Here is a very basic beginner program. It is suitable for someone who has no boxing experience and no exercise experience. As for equipment, if you want to learn to box - you need (at minimum) - heavy bag, bag gloves, hand wraps, and a skipping rope. You can start everything else with your bodyweight. This has worked good for me and I've lost about 20 pounds in a month.
Strength Training
Frequency: 5 times per week - eg... Workout A (M, W, F), Workout B (T, Th)
Sets: As indicated
Reps: Indicated
Weight: Bodyweight
Workout A:
Pushups - 25, 25, 25
Pullups - 10, 10, 10
Diamond Pushups - 15, 15, 15
Wide Pushups - 15, 15, 15
Chinups - 10, 10, 10
Mountain Climbers - 20 each leg
Workout B:
Squats - 100, 75, 65
Lunges - 100 each leg
Standing Calf Raises - to failure, to failure, to failure (could take a while)
Wall Sit (back against a wall, legs at 90 degrees) to failure, to failure, to failure
Burpees - 20, 20, 20
For Speed and Explosiveness
Plyometrics (Very Basic Routine)
Frequency: twice a week (not on same days as Workout B - Strength Training)
Squat Jumps - 10, 10, 10
Bounding - 50metres, 50 metres
One legged hops - 20 metres frontwards, 20 metres backwards (both legs)
Clap Pushups - to fail, to fail, to fail
Step Jumps - 30, 20, 10 (get something about calf height and jump sideways over it)
Anaerobic Conditioning
Interval Training
Frequency: 3 times per week (eg. M, W, F)
Pick a start line and mark off increments of 25 metres up to 400 metres. If you have a road with telephone poles on it, it works well as the poles are usually spaced 25 metres apart.
From the start line, sprint as fast as you can to the 25 metre mark. Stop, turn around and walk back to the start line.
When you hit the start line, immediately sprint to the 50 metre mark. Stop, walk back.
Do the same for 100metres, 200 metres, and 400 metres
(if you have anything left and haven't puked all over yourself, good, then work your way back down)
The idea is to push your heart rate up fast as you sprint and then return it to normal during the walk back (or at least close to it). These will hurt, I guarantee it.
Aerobic Capacity:
Endurance
Frequency: 2 x per week (eg. M and Saturday)
Take a long run and by long I mean more than 45 minutes. Pick a good pace that you can comfortably run and then increase that pace as often as you can. It takes at least 15 minutes of continuous running before your aerobic system kicks in, so the first 15 minutes are a write off, after that you will begin to develop your aerobic capacity.
Boxing Specific:
Frequency: Ideally 5 times per week (2 days with a trainer and 3 on your own).
On your own - a basic routine.
1. Warmup - Skipping - 5 rounds of 3 minutes/round, 1 minute rest in between
2. Shadowboxing - 3 rounds of 3 minutes/round, 1 minute rest in between.
1st round - focus on footwork
2nd round - add a jab to your footwork
3rd round - do 1-2 combinations for the entire round.
3. Heavy Bag: (all are 3 minute rounds, with 1 minute rest)
Round 1: Footwork - push the bag and move around it, get the feel for moving in a proper stance. Move with the bag, around it and against it. Become fleet footed.
Round 2: Jab to the head. Move, stick and jab. Move stick and double jab. Practice your jabs the entire round (good shoulder workout)
Round 3: 1-2 combinations - Move and jab/right cross (straight right). Make sure you move right after you throw. Think circles and angles. Switch directions.
Round 4: 1-2-3 combination - Move and jab, right cross, left hook combination (these are your basic punches).
Round 5: Free for all - hit away
Round 6: Sprints - 1 minute of continuous punching to the head. Think speed, not power - let your hands fly as fast as you can.
If you want, add another Round but this time focus on 1 minute of power punches rather than speed. (If you are beginning, you are going to be wasted by now...)
4. Ab Work: 3 minutes - do as many reps as you can and switch exercises every 30 seconds. Repeat for another round if you can.
Basic crunches - 30 seconds
Basic situps - 30 seconds
Leg raises - 30 seconds
Bicycle - 30 seconds
Left side crunch (oblique crunches) - 30 seconds
Right side crunch (oblique crunches) - 30 seconds
5. Neck Exercises - Yes's and No's to failure
Yes's - lie on your back and bring your chin to chest and then back to the floor.
No's - lie on your back, lift your head about 45 degrees and then look as far left as you can, then as far right as you can, repeat until you can do no more.
Nutrition
I can't possibly prescribe a meal plan that is generic enough for everyone out there - even a beginner, but understand that you need protein, you need carbs, you need some fat, and you need to eat regularly. Do not cut any of that out and make sure you are keeping hydrated.
To come up with a meal plan, you have to determine your basic metabolic rate, adjust it for your activity level and then adjust it again to reach your goals. Then you determine what balance of nutrients that number requires and then pick the foods that will give you that. - Sounds complicated and it is, but luckily there are calculators that do most of the work.
