Boxing Stance - The Great Debate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8 Myths For Those Who Already Train In Boxing For Fitness

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some common sub-myth examples:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top 5 Bodyweight Exercises For Boxing

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

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

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

#1) Skater Lunges/Side Hops

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

#2) 180-Degree Squat Jumps

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

#3) Hay Balers

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

#4) Push-Ups/Plyo Push-Ups

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

#5) Footwork Half-Circle Drills

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

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

Why I Like Mike

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

1)  He Moves Differently

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

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

2)  He Was Just So Technically Sound

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

3)  He Was/Is a Student of the Game

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

4)  Coachability

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

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

5)  He Was Shorter and Smaller Than Everybody He Fought

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

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

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

Should I Get Boxing Shoes?

If you've boxed for a while and haven't worn boxing shoes, you have probably wondered this. Or maybe you didn't even know that boxing shoes existed! What exactly are boxing shoes and how do they help you with boxing? Are there any other shoes not designated specifically for boxing but good for boxing training? Are any shoes BAD for boxing training? Are boxing shoes good for anything else? What about kickboxing? Any downside to having boxing shoes, besides the expense? All good questions and here are your answers:

What are boxing shoes?

The biggest, most critical difference between boxing shoes and all other athletic shoes is the sole. Boxing shoes have very thin, light soles whereas other athletic shoes have thicker, heavier soles.  Boxing soles are also flat, as is the rest of the shoe in general. Most, if not all, of the time, boxing shoes also have ankle support, thus coming up higher on the ankles for the high-top, boot kind of look. 

How do they help you with boxing?

Consider what the feet do while boxing. The boxer generally stays up on their toes but also needs to dig down into the ground and push off for punches. The boxer needs to be very agile and move in any direction at any moment. The fighting stance is relatively wide, providing maximum balance, and crossing your feet is rarely done. While the feet need to move quickly, it is only in short bursts (a split second or two) and never in one uninterrupted direction for any period of time. I.e. there is never any point where the boxer is running or trying to achieve a top speed with their legs. The boxer also does not need to lift their foot off the ground very high. The lower the better, for several reasons. Pivoting quickly is both a huge part of boxing footwork and proper punch technique.

The thin, light soles allow the feet to move quickly, with the least resistance. You can actually feel your feet grip the ground too, which allows you to dig in and drive off more easily with proprioception. The soles themselves do not stick to the ground as much and this ensures that you don't get stuck moving one way and can't change in a split second. They also let you  almost slide your feet along the floor so the amount of time spent on one foot is minimal. The ankle support helps you make all those directional changes most easily too. All of this applies to pivoting as well.

Are any other shoes good for boxing?

There is nothing I would say is necessarily good for boxing but certainly some are better than others. Tennis is not dissimilar to boxing in terms of footwork and rotation so tennis shoes can work. In tennis however, there are plenty of times to cross feet and get up to maximum speed and thus, the soles are curved in a way to help you spring forward in a way not appropriate for boxing. They also need to absorb a lot more shock so they are heavier and don't slide at all. Basketball shoes generally have good ankle support for boxing and are made with reinforced souls that help with all the omnidirectional movement, pivoting, and wear. But of course those same souls are thicker and heavier, also designed to help you get close to max speed as well us upward spring for jumping high, something NEVER done in boxing. Then there are just the standard cross-trainer shoes that will certainly work for boxing training too. But probably the best are wrestling shoes, since the movement is most similar between the two sports. And wrestling shoes look pretty much the same as boxing shoes. There are even boxers who fight in wrestling shoes. I myself have never done it but if Floyd Mayweather has, we probably could, too.

Are any other shoes BAD for boxing training?

I would say running shoes, particularly distance running shoes, are actually bad for boxing training. Bad for your ankles and bad for your feet. Because they are made for running straight ahead and that is it. They are light, that part is good, but curved and don't allow for safe omnidirectional movement, in my book. The ankle support isn't there at all and pushing off the ground with your left foot, then pushing back the other direction going right, for example, will pressure the sides of your feet in a way that can be uncomfortable in many instances.

Are boxing shoes good for anything besides boxing?

I say no. Even though I mentioned earlier that some boxers fight in wrestling shoes, I don't think boxing shoes would work for wrestling. The main reason is that wrestling shoes need to be more flexible because sometimes your foot gets twisted and rolled in different directions. Most boxing shoes that I know of would pinch in such a situation. And for all other traditional sports, the lack of sole is going to make ground impact uncomfortable.

What about kickboxing?

No! Though a lot of the footwork in boxing and kickboxing is similar, most round/roundhouse kicks involve contact between the kicker’s shin bones and the target. You generally want this contact lower on the shins, right above the ankle. Take a look at any pair of boxing shoes and what do you see covering that area? The tongue and the laces! The ankle support of a boxing shoe covers that area so when you land the roundhouse kick, there is a good chance you are going to land it on the laces and that doesn't feel good, nor is it effective in any way. There are plenty of other smaller reasons but this alone is more than enough. No kickboxer fights in boxing shoes nor are there any shoes specifically designed for kickboxing and the reason is because bare feet really are the best option. If you don't want to use bare feet, a light cross-training shoe will be just fine. You just don't want your ankles covered and something that provides good balance on one leg.

Besides the cost, is there any downside to owning boxing shoes?

