for cardio, i find it's not really effective unless you shadow box reallly intensely. Iusually only use it as a warm up, two or the rounds to break a sweat.
Shouldnt really use more than two pound weights in your hands though. Can be bad for your shoulders. I beleive shadow boxing is more for a warm up and more so for technique, and getting used to proper form, not really cardio.
Its probably one of the most under-rated things you could do to improve yourself as a boxer so long as you are using correct mechanics.
What bout shadowboxing with a gumshield in your mouth for 9 3 minute rounds with 30 seconds-1min rest in between.
Heh, I'm talking about shadowboxing, not only for the cardio. But for the muscle training/coordination, training/synapse. I'm working on my minor as a personal trainer with a very high level pitching coach (baseball). Discovering/finding out how much mechanics impacts the overall speed of a pitchers fastball, I can say almost for certain that it impacts aspects of power in boxing on a very, very significant level. I can't emphasize how much proper form pertains to this though. You have to be using the proper form, and also utilizing close to, if not your absolute maximum potential every now and then/go full speed but not overly often. Training the rotator cuff muscles is pertinent as well to supporting the main muscles, helping the maximum potential along and helping as injury prevention. This is pertinent in pitchers as well if you hope to participate at a high, dynamic level for a long time.
can it be used as a form of underload training? (with bare hands) i know that batters and pitchers train with lighter than normal bats and balls to increase they're swing and pitch velocity which apparently crosses over to the normal weight bats and balls, so i guess shadowboxing without resistance can have this same effect?
I'm sure that resistance training can have a positive effect, but I'm more talking about nailing the pure mechanics, and building the supporting muscle groups that help to maintain proper mechanics throughout the duration of a fight. I'm talking about rotator cuff muscles which are slow twitch.. Build them up to support the rest of the system of muscles, not only so you can maintain proper form and mechanics, but so you can increase the maximum potential, while at the same time acting as injury prevention. So yeah, once you have great form, and have built up the rotator cuff muscles, have incredible endurance, then it is a good idea to utilize some technology which incorporates resistance training. BUT, I wouldn't say to practice with loaded gloves, because the weight in gloves is obviously in a downward direction. What I have in mind would be some sort of band work, so that the muscles are worked directly opposite of the punch directions. I remember Evander Holyfield worked with a complex pulley set which attached to his body, was a sort of vest with cables on it.. That is what I would consider, but only after a fighter pretty much nailed the form down.