Just started boxing, luckily i have a nice home gym ie heavy bag, double end bag, speed bag, treadmill and just other regular gym stuff. My goal is to make progress as fast as possible. How many days a week should I train? should I alternate on days between cardio and punch bag work? Once lockdown is over ill be having 1 to 1 sessions, so i want to be fully prepared and conditioned to make the most out of them, advice will be aprecciated.
There are five areas you need to improve. Aerobic Anerobic Strength Recovery Skill Which exercises you do for each is upto you but here is a brief breakdown of what and why. Aerobic - long (20minutes plus) sustained medium to high intensity exercise. Technically there's a calculation of not exceeding 80% of your resting heart rate but in general you just mustn't become out of breath (breathing hard but able to hold a conversation). It doesn't have to be running - you can do anything including working on a farm or a builders site. Anerobic - this is the stuff that makes your muscles burn. Like everything you do the more you do it the better your body adapts. Work particular groups so interval sprinting for your legs or going mad on the bag. Coincidently the burn is the buildup of lactic acid as part of the anerobic process. Your heart can use this lactic acid to power itself - useful when there's no oxygen. Strength - this doesn't have to be weights. Puncing hard will work the muscles best for punching but they can be helped. If your daily job is sitting down all day, either at a desk or a car, concentrate on the posterior chain. Skill - less of a workout but rather drills. Be disciplined - pinch your ear with your rear hand when you jab etc. Rest - make sure you stretch - dynamically to begin with, static afterwards and before bed. Get plenty of sleep. Eat lots and well. Your body will not give up precious resources if its not being replaced regularly. How often? That's upto you as you know your body best. I prefer the little and often approach - rather than one big hit - youre much less likely to be sore (so more likely to not skip leg day) AND give more chance to build up the smaller muscles that get damaged first through overuse (the weakest link in the chain). I hope thats helpful. Its not really scientific and some people will disagree.
Thanks for the reply, i will make sure to incorporate the 80% heart rate part, as I am definitely going too hard on the treadmill if thats the case. My shoulders are very sore after a day on the heavy bag, so I guess I'm going to take a break as id rather do a little less than I should than over do it and injure myself for 2 months. Thanks for the advice.
