- Longer workouts do not equal better or faster results. Using the ideal mix of cardiorespiratory, strength, and flexibility exercises and the right intensity for your fitness level and body type, you will soon see real results. When it comes to getting lean and fit, your body responds to quality over quantity.
- When you’re boxing, 70 percent of your body weight should be on your toes.
- Make sure you master the techniques for stance, guard, and basic footwork and the correct methods for throwing the four main punches as well as the exercises that allow you to strengthen your upper and lower body so you can gain speed and power before you get started with total-body training routines. If you miss one skill set, you will have difficulty throwing punches while moving because you will be distracted during the movement.
- One important benefit of following a tension-easing flexibility routine is the enhanced production of glycosaminoglycan, which is a gel-like substance that assists in preventing muscle fibers from sticking together. This substance facilitates fuller, more pain-free range of motion. Increased production of this substance also helps repair collagen, which protects and cushions joints.
- Many attempts at losing weight end shortly after they are started. This is because most people don’t consider all the elements of an optimal weight-loss program. Many people concentrate on only one aspect; some try to lose weight by eating healthier and fewer quantities, while others follow programs that overpromise and underdeliver. You should look at weight loss from a holistic point of view. Don’t single out one part over another. Integrate both nutrition and exercise into your lifestyle to achieve the ideal weight.
- To achieve a toned body, you need to perform an exercise routine that allows the muscles to be healthy, oxygenated, and in optimal proportion to the length of the bone. Muscle that is not toned contracts too much or is too tight and not effectively working during everyday activities or exercises. A muscle that is not the right length for the accompanying bone is either too tight or too lax. When a muscle is too tight, it can lead to constriction and unnecessary tension; a muscle that is too lax can lead to hyperflexibility.
Source: Total Knockout Fitness (Human Kinetics, 2014)
- What are the four main punches used in boxing?
- Why should the body be treated as a unit when punching?
- What are retraction exercises and how can they improve your posture?
- Why is visualization so important in boxing?
- Why is boxing such an efficient total-body workout?
- Why do low levels of flexibility lead to muscular imbalances?
- How do you get leaner and healthier muscles?
- What types of foods and drinks should you include in your diet to make your body’s fat-burning process more efficient?
- Why is fat loss most successful when you mix toning exercises with cardio drills?
- Why are bodyweight and boxing exercises just as effective as weights in enhancing strength?
To schedule an interview with Martin McKenzie or Stefanie Kirchner, contact Sue Outlaw at 800-747-4457, ext. 2470, or sueo@hkusa.com.
Excerpts
From Round 2, "Knowing Your Opponent"
Assessing Your Fitness
After assessing your fitness, you most likely would question how to improve your fitness. The only answer is by giving your body regular workouts and balancing that fitness program with a healthy nutrition program. You will find great exercises and workout routines that clearly demonstrate how to improve your fitness levels. In round 3 you will find nutrition tips that will enhance your general performance. These tips also help you to look and feel the way you desire. You will also learn some simple and interesting visualization techniques that can help you determine and achieve your short- and long-term fitness and health goals.
If you are still deciding how much effort you are willing to put in to improve your fitness levels or have not made up your mind about the benefits of becoming fitter, here are 10 reasons why you should seek to increase your health and fitness:
- To shape up and control your weight
- To have more energy
- To reduce stress levels
- To increase strength and power
- To balance your body and mind
- To sleep better
- To boost your confidence and brain power
- To slow down the aging process
- To reduce risks of coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, and many more illnesses you never want to have
- To simply feel good about yourself
Throughout this book, you will learn all about the ways to increase your overall fitness with exercises and training routines that will boost your muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and motor skills, including balance, coordination, reaction speed, and power.
From Round 6, "The Punch Precision"
Four Ways to Increase Your Punching Power
- Don’t arm punch! Most novices and untrained fighters are guilty of arm punching, which means they throw the punch with a single arm without involving the torso and legs. Instead of using legs, back, and core muscles to add power to punches, arm punchers rely on relatively weak shoulders and triceps. So to increase punching power, avoid arm punching.
- Shift your weight! Add that edge and power to your punches by shifting a portion of your weight from one foot to the other. Get your body weight moving with the punch! Practicing the transfer of weight from one foot to another while throwing a punch also increases your ability to string together a series of punches, which allows you to move on to an exciting boxing combination.
- Step with the punch! This simple way to increase the power of your punch applies to all punches except uppercuts.
- Pivot the punch! Pivoting can significantly strengthen your punches. The pivoting movement starts with the unweighted foot and continues up your body. This means you will get more body mass behind the punch, and your power will increase significantly.
Increase the Power of a Punch With These Body-Weight Exercises!
Push-up. A simple alternative to doing push-ups is the plank exercise, referred to here as the Fight Fit sky dive exercise. This exercise builds the biceps, triceps, and chest and therefore supports you in adding power to your punches.
Lie facedown on the floor with your arms by your sides. Gently and slowly raise your chest off the floor until you can feel your lower back muscles start to work, simultaneously raising your arms up, palms facing upward and with your thumbs farthest away from your body, pointing to the ceiling. Do not contract your gluteal muscles. Hold for 40 seconds.
Triceps dip. Keep your palms down, resting on a chair or bench and allowing your buttocks to be in line with the chair or bench. Lower yourself o the floor and push yourself up again. Do 5 times to start with; as you get more confident and experienced, do 10 times.
Advanced push-up. If you are already completely confident with the normal press up routine, you may want to try the advanced press up version, a special Fight Fit press up method: when performing the press up allow your hands different positions (e.g. don’t keep them in line, put one hand slightly further down and the other hand position slightly further up than in the usual press up position.) Do 5 to 10 on each side. This exercise is also very good for posture, working muscle parts that would usually not be worked in a normal press up exercise.
Fight fit squat jump. If you are already at ease with the normal squat jump technique and want to build that extra speed and power in the legs, the Fight Fit squat jump will help you build even more strength. Instead of the normal squat jump position, perform your jumps in the stance position. This will encourage you to access your fast-twitch muscle fibers, which will allow you to move explosively and with speed. It is also good for calorie burning. The squat jump works the triceps, gluteal muscles, and quadriceps while enhancing stance and posture by activating muscles.
Now that you have performed some exercises that add power to your punches, put your technique to the test for the straight punches: the jab and the cross.
From Round 7, "Total-Body Training"
What Is Total-Body Training?
Total-body training involves using all the major muscle groups to create a calorie-busting workout in which you move forward, backward, and laterally while throwing punch combinations. These moves strengthen your arms, legs, shoulders, abdominals, and glutes. Total-body training is a system that allows higher calorie burn and raises the heart rate to boost cardiorespiratory fitness. Here are reasons you will enjoy total-body training:
Increase Fitness
Total-body training is an effective way to increase your cardiorespiratory endurance, strength, and flexibility while fine-tuning your punching techniques.
Reduce Stress
When performing safe exercise, you distract your mind from things that worry you, which means you benefit not only physically but also mentally. Total-body training involves fun workouts with increasing difficulty as you improve your ability to perform exercises, combinations, and footwork.
Energize the Body
Combining footwork and punching combinations also means that you can energize your body while moving around and throwing your combinations. When you exercise your body, your brain releases hormones that activate the energy systems in your body and slowly and steadily recharge your whole body, allowing for a great experience.
Activate Your Muscles
When moving around while throwing your punch combinations, you will raise your heart rate, which allows oxygen to circulate in your body, releasing additional energy and activating muscles.