing punches, there are set-up punches and there might be some conservation at times for strategical reasons. We can certainly practice these things in a boxing workout as long as that is being done on purpose, with a purpose. And whether it is 100% power or not does mean we don't put 100% into it. What I see often in other classes or people on their own is the "touching it up" way to punch, at an intensity level not consistent with boxing or a good boxing workout.

Top 5 Bodyweight Exercises For Boxing

While additional weight training may or may not be of help to your boxing skills and development, dynamic exercises using your own bodyweight are almost always recommended. And if you're travelling or just generally not able to get to the gym, they can help you stay active and healthy. The key is finding stuff that can be done quickly, relatively easily, with little space and has the most bang for your buck when it comes to boxing relevancy.

Shadowboxing is probably going to be the best option but will require more time for optimum benefits as well as a good plan going in so I am leaving it off the list. Also off the list are pull-ups. The are probably my favorite non-boxing single exercise but you'd need something stable to hang from, which aren't always available.

So without further ado, here are my Top 5. I also made a quick video going through each one right here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHcYuoH128Q&feature=youtu.be

#1) Skater Lunges/Side Hops

The glutes are probably the most important muscle group when it comes to boxing (footwork AND punches) and pretty darn important for everything else too. I highly recommend explosive side hops, bending the knee and pushing off the ground with one foot, then catching yourself on the other foot. Can do this like a skater lunge or without the lunge part of it. Just make sure you are pushing hard off the ground, absorbing the weight by bending the knee, and redirecting the other way. Don't check out and go with light, little hops. Make the most of it! Do this for 30 seconds non-stop, 3x, with 15 seconds rest in between and you will feel the burn!

#2) 180-Degree Squat Jumps

Still hitting those glutes but now with more quad engagement and explosiveness. Plus we are getting into rotation, which is the core element of EVERYTHING we do in boxing. Sit the hips down into a regular squat, spring upward and rotate the hips in the air about a 180-degrees (or as close as you can get), land right into that squat on loose knees (ie no stiff legs) and do it again. Same numbers as the last exercise - 30 second intervals, 3 sets, 15 seconds rest in between.

#3) Hay Balers

This is certainly something you can with weight, like a medicine ball, but if you are quick and explosive enough, you will still get a lot of out of it with zero weight. Plus it is working that rotational component again, which is the key to everything. Imagine you are holding something relatively heavy, twist a little bit to your right side, then twist quickly to your left side as if you were throwing that heavy thing over your back shoulder. Your hips should start the motion and be the prime movers. Do 2 sets of each side, 4 in total, with 30 second intervals and 15 seconds rest in between each interval.

#4) Push-Ups/Plyo Push-Ups

The push-up really is one of the best single exercises you can do, bodyweight or otherwise. They should be a part of everybody's lives. Can't do a push-up? Start on your knees but make sure there is ZERO bend between your back and your hips. Can barely do 1 or 2? No problem. Start with that. Do them every day. It won't be long before you can do 5, then 10, 15, etc. Push-ups of course work the chest and arms, which is certainly good for boxing, and hit the core pretty well too. But as boxing is all about explosiveness, I highly recommend moving up to plyo push-ups once you are able. It's just like a regular push-up but you are pressing off the ground so hard, that both hands come up - almost like a jump for your hands. This will really get the heart rate up too! You will likely need a little more rest of this so I would stick with the 30 second intervals, 3x through, but with 30 seconds' rest in between.

#5) Footwork Half-Circle Drills

According to me (and plenty others), footwork is the most important thing in boxing. It is probably one of the hardest things too. Reason being is that how we move in boxing is not really how we move in any other life activity, except for wrestling if you've done that before. The only way to make it not feel awkward is to practice it a lot! If you've got a little bit of space, give yourself a half circle and simply use your boxing footwork to move it around it. Go left, go right, move in, move out. Once you get used to it, try some angles, maybe even some pivots. Stay on your toes and bounce quickly as you start to get it down. Try to be a fast as you can without losing your footwork and form. Yes, you can add some shadow boxing punches to this drill BUT the goal here is to get used to moving in a boxing stance, staying balanced. How about this, then? Do 30 second intervals, 3x, and instead of just resting for 15 seconds, throw jab-crosses standing still. Then hooks, then uppercuts. That can be your active rest!

Pretty much all bodyweight exercises are going to be good and if you only have 3 minutes to do them, that is okay! It really is!! Not just physically either but mentally too. Just even a couple minutes a day will help you stay engaged and that can be critical, especially if you are traveling and aren't able to get to the club.

Why I Like Mike

Even on this, his birthday week I should first say that there are certainly plenty of reasons NOT to like Mike Tyson as a person. He is a convicted felon; he is well-known for biting a guy's ear off in the ring; he said he wanted to eat another man's children; and plenty more. It is not uncommon for people who accomplished the greatest things to be flawed- sometimes even deeply flawed- human beings. And Mike really was one of the greatest boxers ever. Maybe he could have been THE greatest had things worked out differently. Alas, they did not, and he has left an infamous legacy of both ups and downs. But none of that takes away from what he accomplished in the boxing ring during the mid-to-late 1980s. As anyone who trains in boxing or is just a fan of boxing knows, Mike Tyson gave us a lot of things not just to like during that time, but a lot of things to learn from that can be a real benefit to your own training. Here are my Top 5:

1)  He Moves Differently

I remember the first time I saw John Elway throw the football at Stanford University in 1982. It wasn't that he was good that struck me, it was the way he threw the ball. It was different. Like nothing I had ever seen. There were quarterbacks with big arms back then but not the way the ball just exploded off of his hands. It looked like a cannon. I not only became a fan of John Elway's but also started to become a real fan of movement, as silly as that might sound. Every human being has a unique style of movement but some are extra special. The first time I saw Mike Tyson box, the same thing happened. Nobody boxed that way. Certainly not at the time and not ever since. Occasionally people will say that someone was like a Mike Tyson of their time, like George Foreman for instance, but only in so much as that they were aggressive and powerful and everybody feared them. But nobody moved like him (certainly not George Foreman, who was quite the opposite). Not even close.