I feel a third "no" in a row coming on! No downside at all. Boxing will be better in your boxing shoes, there is no doubt about it. Boxing shoes do tend to wear pretty fast though. My feet are particularly wide and it doesn't take long before the shoe and the sole start to separate on the sides. Plus since the sole is, by design, lighter and smaller, it is going to break down faster. They are just not meant to be particularly durable shoes. But that doesn't mean that you should be buying them every few months, even if you box most days of the week. The tricky part is finding good, quality boxing shoes that work for your particular feet and style of movement. Most places do not sell them so they will have to be ordered online. Just make sure there is a good return policy if you don't like the fit or they fall apart too quickly.

So, should I get boxing shoes?

I think that one is going to depend a lot on you. I would highly recommend them to anybody serious about boxing training for fitness. Then for someone who wants to box competitively on any level, it is a pretty much a must. Footwork is one of the most difficult things in boxing and as I have mentioned on this very blog, it is also the most important thing in boxing. Proper shoes will help your footwork. They will make it easier for you to move in what is generally an awkward for just about anyone. I would say the right pair of boxing shoes will make a more significant difference in your performance than just about any other sport-specific shoe other than cleats.

Another thing to consider is how you feel. I can tell you with just about 100% certainty that if you feel better about the way you look while boxing, you will perform better. A new pair of gloves or shoes or even an outfit can make a significant difference. Having the shoes makes it feel a little more serious. Like you are taking training seriously and that can have a carry-over effect too.

Then there is another mental component kind of along the same lines that when you are about to start training and you take off the shoes you walked in wearing, then sit down to lace up your boxing shoes, it helps get your head in the game. Reinforces that you are boxing now and for many of us, that is particular mindset. The wrapping of hands does this too. Warriors going into battle.

On the flip side, I personally enjoy boxing in non-high top basketball shoes too. I have a wider, more open stance than some and the bigger soles help my feet with balance and push-off but at the same time, I definitely wouldn't say I'm better in basketball shoes. It's just different and both are good for me. At the very least, having a pair specifically for boxing helps too reducing the overall wear on my shoes as a collective. If you have any questions about specific recommendations from me or my shoe collective, let me/us know!

Where is My Mojo Part 3 - The Comeback

In the previous 2 posts, I spoke about a couple different ways we can lose our mojo. Mojo meaning our desire and drive for an exercise program. It can be hard to regain your mojo, once it is lost, and sometimes Life makes this more difficult by throwing a whammy at us, bringing our momentum to a grinding halt. Maybe it's a long vacation, a series of short vacations or an injury that may take more than a couple weeks for recovery. For a lot of people, coming back from such a long layoff will seem daunting at best, impossible at worst. Here are a couple of ways to counteract those feelings and get back on track:

Know That Your Hard Work Is Not Lost

The sense that you could work on something for a period of time, toil over it and then lose everything that you have worked for is just gone is a terrible, disheartening feeling. If you've ever forgot to save something on your computer, you know what I mean. It's more than just the time it would take to redo what you've lost, it is a major psychological blow. When it comes to physical activity though, no matter how long the layoff, none of the training you've ever done in any sport, or even just physical activity in general, is ever lost. Muscles atrophy, sure, skills can decline, absolutely, but it's never all lost. You are still in plus territory, even if other things occur like weight gain, age, etc. Your chances of getting back to a good routine are much statistically higher than someone who has never started BUT don't let that knowledge allow you to put off your comeback!

Avoid the Spiral

Unfortunately, our brains are not always helpful during any kind of a layoff. They tell us things like, "Ugh, I feel so out of shape" and "I used to look so much better and now, I've just let it all go', "I'll never get back to where I was" etc. etc. The sad irony here is that for many of us, telling ourselves these things doesn't actually bring about a call to action but quite the opposite. It discourages us and defeats us, making it harder to get back into a program. This is the same with dieting for many of us too. We have a bad day where our diet restrictions are broken, we feel terrible about it, then we eat those feelings. It can be very difficult to change your self-talk, especially negative self-talk but here is one trick I learned that actually worked surprisingly well for me: Tell yourself to shut up. Immediately. Immediately being the key and I'm not joking here either. Here is an example:

"I used to look so better and now, I've--STOP!"

"I'll never get back to whe--STOP!!"

Literally yell "STOP" in your head as soon as you feel those thoughts creeping in. Don't entertain the thoughts, don't even let your mind finish saying them. Just interrupt with a resounding, powerful "STOP!" And your brain likely will stop, at least for a second. But when it starts up again - STOP! Okay, okay, but here it goes again and STOP! Keep yelling that, the instant you feel the thought. Don't wait even more than a split second. Don't consider these thoughts on any level. Nipping them in the bud like this can actually work. It's almost like when you feel the hiccups coming on. If you hold your breath immediately, you can shut the hiccups down. If you wait too long, you are stuck with hiccups for a while.

Stay Mentally Engaged

There are some good things you brain can do for you doing the layoff. It can stay mentally engaged with what you were doing and want to get back to some day. So if it's boxing, watch boxing videos on Youtube. Watch different fighters. Read about boxing. Read about fitness training in general. Just because your body can't do it, doesn't mean your brain can't. But won't that just make it worse on you? Make you feel worse for NOT being about to exercise while it still occupies your mind? That sounds like a negative, not useful thought so.....STOP!

