Boxing bodybuilding: how to reconcile the two?

Why do muscle strengthening for boxing?

If you're a boxer, consider adding weight training to your training programme. You'll make much faster progress. Among other things, you'll throw more powerful and explosive punches. Your punches and movements will also be faster. Generally speaking, you'll have better endurance in the ring.

Optimize your power and speed

One of the first benefits of bodybuilding is the ability to develop your power. And in boxing, the power of your punches is a determining factor! By focusing part of your preparation on this work, you will develop your explosiveness and your speed. In your exercises, we advise you to always work on series rather short, but with lots of intensity. Aim 6 to 8 repetitions by exercise for example.

Be careful, however, to always keep break of 1 to 2 minutes between your repetitions. With this type of training you will quickly see the first results when you step into the ring. You will become UNSTOPPABLE!

Build your strength

We don't teach you anything: with bodybuilding, you will also improve your strength ! We can already see you imagining your first knockout but be careful, developing your strength requires a real training program. To work it, you will have to get out of your comfort zone and use fillers like weight or some dumbbells. Always on short series, try to reach the maximum charge that you can use on each of the exercises.

Stay all the same reasonable with the choice of your load so as not to risk injury. Whether for the upper body or the lower body, a muscle remains fragile if you ask too much of it. So take good care of yourself, Tiger! Caution is the better part of valour! Don't hesitate to ask for advice from a sports coach or a coach to get a program that really fits your goals.

Improve your stamina

Thanks to physical preparation, you will improve endurance of your muscles. This is very important if you want to last a long time in boxing. To build up your stamina, base your training on exercises with long series and lighter dumbbells. Aim 15 to 20 repetitions per movement each time.

With these exercises, you will be able to keep a rhythm sustained during your battles, whether in training or in competition. So get ready for a substantial increase in endurance, and therefore better Tiger performance!

Which muscles to strengthen for boxing?

Now that you've understood why strength training is essential to progress in boxing, it's time to look at the different muscles you need to work. 

Your legs

Leg strength training is one of the most important elements for a boxer. It is the basis of your body, the basis of all your support. It is your legs that allow you to move around, d'avoid enemy blows and of put some power in your own keystrokes. So, there is no question of neglecting your lower body!

You need to strengthen all of your lower body muscles: quadriceps, ischio, calves, etc.

The difference between a good and an excellent boxer will be in his legs. Why do you think Rocky placed particular importance on his famous running races? So put on your headphones, put on Eye of the Tiger in your ears and start working your legs.

Stability, speed, power, shift, cardioThese are all characteristics that will improve as you work on your leg muscles.

Your back

Your upper body is also very important in boxing, especially for take the hits during a meeting. You must be ready to receive jabs and hooks without flinching.

When we talk about hits, we don't necessarily mean the ones you take, but also the ones you give. Indeed, whether in combat or in training, you chain blows and these are your shoulders and your back which support the weight of your arms.

And without strengthening these muscles, you will have difficulty keep your positions throughout a workout. You will thus lose precision. Your arms will feel heavier and you'll also tire more quickly. So don't forget to include exercises to work your upper body in your training. Also remember to strengthen your lumbar, in your lower back. This work will greatly improve your balance and your stability.

Your arms

You will have understood, the arm are an important part of your body to be a good boxer. You will have to deliver maximum power with your entire upper body to maximize power of your punches. And all this power will be released through your arms.

However, in boxing, the objective is not to have the most power, but above all to to touch your opponent.

For this, we advise you to first carry out some work speed and of precision with your arms. This will make it easier for you to surprise and hit your target in combat. Work the whole of your arm so as not to create an "arm lock". imbalance. Biceps, triceps, forearmDon't forget any muscle in your physical preparation.

Also be careful not to have muscle mass too important on your arms so as not to impede the shape or explosiveness of your movements.

A typical bodybuilding session for boxing

Building muscle for boxing is all very well, but doing it in the best possible way is even better! Follow the guide and we'll tell you how to improve your physical preparation for this combat sport.

Body weight

We might forget it, but it is very easy to do weight training effectively without material, only with your body weight. Here are 3 fairly complete exercises that you can perform:

• Burpees: true 3-in-1 exercise with a push-up, a squat then a jump, it allows you to work on your explosiveness.
• Pumps : you can do your push-ups the traditional way or stir-fry to get some work done isometricIn other words, by keeping your joints under tension. This will strengthen them and prevent many injuries.
• Sheathing: You can do your sit-up in different positions: chest facing the floor, back facing the floor or on one side. On your hands or elbows, this exercise works your whole body while developing your core strength. abdominal strap and your shoulders.

The great advantage of bodyweight is that you can do a complete workout with all these exercises without needing to carry any weight. So you can do it in the gym, but you can also from your living room or your room. There's now no excuse not to work on your muscle building!

The Battle Rope

This exercise will seduce you! You will work on both your cardio and your musculature. The aim here is tochain arm movements with the strings by performing a wave work. You can also simply make them hit the floor. You'll feel all your muscles working during the effort.

If you are a beginner, we advise you to start with series of 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds recovery. You can, during your sets, swing your arms at the same time or in a way shifted to vary the movement. Whatever you do, be prepared to feel your muscles heat up. This is a very intense exercise, so you'll need a lot of energy and a bit of mental strength to keep going.

Jumping rope

We would tend not to think about this exercise, and yet! The skipping rope is fundamental for every boxer! Make it regularly to get results quickly. By using a jump rope, you will strengthen your legs and shoulders. You will develop your explosiveness and your endurance. To start, you can work with different foot positions: feet together, alternate feet or on a single leg.

Feet together

This is the most popular rope exercise. simple and also the most known. It's no less effective than any other variation of foot position. For this exercise, all you need to do is jump each time you pass the rope, without jumping up to 3 metres. A little push is all you need to work effectively.

Alternate feet

This movement is interesting if you are starting out. He is a lot less physical than its predecessor with both feet together. To achieve it, you just have to jump one foot after the other by alternating your supports. You can play on the speed jumps to add or reduce the difficulty a little.

On one leg

The joke's over. By passing over a leg, all your muscles will be put to work. You'll only be jumping with a single press, which will make you work on your balance.

Sometimes you don't need to lift cast iron to improve - a good old jump rope can do the trick just fine! For each variation, try to stay the most regular possible and do as many jumps as possible without stopping.

To conclude: what you need to remember about boxing and bodybuilding

As you can see, bodybuilding and boxing go very well together. The two disciplines are complementary. Here are the 5 essential things to remember about these two sports.

1. Bodybuilding allows you to progress more quickly in your boxing practice or in your weightloss.
2. You work on all the attributes of a good boxer: speed, explosiveness, endurance, cardio, strength and power.
3. To progress, you need to strengthen your whole body: legs, back, arm And shoulders.
4. The exercises can be done with more or less than charge and of recovery time depending on the objectives you are aiming for (building muscle mass, increasing speed, strengthening a particular muscle or part of the body).
5. Some bodybuilding exercises can even be done directly to the body weight for a home workout : push-ups, core, burpees.

Come to Le Cercle for workouts that mix boxing and bodybuilding

If you are looking to combine boxing And muscle strengtheningwe have the solution you need. At Boxing CircleA session is 50% bootcamp and 50% boxing. All without no risk to receive blows in return. Everyone can therefore participate without fear: you hit in aqua bags.

During 50 minutesYou'll work your whole body to the rhythm of our playlists super motivating. Take advantage of it for you clear your head And you let off steam. You will get a lot more out of it relaxed and with a smile on your face (we hope!).

Dare to unleash the tiger inside you! Our coaches are waiting for you at the studio!