How to become a top boxer

BEFORE you hone your skills, before you become as fit as possible, as powerful as possible there is one thing you must do when you become serious about boxing training. You have to become resilient. If you can stay injury free, you maximise your time training and therefore maximise your development.

Hand and wrist injuries are the ailments that most commonly plague boxers. As well as wrapping the hands properly, icing them after the session and strengthening the forearms, good quality gloves are vital. ‘Pro’ style punches with the padding in the wrist instead of over the knuckles do not offer enough protection.

Icing your hands after each training session reduces inflammation from the impact of punching, helps manage any new injuriesย and reducing wear and tear over time. Use a mixture of water and ice (fill plastic bags if you don’t have tubs). Hold the hands in for 20 seconds, out for 40 seconds and repeat that five times.

These are the key strategies that will help reduce the risk of getting injured:

  • Hand wrapping
  • Theraband warm up (to limber up the shoulders)
  • Stretching
  • Icing your hands after every training session
  • Strengthening circuit:

For the strengthening circuit focus on control and quality of movement. If you can complete the repetitions increase the weight by 1-2kgs. Stop any exercise that causes you pain.

Complete each exercise twice per session. Do two sessions a week:

Barbell or dumbbell reverse curls x15

Plate pinch grips x 1 minutesย (Pinch weight between thumb and finger tips in each hand)

Dumbbell curls – flexion x15ย (Curl just the wrist, palm up. Move the wrist through the full range of movement – all the way up and down. Control the movement, move down slowly)

Dumbbell curls – extension x15ย (Palm face down horizontal, then curls up.ย Move the wrist through the full range of movement – all the way up and down. Control the movement, move down slowly)

In this week’s issue of Boxing News we visit the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield to find out what it takes to become an elite international boxer

Share Page