Workouts vs. Boxing

Even if you train in boxing only for fitness, there are still some key differences between boxing and other workouts or fitness routines. While some of it may sound obvious, I can tell you that many people who don't box consistently are not aware of these things, especially those really into fitness and exercise regularly. Some tend to see boxing as just another type of workout when really, there is much more to it!

1) Boxing is a skill-based workout - You could say that all workouts require some level of skill and you would be technically correct but there is an infinite gap between them and boxing in this regard. Boxing is a sport, even when training alone, and the big differences between a sport and physical activity is that sports are constantly reactive and changing whereas physical activities are not. The skills required to play the sport are also constantly changing, constantly evolving, so you can get better and better at it. Sure, you can get better at jogging or lifting or HIIT or other workouts, skill-wise, but it never really changes much after that initial learning phase. Boxing continues to challenge your skills no matter how good you get. And no one is ever good enough at boxing! No fighter just stops throwing jabs one day because they've pretty much mastered it. You can ALWAYS get better at everything, no matter how good you are. 

This - and everything else you will read below - is why consistent training in boxing is so important. It is not just another workout you can mix in once in a while. I mean, it certainly could be, but you will not see the same critical benefits if your training is sporadic. You will get a sweat on, burn calories, build muscle, etc, etc. but you won't challenge those things to a whole new level without skill development.

2) Boxing trains other skills too - Beyond the specific skill of boxing, there are other base skills that boxing continues to train - coordination, balance, agility, reaction time and quickness. You might get one or two of those in a workout but you aren't going to get them all, which is another general difference between exercise and sport. And while training these things may not sound as compelling as losing weight or toning up (something boxing is also ideal for), these skills will help you with everything you do as part of your daily life activities. Plus, these are all things that if you don't use, you lose. They tend to peak while we're kids (playing all the time), then slowly decline through adulthood and this can start to become a problem as we advance into our older years, especially when it comes to balance.

3) The better you get at boxing, the more physically challenging the workout is - This is something that not only makes boxing different than other forms of exercise, it makes it different than some other sports as well. As your skills improve, you are able to recruit more muscles to do work, move more explosively, react without having to stop and think, and incorporate more elements (footwork, head movement, feints, etc) into your workout. Oftentimes you will see professional boxers get tired in the ring and start to slow down in the later rounds. Then their technique starts to suffer too. Why is that? It's because proper technique and skill requires extra energy. The vice versa of this is true too. To get the best workout, your technique and skill must improve.

4) Learning the skill portion can oftentimes be a valuable distraction - If I did, let's say, burpees for a few minutes straight, I would definitely see fitness benefits but I would not look forward to it and the whole time while doing those burpees, I would think about how I can't wait to be done! This will always have some effect, however slight, on performance. Whereas if you are thinking about a particular boxing combination or drill, thinking about your technique, visualizing your opponent, and being compelled to act suddenly at unexpected times, changing rhythms/speeds/movements, you may work harder because your mind is distracted by this stuff that you don't even realize how hard the rest of your body is working. This has been true for me and most everyone I talk to about it. Many, including myself again, also find this learning component interesting and have a stronger desire to do it than just an exercise that they know is good for them, though not particularly interesting.

#5) Boxing works every muscle, cardio and strength - There are some other forms of non-sport exercise which do this too but most are more isolated - different lifts for different muscle groups, different activities specifically for cardio, etc. - but boxing, when done properly, hits it all at once. Now the first time someone ever puts on a pair of gloves and hits the bag, they are very likely not going to hit every muscle. It's most natural to just swing our arms when we throw punches than use the whole body to throw them like a boxer (just look at most streetfights). But this is where #3 comes in. As you learn how to do these things properly, you unlock new muscle groups, not only training them but changing the whole dynamic of the workout.

#6) Boxing creates functional strength - I used to be (and still sometimes am) a strength trainer and when I asked many of my male clients what their fitness goals were, I often heard that they wanted to be strong/get stronger. Certainly a good goal and my follow up question was always a "Why". "Why do you want to get stronger? What do you want to do with all of that extra strength we are going to build?" This was a tougher question to answer. I think oftentimes it was to look stronger and have bigger muscles. Also a perfectly fine goal but there is a big distinction between building muscle and having functional strength. Weightlifting can provide the muscle part, for sure, so long as it its done properly but it doesn't inherently give someone functional strength, which is strength you would use to perform the activities of daily life. Anything from carrying groceries to playing a sport. This is less about having larger muscles (although they can help, at times) but having a better balance of strength in more areas, particularly the core, as well as coordination between these areas. Doing something like a bench press will work your chest and arms but you are lifting a perfectly balanced load on one plane of motion, in one motion, with the rest of your body perfectly balanced as well. Life is a series of unbalanced loads at unexpected times, requiring quick reactions, recruitment of support muscles and other neural processing. This is exactly what boxing is! And not only will boxing help you become functionally stronger, this kind of strength will help prevent injuries too. In daily life and even in cross-training.

Please note that this is not me trying to say that boxing is better than all other workouts. For me, it truly is but as I have mentioned in this blog several times, everybody is different. We all need to find the thing that inspires us to stay active and challenge ourselves, if we want to pursue fitness and just general wellness. What I do want to say, objectively, is that boxing is different than all other workouts. Just like our bodies, all workouts are different from each other too but boxing training is on another level, having more in common with playing a sport. And while there are many benefits to that, as I have hopefully explained here, it also means that consistency is more important to developing the skills which will allow you to take your fitness to that new level.

What Kind of Boxer Are You? Take the Quiz!

You may know that in boxing, there are distinctly different styles. Every boxer is unique but most break down into a few simple categories - The Outboxer, the Slugger (Brawler), The Pressure Fighter (Swarmer) and the Boxer Puncher. 

Some people add in other sub-categories (counter-puncher, peek-a-boo, etc.)  but those are the main ones. The best style is the one that works best for you!

Try this simple quiz to figure out what that is!!

#1: I am...

• A) Taller than average
• B) About average height
• C) A little shorter than average

#2: My favorite punch to throw is...

• A) The cross
• B) A hook
• C) I just like throwing punches in bunches!

#3: If I could make one part of my boxing game better, it would be...

• A) Footwork and head movement
• B) Power
• C) Speed + Endurance

#4)  Which of these other forms of physical activity would I enjoy the most?

• A) Dance
• B) Lift weights
• C) Run

#5) My favorite movie character is...

• A) Bruce Lee
• B) Rocky Balboa
• C) Wolverine

#6) When Alex says, "The jab is the most important punch in boxing", I think...

• A) Darn right, gotta get my jab better and better!
• B) Maybe so but I would much rather throw power punches!
• C) True, because I use it to set everything else up

#7) When throwing combos in class, I usually prefer the ones that are...

• A) Medium length, maybe with some footwork
• B) Short and sweet!
• C) I actually like the longer ones!

#8) The picture I most identify with is...

• A) 
  
  

• B) 
  
  
  
  

• C)
  
  
  

#9) When it comes to taking risks, I am...

• A) Generally pretty risk averse
• B) Depends, but either way it'll all work out in the end
• C) Gotta take risks if I want to succeed!

#10) If I ever got into a fight, I would probably...