Most of this is mental. It really is. We tend to divide our lives into chapters, of sorts. If you are doing something like boxing and really into it for a while, that becomes a chapter. But if you take a long vacation, are rehabbing an injury, or just are away from boxing for a while, that chapter tends to close. Doesn't mean you can't start a new chapter but if you are able to stay mentally engaged, there is less of a hard end to the original chapter and thus, getting back into it feels more like a continuation, rather than a full restart.

Some Physical Engagement Too

Taking those examples again - a vacation, an injury or life change that prevents you from doing your normal exercise routine - there still may be ways to stay physically engaged. In the case of an injury, of course you want to clear all of this with your doctor. Maybe you can get a walk in? Maybe you could bust out 5 push-ups? Or 10? In the case of boxing, maybe you can practice footwork only. Anything you can do to keep some form of physical activity in your life while still unable to do your regular exercise routine can be very useful, for both body and mind.

Beware the Double-Whammy

Let's say you, after that long layoff, finally make your comeback and get back to your exercise program. Woo-hoo! Congratulations! I know it was not easy. Instead of being rewarded by The Universe for your impressive achievement, it immediately throws another curveball. Like maybe you just got back from vacation, ready to get back into the swing of things, and then bam! You get sick. Or something unavoidable happens to prevent you from returning to your old routine/exercise program. The ol' double-whammy. It happens far more often than it should. And it very well may happen to you.

So what do you do about the double-whammy? If this DW is truly unavoidable, you have no control, that is true. But it is one of those cases where even though you can't change the thing itself, you can change the way you think about the thing. My recommendation is to simply laugh. Picture those little creatures from the 80s game show, Press Your Luck, that were actually called "Whammies', if you remember them. Laugh because this is Life just trying to mess with you. It thinks it will stop your comeback but haha, you're not going to let it. Nice try, Life. Sure you may not be able to resume your routine for a little while longer and yes, that sucks, but you will ultimately triumph. This will be a blip on the radar, as I sometimes say. Instead of letting that negative self-talk creep in, shut it down and try some positive self-talk. Your laugh is a laugh of superiority because you know you cannot be stopped. And that no matter how hard life hits, you're going to just keep getting up over and over again.

Boxing is full of great comeback stories. The one most refer to as "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali, was unable to box during his prime physical peak years. He left as the champion, came back years later, and then lost his first big fight back. But he kept coming and reclaimed his belt, cementing his legacy of one of boxing's best, most beloved fighters. And I can't imagine he had a lot of negative self-talk going on in his head either. In fact, Ali was the first person I recall in any sport who called himself the Greatest. He said it over and over again. Whether it was true or it wasn't, he believed it and I can't imagine he could have achieved what he did without this kind of positive self-talk. Try it for yourself!

Where is My Mojo Part 2 - The Plateau

Last week, I spoke about the common, recurring phenomenon where someone makes a new, positive life change, is excited by that life change, sticks with that change for a while but gets derailed at some point and finds it very hard, maybe even seemingly impossible to get back on track.

There is similar phenomenon - actually, let's call this one a "paradigm' though - where someone has managed to make it through the first issue but has now been adhering to this new exercise program, or whatever the positive life change is, for a while but feels like they have plateau'd on some level. At first, they were noticing rapid changes and results, staying engaged with the program, broke through the initial mojo drop, continued on but feel like things haven't been progressing any more.

To some degree, plateau-ing is gonna happen. When you initially start a program and you're learning, things can change quickly. As you get deeper into it, the changes come slower and sometimes in spurts vs. a steady climb. It's not always a bad thing either. A plateau stage is sometimes where we unconsciously need to gather the physical and mental resources to take that next climb. But maybe you feel like you've been in that plateau too long and want to break on through.

Breaking through the plateau is highly dependent on what your program is and what your goals are. Specific to boxing, there was another old post of mine which discusses this in general - https://theboxingmanifesto.blogspot.com/2022/03/are-you-comfortable-boxer.html - and it can certainly relate to other exercise programs as well.

Once again, this is a good time to check in with your goals. Have they changed at all? Are you looking to build more strength, more speed, whatever? Then ask yourself why. Why do you want these things and what will you do with them? You have to care that the changes will happen. From there, you need a modified plan. What is going to get you to those goals? You may get there doing things exactly the way you're doing them now but it will likely be slower than it needs to be. 

There are so many different variables here but I will give you an example: let's say you want to develop more power in your punches. And let's say you have listened to me talk about all the different ways to get more power (using lower body, explosive movement, no steady state punching, proper loading, creating the whip effect, etc. etc.) until the cows come home and have gotten better but now you seem to be stuck at a certain point. You may benefit from some supplemental strength work that translates to boxing. Medicine balls, kettlebells, lever presses, bounding, box jumps and beyond. Whatever you do needs to get folded into a periodized plan of some sort, allowing for improvements in overall strength and motor function. In this particular instance, the plan would not want to necessarily target significant gains in muscle mass for boxing but if this was part of your overall fitness goal, it would be easier to tweak. And again, this is just one example out of many. with the unifying principle of creating a plan for getting where you want to go, on the micro and macro levels. Otherwise, it is just a wish.

When it comes to the mental part, staying engaged with your program after you've been doing it for a while, sometimes that example above works here too. A while ago, I decided my jab sucked and went on a little mission to make it better. I experimented with a few things, did a bunch of drills and lo and behold, my jab got snappier and I mostly got rid of my tell (although I notice it still happens if I am talking while punching - see if you can spot it). Anyway, it was kind of fun and at the very least, focused my attention on something specific to work on. If you need ideas, let me know! 