Track Your Progress
You should really keep a log of your progress so you can visually see the differences in your body and abilities. This will not only motivate you to keep going, but will provide concrete evidence that all of the hard work you are putting in is leading somewhere.
Strength Training
Frequency: 5 times per week - eg... Workout A (M, W, F), Workout B (T, Th)
Sets: As indicated
Reps: Indicated
Weight: Bodyweight
Workout A:
Pushups - 25, 25, 25
Pullups - 10, 10, 10
Diamond Pushups - 15, 15, 15
Wide Pushups - 15, 15, 15
Chinups - 10, 10, 10
Mountain Climbers - 20 each leg
Workout B:
Squats - 100, 75, 65
Lunges - 100 each leg
Standing Calf Raises - to failure, to failure, to failure (could take a while)
Wall Sit (back against a wall, legs at 90 degrees) to failure, to failure, to failure
Burpees - 20, 20, 20
For Speed and Explosiveness
Plyometrics (Very Basic Routine)
Frequency: twice a week (not on same days as Workout B - Strength Training)
Squat Jumps - 10, 10, 10
Bounding - 50metres, 50 metres
One legged hops - 20 metres frontwards, 20 metres backwards (both legs)
Clap Pushups - to fail, to fail, to fail
Step Jumps - 30, 20, 10 (get something about calf height and jump sideways over it)
Anaerobic Conditioning
Interval Training
Frequency: 3 times per week (eg. M, W, F)
Pick a start line and mark off increments of 25 metres up to 400 metres. If you have a road with telephone poles on it, it works well as the poles are usually spaced 25 metres apart.
From the start line, sprint as fast as you can to the 25 metre mark. Stop, turn around and walk back to the start line.
When you hit the start line, immediately sprint to the 50 metre mark. Stop, walk back.
Do the same for 100metres, 200 metres, and 400 metres
(if you have anything left and haven't puked all over yourself, good, then work your way back down)
The idea is to push your heart rate up fast as you sprint and then return it to normal during the walk back (or at least close to it). These will hurt, I guarantee it.
Aerobic Capacity:
Endurance
Frequency: 2 x per week (eg. M and Saturday)
Take a long run and by long I mean more than 45 minutes. Pick a good pace that you can comfortably run and then increase that pace as often as you can. It takes at least 15 minutes of continuous running before your aerobic system kicks in, so the first 15 minutes are a write off, after that you will begin to develop your aerobic capacity.
Boxing Specific:
Frequency: Ideally 5 times per week (2 days with a trainer and 3 on your own).
On your own - a basic routine.
1. Warmup - Skipping - 5 rounds of 3 minutes/round, 1 minute rest in between
2. Shadowboxing - 3 rounds of 3 minutes/round, 1 minute rest in between.
1st round - focus on footwork
2nd round - add a jab to your footwork
3rd round - do 1-2 combinations for the entire round.
3. Heavy Bag: (all are 3 minute rounds, with 1 minute rest)
Round 1: Footwork - push the bag and move around it, get the feel for moving in a proper stance. Move with the bag, around it and against it. Become fleet footed.
Round 2: Jab to the head. Move, stick and jab. Move stick and double jab. Practice your jabs the entire round (good shoulder workout)
Round 3: 1-2 combinations - Move and jab/right cross (straight right). Make sure you move right after you throw. Think circles and angles. Switch directions.
Round 4: 1-2-3 combination - Move and jab, right cross, left hook combination (these are your basic punches).
Round 5: Free for all - hit away
Round 6: Sprints - 1 minute of continuous punching to the head. Think speed, not power - let your hands fly as fast as you can.
If you want, add another Round but this time focus on 1 minute of power punches rather than speed. (If you are beginning, you are going to be wasted by now...)
4. Ab Work: 3 minutes - do as many reps as you can and switch exercises every 30 seconds. Repeat for another round if you can.
Basic crunches - 30 seconds
Basic situps - 30 seconds
Leg raises - 30 seconds
Bicycle - 30 seconds
Left side crunch (oblique crunches) - 30 seconds
Right side crunch (oblique crunches) - 30 seconds
5. Neck Exercises - Yes's and No's to failure
Yes's - lie on your back and bring your chin to chest and then back to the floor.
No's - lie on your back, lift your head about 45 degrees and then look as far left as you can, then as far right as you can, repeat until you can do no more.
Nutrition
I can't possibly prescribe a meal plan that is generic enough for everyone out there - even a beginner, but understand that you need protein, you need carbs, you need some fat, and you need to eat regularly. Do not cut any of that out and make sure you are keeping hydrated.
To come up with a meal plan, you have to determine your basic metabolic rate, adjust it for your activity level and then adjust it again to reach your goals. Then you determine what balance of nutrients that number requires and then pick the foods that will give you that. - Sounds complicated and it is, but luckily there are calculators that do most of the work.
Track Your Progress
You should really keep a log of your progress so you can visually see the differences in your body and abilities. This will not only motivate you to keep going, but will provide concrete evidence that all of the hard work you are putting in is leading somewhere.
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