• A) See what my opponent does first, then react
• B) Bring it on! They don't want any of this!!!
• C) Run right through them, overwhelm with punches

RESULTS:

Mostly A's - Out-Boxer

The Out-Boxer likes to keep a distance between their opponents and use long, straight punches to keep them at bay. When opponents try to get inside, out-boxers are skilled at moving their feet and counter-punching. Power or even speed (certain types of speed) is not the main focus here. It's more about finesse, picking their opponents apart before the finish. Great Out-Boxers include Muhammad Ali, Tyson Fury, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Mostly B's - Slugger (Brawler)

Sluggers are all about power. They throw less punches, are generally slower, but all they need is one! Thus, Sluggers have a shot to win any fight, no matter how out-classed (this is the famous, "puncher's chance" axiom) and are also a threat to win even when hopelessly behind on points. Great Sluggers include George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Deontay Wilder and Julian Jackson. Most don't consider Mike Tyson a Slugger - as he had other dominating skills similar with different styles (he was just that good!) - but he certainly was known for that fight-ending one-punch power that all Sluggers are.

Mostly C's - Pressure Fighter

The opposite of an Out-Boxer, the Pressure Fighter (also known as Swarmers, In-Boxers) wants to get in close and crowd their opponents before overwhelming them with a flurry of punches. Some are very powerful as well but speed and relentlessness are a must. Since keeping constant pressure on the opponent is key, stamina is another quality a good pressure fighter must have. They will have to eat some punches and be a little bit fearless to get inside, knowing that their tenacity will carry the day. Great Pressure Fighters include Julio Cesar Chavez, Roberto Duran, Micky Ward, and Hector Camacho in his earlier days.

General Mix of A, B, & C - Boxer-Puncher

Boxer-Punchers possess many qualities of the other styles, though not quite as dominant in one department. They have plenty of power, hand speed, counter-punching ability and sometimes mobility. All this versatility is useful but it also means they may need to adapt to their opponent's style to get the advantage - out-boxing Sluggers or overpowering an Out-Boxer. Great Boxer-Punchers include Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis, Tommie Hearns, Lennox Lewis.

Uhh, I Don't Know - A Charlotte

Traditional, honest, bright, and polite. Charlotte is always smiling, always optimistic, and always loyal to her friends. She sees the best in people and doesn't ever give up on life. Plus she seems to get shocked EVERY time Samantha says something racy, even after knowing her for many years.

Why You Need an In-Person, Coach to Learn Boxing & Kickboxing

With gyms being shut down all over the country during the initial COVID outbreak, many of us were left to our own devices for working out. If you were able to continue somewhat of a routine exercise program of any kind, congratulations! It's not easy and many weren't able to do it. Now more than ever, there are plenty of options for working out at home on your own (or with a "virtual trainer). There are, and will continue to be, boxing and kickboxing versions of this too. Some even come with a heavy bag and others can be done without any equipment.

I am happy to see more people getting into boxing on some level, I truly am. Best exercise you can do, in my humble opinion, and something we all can (and should) be doing. But I can tell you from enough experience with others who have tried to learn boxing at home with these programs (or just on their own) that this does not work for our particular sport/exercise routine. Not only can you not learn the proper technique, but even worse, you can even develop bad habits that become more and more challenging to fix if you ever want to improve.

With all due respect to the physical challenge and health benefits of something like cycling, running on a treadmill, HIIT or other forms of exercise, these are things that may be hard to get really proficient at but still easy to do on a base level. Most of us can pedal a bike. Can we pedal as fast or for as long as someone who trains in this arena? Probably not but we can perform the movement necessary to develop those abilities. Boxing is different. It is not just movement or even a series of movements. It is a sport and a science and an art and very technically focused in a way that traditional exercise is not. Someone on a video screen can tell you how to throw a lead hook, demonstrate themselves from multiple angles, go slow and fast, and do everything to most perfectly explain every aspect of the punch so that you can try to emulate this yourself but there is one thing missing. And it's the most important thing of all -  feedback!!!

This is where some form of in-person learning is required. A trainer needs to show you, then have you do it, then cue technique, then have you do it, then cue some more, than iterate and iterate and iterate until you get it down but even then, there is ALWAYS stuff to learn. No one is perfect at boxing nor even perfect at any aspect of boxing. You just get better and better. Every time I think I've got it all, I suddenly realize that there is so much more. And that is a wonderful thing! Not only from a skill development standpoint but also from a physical exercise standpoint. Enhancing those skills enhances the workout. I promise you that I am not just saying that because I am a boxing coach and want everybody to be better boxers. I have seen many new members train at our club, having never boxed before, and after about a month, ask me why they are finding themselves more tired afterwards. Why the workout got more challenging. My answer is almost always the same: because you are doing things more properly. Recruiting more muscles, moving more, using different energy systems, etc. It's not just about pushing yourself to throw more punches, it's understanding how to throw those punches in a way that pushes you even further.

Conversely, if you don't learn the proper technique at first and build habits, they get harder to fix. And the more time you spend reinforcing them and committing them to muscle memory, the harder that fixing gets! I have seen this a fair amount recently from home boxers. If you want to learn boxing and continue to get better - as well as increase the value of your workouts - it is so much better (and easier) to build good habits early, while you are still in that beginning stage.

But also remember, feedback doesn't just mean critique. You need positive feedback too! It's helpful on many levels to know when you are doing something right/well. Not only to reinforce the proper form but also just to make you feel good! Which matters a lot!

Another factor that needs to be considered is that every person really is unique. This is something I have seen time and time again. Everyone moves in different ways, thinks about things differently, has a different athletic background, has natural tendencies, etc. Another very fun thing about my job. Just like with boxing itself, every time I think I've seen it all, I realize that it's just the tip of the iceberg. There is always stuff to learn when it comes to coaching, and not just in terms of instruction but reacting to the many different types of students too.

With that said, there are some things we all have in common and I can tell you that one of them is that we don't always perceive ourselves accurately. What we think we're doing may not be what we are actually doing. There was a certain point in my training where I would have bet a million dollars that I NEVER dropped by cross hand before I threw the punch. Never. Not even one millimeter. And then one day I recorded myself. I was shocked to see that not only did I do it but that I did it consistently. Because I had done it for so long too, it was harder to fix than had I never developed the habit in the first place. Probably still happens from time to time, too.

Then finally, another important aspect of getting actual coaching feedback on what you specially are doing is that it will keep the workout itself more interesting and compelling because you are actually getting better, opening up whole new levels of nuances. Whereas if you do the at-home workouts, you can certainly improve your skills from repetitions and trainer cues, you will almost definitely plateau pretty quickly without the personalization that allows for that next step. When people tend to plateau from any workout is when they also tend to stop doing the workout as consistently. Then less. Then they eventually stop entirely and the big, expensive piece of equipment joins the fitness graveyard many of us have in our basements.

While feedback is certainly the most important component here, there are other big reasons why you can't learn boxing at home vs in person. Here is a quick run-through:

1.) Equipment - To get the best workout for both strength and cardio, a hanging heavy bag is significantly better than a freestanding bag offered by most of the at home boxing programs. Then the heavier the bag, the better. You can certainly buy a heavy bag with a bag stand but it will move around when you hit it and these things usually break after a few months of heavy use.  There are the freestanding bags as well but if you've ever used one, you know they are soft and have no weight to them in the bag so the workout is not nearly as intense as a hanging, actually heavy bag. Plus, those break too. And move around (even if you put concrete in the base). A big rig with a large heavy bag will make a HUGE difference. I have purchased (and broken) every type of home bag and can tell you from a workout, as well as consistent training perspective, you need something commercial strength. Even if you're not a heavy hitter.

2.) Energy Level - There is no doubt that people work harder in groups than they do alone. Besides a trainer pushing and motivating, the energy of a group working out is contagious. While our club was shut down during the COVID mandate, I would do my own class plans with the music up and try to push myself as hard as possible as if I were in a regular class. It didn't even compare. I couldn't push myself like I do in a group environment. 

3.) Distractions - While we're all hopefully comfortable in our homes, they are full of distractions and a place we have set aside for relaxation and maximum comfort. These are great things for a home but not necessarily for a workout. You need to be distraction-free, focused entirely on the task of learning this challenging skill and with the mindset of concentration and hard work that is difficult to get at home.