Another thing that might help in the case of boxing is actually watching more boxing and combat sports in general, if you don't currently. And if you do currently, maybe taking a deeper dive into studying a particular fighter. Figure out what they do and maybe even try to emulate. Change up your style a little bit. This may make you feel a little uncomfortable though, as mentioned in the Comfortable Boxer post. Be okay with that. Whether it ends up being a change you adopt full time or not, you will learn something and it will keep your mind engaged.

When it comes to boxing, never think that you just are who you are and will never be any different. I have never been particularly fast and it's hard to imagine that I ever could be now as I approach my 50s but that's not true. I could do it if I made it my focus. At the very least, I could get quicker. And if I can do it, you can do it too! We just need to turn our wishes into plans!!

Where's My Mojo???

It doesn't seem to matter what the exercise program is or if it is just simply exercise in general, a recurring phenomenon we often see in the fitness industry is this:

#1) Someone makes the decision to bring fitness into their life

#2) They take the next step and start a new program

#3) They love it and feel better

#4) They are committed and get a good routine going

#5) Then after maybe a month, maybe two, they suddenly stop. They fall off the wagon.

#6) They abandon the program completely OR maybe they try again, but sporadically over the next couple of weeks/months and cannot get back on track, eventually abandoning it.

So what happened?  If #3 is really true, why stop doing the thing they were enjoying and feeling better with? The answers will vary but almost all can be summed up by one word - Life. Life happened. Something in life caused their momentum to stop. Maybe they got sick, were out of town, got a little extra busy with work, the kids, whatever. Life stuff. Or maybe they were tired after a long day and decided to skip the gym on their normal day. No big deal, right? Can always make it up later.

The issue is that many, many people can't make it up later. Once the momentum is gone and that train derailed, it is extremely hard to get it back on the tracks. They have lost their mojo. It can happen to anyone.

Here is the thing people often miss: Life is not the real problem. And it is certainly never going to stop happening. What makes getting back on track so difficult in this scenario is that the person was lulled into a false sense of security. They started their new program, they were nervous to start but did it anyway, felt proud of themselves (as they should) were having fun and got fired up about this new, positive change in their life. This is what I call the "life-change high.”  But newness doesn't stay new for long and it no longer qualifies as a change once you've been doing it for a while. When this initial high wears off, we will need a different kind of motivation. It's almost like switching gears in a car. You have to find that 2nd gear if you want to get to your destination.

What you must know first is that this fitness journey is NOT going to be easy. Find something you actually enjoy doing, sure, but if you expect yourself to always feel like working out (or sticking to a new diet, which all of this applies to as well), you are in for a rude awakening. Some days you are just gonna want to stay home. Some days you'll say to yourself, "I'm just not feeling it.” When you were still in the life-change high state, you could override these things but not anymore. As I mentioned earlier, we can lull ourselves into a false sense of security. Maybe we tell ourselves it's not going to be easy but we don't fully believe it because it feels so good from the get-go. We can't allow that to happen, though, as it conditions us to think that is all working out should be ALL the time and when it isn't, we aren't compelled to stick with it.

So, by understanding what you're in for, you can set expectations and plan mentally and emotionally. Plan for setbacks. Expect Life to interrupt your routine. And expect to not be deterred by that. You truly have to embrace The Grind. But who wants to embrace a grind? Not many of us, right? We'd much rather have things be easy and quick. This isn't going to be one of them though. There are no magic pills or shortcuts. But always remember that YOU ARE WORTH IT. You are worth the grind. You are worth all the hard work. In fact, there is no better cause!

If and when you find yourself losing that mojo, ask yourself the following questions:

Why did you get started with an exercise routine in the first place? 

What are you goals?

Why do you want those goals?

What would achieving those goals mean to you? Fantasize about it!

What would happen if we DON'T achieve those goals, long term? 

Answer them honestly. Check in with yourself. The easy answer is that you can always put these things on hold. And sometimes, putting things on hold might actually work. But do you absolutely have to though? Why put it off when you really can do it now? It's probably not going to get easier later. Might seem like it because you're dealing with something big/difficult now, etc, etc. Remember that Life always happens. By the time you finish what is holding you back now, there may very likely be something new you're dealing with later. And think of how much better you will feel later if you start now!

Your brain will disagree. It will tell you that later is better and you can start fresh in X. After you finish X. When you get back from X. When X season is over. And it will give you very good, legitimate reasons why this is true and make perfectly logical sense. If you fell off the wagon, it will definitely tell you why you can't get back on. Or why it's not the same for you anymore. It can think of a million reasons NOT to do something or not to do something right now. But you only need one reason - You. I will say it again. And again and again. You are worth it.

So if you start something new and are on that life-change high, you can certainly enjoy it but remember that to, some degree, the life-change high is a lie. At the very least, it will eventually wear off.  You need a new high. While I'm naming things, I am going to call it the "Embracing the Grind High." If you come in and do a boxing class or whatever you do and are not feeling it at all, get excited. That is good! That is real. You are proving you are in it to win it, not just some tourist. So you didn't do your best that day. So you felt a little off or slow or whatever. Good! That shows you've got dedication. You've got grit. Yeah, some days are going to suck but you knew that going in and you did it anyway. Because it doesn't matter if you didn't perform up to your normal standards, you are one step closer on your path. Doesn't matter if Life happened and you weren't able to do your normal weekly return because you will keep getting back up every time Life knocks you down. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon and you are choosing strength over weakness.

