“Ew, But I Don’t Want to Look Like a Man!”
I’ve heard this time and time again. Ask yourself, what DO you want to look like? Toned, tight, lean, and hot? Who doesn’t? We already know it’s really (like REALLY) important to combine various workouts together. Doing the same workout day in, day out, is a recipe for failure and loss of motivation. In today’s featured boxing workout, we’re going to look at a certain type of athlete who trains in a way much different from most other athletes. The result? Lean muscle mass, a very toned appearance, great endurance, and a boosted metabolism which helps them keep fat off better than almost anyone else.
And in This Corner…
Ever seen the body of a boxer? These guys (and girls) aren’t big and bulky. ( Butterbean and other heavyweights notwithstanding). They rely on their strength, endurance, and speed to help them do what they do. Think about that for a second…strength….endurance….speed. Who here wouldn’t like to increase their strength (and lean muscle mass), endurance, and speed? I hear it all the time from men and women alike, you want to look lean and athletic not bulky and husky. You want to be “toned”. You DON’T want big bulky muscles that slow you down and make you look thick.
We already know you don’t want to look like this. You want to look more like Gina Carano…or guys, just think of Sugar Shane Mosley in his prime…
Well, if you want to look like Gina Carano (pictured above) or Sugar Shane (pictured in your head) then you’ve got to get yourself doing intense, cardio heavy, plyometric focused routines that will leave you feeling like you just went 10 rounds with someone like them.
What This Workout Accomplishes
This boxing workout accomplishes several things important to the progression and development of your body:
- You can’t train all day like pro athletes – we’re going to maximize your caloric burn to get you in and out in just about 60 minutes.
- Burning calories in the gym is one thing. To get REALLY fit you need to boost your post-exercise caloric burn potential - the intense circuit aspect of this workout increases your EPOC (click the link if you are unfamiliar) which leads to a boosted metabolism and continued caloric burn after exercise finishes.
- Induces muscle fatigue, but not to the point heavy lifting does – translation: you can do this workout 3 or more times a week without fear of overtraining your muscles.
- Timed intervals with intense bursts of cardio lead to improved endurance and speed - healthier heart and lungs, increased ability to workout longer and harder, increase in fast-twitch muscle fibers making you more athletic.
Great. So What Do I Do?
So glad you’ve asked. Although, after I tell you, you may not be so happy yourself. Like I said, this boxing workout is intense. If you can’t complete a certain aspect of the training, no worries, just do your best and always aim to go longer, harder, and better, the next time out.
Without further adieu, here we go…
- 8 rounds of jump rope. Each round is 2 minutes. Take a 30 second break between rounds. If you can’t go 2 minute continuously, do your best and aim to improve each time out.
- 20 second sprints/40 second jogs. Repeat this combo 10 times for 10 total minutes.
- 8 rounds of 30 second jump rope/10 curl presses (per arm)/15 leg up crunches. Take a 30 second break between rounds.
- 15 reverse crunches/30 seconds max burpees/30 second plank/30 second rest combo. Repeat this 10 times.
- Grab a barbell and finish strong! 3 rounds of 10 clean and press/12 barbell shrugs/10 bent over rows/10 upright rows/30 second rest*.
BOOM! You’re done. How was that? That routine is KILLER and a very similar way in which a lot of fighters train. Heavy on the rope work, quick bouts of cardio, weight training combos (*use a weight slightly less than you normally would), and intermittent core work. You can’t beat something like that. To really up the ante, include some additional abdominal work on off days OR after this workout is finished if you’re feeling up to it.
When you’re going through this routine, think like a fighter. Pretend you’re training to square off against someone who wants to beat you into submission. You’re doing a boxing workout…not a an hour on the boring elliptical. Think like a fighter. Think explosive. Think of the progress you’re making. Think about WHY you’re training. The training you put in now is going to help you transform your body into a lean, mean, fighting machine.
How to Incorporate This Into What You’re Already Doing
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. Fitness is NOT an exact science. There is no ONE program that is the ONLY way to get fit, healthy, and develop a killer bod. While some programs are better than others, a little deviation won’t kill your progress. Doesn’t matter if its p90x or our Total Body Blitz program; adding/subtracting things here or there is fine.
Regardless of the plan you’re on, if you want to give this a go, simply incorporate this boxing workout in place of a cardio day. If you’re doing Total Body Blitz, just substitute a cardio day here or there if you’d like to spice things up. Variety is key to making progress. Using different styles and formats of workout routines in combination is the best and fastest way to change your body. So go head, don’t be shy to use this in place of a scheduled workout and be amazed at the progress this type of training can bring about.
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Matt
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