4) Time - So much of the allure with at-home workouts of any kind is the notion that you can exercise any time you want. Sounds great! Makes it easy to find time when you don't have to adhere to a particular schedule. Except it actually doesn't for the vast majority of us. I have worked with literally thousands of people, talked to them about their exercise habits, and seen firsthand what has been successful for them and what hasn't. I can tell you most who are successful don't find time to work out, they make the time to work out. No matter how much you love your exercise program, it really is work (if you're doing it right) and we're not always super motivated to do work of any kind. Whether people are training at home or at the gym, I would always recommend setting a hard, relatively immovable time for themselves for their exercise program. I also believe that keeping it consistent (ie 5:30pm Monday-Wednesday-Friday) will help stay on track but some people can still make it work with a changing schedule.

5.) Freestyling - While there are options for video-directed, at-home boxing workouts where a virtual trainer gives you specific combinations and exercises to do, there are also plenty of people who pick up a heavy bag and just kind of freestyle punch it on their own. You will also see this at plenty of boxing gyms as well. It is my strong opinion that this is not a way to learn boxing nor get a real significant workout. You need a plan. What to do and when to do it, with timing parameters. So once again, at a gym OR at home, have a pre-designed structure to your workout. Don't just freestyle!

4 Reasons While Body Shots Are The Best + 4 Ways to Mitigate the Risk

When most people think about punches in boxing - or just punching someone in general -  they imagine them punching to the head. And the majority of punches in most modern boxing matches go to the head too. But often the best and most effective punches are to the body. "Body" generally meaning anything but the head but there are certainly spots more effective than others.

Here are 4 reasons why body punches are the best:

1.) Easier punches to land/hard punches to dodge - The head is a small target and any decent boxer has learned how to move their head, making it harder still, especially in the beginning of a fight, whereas the body is the opposite story. It's a larger target that is harder to move significantly. When fighters get into trouble, their natural instinct often is to duck and get lower. This is why you never want to forget about throwing those body shots. They can land whether your opponent ducks down or not. They may also get blocked but damage is still done.

2.) They are more effective than you might think - Most people new to boxing are often very surprised to learn that there are body shot knockouts. Plenty of them. One would naturally assume that being punched anywhere is going to hurt but unless it's happened to you personally, it's hard to know just how debilitating a body shot can be. There are spots, like the liver, spleen and floating rib area, that can end a fight immediately. Doesn't matter what kind of six-pack you have or if you drop bowling balls onto your belly with no pain, if that punch sneaks under the rib to the liver area, you are going down. Your legs simply stop working and you crumple to the ground in extreme pain.

3.) Hard to recover from - If you take a hard body shot but not one that stops the fight, you will still be feeling it for the entirety of the fight. It may make breathing hard/painful, which is obviously a big problem. Conversely, you may see boxers take a hard shot to the head, act wobbly and stumble around for a while, yet come back in the later rounds strong. Of course the long term damage that can come from taking these head shots is far greater than body shots, in terms of the length of a fight, body shots are much harder to recover from than head shots.

4.) Opens up the head - So if you take that hard body shot or multiple body shots and they hurt and they're hard to recover from, you are not going to want to take more. You're going to guard that lower body carefully. When that happens and even just when you are thinking about having to defend/deal with those body shots, what opens up? The head! Not only do your hands come down but that head isn't quite as mobile as it used to be when the fight started. But a smart opponent still knows to go back to the body, even after the head has opened up a little.

So these are all great reasons to throw body shots but of course with every great reward, there is often a risk and body shots in particular can be riskier punches to throw. Why? Because you also open up your own head by throwing a punch low (at least when it is a hook, uppercut or hybrid). You can try to get lower when you throwing one of these body shot but at some point, this will prove impractical.

Here are 4 much better ways to mitigate the risk of throwing body shots:

1) Speed - A well-thrown body shot will often happen so fast, the person being hit has no idea it's even coming. A classic example is Micky Ward vs. Alfonso Sanchez. The faster you are, the more likely you will land it and the less time your opponent has to catch you.

2.) Moving off line - Especially when throwing that lead hand to the body, the key is to take your head off line before you throw it so as to avoid your opponent's rear hand (provided you are in closed stances). The shortest distance between two points is a straight line so always remember that a cross will beat your hook with all things being equal. So making sure that your head is not in that straight line can put the odds back in your favor.

3.) Distraction - Just like most power punches in boxing, you will likely need to set up your body shots. Best way to do that is to put something in their face as a distraction. A quick flurry of straight punches or uppercuts can cause your opponent to bring their hands up in defense even though none of the punches may be intended to do damage. They are just there to blind your opponent so that the body shot opens up for you.

4.) Bringing hands back, rolling out, immediate defense - With any punch in boxing, it is critical for most that you bring your hands back to defend your head as fast - or faster - than you threw the punch out there. With body shots, this is even more important as your head is more open and it may take a split second longer to get your hand back. So you have to be very diligent. Have to really focus on keeping that non-punching hand up as well. Then finally, as another general rule of boxing, if you're not throwing a punch, either your head is moving, your feet are moving, or both. Once again, with body shots this becomes even more important. Once you throw that punch, be prepared to roll out. dip down, or do something because there's a pretty good chance your opponent will throw a punch to your own head soon thereafter!

What is the Difference Between Boxing and Kickboxing?

Maybe a strange question but something I get asked often. And it's not necessarily a simple answer such as, "kickboxing is boxing but you also throw kicks." There is definitely more to it than that. There are also some myths related to boxing vs. kickboxing that I will cover here as well. Read on!

First of all, boxing refers to a combat sport governed by specific rules. While there are variants to the structure of a particular boxing match, the general rules themselves are pretty much the same. All striking is done with fists. Striking with anything other than a fist - like a kick, knee, elbow, headbutt, etc, - would be illegal.

Kickboxing is a little bit more of an amorphous term. It can refer to multiple disciplines and styles. But one thing that remains pretty constant is that you are indeed throwing kicks as well as punches. What kind of kicks depends a little on the style you train. In the last 10-20 years, I would say that Muay Thai has been the prevailing influence in most kickboxing classes out there. Along those lines, kickboxing will also include strikes with elbows and knees as well as involve certain movement, like spinning, that would never happen in boxing (not always because is is illegal, it would just be impractical).

But there is more to it than that. Boxing generally more nuanced than kickboxing with the big example being head movement for defense. It is the only fighting system I know of where head movement is utilized like this. You can do these things in kickboxing as well but it doesn't always make as much sense. For instance, you can certainly roll underneath a punch in kickboxing but you run the risk of getting knee'd in the face ducking down like that. You could slip a straight punch but if a round kick immediately follows, you will run right into that kick and it won't feel good. Thus, defense in kickboxing is likely going to involve blocking and checking vs. head movement and footwork in boxing.

So if kickboxing involves a wider variety of strikes than boxing, does this mean it is more difficult to learn than boxing? Not necessarily. I would say that at first, it is a lot of extra terminology to take in and that is why I don't recommend people start off with a kickboxing class at our club. There is also more to manage in terms of spacing from the heavy bag but as far as truly learning the skill, I don't believe that kickboxing is more challenging.

What about from a workout perspective? This is where certain myths kick in (pun intended!):

MYTH 1 - You Get A Better Workout From Kickboxing

I have watched hundreds and hundreds of people in boxing and kickboxing classes and can tell you that beyond a shadow of a doubt, around 99% of them will get a better workout from boxing vs. kickboxing. Only exception being those who are very high-level kickboxers already. Otherwise, most people move faster, produce a lot more volume, sweat more, burn more calories and build more muscle from boxing. Why? Because that 99% of the people I've seen will go faster and work harder in a boxing class. Kicks slow things down considerably in a number of ways. It generally takes twice as long to throw a kick than a punch, plus there is extra time transitioning to other strikes in a combination as well. Power output (for punches and kicks) is not the same unless again, someone is in that less-than-one-percentile category of being a very advanced kickboxer with a high level of coordination.

