6 Boxing Drills That’ll Get You in Fighting Shape
Are you looking to get in the best shape you’ve ever been, but don’t have a gym to go to or the time to go to a gym? You might want to try doing some boxing drills at home.
Is Boxing a Good Way to Get in Shape?
Yes, boxing is a great way to get in shape because with boxing techniques you can tone your whole body while learning a new skill. Boxing is more relevant today than ever because it's a sport, a workout, and a lifestyle. You can train at home by yourself or with a partner.
In this post, we will go over 6 boxing drills taught by FightCamp trainers. Not only can you learn to train like a fighter, you can look like one too.
Boxing Techniques for Beginners
Before you begin these boxing drills, it’s important to master your form and use proper techniques for the basic moves.
1. Boxer’s Stance (video link)
Decide which hand you will use as your dominant hand. That will determine which stance you will be using.
- Orthodox Stance
Your left leg and arm are in front, and the right hand is dominant.
- Southpaw Stance
It’s recommended to practice your stance on a straight line to get used to where your foot positioning is.
First, take the toe on your lead foot and place it on a line. Then take the heel of your back foot and place it on the other side of the line, so both feet are parallel. The lead shoulder should be pointing towards the front, and the rear shoulder pointing towards the back of the room. Your knees should be slightly bent, and both of your hands are up guarding your face.
2. Jab (video link)
Starting in either your orthodox or southpaw stance, have your back hand up guarding your face. Your lead hand is in front of your face. Punch your lead arm out straight and snap your wrist so your palm is facing the ground and your knuckles are facing your opponent. Rotate your hips slightly to give your jab more power.
3. Lead Hook (video link)
Start in the boxer’s stance and transfer your weight to your lead leg. Draw your lead arm out a little to your side and snap it across the front of your body. Your elbow should be behind your fist and should be even with your arm when you are throwing your lead hook. Use your weight and rotate your hips and core for power.
These three (3) moves are the foundation for becoming a great fighter. Some common mistakes people make with these boxing techniques for beginners are:
- Not distributing weight evenly
- Bad foot placement
- Not tucking your chin in on your punches
- Not being on the balls of your feet
- Dropping your hand away from your face
- Not bending your elbow during your hook
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Swinging your arms in a punch for power
The problem with making these mistakes is that they make you vulnerable to receive a knockout punch from your opponent because you are left exposed. Not having your weight distributed evenly during your stance can throw you off balance. The same is true if you have bad placement of your feet, or if you step too far when you move forward and backward. Another mistake is not being on the balls of your feet. There is a lot of footwork in boxing and it’s important to be able to move with speed. Being flat-footed not only makes it more difficult to move but you won’t be able to perform your movements quickly. The last mistake is swinging your arms to power your punches. If you only use your arms to punch, you are losing a lot of your power. Power in your punches comes from your legs and the rotation in your hips, so relying solely on your arms will not help you.
Practice the fundamental boxing techniques first before diving into any of these drills. Mastering these moves will not only help you get the most out of each drill, but it will help your fighting skills and decrease your risk of injury.
Boxing Drills for Beginners (video link)
1. Jab-Cross-Jab to the Body
- Extend your front arm in a jab
- Follow with your back arm in a cross
- Bend your knees and drop down for the jab to the body--don’t punch down with straight legs
- Bring your hands back to your face
2. Cross-Lead Hook-Cross-Step Back-Cross
- Start with a cross punch (rear punch)
- Follow up with a lead hook
- Come back with a cross
- Step back, bring your hands back to guard your face, and finish with a cross
Rotate your hips during your punches. It’s important in this boxing drill not to step so far back that you can’t reach your target. Make sure both feet are on the ground when you counter with your cross.
Boxing Drills Heavy Bag (video link)
3. Jab Pyramid
In this home boxing drill, you will go through a three-minute round of jab pyramid.
- Throw one jab punch
- Reset
- Throw two jabs
- Reset
Keep increasing your jabs after each reset until you reach ten. Then work your way back down the pyramid until you reach one. This equals one rotation.
The goal for the round is to get through the pyramid rotations twice before the round is over.
Shadow Boxing Drills
4. Slip Lead-Slip Rear-Roll Lead-Roll Rear-Step Back-Step Forward
- Do a slip to your lead side
- Then do a slip to your rear side
- Follow up with a roll to your lead side
- Then do a roll to your rear side
Repeat for 3 minutes.
5. Jab-Cross-Hook
- Fully extend your arm out into a jab, rotating your punching hand
- Bring your arm back
- Extend your other arm with your cross, rotating your hand out
- Follow up with a hook; turn your hip towards the direction you’re punching
Repeat for 3 minutes.
6. Jab-Cross-Hook-Slip Lead-Slip Back-Roll Lead-Roll Back
This drill is a combination of the first two drills.
- Fully extend your arm out into a jab, rotating your punching hand
- Bring your arm back
- Extend your other arm with your cross, rotating your hand out
- Follow up with a hook; turn your hip towards the direction you’re punching
- Continue with a slip to your lead side
- Then a slip to your rear side
- Follow up with a roll to your lead side
- Then do a roll to your rear side
Repeat for 3 minutes.
There you have it! These are six boxing drills you can do for an at-home boxing workout for beginners. Learn more drills and improve your skills by checking out more video tutorials from FightCamp trainers that will whip you into shape and help you unleash your inner fighter.
How Do I Get in Shape for Boxing Fast?
If you want to get in shape for boxing fast, you will need to adopt a training regimen and a boxer’s diet. Boxers eat 5 to 6 small meals a day to fuel and nourish their bodies. It’s important to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. A boxer has a clean eating plan that consists of:
- Lean Protein - Chicken, Tuna, Seafood, Eggs, Egg whites, Greek Yogurt
- Low Glycemic Carbohydrates – Sweet potatoes, Beans, Oats, Brown rice
- Vegetables – Leafy greens. Beets, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts
- Fruits – Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Grapefruit, Bananas
- Healthy Fats – Nuts, Seeds, Avocado, Nut Butter, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil
When you combine boxing training and a healthy boxer’s diet then you will be able to get the body of a boxer.
The Author: Tommy Duquette is the Co-Founder and Head of Content at FightCamp. He is a former US Boxing Team member with 136 fights under his belt and qualified for the 2012 Olympic trials as the #2 seed. He has 18 years experience training clients in boxing and fitness.