Stress, Mental Health and Boxing

May is officially Mental Health Awareness Month and mental health is something we are becoming more aware of every day. Stress, depression, anxiety, anger and plenty of other issues are on the rise and there are many aspects of modern society are contributing to this. And while we cannot fix/change much of these external problems, we can at least change the way we feel about them.

How to do this varies very much on the person and the problem but self-care is almost always part of the solution- doing things to benefit your own health and well-being, mentally and physically. We have had folks come to our club because their doctor specifically recommended that they try out boxing. And while all forms of physical exercise can have a tremendous benefit on our own mental health, boxing may very well be the best.

The obvious reason is because you get to hit stuff! Punching a heavy bag is therapeutic. You can hit it as hard as you want. You won't hurt the bag and so long as you do it properly, you won't hurt yourself either. It is a sudden, powerful release of energy and if you are looking for sources of that energy, stress, frustration and anger can certainly provide that for you.  But there are other benefits too:

Boxing makes you feel (and look) powerful

When you hit that bag, there is distinct tactile and auditory feedback. While heavy bags don't feel pain or get hurt (fingers crossed), they do let you know when they've been struck. They move, they shake and best of all for me, there is that sound. That smack of leather colliding at fast speed. And the better you get, the better the sound. You can really feel the power and it doesn't matter how big or strong you are either. Explosiveness comes from technique, rhythm and coordination.

When you finish a boxing workout, you have truly survived something

You didn't just survive it, you conquered it! Any decent boxing workout is going to be a unique physical challenge. Different than anything else. We encourage everybody to go at their own pace but that works both ways. If you've got to slow down, slow down. But if it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you, so that means pushing past barriers. Once again, as you become a better boxer, you get stronger and the workout becomes even more awesome! The challenge isn't just physical either. It takes perseverance and it takes grit to be able to get through. Your body wants to stop but your mind tells you to keep fighting. That is no small thing. It builds character as well as strength. Maybe you felt the fear or nervousness going in but you did it anyway. Maybe you had a tough day at work, didn't sleep well the night before, whatever but you chose strength instead of weakness and made it through. 

Confidence

When you feel powerful, when you chose strength and don’t just “make it through” a boxing workout, but truly start to become a boxer - someone who has learned how to box and is training to get better, even if only for fitness - your confidence will grow and grow. That feels good but there's even more. Other people sense it. They may not be acutely aware but on some level, they know. It changes the way they interact with you. I have seen this play out in bully-victim dynamics but also just in regular, adult, relationships where potential physical harm is not even in question. Confident people get more out of life and are generally happier. It is almost like magic! Not to mention the physical benefits like weight loss, clothes fitting better, toner muscles, etc., can do wonders for our confidence.

We are all fighters

Doesn't matter if you ever step foot in the ring on the cage, we are all fighters. We are all fighting something - mental, physical or otherwise. Boxing teaches us to fight physically, but just like with everything else, this correlates to mental and emotional fights too. It can symbolize us pushing through any problem that we face. Conquering our fears and coming out stronger for it. If you haven't tried it, there is no better time than now. Or if you have tried but kind of lost your mojo, it's time to rededicate with a new outlook that isn't just for your physical health, it's for your mental health and as we continue to learn, that is just as important!

6 Biggest Myths About Boxing Training

I've said it plenty of times before but I have been lucky enough to meet literally thousands of people brand new to boxing and interested in checking it out. And have probably met hundreds more since I last wrote it. It's always interesting to hear about everyone's expectations going into their first boxing experience. Based on these chats and just what I've read and heard from others, it is safe to say that there are quite a few big myths associated with boxing training. Many of these seem perfectly logical and rational but are not necessarily true at all. Here are my Top 6:

#1) Boxing is an Upper Body Workout Only (Whereas Kickboxing Works the Lower Body)

We definitely hear this a lot and again, it makes sense if you aren't familiar with the sport or experience since you imagine punching as something you do with your hands, arms and chest. By contrast, it would seem logical that since you throw kicks with your legs, kickboxing is all about the lower body while boxing is upper body.

The truth about boxing is that you actually don't throw punches with your hands, chest, upper body, etc. Punches start with the hips and legs. And I think it's fair to say that on certain punches, like hooks, the mast majority of your power comes from the lower body. The lower body is just naturally stronger and the source of most, athletic explosive movements. Now of course we hit someone with our fist and that boxing training very much DOES work the upper body. Every time you land a punch, your arms, shoulders, chest and back absorb the impact. So if you are looking to tone those arms, boxing is a great way to do it but the initial power is generated by the entire body.

#2) Boxing is Cardio Exercise Only

I already gave this one away in the last paragraph but whether you are punching a heavy bag, mitts, or even another person, you receive the benefits of resistance training every time you land a punch. Also, explosive energy and strength is required to generate a punch too. You could extend your arm, touch the bag and bring it back but that would not be a punch. A punch is a sudden distribution of force delivered in a short period of time. Imagine a squat vs a squat jump. You can do a squat in place and take it as slowly as you want. No matter how strong you are, your feet will never leave the ground unless you push both hard and fast, creating enough explosive force upward to make it into a jump. That requires leg strength and it is the same when throwing a punch,

Now of course, boxing is an AMAZING cardio workout too. Going back to the squat/squat jump analogy, if you were to do, say, 15-20 squat jumps in a row. Your heart would be beating fast and you'd be breathing heavy. Exactly how you feel after doing intense cardio. But your legs would feel worked too. Like you had done strength training. Once again, this is the same kind of thing with boxing. Intense cardio PLUS strength.