So, what was so different and why do I care? To some degree, it cannot be completely explained. Just watch a highlight package of his and anybody else's and you will see what I mean! If I were to just try and describe it, I would say that it was lightning quick, explosive, extremely tight in the sense that there was nothing floppy, slow, heavy or even just superfluous. All very efficient, direct, and above all, sudden. His transition from a passive mode to an attack state was instantaneous and awesome on a level that almost transcended boxing and sports in general. He reminded me of a real, live superhero. Or perhaps a deadly animal predator that we all have innate, built-in fear of. But don't worry, this list isn't all me waxing philosophical - read on!

2)  He Was Just So Technically Sound

Based on public persona and cultural impact, it is easy to think that Iron Mike was just this vicious, savage brawler and nothing else, but anyone who studies boxing quickly learns just how amazing he was on a purely technical level. His footwork, head movement, defense and punches were absolute perfection during his heyday when he was the baddest man on the planet. I have never seen a heavyweight look that sharp. So much punching power with perfect efficiency, using every muscle to its maximum potential. The knock on Tyson's career is that he never fought anybody that good while he was still good, before his world came crumbling down. This is undeniably true but because he was such an amazing mover and perfect boxer, it almost doesn't really matter to me. Not only are his punches and defense textbook but from a workout perspective as well, you are going to use more muscles and get much better exercise throwing them like he does. Especially those uppercuts! So for teaching people how to box for fitness, there is no one more ideal to study.

3)  He Was/Is a Student of the Game

Mike has repeatedly talked about the boxers like Jack Dempsey, Sugar Ray Robinson and more in great detail, depth and reverence rarely spoken by fellow pugilists, often crediting them with techniques he has emulated. His "Ring IQ" was far higher than his reputation might have suggested. Plus there is also a deep love and passion for the sport, outside of his own experience in it. You just don't hear that a lot from many of the other greats.

4)  Coachability

Along those lines, Mike was by many accounts, extremely coachable, despite his insane physical talents. A system was developed by his original coach and mentor, Cus D'amato, known as the Peekaboo Style. It was different and challenging and something very few fighters of any notoriety of have adopted. For Mike, it was a perfect fit and despite Floyd Patterson's success in that system with Cus, Tyson will always represent that style better than anyone. During those years with D'amato, Kevin Rooney, Teddy Atlas, Mike Tyson an extension of their coaching in the ring. It should also be noted that Peekaboo is at its heart, a defensive style of boxing, something which Tyson had mastered and was also proud of, even though most casual fans don't necessarily perceive this part of his game. BUT it should also be noted that this was the biggest stylistic change between Tyson in the 80s vs the 90s and beyond. Once he moved away from the original training team, so much of the brilliant defensive work seemed to disappear. 

Even just from watching old videos of Mike training with the aforementioned Kevin Rooney, you can tell just by the body language that he stayed humble, listened carefully to ever word coach said, and put it into action. Once again, this is not something I see a lot with other fighters, yet alone fighters as physically talented as Tyson was/is.

5)  He Was Shorter and Smaller Than Everybody He Fought

Again, it almost seems to contradict this reputation a ferocious brawler. Not that you can't be smaller and ferocious, far from it, but Mike fought in the heavyweight division and he was never really a heavyweight. He often gave up anywhere from 4-8 inches of height to his opponent and even more in reach and weight. 

Tyson will tell you that this was to his advantage.  He was able to make this true, but it was not inherently so. Fighting taller people is tough. There are advantages that the smaller fighter has, for sure, but all things being equal, the bigger person will win. Weight is very significant, too, when it comes to both throwing a punch and taking a punch. There is also a psychological component as well. The taller opponent is more threatening, more intimidating. We all have an inherent, human reaction to this but for anyone who is smaller, Mike Tyson is proof that David can not only beat Goliath but completely dominate physically, ragdolling Goliaths on a regular basis.

Beyond just being my favorite boxer, Tyson represents something bigger to me. As I said earlier, he's like a superhero. Or a great warrior who harkens back to the days long before modern society when we lived in tribes, led by the toughest, strongest fighters. I guess I am waxing philosophical here again but at the very least, he inspires me to do better, work harder, and try to understand the sweet science on a deeper level. Though very different as a person, I think he is like Bruce Lee in this regard. It wasn't just about Kung Fu or Jeet Kun Do with Bruce, as it's not just about boxing with Tyson either, it is about human combat and human potential, and the simple, essential form of power. It has been nice to see Mike get himself back into shape in his 50s. Even at age 56, he moves differently and you can tell there is still something magical there.