MYTH 2 - Kickboxing Works Your Legs While Boxing Is Just Upper Body

This is a big one: since boxing only allows a person to strike with their hands whereas kickboxing allows striking with the hands and legs, it make sense that kickboxing is more of a lower body workout, right? Wrong! Well, for the most part. Because whenever you kick or knee something, that means you are standing on one leg for a duration of time and thus, your calves may get a better/different workout but otherwise, boxing is as much about the lower body as it is the upper body. I'm gonna say it again because if you haven't done a lot of boxing before, you may not realize it at all: Boxing is a full-body workout, using your legs (and your core) as much as the upper body. Granted, this is one of the harder things for people to learn but it is the essence of boxing. Every punch starts from below the belt meaning that the first thing you do, the first muscle you move, when you decide to throw that punch is going to come from the hips and legs before working its way into the fists. Boxing allows for more aggressive footwork as well and pushing off the ground in your fighting stance is going to strengthen your legs more than throwing a kick, in most situations.

MYTH 3 - Boxing Is Mostly For Men While Kickboxing Is More Female-Oriented

This perception is the reality for many people I've spoken to. Because of things like Tai Bo and Cardio Kick classes being offered at big box gyms, it does seem like many people from the outside perceive boxing as more of a male sport with kickboxing being more female-oriented. I myself don't see it that way at all but understand that the viewpoint exists. Then there's the old stereotype of a boxing gym being like in the movies - white walls, spit buckets, a bunch of rough-looking people training on their own. Of course that is not what a boxing gym has to be at all and I have certainly seen hundreds of women (and men) at our club really take to boxing. Some may never have thought they would but getting the opportunity in a very non-intimidating environment was all it took. Both boxing and kickboxing are for everybody, they truly are. All ages, fitness levels, body types, etc. It is a beautiful thing.

And kickboxing itself is a beautiful thing too! I hope I am not coming off as disparaging here. I enjoy teaching both kickboxing and boxing, I enjoy doing them both myself, and I recommend both to everyone. I will say again that almost every single one of you will get more from a workout perspective from boxing but you will certainly work hard kickboxing as well plus the personal enjoyment factor must not be discounted. Plenty of people love kicking and thus, should kick away! And if you haven't tried it, try it!

I Can't Do THAT!

As I have said time and time again, I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to teach an extremely wide range of people how to box. Kids as young as 5, adults as young as 81. People who have fought in the ring before, done EVERY other sport or workout in the world, and people who never played any sport whatsoever and did everything in their power to avoid gym class. I love this! It is wonderful to watch all different people from all walks of life develop these skills, as well as just improved physical abilities.

The tough part can be convincing people that they can do challenging things. That they are stronger than they think. Some people tell me that they can't hit that hard, move that fast, get something complicated like footwork down, that certain combinations are just too long. Then there are many, many others who maybe don't say this out loud but certain think it (I can read minds, btw.) 

While not boxing specific, let’s take the push-up as an example here. Some folks may not have the physical strength to perform a standard push-up. Or can’t do it on their toes. YET. That is the key word- "yet". They may not be able to physically do these things today but what about tomorrow? Or the next day? Or they try a little harder tomorrow and the next day and for several days after that but still, no go? Does this mean that this someone simply cannot do a push-up? If that is the belief they have or the conclusion they come to than yes, they may be correct. 

But I know we get stronger with each one we try. I know there are techniques that can help us get there faster, I know there are other health-related changes that can get us there.. Barring any major physical disability, most of us absolutely can do a push-up. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but some day. That is how training works. And WILL work for you. But you have to believe it. Don’t let the mind hold your body back from achieving something amazing. Instead, turn your own brain into a training tool. A coach. A weapon that can give you the advantage over any challenge.

On the flip side, this does not mean you can go back in time and beat Muhammed Ali in his prime. But if you train hard, as if you really believe nothing will hold you back, I 100% guarantee you that you will be physically stronger, mentally tougher, and with better skills than you ever thought possible when you originally told yourself that you couldn’t do it. That it was too hard.

I’ll go one step further here. We are often encouraged as people to try our best. And rightly so. Putting in a sub-par effort for something that matters to you doesn’t make a lot of sense. But as non-babyYoda once said, "Do, or do not. There is no try". So do your best, don’t try your best.

It’s more than that though. Is your best really ‘your best’? That can be hard to answer. And certainly no one can answer it for you. When it comes to fitness, especially boxing, the hope is that your best is always better than it was yesterday. I hear more and more often are people resigning themselves to the sentiment that life is hard and they are just doing their best to hang in there. They're not wrong but I'm not sure that this approach will help them always do their best. By even telling yourself that life is tough (again, not wrong), it's taking the focus away from you. YOU are tough. You are strong. You can't control what life throws at you but are strong enough to take it on. You CAN do it! And if you're somehow not able to, just remember that you are only not able to do it yet.

What is the Most Dangerous Punch in Boxing? (Hint: It's not a trick question)

 

When thinking about the most dangerous punch in boxing (or any combat sport), the key is to separate the criteria which could make a punch/strike dangerous. Is it the punch that someone throws the hardest? Is it the punch that someone throws the fastest? Or can land the most? Or the one that targets the most vulnerable spot? 

It could be any one of those things or a blend of them all. And then you might have to factor in who you are fighting. But I believe it can all be summed up by saying that the most dangerous punch is boxing is the one you don't see coming. This is consistent with the majority of knockouts we see as well as just common sense. If we know a punch is coming, we can avoid it, block it or at the very least, brace for impact, which even by itself makes a HUGE difference. If you have no idea it is coming and are not prepared in any way, you are toast.

But that is kind a crap answer. Not because it's not true - it is almost undeniably so - but if I read the headline, I wouldn't want to hear something like, "it's the one you don't see coming" so I want to give you something a little more specific. What is the specific punch that you are least likely to see coming?

I truly believe it is the #3 lead hook to the jaw, more often than not. Particularly with 2 fighters of the same handedness (righty vs. righty, southpaw vs southpaw) but it can often still be true with open stances as well. Once again, this is consistent with knockouts we see in the ring but also some degree of common sense. Here are several reasons why that killer lead hook can be a total shock to the system:

1.) Most punches from that side are jabs - Most punches in a fight are usually jabs, period. While not the most dangerous punches in boxing, jabs are certainly the most important. They set everything up, they buy you time, they buy you position, they draw your opponent out, and more. So if your opponent used to responding to jabs from that lead side, this may provide the split-second you need to surprise them with a hook. Whether they parry, catch, or slip the jab, this provides opening for your hooks to land cleanly

2.) Lead hooks can come from outside of peripheral vision - Along those lines, when you are looking at an opponent straight on, the lead hook can often come in from an angle outside of your peripheral vision, especially if your hands are up high and slightly blocking your view, which certainly can happen. Plus, the closer you are to your opponent, the more outside this punch is and thus, gets harder to spot.

3.) Opponents are more focused on your power hand - Along THOSE lines, depending somewhat on your style, your opponents are likely going to be paying strict attention to your other hand, as that is the power side that they really don't want to get hit from. Doesn't mean they will ignore your lead hand but if they are expecting power to come from the rear, you might be able to catch them sleeping on that front hook.