#3) Boxing is Primarily For Men

This perception has changed a lot over recent years and I hope it continues to do so. In the older days, boxing was primarily for men. Only men competed and very few people trained in boxing who did not do it competitively. We always knew it was a great workout and that if 2 people were going to get into a ring and duke it out, it makes sense to be in the best shape as possible, since your very life depends on it but it took years for us to figure out that you can train exactly like a boxer, get in that great shape, and not have to put your life on the line in combat. There was also this perception, from both movies and in real life, of an old school boxing gym. It's dirty, grimy, in a run down building with spit buckets and hard cases working out. And maybe that works for some but certainly does not have to be the ONLY option for legit boxing training. Fitness has certainly evolved since then and there are lots of good boxing options for everyone. Women also box competitively now, as well as in MMA, kickboxing, etc. and the stigma has definitely changed. At our club, the majority of our members are female.

One side note that I want to throw in here is that in the 90s, a fitness trend emerged at gyms all across the country where cardio kickboxing was introduced into group exercise classes. This was largely due to the success of Tae Bo. It was based on throwing kicks and punches but not in a combat type of scenario. Instead it was more akin to traditional step aerobics. It was fairly popular and since the vast majority of people who took step aerobics classes (or just group exercise classes at big box gyms) were women, I think it created a perception that kickboxing was more friendly to women than boxing was. This was amplified by what I already talked about in Point #1 - the misconception that kickboxing is more lower body and boxing is more upper body - as women generally are more interested in that working their lower body than upper (you will see this in action at just about any weight room you go to). My hope is that women continue to be inspired to take up boxing for fitness because there really are so many benefits that are good for EVERYONE!

#4) You Must Be In Good Shape or Be a Good Athlete To Start Boxing

I can definitely understand an empathize with all of these points that I am identifying as common boxing myths. There is logic to them for sure. This one though, is a little tougher for me to get. I have spoken to people who tell me that they are very interested in boxing but want to get into shape BEFORE they start training. Or lose a few pounds before they start. Boxing training is the best, fastest way to get in shape and burn calories! If these are your goals, start boxing today!! Sure, you will get tired but just like anything else, you can go at your own pace and increase that pace as your physical capacity changes.

You don't have to be a good athlete either. Boxing is something anyone can do and skills like balance and coordination and agility will all improve though boxing, just like your cardio and strength will. 

#5) The Best Boxing Coach is a Competitive or Former Competitive Boxer

If someone has boxed professionally or at the amateur level, they must know what they are doing right? Makes total sense. I would have once agreed with this and in some cases, it can be true but you'd be amazed at how many times it isn't. When it comes to sports, especially sports at a high level, many competitors are blessed with physical talents the rest of us do not have. Certain things come naturally to them and/or, they are able to be coached up by good trainers without necessarily developing an instructional mindset. This is true in just about EVERY sport too. If it weren't, the best athletes would also be the best coaches and this is not even remotely the case. Almost the opposite in fact. Do a cursory search for the best coaches of all time in football (American and otherwise), basketball, boxing and even other individual sports like swimming and sprinting and look at their athletic achievements

Now of course that doesn't mean than any ordinary schmo can be a great boxing coach. Because coaching and teaching are separate, specific skills. Just as important, a great coach must have an understanding of the sport on a deeper level others. Be able to break down the physical and mental elements like an expert and know how to improve those things through drills, training, etc.. Be analytical, thoughtful about every little piece. This usually goes hand-in-hand with loving what you are studying and analyzing but more important than even that is loving the process of teaching and helping people get better. And that last part may be even more important still. Most great coaches care about the people they are coaching. Many fighters and other athletes don't necessarily possess these skills and feelings. It's not a knock on them at all. It's just a totally different job. 

To compound the problem, I have also seen fighters fool themselves into believing they can coach boxing and teach others with no experience how to box. Not only do they not have all the other skills necessary to be a good instructor but they don't know that they don't have them. This makes it very hard to grow and get better, which is essential to the job. Nobody starts off a great boxing coach. It takes time and hard work. I knew how to box, had messed around a little in the ring, was a certified PT and Group Exercise Instructor and had personally trained people for fitness as well as taught other group exercise classes. I just assumed that all this meant that I would be a great boxing instructor. But I wasn't. I was good at some things. probably. but really had to humble myself and put in the work to to get to where I am now, which still isn't good enough. There is no "good enough" for a coach. Note that this can create a false sense of security in the people being trained. I have met folks who trained with legitimate boxers, champions even, who were never taught some of the critical elements of boxing but since they had been taught by someone of high pedigree, assumed they understood everything too.

#6) I Don't Want To Be A Boxer Or Fight Anybody So I Don't Need To Learn All The Proper Technique

If you've read any other posts on this blog, taken one of my classes, watching any of our videos or spoken to me personally, you have probably heard me say this many, many times before: the better your boxing technique gets, on every level, the better your overall workout, health and wellness will be. You will burn more calories, build more muscle, build muscle in more areas, increase all of your cardio measurements, improve your balance, agility, quickness, reaction time, coordination and top of all that, you will feel better mentally. I will continue to say this over and over and over again too because it is demonstrably true and yet still, I am not sure if people always believe me.

