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.