4.) Opponent commits their rear hand - This is the big one that I see often in fights. Someone throws the rear hand, like a cross, uppercut or overhand and that means that hand is no longer protecting their face. It also means that their eyes are likely focused on target of their fist. So the entire side of their face is open and their eyes are temporarily distracted. Add on potentially being slightly off balance if the punch misses and the opportunity for a brutal lead hook couldn't get much more golden.

This has all been in reference to a hook at the head of our opponent but the same is mostly true for a hook to the body is well, although those can be easier to spot. Very effective weapons and something you can throw with just about as much power and explosiveness as you can throw with your dominant hand. Just takes a lot of practice as lead hooks are almost always awkward at first. But more on that later! For now, I would love to hear any questions, comments, or better yet, alternative suggestions!!

Protecting Yourself Against COVID (and Other Threats)

Whether you or someone you love has contracted the virus or not, COVID has affected all our lives considerably, and there will continue to be discussions and discoveries over what health precautions should be taken. I am not here to debate any of these current topics, nor is this meant to be political in any way, but I did want make a quick point about something I am NOT hearing discussed very much at all, which is our general health and wellness.

No matter how you feel about vaccines or public safety measures, I believe it is universally agreed upon that the healthier you are as a person, the less chance you have of suffering more significantly from COVID, most other viruses, diseases and/or serious medical issues.

As a gym owner, I am speaking to some degree in my own self-interest here but the only reason I am in this business is to help others become healthier. A healthy lifestyle is more than just exercise too. That's just one piece of a whole puzzle that includes diet, sleep, self-care, hydration, habits and both mental and spiritual well-being. When people speak about public safety, none of these things should be overlooked or discounted.

Now of course this does not mean that eating a perfectly nutritious diet, not smoking, not drinking and exercising 5+ days a week and generally being outside of the high-risk group means you won't get COVID or any illness. Of course not! As one of our members put it recently, COVID does not discriminate. But if we're looking at who tends to suffer the most from this virus and just about any other health threat out there, it is generally the higher risk groups, which includes obesity and other co-morbidities.

I strongly believe we should be encouraging everyone to take better care of themselves. It's not JUST about ONE thing. Once again, these are only parts of a larger puzzle. Some pieces are bigger than others, sure, but all deserve focus, all deserve attention. So many of us wait for health problems to surface before we feel compelled to make changes. It's the default approach but it's now more dangerous than ever. Don't wait! Get out in front of it and take control. Take steps to improve your physical and mental health. Because nothing is more important than that, right? 

4 Things You Can Do TODAY to Improve Your Boxing Workout

It doesn't matter how long you have been do this for, you can always get better at boxing and always improve your workout. Whether you are just starting or have been doing this for a while and maybe feel plateau'd, these tips are guaranteed to help. But you have to take the steps yourself. Here are 4 ways you can improve your boxing workout and become a better boxer at the same time. And you can do all of these things TODAY!

1.) Change Your Style - There are many different ways you can approach boxing from an aerobic/anaerobic standpoint. Some people are more steady state, non-stop punching with the occasional break. Others go for more power punches, with more rest and more time in between punches in a combo. There are many more permutations but what will be the most effective and efficient, from a workout perspective (as well as more authentic to boxing), are what I like to call explosive bursts. You explode into a combo, with speed, suddenness and power. Power in terms of maximal force in a minimal amount of time. Every punch has a snapping/whipping effect, not a tap or a push. If you execute combos like this, you can take plenty of time in between and you still are going to burn more calories and push your cardio than just going non-stop at a less explosive clip. I know some people think they must constantly keep punching to get the best workout but it is not necessarily true. Explosiveness is what makes a punch something entirely different than just moving your body. And even if you still don't believe me, try it anyway. Mix it up. See what happens.

2.) Add Footwork, Feints and Head Movement - Just because you aren't punching the bag does not mean you are resting or not boxing. Boxing is far more than just throwing punches. Not just the sport, the workout part of it too. What I see a lot is that someone throws the last punch of a combo and then everything stops. Even if you're one of those grinders that never stops punching, I still see this, even for split seconds and split seconds matter. Imagine you are fighting a person, not hitting a heavy bag. As soon as the last punch in a combo lands, that person is firing right back at you so either need to move your heard, your feet, your hands or all three!  This doesn’t have to be anything crazy either. Keep it small at first. If the combo is jab-cross-lead hook-cross, as soon as you throw that last cross, step out or roll out. Can you rest then? No! Again, you are not fighting a bag. You are fighting a person and there is no real resting until the referee says so. Keep moving, throw the combo again so long as you can do it with explosiveness mentioned in Tip #1, do something. Try adding this in to your next class and see how tired you get. Even just staying on your toes and never going into a relaxation mindset makes a huge difference.

3.) Use Your Entire Body to Throw Punches -  I could go on and on about form - better form equals a better workout for sure - but this particular thing is huge. Almost all of us could engage our lower body more to throw punches. Sometimes I will walk around class and see everybody's lower half totally static. Don't get me wrong though, this isn't easy. I can give you a million tips on how to push off of the ground, how to turn hips, shift your weight from one foot to the other, etc. but the number one best way to start engaging your lower body to throw punches is to be mindful of it the entire time. As the goal is to throw a punch with more explosiveness, ask yourself how your lower half can help and conversely, don't look to your upper half to increase the force. Why do this at all? Because your legs are always going to be stronger than your arms. Ever tried walking on your hands before? It's not easy but most us manage to walk around on our legs just fine all day. More explosive power equals more exertion, which means more cardio. Plus, you're using so many more muscles. Not just the ones in your legs either but the core and glutes as well to coordinate the movement. More muscles used equals more more muscles strengthened as well as more cardio again. You are also building more base level skills too. Balance, agility, and coordination. Don't forget about skills when working out. Most folks are looking to get tone, lose weight, feel stronger, not get tired so easily but trainable skills like the ones I just mentioned will not only help facilitate those goals but also come in handy for any other physical activity that you do, exercise or otherwise.

4.) Get Out of Your Comfort Zone - This will likely need to be your very first step, if you want to make Tips 1-3 happen. You have to be willing to try something new, even if it's just an upped intensity level. It's not easy. And for something like #2, you may even feel silly at first or worry that you are not doing it right, other people think it's weird, etc. I'm here to tell you a couple of things about that: First is that you won't look silly, doing it wrong is okay and how you learn to do it right, no one's really looking at you on the bag and second, who cares anyway? This is about you getting better and taking the next step that I would bet dollars to donuts that you are ready for. Maybe you've been boxing for a while and gotten to a certain level and haven't had to break out of your comfort zone yet so why rock the boat now? Because what got you here won’t necessarily get you there. This is why people tend to plateau in just about any workout. They improve to a certain point and get comfortable. Or maybe they were comfortable to begin with. Doesn't mean they have to do something entirely different. It's often just a tweak in their training style. And it often means hard work! Using Tip #2 as an example again, if you try moving constantly after your last punch, you are going to get far more tired and you're body will want to settle down and recover. That's where the challenge comes in. But if you are up for the challenge, that is also where the positive change will happen too. 

I used to worry about gassing out in group classes. Working so hard and looking strong at first but then getting so tired, I was weak at the end. I knew I shouldn't care about what other people thought of me, if they even did think of me, but I did and couldn't help it. Then I asked myself why. Why did I want to look good in front of them and never look weak or tired? Really because I wanted to just generally be awesome and doing it front of people generally cemented that awesomeness. Silly maybe, but still true. Then I asked myself how I was going to get to that level of awesomeness without pushing myself to that point where I was too tired and couldn't feel as strong and comfortable as I would normally like. You may have different questions and feelings than I do but I think talking to yourself like this is a good exercise if you're looking for motivation. Maybe even ask them out loud and answer them yourself in a public setting, like Gollum/Smeagol kind of thing. Again, out of the comfort zone!