On a similar note, when I tell people that if they throw powerful uppercuts like Mike Tyson, for instance, that all of these fitness benefits I have just described will come and they may think, "Well, I can't physically throw uppercuts like Mike Tyson so this ultimately does not matter." It is true that you probably can't throw uppercuts with as much skill and force and power as Mike Tyson but can you throw uppercuts with more skill and force and power than you currently do? You absolutely, 100% can! I don't even have to know you to know that it is true. Everyone can get better. How much better will depend on a number of factors but you can throw better punches, move better and improve every one of these things I have mentioned through learning better technique. If you STILL don't believe me, I can prove it to you really easily. All you have to do is try.

Are Both Hands Created Equal?

Of course boxing is about punching and punching involves striking something with one's fists. And
even more obvious is that we humans have 2 of them. But they are not the same. Most of us, really almost EVERY one of us, has a dominant hand. This is often the hand that you write with but even more often, the one you would throw a ball with.

So what does that mean for boxing? Generally this determines your fighting stance. You want the dominant hand, the one you could throw a ball with as far as possible in back. Why? Because this is your power side. And if you were throwing that ball, you would want the space to throw across your body with balance. When you box, this is also true. You are going to get max power from your dominant hand loaded from the back, giving the punch more space to travel.

This does NOT mean the dominant hand is more important though. In fact, for many it is less important. But really, it's not about more or less important, it is that they are different. And different is good. Your right and left hand should not be interchangeable. Using a more specific ball sport as an example, think of it almost like a baseball mitt. Not in terms of mechanics or even function but the difference. In baseball, you throw with your dominant hand but catch with your non-dominant hand. They are both equally important and in fact, if you've ever tried to catch a baseball with a glove in your dominant hand, you would know it is MUCH harder. Your non-dominant hand is better suited to catch that ball, just as your dominant is better suited to throw.

Again, this example is only meant to illustrate the different roles each hand has. Boxing is not nearly as extreme as fielding in baseball but the things we learn to do with our lead, non-dominant hand would not necessarily be done better with your dominant hand. The #1 example is the jab. Most everybody agrees that the jab is the most important punch in boxing and I wrote a blog post about it too - https://theboxingmanifesto.blogspot.com/2022/02/cmon-is-jab-really-most-important-punch.html

While you might be able to throw a more powerful jab with your dominant hand, the jab is not meant to be powerful and you wouldn't necessarily be able to throw a more effective jab. But what about power punches? Are you going to be able to get as much power on a lead hook vs. rear hook? Maybe! Certainly not at first but the more you learn how to engage the lower body, not the arm, when you throw hooks, the more equal in power they can be. Plenty of boxers have more powerful lead hooks than rear hooks. It's not just about power though here either. Just like your different hands have different roles, your different side punches do too. The lead hook is truly what I believe to be the most dangerous punch in boxing. Wrote a post about that too - https://theboxingmanifesto.blogspot.com/2021/09/what-is-most-dangerous-punch-in-boxing.html

The rear hook, by comparison, is a very different animal. Much harder to land for a number of reasons. There are some boxers who rarely if ever even throw it. I think I'm going to talk about that in a later post. Then of course there are body shots and uppercuts, with similar differences as hooks.

So the most important punch in boxing comes from the non-dominant hand, the most dangerous punch in boxing from the non-dominant hand, and there's even another thing I haven't mentioned yet: the vast majority of punches in any boxing match come from the non-dominant hand. Like 70-80%. Even more true when you talk about punches landed. This is why a case can be made that your non-dominant hand is more important. But again, they have different rolls. The threat of the rear hand is what makes all of the lead hand stuff work and even if you only throw 20% of your punches from that side in a fight, I would still say they are 50% as important.

All that said, I know and have heard from many of you that throwing with your dominant hand feels good and the non-dominant hand feels awkward and less powerful. That is normal but the good news is that it is also fixable! And the key is to truly learn something that is critical to throwing all punches in boxing - using the lower body. When you use your legs and hips to throw a punch. That can make up for any strength and coordination disparities. 

The other key is to use that sudden, explosive whip-like motion that also integral to boxing. So if you're right-handed, you are going to have more space to throw your right uppercut than your left uppercut but if you are explosive and time it right, you don't need a lot of space. Kind of like the classic Bruce Lee 1-inch punch.

So how does this all relate to a workout for someone not at all interested in the details of ring-fighting? First and foremost, learning the proper mechanics like I mentioned above (lower body, explosiveness) will improve your workout more significantly than anything else. Also, the reason that most people feel weaker on their non-dominant hand is not necessarily for a lack of muscle. Unless you are a professional arm-wrestler, the issue is more likely coordination. Coordination is a skill that you can train. Many people tell me that they are uncoordinated but that doesn't mean that this is how they always have to be for the rest of their lives. Boxing can fix this. It requires practice and commitment to the movements.

At our club, we don't quite have you throw 70-80% of the punches from your non-dominant hand but at least in my classes, it is over 50% for sure. But it doesn't mean that you’re building more than 50% of the strength on your non-dominant hand. The punches you throw from the dominant side are going to have more power so while you may throw more total punches on the left, your resistance per-punch (and calories burned per punch) is probably going to be about the same. Plus you are also improving your total overall coordination and balance.

