Boxing Training for Fitness – Week 3

Before we get started, my usual warning. If you are intending to undertake a fitness program (any fitness program), it is vitally important that you visit a Doctor/Physician and get a full check.  I have been around boxing for over 30 years and as such am in the position to undertake such activities from a higher level of effort.  If I were coaching someone totally new to fitness, then we would start at a much more steady and sedate level than this!  Go to a Doctor, get checked out and then think about undertaking any fitness regime once you have all the facts.  This post describes what I am doing, I am not specifying what you should do!  OK, that’s the formal bit over.

If you have not have not checked out my first post of this series, click on this link to look at Boxing Training for Fitness to go back to the very start and get the background.  Alternatively, check out Boxing Training for Fitness – Week 2 to catch up with last week’s entry.

Boxing Training for Fitness – Week 3 In The Gym!

I made it to the gym twice this week, once on Tuesday and once on Thursday.  I took a different approach.  My first 2 weeks were focused on using boxing training to build up a core level of fitness on which to ‘layer’ different activities which would improve my all round fitness.  I wanted to work around the 1 minute principle i.e. I would only ever take 1 minute rest, both in between rounds (obviously), but also in between activities.  OK, the outline workouts were:

Tuesday:

1. Warm-up – 10 minutes
2. Shadow Boxing – 3×3 minutes (hand weights in round 2)
3. 5 x 3 minutes heavy bag round (last 30 second high work rate)
4. 10 minute jumping rope, including a 10 second sprint and 10 exercises at the end of each minute
5. A variation of the boxing ton up – 3 x 2 minute rounds, 4 exercises per round, each exercise for 30 seconds.  The exercises targeted legs, chest and trunk.
6. Warm down (stretches etc.)
7. 3K run home from gym.

Thursday (same as Tuesday):

1. Warm-up – 10 minutes
2. Shadow Boxing – 3×3 minutes (hand weights in round 2)
3. 5 x 3 minutes heavy bag round (last 30 second high work rate)
4. 10 minute jumping rope, including a 10 second sprint and 10 exercises at the end of each minute
5. A variation of the boxing ton up – 3 x 2 minute rounds, 4 exercises per round, each exercise for 30 seconds.  The exercises targeted legs, chest and trunk.
6. Warm down (stretches etc.)
7. 3K run home from gym.

I hit my ‘max’ and took my pulse, it measured 192 BPM.  After 1 minute rest my BPM was down to 120.  The previous week was 126 (recovery after 1 minute.)  This is a modest improvement, but an improvement nonetheless!  What’s that saying, “Every great journey begins with a single step.”

 

Boxing Training for Fitness – Diet?  What Diet?

I ate OK this week, but there is a major lesson to learn.  If you are to undertake physical exercise, it is vital that you eat the right type of food.  On Tuesday, rather than my usual bowl of tuna pasta I made the amateurish mistake of eating a plain old ham sandwich and a few pieces of fruit.  4 hours later when I began my workout, it was grim!  Even during shadow boxing I knew that I didn’t have ‘much in the tank.’  By the time bag-work and jumping rope were on the menu I was in a truly awful state, I felt like I was throwing punches underwater and my arms and legs felt like they belonged to someone else!  Moral of the story, put the right fuel in the tank in order to perform to your best!  Pasta is a great ‘slow release’ energy food and will always give you that extra bit that you need!
I’d be interested in any views that you have on week 3 of my Boxing Training for Fitness regime. As always, leave any comments below.
Cheers

Fran

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