How Many Calories Do You Burn While Boxing???

 

People often ask me this question. A cursory search over the internet will give plenty of different answers. If you were to look up what exercise burns the most calories, you would get many more answers still. Boxing is at the top of many of those lists but it's all very subjective. What kind of boxing are they referring to? Shadow boxing, mitts, heavy bag, sparring? And in what kind of format - rounds, rests, reps, etc.? Oh, and what about the intensity level?  You can go super light, super heavy, in quick explosive bursts with some rest in between, non-stop at more of a steady state clip and everything else in between. There is also such a thing as "afterburn", where types of  exercises (HIIT mainly) will continue to burn calories several hours after that exercise. While it's debated just how significant this afterburn effect really is, it does exist on some level but rarely factored into studies about how many calories different exercises burn per session.

What's even more subjective than that though, is YOU. We all have different body types, different metabolisms, different athletic abilities, different levels of accommodation to the exercise and plenty of other factors that will determine how hard we are able to work and how many calories we will burn in a given period of time. 

Most people who are curious about calorie burn are usually looking for some kind of weight loss. The original, basic metric was that humans need to create a caloric deficit (burn more than we take in) of 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound of weight. We now generally believe that it's far more complex than this. Even ignoring all the scientific research, this has to be true, right? If you were able to consistently burn more calories than you took in for years and years, what would happen? You would drop down to your birth weight? Fade away into nothingness? Of course your body will not allow those things to happen. This is where the metabolism kicks in. If you have a lot of excess weight and suddenly start dieting and exercising intelligently, your body will likely follow the 3500 Rule relatively closely for a while, probably even for a long while depending how you are doing both of those things. But then your body starts to get used to it and metabolisms change. This is one reason why no matter how much weight you are looking to lose, I would never recommend cutting too many calories too soon. This causes the body to go into starvation mode, where it hangs onto every calorie it can. Could also lead to muscle loss, which doesn't help you lose weight healthily. Going way over the top with exercise can be problematic too. Eating a well-balanced diet and getting rid of empty calories to focus on nutrition instead is generally going to be the way to go but it may be more specific than that when it comes to your particular body. There is where getting professional help from a dietician/nutritionist may be the answer.

Your body will adapt to the exercise you do as well but this does not mean you need to keep changing up that exercise regimen completely to keep the muscular confusion effect going. As I mentioned earlier as it relates to boxing, there are many different ways you can train. If you've been going light for months, it is time to start intensifying. Hit harder, move faster, less rest, incorporate more footwork, head movement, feints, etc. etc. You can also always increase the duration of your boxing workout - like doing it for 2 hours instead of 1 hour - but I truly believe you will get much more bang for your buck with the above mentioned ideas. Your body has to stay challenged. A great thing about boxing and other sport-based workouts is that the better you get at the skill, the better workout benefits you can get from it. I often hear from people who join our club that after about a month or so of coming consistently, they suddenly find themselves very tired. When they ask me why this is, I usually say something to the effect of, "Because you're doing it right!", meaning that by learning how to throw punches and move more properly, they are now recruiting more muscles, generating more explosive force, and able to spend less time thinking and more time doing.

Speaking of muscles, how do they relate to all of this? Has anyone ever told you that muscle weighs more than fat? This is not really true, a pound is a pound, but muscles are denser than fat so if you are building muscle, even lean muscle (toning up), especially in areas you didn't have it before, your weight may not drop significantly as quickly. I have had those same people who box consistently for a month tell me that they have only lost a negligible amount of weight in that month but they are noticing their clothes fit differently. That is one reason I find the number on the scale less meaningful. Body composition, while less of metric, is more important to me. Something I like about boxing is that it is great for toning muscle, especially doing heavy bag work. You're getting significant resistance from hitting that 100-pound bag but it also moves so it's not akin to a heavy lift, where you are going to build bulkier muscle.

And speaking of heavy lifting, I did have someone ask me about this recently too so here is a quick note: If you are looking to bulk up as well as lose significant weight (like, 15-20 pounds at least) and/or body fat, I believe these goals are somewhat simultaneously incompatible, unless you are a serious body builder and have tons of time and resources to devote to training and eating. That is hard science right there and will require a lot of careful, thoughtful work. I would recommend losing the weight and/or body fat first in a reasonable, no-crazy-diets-or-meal-skipping way. Maintain that weight/body fat percentage for a little while, then you can attempt to bulk up. This will require more calories, which is one reason I say the goals are incompatible, so you will start gaining again but if you can maintain a good diet and take things slowly (along with, of course, a proper heavy lifting program that will work for you), you are more likely to maintain the kind of body composition you would like. Don't do it the other way around!

So... how many calories do you burn while boxing? The answer is that it depends on a lot of factors. So you read all this just to get an "I don't know" at the end? Well, sort of, but I have at least tried to explain some of those factors a little bit better. And here are several more salient takeaways:

1. Boxing is HIIT training and thus, one of the highest calorie-burning activities, including some calorie burn after the workout is over.
2. Boxing is a skill that constantly evolves, giving your body less opportunity to adapt to the workout and thus, constantly challenging the body.
3. That being said, this also means that you will need to work harder with that new skill, to continue pushing yourself to get better results.
4. THAT being said, someone who does intense exercise every day and is relatively fit is going to burn far less calories per session than someone who has a lot more to burn and doesn't exercise as frequently.
5. Paris is the capital of France.
6. Future posts will focus on Takeaways 2 and 3, as they are very important.

1 Obvious Reason + 5 Not-So-Obvious Reasons Why I Love Reloading Punches

 

This week at our club, we have been focusing on reloading punches. "Reloading" meaning, throwing the same hand again in a combination for maximum power. It's something we work on consistently but worth paying special attention to from time to time. While it's somewhat easier to throw alternating punches, left-right-left-right, it's not necessarily practical in a boxing scenario. If you just alternate between one hand and another, you become predictable, defense becomes a lot easier for your opponent  and you're not necessarily boxing. It's just punches. This is generally the most obvious reason for why we often throw 2 punches (or more) from the left side or 2 punches (or more) from the right side as part of our combos but there are several other important reasons why we do it for training purposes:

1) Body Mechanics/Technique: If you can learn how to throw, as an example, both a lead uppercut followed by a lead hook for power, that means you will have to learn how to use your entire body to load, unload and reload these punches. Just using your arm will not cut it. And as I have mentioned in this blog before, teaching people how to use their entire body to throw punches is the biggest challenge for someone new to boxing. Doubling-up on one side almost forces the issue. When we just throw alternating, left-rights, each punch will naturally load the next. When it's the same side, like 2 lefts, you have to create the load separately, which helps the body learn.

The same is true for sudden explosiveness. Nobody can throw 2 power punches in a row on the same side as quickly and explosively as they can throw 2 left-right power punches. But we can get closer than one might think. Trying to compensate for that deficit can also naturally force us into upping the intensity those 2 (or more) same side punches.

Both of these things translate into better technique, even if you're just throwing a single punch on it's own. So using that example of a lead uppercut followed by a lead hook, if you practice that as part of a combo and you're able to get power and explosiveness behind those punches, your lead uppercut and lead hook will be better/stronger/faster in any combo, any scenario, regardless of whether you ever throw them in succession like that again.

2.) Feints: One of the Next Level steps in boxing is to learn how to effectively use feints. Feinting with your feet and feinting with your hands. When it comes to your hands, you will be much better at doing this when you have practiced extensively throwing multiple strikes in a row on the same hand. Even though a reload is more about power and feint is more about speed, that comfort-level and explosiveness will better sell a feint to your opponent.