So while both hands are not created equal, boxing helps you embrace those differences and make both sides stronger in their own ways because they are both equally important. You might even say...wait for it...they go hand-in-hand.

How Can David Beat Goliath?

My first somewhat competitive boxing experience was in a fighting program where I was matched up
against other folks in a small group. The idea was that you would spar with everybody, multiple times, regardless of height or weight. Who you were matched up against each day just kind of depended on who the instructor put you with. Even though they were supposed to mix things up, I often got picked to go against another guy named Alex, probably because we had the same name. Only problem was that the Other Alex was 4-5 inches taller than me. He was also younger than me and in better shape than me, so suffice to say, I didn't fare super well against Other Alex. But I did learn some important things while competing against him and afterwards, too.

Fighting someone taller than you is challenging. In boxing, or just about any other combat sport, competitors are divided into weight classes. This isn't just by chance. There is a reason for it. All things being equal, the bigger fighter has the advantage. But even within weight classes, there can be some pretty big disparities in terms of height/reach. And in the heavyweight divisions, there may be no limit or at the very least, be a long range of weight options. It's not abnormal to have 2 heavyweights fighting with a 20-50 pound weight difference. I often talk about my favorite boxer of all time, Mike Tyson, being shorter and generally smaller than every person he ever fought. Another Tyson, Tyson Fury will probably weigh in around 30 pounds heavier than Dillian Whyte for their championship bout this Saturday. In Fury's previous fight against Deontay Wilder, he came in 30 pounds heavier.

Let's look at some of the advantages taller fighters have over shorter opponents

But every physical or stylistic advantage comes with a disadvantage too:

Note of course that all taller fighters are not the same, nor are all shorter fighters. Each has a totally different skill set and certainly if you were going to fight anyone, you would want to know what that skill set is but these are the general differences most often seen.

So, the smaller fighter's goal is ultimately to exploit these differences. Let's take the first one as an easy example. The taller fighter may want to keep you away using their extended reach. They can hit you at a distance you can't hit them. A major advantage. So you need to be in one of two places- too far away for them to hit you or close enough so that you can hit them. Depending on your respective styles, it may make good sense for you to get in extra close and attack the body. Being in close eliminates their longer attacks and even make their shorter attacks, like hooks and uppercuts, less effective as they take a little longer to execute and may be easier to spot due to the longer, bigger limbs.

Looking at the next advantage- the taller fighter utilizing the jab- remember that they may punch at a downward trajectory and this leaves them more open. So, a classic example is your opponent jabbing and moving, using a classic outboxer technique, but if you time that jab and step in with your overhand, you will likely slip their jab and connect with your own, more powerful punch. It will be much harder for them to shoulder roll your overhand if they are punching at all downward. Even if it's a soutpaw vs. orthodox, the overhand punch can take away the taller fighter's dominant hand a little bit for this same reason. Look at the Oleksandr (yet another Alex!) Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua fight as a perfect example. But speaking of examples and overhands, you do have to be careful to not rely on any one technique too often without mixing things up. Any good fighter will get wise to your tactics and use them against you. I did a quick video about one such example involving the overhand in the Olympics last year - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2JELt0wki4

Remember too that being shorter means that it is easier for you to duck or roll under punches plus harder for your taller opponent to do so. What's more is that may also bring their hands down, trying to hit a lower target that is getting lower still. That opens leaves their head open for strikes. Ali-Frazier 1 is yet another good film-study there as Frazier came from low to high to knock Ali down and win the fight with that lead hook.

A good rule of thumb is usually that a smaller fighter should be the busier, more aggressive fighter. Again, you have to consider your own style vs. your opponent's but often being smaller can mean that you are a little quicker and because of the range issues mentioned earlier, you are going to want to come forward and pressure your taller opponent. Makes a better impression in the judge's eyes too. But if you are matched up against someone taller who really wants to push forward and bring the fight to you, great! Bring it on! Because once they start moving forward, it will likely be harder to change directions rapidly so this gives you a great opportunity to try and catch them. Remember that you are the smaller target to hit too. Countering should be easier, especially if they are the aggressor.

There are plenty of great strategies like this you can employ as a smaller fighter but remember, your bigger opponent may know all this stuff too! They may even use it to try and trap you. And if you're generally a bigger, taller person yourself, make sure you know it and concentrate on using your advantages as well. This is the exciting chess game that is boxing!

One final note on this subject that is actually a question/comment I hear a lot from shorter people. They wonder if they should practice punching a higher, bigger target since in all likelihood, if they were to ever fight anybody, they would be fighting someone bigger. I think if you are indeed training for a specific fight, that makes some sense (more in sparring and mitts than the bag) but otherwise, the answer is NO. Even if you are 4 feet tall, it is important to learn the proper mechanics of each punch, which are based off of fighting someone our exact height. Punching naturally high will cause your form to suffer and limit your ability to learn and improve.

And one more truly "final" note: this all relates to boxing, specifically. There are similar advantages and disadvantages for all combat sports but in something like kickboxing, height generally matters more whereas in MMA, height, in and of itself, isn't as significant but size, mass, certainly can be. In any case, don't think that being smaller necessarily gives your opponent all the advantages. And your skill and toughness will always be the great equalizer! That being said though, I can't say as I would be in a big hurry for a rematch with Other Alex. That guy was pretty good, in addition to having an awesome name!