Archive for the ‘Boxing’ Category

Fitness Sports Workout

While actually playing different  gym sports is great, it isn’t always practical.  Depending on time constraints and the ability to get others together to play, it might be better to incorporate some of the gym sport exercises into your workout.

Many boxers will jump rope to warm up their body and work on their dexterity.  It also a great way to work on your jump height for your next basketball game.  I like to start with this exercise.  It gets your heart rate up and gets your body in a calorie burning mode.

If your gym has punching bags, this is a fantastic upper body exercise.  Incorporate some kickboxing techniques to work the lower body as well.  Don’t forget the sit-ups and crunches to work your abs.  A strong core is crucial in boxing.

For your tennis game, you may want to exercise your forearms.  The best way to do so is to get some adjustable dumbbells or a barbell and perform wrist curls that isolate your forearm muscles.  Use a calf machine to strengthen these muscles which are crucial to keeping agile and enable yourself to quickly chase after the ball.

When it comes down to it, running and being fast is a huge part of nearly every sport.  Run some miles on the treadmill or head outside to take in some sun.  It may seem silly, but think about some of your favorite sports movies.  Run up a huge set of stairs and celebrate at the top like Rocky or just start running everywhere you go like Forest Gump.

Finish your workout in the pool with water polo gym workouts.  Polo is a vigorous gym sport due to the resistance of the water against your body.  Water polo gym workouts would include sprinting laps in the pool to improve your speed as well as learning how to stay afloat in the pool as long as possible.

A great way to wind down at the end of your workout is a relaxing trip into the pool.  After some vigorous calorie burning laps, take a few slow laps to bring your heart rate back to normal and cool down.  Using the pool as a time to stretch is also great due to the lower gravity underwater.

Athletes have workout regimes that are aimed to make them the best and fittest in their sport.  Following their guidance for workout ideas can be helpful.  Hopefully adding these exercises can help keep your workout fun and exciting while making you better at a variety of gymsports.  Be safe!

The Gym Sport Top 5 List

Gym sports are a terrific way to keep your exercises from becoming stagnant.  Working out on the same machines over and over again can get quite monotonous, but by adding a gym sport, you can keep it really fun and exciting while keeping in shape.  There are so many options to chose from, I thought it might be good to put together a list of the most popular and the best for your sport fitness health.

Basketball – A lot of gyms have a court and if not, you can find them near most schools.  Basketball is a great cardiovascular exercise and is really fun as well.  Try joining a league or playing a game once a week with a few friends.

Racquetball – If you are looking for a fast paced exciting gymsport, this is the one for you.  The ball is fast and the playing area is an entire square room, chasing after it will burn tons of calories.

Water Polo – Does your gym or health club have a gym?  If so, take advantage of it even if it is just swimming laps.  If you can, join a water polo team.  You’ll be amazed by the leg strength you gain as well as the definition in your shoulders.

Boxing – Whether your gym has a full scale ring, a set of punching bags or even just a kickboxing class, boxing and its accompanying exercises are amazing.  You sweat a bunch, burn a lot of calories and have some fun while your at it.

Tennis – like a basketball court, if your gym doesn’t have a tennis court you can usually find a few near your town’s high school or park.  While you may not be running around as much as with some of the other gym sports, you will certainly get a fantastic exercise.

All of these fitness sports can be a great addition to anyone’s workout no matter what your age.  Boredom is one of the top reasons that people stop working out… don’t let that happen to you!  Have fun!

Boxing

For me, one of my favorite things about working out are the many classes that my gym offers. They not only keep me on my toes and engaged, but also excited to see what the instructor has in store for me. By far, the best is my weekly kick boxing class.

I would consider this a gym sport because even though you are technically not boxing, you are given the full experience of what a boxer’s training is like. Some gyms will also provide punching bags to give you the full contact feel.

The class that I take doesn’t have punching bags or anything like that. The instructor leads you through an intense full body workout. Warming up usually entails a bit of stretching followed by jumping rope.

Boxers jump rope to make them quicker on their feet and to improve their balance. In the class it serves the same purpose. Jumping rope when you are a kid is very easy, but the older you get, the harder it is and the bigger workout it becomes.  It is also a great skill builder for another gym sport: basketball!

What sets this gym sport apart from the others is that its a bit less like playing a game and more like you are working out like an athlete would. All major muscle groups are worked and getting your aggression out feels amazing even if you are hitting nothing but air.

My class also ends with an incredible abdominal workout that hurts to just think about. And while you are enjoying this gym sport, why not inquire about other classes that your gym offers. While it isn’t a gym sport, a spinning class or any other class for that matter may be all you need to get out of your workout rut.

The person who teaches my kickboxing class also teaches an amazing self defense workshop.  After taking it, it was great to be able use some of the skills learned in my kickboxing class in a practical, realistic situation.  And I’ll admit, it makes me feel great to know that if the situation arose, I would be able to defend myself.

If your curious about kickboxing but don’t want to take the class, check out a kickboxing DVD.  Here are some of my favorites.  You can even give it a try at home to decide if you want to take the class as well.