Welcome! If you’ve been following my blog recently, you probably know that I have a passion for boxing. I’ve been taking in everything I learned about boxing and passing on to you, my worthy readers.
I’ve been taking my boxing classes at Title Boxing, they have a facility locally in my area. When it first caught my eye, I was anxious to go over and check it out.
Why Did I Choose Boxing?
I wanted to get into boxing for a long time, since I was a teenager. However, I was not in good enough shape for training at that level yet. You see, I was a scrawny 90 pound weakling at the time.
So what did I do instead? I got into Tae Kwon Do in middle school. I was the only kid at my school who did it, which resulted in me getting heavily bullied. Yeah, it wasn’t what I wanted to do back then, but everyone has to start somewhere, right? Right.
What is it Like to Train at Title Boxing?
Training at Title Boxing is one of the best experiences of my life. They offer group boxing, kickboxing, MMA, and private classes. I go to the group boxing classes that are 1 hour long.
The 1 hour boxing classes are the most intense training I have ever done in my life. The intensity level is at an all-time high. We would do different exercises in 20 second intervals with 10 seconds in between to rest.
What Exercises Can You Expect?
A lot of the exercises are cardio-oriented and also utilize resistance training with your own body weight. One new exercise we did at my previous training session was side shuffles using resistance bands around our legs. We had to keep our legs apart the entire time and not let them come together. Another exercise we did was throwing punches with hand weights, to add resistance to your arms as you punch.
Other exercises we did were traditional body weight exercises like sit-ups, push-ups, crunches, burpees, and planks. They really help with building your core strength, which helps to support your back and to keep you stable.
On the punching bag, we did different punching combos with 3 to 5 punches at a time. Like jab-cross-hook-hook, jab-jab-cross-uppercut-uppercut, or jab-cross-jab-cross-jab-cross. We would do these for 20 seconds at a time and rest for 10 seconds in between.
The exercises we did for cardio included jumping jacks, burpees, high knees, and nonstop punches on the bag while running in place. You will undoubtedly build up a whole lot of sweat out of doing these for an hour!
But Wait, There’s More!
One of the most vital things we were taught about throwing punches is proper technique. I learned from my trainer that while you do need to keep your hands up in a fighting position, your hands should really be in front of your face, with your dominant hand behind your leading hand. (I am right-handed, so my left hand would be in front, while my right hand would be behind)
My trainer taught me when I throw a cross, that it is more effective if I turn my body at a 90 degree angle, to where my body is facing my left hand side at a 45 degree angle, instead of turning my body to where my body is directly facing my target. My rear hand is extended for the punch, but slightly bent so the arm is not locked.
But That’s Not All…
Another component my trainer taught me is when I’m in my stance and advancing towards my target to punch, or retreating away from my target so I don’t get hit, is to remember that it all starts from the ground up, at the feet. I learned that proper stance should be:
- Your feet should be about shoulder width apart from each other, with your lead toes in line with your rear heel
- Stand up straight, you don’t want to lean too far forward or too far backward if you’re in a neutral stance (for the sake of keeping your balance)
- Keep your hands in front of your face, with your dominant hand behind your leading hand
- Keep your core engaged at all times
- Normal punches should be at about eye level, unless your trainer tells you to throw punches to the body (which is about chest level)
- Keep your weight on the balls of your feet, do not stand flat-footed (having your weight on the balls of your feet will make it easier for you to move)
- While moving forward, step with your lead foot and drag your rear foot. While moving backward, step with your rear foot and drag your lead foot.
How Much for a Membership?
Boxing memberships are nothing to sneeze at, I’ll tell you that. At Title Boxing, they offer memberships to take 1 hour classes once a week (4 classes per month), as well as twice a week (8 classes per month). They also offer club cards where you can get unlimited classes throughout the month with month-to-month billing. Finally, if you want to start boxing but a membership is not in your budget, you can go in as a drop-in, where you have to pay a fee at the front desk before you start.
Here are the prices for the membership options, based on a sheet the front desk guy showed me:
- Club 4 (4 classes per month) $70 per month
- Club 8 (8 classes per month) $95 per month
- Club card individual (unlimited classes per month) $115 per month
- Club card family (unlimited classes per month) $160 per month
- Drop-in: $20 per class
Closing Words
As a beginner boxer on a fitness journey to get in even better shape, I think the experience I’m getting at Title Boxing will be well worth it, and I can see a lot of good things coming out of this. If you’re interested in checking the place out yourself, visit their website and see if they have a facility located in your area! I assure you, you’ll get bang for your buck at Title Boxing!
Happy training,
SFW