Boxing’s long history – the ancient Greeks added it as an Olympic game in 688 B.C. – is enjoying a new chapter, and the number of specialized fitness companies here are a testament to the sport’s growing popularity in the Tri-Village area.
While its popularity as a spectator sport may be waning, boxing’s reputation as a workout with unique and efficient fitness benefits is growing rapidly. For those searching for a new type of exercise, or maybe just trying to break out of a rut at the gym or your seat on the couch, a boxing-based workout might be the solution for you.
James Buffington of Premier at Sawmill Athletic Club assists with training. Photos by Wes Kroninger
Popularity
While checking with your doctor before entering into any new type of workout regimen is always a good idea, boxing-based workouts can be created to fit nearly anyone’s needs.
“Most individuals can participate at some level,” says James Buffington, a personal training manager supervisor at Premier at Sawmill Athletic Club.
Patty Hanna, Club Manager at Title Boxing Club Grandview, agrees.
“The benefits of boxing can positively impact every person’s life as long as that person has proper supervision, proper instruction and customized modifications that allow a boxing workout to be adapted to meet his or her personal needs,” she says.
Rob Pilger, owner of Pilger’s Old Skool Boxing & Fitness Academy in Grandview Heights,
thinks boxing is a great fit for people who bring the right attitude to the training, who are “willing to learn and be coached.”
The workout can be a good fit for “anyone who is willing to learn an art and challenge their body with an exhilarating workout,” Pilger says.
Since boxing-based workouts can come in many forms, there is a place for those who want all the benefits and none of the contact, and for those who want contact with bags and mitts to experience the resistance benefits.
While more traditional workouts such as those focused on running, swimming or cycling also have large participation demographics, many people are looking for more from their workouts than the traditional exercises can give them. Pilger credits the rise in popularity of boxing-based workouts to “the results they deliver and how they change the person mentally and physically.”
Hanna agrees that there is an attractive mental aspect to boxing that differentiates it as a workout from other forms of exercise.
“Boxing requires mental focus,” she says. “In this way, people make an emotional connection with boxing.”
Benefits: Body and Mind
Perhaps one of the reasons behind the connection people make with boxing is the total body
workout it provides.
“People often say after a workout that they feel it in muscles they didn’t know they had,” Pilger says.
Boxing requires a variety of upper and lower body movement because of the number of different punches one can throw and the footwork needed to do so correctly.
This variety is key, says Hanna.
“The jab and cross works your shoulders, chest, upper back, core, hips and glutes. Hooks work your shoulders, upper and middle back, core, and glutes,” Hanna says. “Uppercuts are actually amazing for working the lower body. Many people don’t realize that the power in an uppercut comes primarily from the upward thrust of your lower body, which really requires a tremendous burst of energy from the quads and glutes.”
While these benefits can be realized through non-contact means such as shadow-boxing and high intensity interval training (HIIT) that focuses on boxing simulation, contact with bags and mitts results in greater benefits because the muscles must expend more energy because of the resistance. If contact is desired, Buffington recommends a trainer with ample technical and mitt experience in order to avoid injury.
While the physical benefits of exercising usually comprise the primary goal, the secondary
benefit of stress relief can also be very important. Boxing can ease stress and provide a confidence boost to its participants and, says Buffington, there are studies that back this up.
“There is a great amount of stress release involved with both exercising at high levels and incorporating impact into workouts,” he says.
We could all use a little confidence boost in our lives, and when she’s involved in a boxing-based workout, Hanna says she gets exactly that.
“I feel empowered to fight back against any and all obstacles that prevent me from living life to the fullest,” Hanna says.
Pilger believes boxing presents opportunities for self-discovery and challenges its participants’ minds and bodies.
“People just fall in love with the workouts because of this,” he says.
Requirements and Precautions
The equipment requirements for a boxing-based workout are fairly basic and can range from simple workout clothes for shadow-boxing or HIIT classes to hand-wraps, gloves, punching bags and mitts, and proper footwear. An effective workout goes far beyond the equipment, though, and Buffington, Hanna and Pilger all agree that a skilled and technically sound trainer is the key to getting the most out of boxing while avoiding injury at the same time.
Boxing workouts can be done at home but, says Pilger, “being coached at the gym is better. To do anything well, coaching is best. Feed off the energy, camaraderie and the accountability that a coach puts on you. ”
As with any type of exercise, a risk of injury accompanies boxing-based workouts. Using proper equipment while following a reputable trainer and personalized training regimen can help reduce the risk along with knowing your own physical limitations.
Getting Involved
The greater Columbus area has seen an increase in the number of clubs offering boxing-based workouts in the past few years. To determine if boxing might be your new favorite form of exercise, first ask your doctor, then visit a club, meet the trainers, ask about individual workout plans and give it your best shot. You might just find that what was good enough for the ancient Greeks over 2,600 years ago is exactly what you need to refresh your workouts in 2016.
Bob Valasek is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com.
For more information about boxing-based workouts:
James Buffington
Premier at Sawmill Athletic Club
Patty Hanna
Title Boxing Club Grandview
