Welcome back to another day of boxing! One thing I learned the hard way about boxing is that if you want to make it through your entire boxing workout, you will need to have really high stamina. Otherwise, you will start to feel fatigue and you will be gasping for air just 5 minutes in.
So how do you build your stamina as a boxer?
There are many different exercises you can do to help boost your endurance. I have done quite a number of them before, and I’m open to learning what else is out there. Since boxing combines cardio with muscle building, you are guaranteed to get the ultimate workout experience with the exercises that follow. According to multiple sources, some of the best endurance building exercises for boxing include:
- RUNNING
- JUMP ROPE
- BAG WORK
- FOCUS MITTS
- MENTALITY
- FORM/TECHNIQUE
- MUSCLE MEMORY
- SHADOW BOXING
- CYCLING
- SWIMMING
I’ve been dealing with the same thing for a long time, and my stamina is still a work in progress.
Running
Running is one of the best exercises you can do to build your stamina. You don’t exactly have to train like a marathon runner to I would personally recommend you go to a place like a field or a quarter-mile track if you can find one. Then run as fast as you can at full sprint for a full minute. Remember to control your breathing while you’re doing this.
After you sprint for a full minute, I would recommend you power walk for about 2 minutes. Then sprint for a minute, and then walk for 2 minutes. Then repeat until you reach a mile. You can also do this on a treadmill.
Jump Rope
A lot of times when I’m at Title Boxing, I see a lot of guys jumping rope. According to the Boxing Addicts blog, 13 Exercises For Boxing Stamina And Endurance, it is effective for not only cardio purposes, but it also helps improve your footwork, which is critical to moving around in the ring. If you’re also looking to shed off belly fat, look no further. Just remember to tighten up that stomach.
I tried doing jump rope before, but I never was that good at it. The gym that I go to for my routine weight training has jump ropes. However, I didn’t consider using them because of my poor jump roping skills. But I can get better at it through practice.
Bag Work
In my experience at Title Boxing, working the bag with our boxing gloves is one of the best stamina builders there is. Some exercises include speed punching on the bag for as long as you can, punch combos while incorporating footwork, and dodging to name a few.
After doing these moves for a good amount of time, I will be spraying like a gym shower. You will too, I guarantee it. Working the bag and throwing punches onto it is one of the most intense boxing workouts you will ever get.
Focus Mitts
Working the focus mitts with a trainer is a great way to build your endurance, as you’re doing exercises at a pace given to you by your trainer. He might tell you go fast with your maneuvers and do speed punches, or he might tell you to do smaller combos like a jab-cross.
It really helps because you have someone checking you for form and to push you to your limit. Not only can this help translate your bag work over to pad work with your trainer, it can also increase your fighting IQ.
Mentality/Attitude
I mentioned this before in a previous blog post, but this is one of the most critical things you have to remember when you’re doing anything, and that is to stay positive and stay motivated. Mentality is one of the biggest differences between being at the top of the world and hitting rock bottom.
Having a positive mentality will lead to a great work ethic which will ultimately reward you for your hard work. If you stay positive and put the effort into every workout, something amazing will come to you later on. The best part about it is, you will feel like you earned it instead of it being handed to you for free.
Form/Technique
I talked about this numerous times in previous posts here, but if you’re going to be training for boxing, form matters more than anything. You could be throwing all different kinds of punches and combos, but if you’re not doing them right, you could injure yourself. If you want to learn more on my recommendations for good boxing technique, click here: Boxing Tips for Beginners
Muscle Memory
According to Expert Boxing’s take on building endurance, How to Increase Your Fighting Endurance, muscle memory is basically the same thing as “practice makes perfect.” Or, as my high school band director would say, “fake it ’till you make it.” Once you familiarize yourself with the movements and how to do them properly, it will become a lot easier.
I can speak from experience with this, with the many years I spent lifting weights in the gym. Once I tried a new exercise for the first time and did it over several times, it got easier for me. Then when I do the exercise again in the following week, I feel more comfortable with the movement.
Shadow Boxing
I have done shadow boxing at the gym plenty of times in front of a mirror. My intent with it is to check my form. Which is really good if you want to know how to do the moves of boxing correctly. Is it awkward? Yes. Does it work? Also yes.
The way I like to do it on my own dime is to stand in front of a mirror and punch. I practice different combos at different speeds. Another way you can do this is by using light dumbbells (I would recommend about 5 pounds and lighter) to add some resistance to your punches. That will also help with your muscle building.
Cycling
While I am personally not big on cycling on a bike, I do know that cycling is a great exercise to build your endurance, especially for b0xing. It is great for building your leg muscles as well, and it can also be good muscle building for your legs as well as your glutes. Those muscles play a big role in your technique, like your stance.
Personally, the last time I rode a bike was in 8th grade. I would say I’m retired from bike riding, but I make up for it by using the bike machine at the gym.
Swimming
Swimming for leisure may be all well and good, but swimming laps is a better option for building endurance. If you have a pool in your backyard or can access a community pool, you’re golden.
According to the Boxing Addicts blog, former boxing champions like Mayweather and Amir Khan have incorporated cardiovascular swimming into their training so they can have outstanding stamina. According to Boxing Addicts, swimming is a full body workout and can have just as much of an impact on your muscles as running.
Closing Words
I hope you learned some helpful tips on how to increase your stamina and endurance for boxing! Again, I am a beginner who is still learning a lot and is on a fitness journey with a passion for boxing. I am telling you what I know and what I learned at Title Boxing. I have tested a l0t of these different methods and I’m open to testing more of them! If you have any more ways and tips on how to build endurance, drop them down below! Happy training!