Boxing your way to fitness

Boxing is an effective form of stress relief and is good for all-round fitness, so long as you're not on the receiving end!

Fiteselektor premiered in Dubai in March, bringing a new form of carnage to the Middle East. Fighters engaged in mixed martial art combat (ie, kickboxing and wrestling) pounding and mauling each other until one submitted or, more likely, was knocked out.

It was a spectacular, full-contact gladiatorial event, but hardly seemed like a recipe for good health.

Tom Wessclink, a Dutch kickboxer turned mixed martial arts fighter, says the physical challenge drew him to the sport.

"Mixed martial arts was a new challenge for me. It's all about strategy and tactics. Speed is very important; you don't see many big, broad-shouldered guys doing it.

"For training, I do judo, wrestling and kickboxing six times a week; I mixed it up. Usually, I do two sessions a day: in the morning I do a run, bike ride or weights then at night I'll do techniques and some sparring.

"Like boxing, it's a way to release stress. It doesn't make you aggressive, it does the opposite, you release tension."

While it's certainly a recipe for a firm body, you have to wonder about some of the side effects, especially the impact of all those knock outs.

Although competition takes its toll, martial arts and boxing training are great ways to stay fit and can bring a lot of benefits to a fitness regime, including being a great stress buster.

Roland Kemp, a Dubai-based personal trainer, says boxing for fitness is different to regular sparring. A programme can be tailored so that movements go through the whole body, utilising the core, arm, shoulder and leg muscles.

This month Roland has designed some sparring routines that can be incorporated into any exercise programme - maybe once or twice a week.

You'll need two people: one to spar, the other to hold the boxing pads. Then you can swap and do visa versa.

"Boxing training is not just about hitting a bag: you also need to build fitness, co-ordination and a strong core. Many top sportsmen use boxing as a way of adding variety to their day-to-day exercise routine," says Roland.

BOXING FOR FITNESS

What you need:

• Two people
• 1 pair of boxing gloves (Reebok, Dhs215, Go Sport)
• 1 pair of pads (Reebok, Dhs290, Go Sport)
• 1 exercise mat (Reebok, Dhs70, Go Sport)
• 1 skipping rope

Boxing fitness helps in the following areas:

• Aerobic and anaerobic conditioning
• Strength training
• Helps burn calories
• Hand eye coordination
• Targets problem areas for most people (abs, butt, hips, thighs and the core)

Warm-up:
Skipping is a good way to warm-up before getting the gloves and pads on. Skipping for 5 to 10 minutes will get the heart rate up, preparing your muscles to fire. Another good way to warm-up and check your boxing form is by shadow boxing in the mirror for five minutes.

Wearing the gloves:
Keep the thumbs on the outside and not wrapped in your fist. When making contact with the pads keep the wrist in line with your forearm.

Wearing the pads:
Keep these away from the face and at shoulder height for the boxer. Absorb the impact of the punch, with soft elbows and shoulders. Do not pre-empt the punch.

THE MOVEMENTS
The routines focus on fitness first and boxing second, but can also be used as a cross-training workout for any sportsperson. But first, we've broken down each position and strike to help you execute them correctly.

PAD DRILLS
Before you start doing the routines, get accustomed to the different moves by doing some pad drills. These are a good way to loosen up the body and get partners in sync. n 6 right jabs, 6 left jabs n 6 right hooks, 6 left hooks n 6 right uppercuts, 6 left uppercuts Then swap over the pads and gloves and let your partner have a go.

STARTING POSITION
Your feet should be comfortably apart with your weight evenly spread on the balls of your feet. The knees should be soft, but don't bend them too much.

• Balance and being able to move easily is crucial to this fitness boxing routine.
• Left hand position: Top of fist in line with shoulders, elbows close to the body.
• Right hand position: Fist close to chin, elbows close to the body.
• Relax neck and shoulders.
• Ensure your thumbs are outside the fist, not tucked in.

JAB
This movement comes from the trunk rotation; the idea is to punch through the pad and not to stop when you make contact. The arm is thrust forward with the fist rotating so that the palm is parallel to the floor when the arm is fully extended. The arm is brought back as quickly as it is thrust forward. Don't hyperextend at the elbow joint.

HOOK
The elbow of the hooking arm should be bent at a 90-degree angle and the movement comes from the hips and transfers to the fist. Put your opposite leg forward (opposite to the arm that is hooking) and lunge to meet the pad.

UPPERCUT
Like the hook, bring the opposite leg forward. The body weight is transferred from the ball of the back foot to the front foot as the punch is delivered with a bent arm at a right angle.

SQUAT DUCK
The sparring partner swipes the pads over the boxer at shoulder height, making the boxer duck out the way. In the following routines, the fifth move is always a squat duck.

ROUTINE 1:

1. Right jab
2. Left hook
3. Right uppercut
4. Left uppercut
5. Squat duck
6. Right jab

After this, have a break for several seconds, then repeat the routine, except this time starting out with a left jab instead of right jab:

1. Left jab
2. Right hook
3. Left uppercut
4. Right uppercut
5. Squat duck
6. Left jab.

How long: Start out by trying to do as many sets as you can in a one-minute 'round'. Once you get better at this routine, you can try sparring for three minutes.

ROUTINE 2:

1. Right jab
2. Right jab
3. Left jab
4. Left jab
5. Squat duck
6. Right jab

Again, repeat the routine starting with left hand

1. Left jab
2. Left jab
3. Right jab
4. Right jab
5. Squat duck
6. Left jab

How long: Beginners should do one minute of sparring, working up to three minutes.

ROUTINE 3:
In this routine, the 'boxer' walks towards the pads, delivering 10 jabs alternating right and left, while the person holding the pads moves backward. Make sure you do this somewhere with lots of space on an even surface, so that you don't fall over while shuffling backwards.

6 repetitions.

ROUTINE 4:
Starting position: Lie on an exercise mat on the ground. Your sparring partner should stand at the base of the matt, with his feet on top of your gym shoes, anchoring your feet and holding the boxing pads ready.

Basic abs: In this routine, your sparring partner holds the pads near his knees. Like a sit-up, you push your torso up then do a right punch, left punch combination into the pads then return to starting position. 2 sets, 15 repetitions

Intermediate abs: Essentially the same as the previous exercise, except the sparring partner holds the pads higher, so that you must punch upwards, working out the abdominals. 2 sets, 15 repetitions

FITESELEKTOR
Fiteselektor will return to Dubai early next year for the final. Organisers are currently in talks with a South Africa, Mumbai and Shanghai to stage more Fiteselector events. For updates, go to www.fiteselektor.com