This Kick-fit Circuit incorporates medicine ball sit ups for the core as the warm up and moves right into, push ups, kettle ball squats and cleans,. Plyometrics such as bends and thrusts/burpees, mountain climbers, frog jumps, catch and toss box jumps, leap lunges, and lateral hops are added to increase the calorie burn .The boxing portion of the workout includes the rope jump and heavy bag drills .The session is concluded with focus mitt drills and a hands on stretch by the trainer for increased flexibility.

BOXING FOR LONGEVITY AND VITALITY

The rotational forces present when executing a punch make for a greater calorie burn. The increased caloric burn is because when the body executes a boxing technique it engages muscles in balance in all planes. At the point of impact, the body must redirect through proprioception and engage opposing muscle groups to maintain balance and counter the forces it experiences at impact. The entire subscapular region and subscapular stabilizers (which include the serratus posterior, latissimus dorsi rhomboids, subscapularis, levator scapulae, pectoralis minor and the trapezius muscles) all come into play.

Boxing is a whole body exercise that engages the upper core (transverse spinalis, obliques, and rectus abdominus) and the lower core muscles (glutes, quadriceps, gastrocnemius, and soleus). This is important to know in today’s technological society where we sit for prolonged hours at a desk or in front of a computer. Lack of movement weakens the entire subscapular region. This translates into neck and back problems as the muscles supporting the head get weaker. Since the head maintains its weight, people experience headaches and back pain. Additionally, repetitive motion in the fingers, wrist and elbow leads to strain and overuse of select muscles. Muscles are synergistic which means that they work together. Thus, if one part of the body is weak, then it compensates by using other muscle groups to stabilize. This results in strain of muscles seemingly unrelated to the weaker groups.

Boxing is not only a great way to get in shape but also phenomenal at retaining your youth, vitality and flexibility because of the amount of dynamic movement it entails. Just look at Will Smith when he trained to represent Muhammed Ali, Sylvester Stallone for the movie Rocky, and Hillary Swank in Million Dollar Baby. These people are actors following a boxing regime and the results speak for themselves.

THE STANCE

Before we begin with the preliminary hands, we first start with the foundation: the stance. Here are some key points of the boxing stance:

There are many different types of foot placement for a boxing stance. We will concentrate on one stance for now. With feet shoulder width apart, take a normal step forward with one foot. Turn both of your feet to your dominant hand side at a 45-degree angle. The stance should be very deep forward to back providing a great deal of stability.

The shoulder that is over your front foot is now your lead side. Make sure that this is the one that points forward the most. You should not have your shoulders square facing the front.

Make sure your chin is down and you are looking through the tops of your eyelids.

Hands should be up and fisted with both elbows pointing to the ground. Your dominant hand should be in the rear and should be directly on your chin while your lead hand should be five inches in front of your jaw.

	Incorrect	Correct!

As the diagram shows, you should have distance between your front and rear feet so that you are not on a “tight rope”. Most people tend to have one foot in front of the other which provides no stability or balance.

THE STANCE

Front Ready		Rear View
Left Side		Right Side

As you can see from the pictures, both knees are always bent and the rear heel is slightly off the ground providing a slight contraction of the calf for explosive movement. The weight distribution should be the same between the forward and rear foot. This makes movement simple and quick. There should be no tension in the shoulders or the legs. A common mistake is to instantly tighten muscles that do not need to contract. When in the stance, make sure your hands are relaxed and loose. Generally, if you begin fisting your hands, then you will be tensing your shoulders as well.

THE FIST

Vertical Punch		Horizontal Punch

Though not necessarily a technique, the structure of the proper fist is essential when punching for fitness or self-defense. Make sure all fingers are rolled down toward the wrist. Then, wrap the thumb over the fingers. It is recommended that beginners wear hand wraps, gel wraps, or at least bag gloves to protect the knuckles and wrists.

Another key point to remember is the biomechanics of a punch:

Impact point is the first two knuckles closest to the thumb. These are the knuckles directly supported by the ulna and radius and are more stable than the rest. Hitting with the other two knuckles can result in a boxer fracture where the bones supporting the pinky and ring finger are pushed up into the wrist.

ALL HITTING INITIALLY IS FOR FORM AND NOT FOR POWER! People
who box for fitness do not realize their own strength. When they swing hard, they can cause themselves and others damage. Your primary reason for learning to box is to expand your level of fitness. It is harder to hit quickly and more frequently than to hit powerfully.