For the most part, when people decide to start a specific training program, it is usually to improve their overall fitness and health. However, what most people don’t do is take part in a specific training program with the hopes that this will improve their skills in another.
What do I mean by this? Here are a few examples.
Firstly, an example of this might be a runner doing explosive jumping jacks trying to increase his/her speed. Another example may include a rugby player utilizing the running sled for increased sprinting power.
As you may have now put together, this article will cover another example like the ones listed above…
Getting straight to the point, this article is going to cover the many benefits of doing calisthenics as a boxer or soon-to-be boxer. I will highlight everything you need to know on this matter very soon so don’t go anywhere!
Consider a boxer/fighters skills
To firstly understand why doing calisthenics can drastically help to improve a fighter’s performance, we must first highlight the many physical skills a boxer will typically have and need during a fight.
Let’s take a look!
- Boxers are usually very quick on their feet. As a boxer, one of the main goals during a fight is to avoid the punches his/or opponent is throwing. To do this effectively, the boxer will need to be quick on his/her feet. This will not only help to avoid punches in real-time but it will allow for quicker manoeuvres around the ring.
- Boxers are typically very good at blocking. While dodging attacks seem like the smartest idea, dodging every single attack headed your way just simply cannot be done for many reasons. Because of this very fact, any boxer will need a good ability to block attacks when dodging fails as this is their last line of defence.
- All fighters usually possess a strong stance. What almost all fighters have in common is that they possess a strong stance. You may be asking why this would matter so much in a fight and this would be a good question. The reason a solid stance matters so much is because it helps to encourage strong attacks, it helps to keep the fighter upright and it improves the effectiveness of all their attacks, dodges and blocks.
While boxers/fighters certainly possess more skills than the ones listed above, the ones listed above will soon come into play as I will show you exactly how calisthenics may benefit a boxer’s skills in the ring/arena.
Before I do that, let’s take a look at some key attributes that calisthenics can offer in relation to fighting.
The benefits of calisthenics – (fighting related)
Before I delve into the benefits that calisthenics has to offer, it is important to note that calisthenics offers a lot more than what is about to be listed. It is a fantastic training method that delivers an outstanding number of benefits.
With all this in mind, let’s take a look at what calisthenics can do for a fighter!
- Calisthenics strengthens the core muscles. For those of you who don’t know, the core muscles are responsible for the stability and flexibility of your central muscular system. A weak core greatly affects almost every form of training/movement you can do, even fighting. In this case, a strong core would help the fighter maintain a solid stance throughout the fight.
- Calisthenics improves your grip strength. Your grip strength is typically defined by the overall amount of power generated by simply squeezing your hand. Now, while this may not sound useful for fighters when you consider that a solid, firm grip is all that stands between them and a broken hand from punching, let’s just say it makes a huge difference.
- Calisthenics drastically improves agility. For a boxer/fighter, being quick on their feet is a must. As mentioned earlier, it not only helps the fighter to avoid attacks but it allows for an easier time manoeuvring around the ring. As you can imagine, this would drastically increase any fighters chances of success!
As mentioned earlier, the benefits calisthenics has to offer is a much longer list than provided here. Despite this, in terms of fighting, calisthenics has proven itself to be a fantastic way to improve one’s chances in the arena.
Calisthenics and boxing – combining the two
When it comes to combining both calisthenics and boxing, you must first consider what it is exactly that you want to improve for your fights. When you have an idea or two in mind, you must coordinate your calisthenic movements with what you hope to achieve.
Below is a list of very clear examples of accurate calisthenic-based workout routines you can easily follow for more success with your boxing.
- For boxers that want to improve their agility. If you are a fighter and you want to improve your agility in the ring/arena, you will need to opt for physically demanding/explosive movements. Exercises such as muscle-up, jumping jacks, jumping squats and even the alternating push-up will work nicely. Make sure the exercises you choose are done in an explosive-like fashion.
- For boxers that want to improve their stance. A boxer’s stance is not just about the way they are standing or the way they present themselves. It is more about how well they can maintain that stance during times of duress. To improve your stance with calisthenics, you will need to opt for static holds such as the dragon flag, front lever, tuck front lever, front lever raises and/or the single-leg front lever.
- For boxers that desire a tighter grip strength. If you are a boxer and you have a habit of breaking your hands after hitting your opponent, it is likely because your grip is too weak. To tackle this issue with calisthenics, opt for exercises that improve your grip strength such as the dead hang, pull-up, dragon flag and any other static hold.
All in all, if you are a fighter/boxer looking to improve your skills with unconventional methods, using calisthenics to boost your skills in the ring may just be the answer you’ve been looking for. So there you have it, the benefits of calisthenics when boxing!