3.) Coordination & Balance: Besides just your boxing skills, you are building additional coordination and balance throwing the same hand more than once for power, especially when you throw an entirely different punch and double-especially on your non-dominant hand. Just like it naturally loads punches for you, left-right-left-right will help naturally balance you out too. Using the lead uppercut to a lead hook once again as an example, these 2 strikes together will require you to shift your weight from one side of the body to the other and if you don't do this properly on the lead uppercut, you will be off-balance when you try to throw that lead hook. We humans are designed not to feel right when we are off-balance and while it's certainly possible to explain how to remain on-balance, the body has to learn it, as well as the mind. All of those coordination and balance skills - and the are trainable skills that if you don't use, you lose - that we learn from boxing factor into everything else we do in life.

4.) Workout: Another thing I say over and over again is that the better you are at boxing, the better the boxing workout is in terms of cardio, strength, endurance, everything. You can work really hard with left-right-left-right, for sure, but mixing it up works your body differently. Forces it to adapt, to change, and never get to settled. A great thing about boxing vs. every steady-state exercise is that even though we are always punching, defending, moving, etc., it is never the same exact thing over and over. Sometimes the bursts are short, sometimes they are longer. Sometimes they are quicker, sometimes they are more powerful. The punches, the timing, the rhythm, the order of everything is always changing so the body can't get so used to it that it isn't pushed to change.

5.) What's Open? So you don't have to care about why we would reload in a fight to still reap many rewards of the exercise but if you do care about the strategy behind it - or it just helps you to better understand something when you get "The Why" behind it - here is a simple example for you. Let's say I throw my left hook to the body of my opponent and he brings his right arm/elbow down to protect the rib cage area. This is what he must do to avoid a body shot that could very well end the fight and if we're in close enough, there won't be time to move out of the way. At that point, I could throw my right hand but he still has his left hand uncommitted and could block with that one too. What I do know is that he has committed his right arm to blocking my body shot, which means he likely had to lower his elbow, at least slightly, which also means that the right side of his face is at least slightly exposed. If I am quick enough and my opponent is not Archie Moore (master of the cross-guard), I now have a free shot to that right side of his face with my left hook. Now of course he may counter some other way and in boxing there is always a counter to the counter to the counter to the blah blah blah...but setting up open shots is what it's all about. It's also true that we don't always have time for a full reload if we want to land a punch but practicing them will only help us when we need to cut corners.

Going back to #4 one last time, I have found that visualizing the strategy and what my opponent would do actually makes me work harder on the heavy bag. If I'm throwing a left hook to the body followed by a left hook to the head just because the trainer told me so, I won't throw it quite as explosively than if I imagine the scenario I described above, where my opponent blocks the left body shot and I've only got a split second to go to that chin before he does something else. That visualization will actually make me speed up and hence, get a better workout. I can almost guarantee it will for you too!!

Surfing on the Waves of Chaos - in Boxing and in Life!

I have mentioned in the past that I have seen literally thousands of people box for their first time. And this is one of those rare cases where "literally" actually means, literally. People of all ages, fitness-levels and backgrounds. I will also say again that it has been a real honor to do so. I LOVE teaching boxing and
introducing others to something I am so passionate about.

Boxing is very difficult, however, and no one learns it right away. Besides just brand new body movements at high speeds and intensity levels, it is also learning a new language for most. Jab, cross, lead hook, rear body shot, overhand, liver punch, slip, roll, etc. etc. That's a lot to take in all at once!

When I originally started out, I learned only the very basic of the basics. Just threw jabs and crosses for about a month or so. Nothing else, just that. This is certainly a logical way to learn but it was boring. And while I can say that my jab-cross got better, it did not get better at a rate commensurate with that much repetition at that stage, in my opinion. In fact, I think my straight punches got a lot better when I understood the variety of other strikes. But that is just me. Everybody learns differently, that is for sure.

When I first experienced the TITLE Boxing Club class format, it was in many ways the opposite of how I had learned. First-timers can box side-by-side with experienced boxers, with everyone at different levels, everyone going at their own pace but still doing all the different strikes at once. Defense, head movement and occasional footwork too! I often tell people in their initial class that we pretty much throw them into the deep end. The only difference is that they won't drown and in fact, can throw any punch (or not throw any punch) they want, so long as they keep their wrists straight and their fists tight when they hit the bag. At first it will be overwhelming, but things will slow down as they get more used to it.

I originally wasn't sure how this would play out with people who had never done anything like this before, some without any kind of significant sports background but was pleasantly surprised to see how much better folks got so quickly. That first time is overwhelming for sure, but if you are the kind of person who is okay with that, it is amazing how fast you'll pick things up if you train consistently for even just a few weeks.

That is the key though - being okay with not knowing everything and not mastering it right away. Being comfortable being uncomfortable. Telling yourself that you CAN do this! Not learn boxing in a day or two, that is impossible, but that you CAN hang in there, keep working, and know that you WILL learn this eventually. Sometimes when I show someone new the basics of boxing, I can see in their eyes and body language that they have already decided they CAN'T do it. That it is too hard. Too much, too soon. And in some ways, they are right because once again, nobody is going to learn boxing in a couple minutes. But you still have to go into it thinking that while you may get lost, you may forget what a jab is, that is okay and you will keep moving, keep plugging away, and that all of this stuff can eventually come to you as you are strong and capable. Maybe more so than you know! If you tell yourself the opposite, however, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I like to think of this as akin to surfing (which is much harder to learn that first day than boxing, by the way). You're riding this giant wave that you ultimately have no control over. It is big and powerful and not necessarily something to be conquered but if you can keep calm and stay vigilant, you can ride it and harness some of it's awesome power.

And hey, this also holds true in life in general, right? We don't necessarily know what tomorrow will bring. We can't control the rest of the world. We just control our own world and how we deal with everything else. Maintain a positive attitude, believe in yourself, don't expect to figure things out right away and always have all the answers. Focus on what you can do and how you can do it, not how you can't do it. Keep moving, and you can eventually catch that big wave.

So there's my Tony Robbins' speech of the day! I've got more surfing analogies too. Ask me one day about the movie, "North Shore" and how that also relates to boxing, as well as life in general.

What Is the Most Important Thing In Boxing?

It's probably punching, right? I mean, that’s what boxing is. Whether you train on your own or competitively, boxing is about throwing punches, first and foremost. But I don’t think that punching is necessarily the most important thing in boxing. Why? Because to even be able to throw a punch that lands successfully, you have to be in proper position. And that means, your stance and footwork
comes first.

Just like you can’t build a house without a solid foundation, you can’t throw powerful, accurate, efficient, and effective punches without a solid foundation. This is true for fitness boxing as much as it is a fight. Your stance is your foundation and I cannot overstate the importance of it.

Stances can vary a little bit, depending on the person and their style but I would encourage anybody new to the sport to adopt a more open, squared stance. Lead toe pointed forward, rear toe pointed 90ish degrees out and a line could pass between the legs, coming head on, without touching either foot. This stance not only allows for better, 360-degree balance but helps us to be able to shift our body weight more easily. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the hardest thing to teach people is to use their whole body to throw punches. Starting with a more open stance makes that much easier than narrow stance.

But we don't just stand still when we box, even when doing it for fitness. We have to move our feet. Even at first, it is good to learn how to move properly BUT that does not mean moving WHILE punching. That part usually takes a little while to get the hang of and can mess up the learning process a little bit if someone is moving while punching before they have the technique down for said punch. Anyway, there are many great reasons to learn footwork early one, and probably the most important is that it helps you get comfortable with your fighting stance and boxing in general.

