THERE is a huge emphasis on strength, speed and fitness when structuring a physical training plan for a boxer.
However, a Boxer is required to have fast hands, footwork, co-ordination, balance and great lateral movement. This means that a boxer needs good movement, mobility and flow to use the right muscles at the right time.
Movement and mobility training helps reduce muscular imbalances, this helps reduce likelihood of injury. This doesnโt often get boxers excitedโฆ but what about if we told you it will improve your punching force?
Move Better, Jab Harder
In boxing, it is commonly said that the most effective tool for a fighter. It definitely is the most used, so wouldnโt every boxer want to develop a killer jab?
Champions such asย Wladimir Klitschkoย andย Kell Brookย are well known to master the art of the jab, but how canย mobilityย help?
Following ourย 10 week training cluster, our experts found aย 11% increase in estimated P4P punch force for the left punch, used as a jab for our orthodox fighters.
This resulted in aย 16% reduction in punch imbalance.ย In a separate comparison, a professional boxerย showedย a massive 32% reductionย between left and right punches.
Impact
Our boxers becomeย more balanced and throwing bigger punches with both hands.
The jab is the most often used punch in boxing.
The jab is thrown at a higher speed than a backhand shot. Althoughย hand speed is the biggest contributor to punch force, the jab is found to produce less punching force than the back hand.
This is due to less rotation of the body, therefore less contribution fromย hip and torso rotation.
The Imbalanced Boxer
Due to this altered movement pattern being repeated thousands of times a week, a boxer can suffer from mobility and strength imbalances.
A functional movement screen (FMS) of 10 amateur boxers showed tighter left hips and shoulders than their right hand side.
Balancing the boxer
In the summer of 2014,ย Combat Conditioningย delivered a movement clinic atย Sheffield City ABC. Following 8 weeks of movement training,ย meanย overall FMS scores increased by 9%.ย Standoutย improvements were seen inย overhead squatย (2.1 vs 2.6 out of 3)ย left shoulder mobilityย (1.62 vs 2.8 out of 3) (pre vs post).
How can I move better?
There are a number of ways we use to get a boxer moving better. Here we will be sharing three ways in how you can improve your movement and mobility.
Click below for step 1