You can break up the stages of learning a million different ways but the 2 most simple ways I like to think of it for boxing is: learning something intellectually, your mind knowing what the body should do, and Stage 2 is learning it physically, where your body knows what to do without the mind having to tell it. Footwork helps a lot with Stage 2. It teaches your body about balance and positioning, something that it is harder to actually explain in an actionable way.

Footwork is not just for beginners though. In fact it is often the "Next Step" of boxing. When people get comfortable in their stance, throwing punches, working defense, and all the basics, I recommend putting the footwork into their sessions. Moving before throwing a combo and after landing the last punch in the combo. Moving in and out, side-to-side, circling, changing angles and everything in between. This is yet another case where doing this will not only make you a much better boxer but the intensity of your workout will go up significantly.

There's yet another reason I find the feet more important than the hands in boxing. While boxing is indeed about punching, it is also about not being punched and footwork is the absolute best way to make that happen. Moving out of the way, simply not being there when your opponent attacks, and creating an angle so that you can punch them without them being able to hit you is the true mastery of the sweet science.

So whether you are just learning and looking to take that next step, focus on your footwork. It truly will make everything you do better. Like bacon! Although I have already used that analogy for body shots. Hey, maybe that will be my next blog post?

Weight Loss + Why I Got Into the Fitness Industry

 

As some people know, I used to make video games in my former life. For about 25 years! Great job, I was lucky to have it, and between you and me, I probably never even deserved the opportunities I got in the first place. I was always interested in combat sports and trained in several disciplines throughout my adulthood. Like most single guys who get into their 30s and spend more and more time at the office, eating out a lot, and drinking with friends, I started gaining weight. I didn't realize it at first. In my mind, I was still the same guy from my 20s, just a little wiser and more affluent. Plus, I was active. Not as active as I needed to be to make any kind of meaningful weight loss changes but I still did martial arts and went to the gym. I had gotten stronger for sure. Maybe it was all just muscle mass?

It wasn't. I was definitely overweight. And was on a bad trajectory going into my 40s. A doctor told me flat out that I was fat and needed to lose at least 20 pounds. Of course I was angry and wanted to deny it but eventually, I saw a picture of myself and it finally sunk in. I was married now, with a young baby, and didn't want to continue on like this. But of course, being a new dad with a demanding job didn't leave me with a lot of time so if there was a faster, easier, better and more efficient way to lose weight, I was all in! 

I knew that it would require both diet and exercise so I explored different options, which of course there are many. I tried a bunch, researched more, spent a lot of time doing trial and error, and came away with 3 key takeaways

1. Every body is different - what might work for someone else many not work for you. And vice-versa.
2. Losing weight/getting in shape is only half the battle - keeping the weight off and staying in shape is the other half. And maybe the harder one!
3. There are no shortcuts - period.

#3 was the most difficult one for me to accept. Again, I didn't have a lot of time, I didn't want to dedicate a lot of time, and there's always gotta be a shortcut, right? A life hack, a cheat code, some smarter way to do more work with less effort. Many things promise this. I read articles about a fast-emerging training protocol of that time, Tabata, which actually claimed you could work out for 4-15 minutes a day and get all the fitness benefits of someone who spends hours at the gym. Weight Watchers had an add campaign with a bunch of guys saying, "I ate the food, I lost the weight" and then it shows pictures of burgers, pizza and even desserts! Who wouldn't want to work for our only 4 minutes and chase it with a pizza and yet still lose weight? Or maybe there is some brand new scientific discovery to help. A pill or some cleanse or maybe even an electronic device. Our world is full of this stuff and there is more and more every day.

While not everything was just a complete lie, there is certainly a lot of misleading information out there that is just as bad as a lie, in my opinion. Doing HIIT training under the Tabata protocol can be more beneficial in less time, for sure, and most people can spend hours at the gym doing very little, but 4-15 minutes is not going to get you where you want to be (also as just a general note about HIIT, a lot of the most explosive, cardio-building, calorie-burning exercises, the "High Intensity" part, are very hard to do at such a high-intensity for a deconditioned person so their results will be tremendously skewed by their own fitness. Same is true for running up a treadmill full-speed at a 20-percent incline. Most people cannot, and should not, even attempt that). You could absolutely eat Weight Watchers' pizza for lunch but it's tiny, is somewhere around 250 calories, doesn't taste like pizza you would normally get from a restaurant, and for the next 6 hours after eating it, you are likely going to be very, very hungry and the cravings are harder to fight than one might think. If they were easy enough to resist by just simple will power, we'd all to do it and there would be much less need for these kinds of diet programs.

NOTE ABOUT THE DIET/EXERCISE BALANCE: There is a school of thought that says losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise. If you are looking purely at caloric deficit, these numbers may be accurate for you but there are other factors to consider. Exercise is more than just burning calories. It is a mindset. A new way of life. Discipline. Exercise changes how you feel physically, mentally and spiritually. This can even help with he dieting part and getting through those difficult periods.

No matter what you pick, for diet and for exercise, be prepared for some hard work. As I say all the time, if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you. Doesn't mean you necessarily have to hate it. This is where the hack portion does come in. Find something you love doing that also challenges you. You may say that there is no type of exercise you are going to "love." Maybe, but make sure to try them all first! Same is true with dieting. If you can't embrace your diet on some level and sustain it, it will not be a long-term solution.

Which brings me to Takeaway #2. Losing the weight is very hard, keeping it off may be harder. Both the diet and the exercise have to be sustainable on some levels. Starving yourself will create that caloric deficit for sure but this may not be something you are able to do for months on end and when your body adapts to working with less calories, what is going to happen when you eventually start giving it more? Or if it requires a lot of work and meal planning, is this something you will be able to do consistently over time? Plus there is nutrition and general wellness to think about too. Not getting proper nutrition from your diet won't make it sustainable and if you feel terrible, that's not going to bode well either. Lots of people have achieved amazing success from no/low carb diets like Keto but I have tried them and felt weak, tired and unhappy.

Which brings me to Takeaway #3! Every body really is different. You might be able to find a program on your own that works for you and gives you the results that you want but you might need professional, personal help on both the diet and exercise front. What works for someone else may not work for you at all. This is what makes me generally angry about how a lot of information out there is presented - do THIS and THIS will happen! Trends come and go every few years and people are just so certain they have finally cracked the code. I have worked with many people as a trainer and anecdotally, I can tell you that results are very, very different for everyone. There are many factors at play and no one-size-fits-all solution.

Which brings me back to the original point of this post. I found the whole process of losing weight challenging and frustrating. Of course it's annoying when you can't find a clear and concise solution to a particular problem but when the problem is your own obesity, it becomes compounded in several ways, most notably in regards to self-esteem. I couldn't stand to look at myself. That sucks! People like me need help. And while maybe much of the information you find online or in magazines, books, etc is trying to do the right thing and help us out, promising any kind of simple, quick-fix solutions that very likely are not that simple nor personally effective feels kind of cruel to me.

At that point, my job was still making video games, which for sure didn't help anyone with their health and fitness. As I got older, I began to realize just how important that really is. As they say, we only get one body and if it doesn't work, feels bad, or is at risk any way, it will be harder to do literally everything. I was able to eventually find a diet and exercise program (boxing!) that worked better for me and was able to lose about 60 pounds before my 40th birthday. As I began to study this more and more, I realized that this was something I also wanted to do for a career. Maybe I could help other people too? Not by promising them instant solutions but by at least aiding them along the path to fitness and wellness, doing something (boxing!) I love more than anything. I became certified as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, boxing coach, quit my job, moved to Rochester, opened a boxing club and the rest is history! Some big changes for sure and getting into a completely new industry (as well as owning a business for the first time ever) was kind of an odd thing to do at my age but well worth it! It has been an honor and privilege to help people of all types with one of the the maybe the most important thing ever - our own health and wellness.