Learn Boxing Combos for Beginners in This 24-Minute Workout

In shadowboxing, your opponent is imaginary. There’s nobody within the ring but you. But keeping a goal you’re sparring with and attempting to knock out in your mind’s eye will assist you elevate a shadowboxing session from practicing punches to engaging your whole body and mind. (And in the event you pick the proper imaginary goal, it might truthfully be kinda cathartic—trust us.)

This latest workout from Rumble boxing instructor and Well+Good’s Trainer of the Month Club trainer Olivia Platania gives you a number of probabilities to practice just that with loads of boxing combos for beginners.

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Over the previous couple of weeks, Platania has gone over the fundamentals of boxing, including the punches and positions you might want to know, in addition to the mobility and conditioning you might want to prepare your body for motion. Today’s workout is about putting all of it together in several boxing combos for beginners, and getting comfortable with different punches—while actively engaging together with your imaginary opponent.

“I need to take things up a notch from the last time and really, really visualize where that opponent is,” Platania says. “So in the event that they are right in front of me, I need to hit that jab at the identical point every time.”

Starting to rework the technical moves and numbers into what they’re trying to perform will help tap into your boxer’s intuition. “It’s a whole lot of names, it’s a whole lot of numbers,” Platania says of the person boxing moves. One strategy to not get overwhelmed is to “make this a practical experience for yourself.”

That aspect of realism also plays into your defense. You don’t just need to be doing a boxer’s bounce for the cardiovascular workout: You would like to stay light in your feet to maintain your opponent on the move.

“Notice again how much I’m moving in between each punch,” Platania says. “Boxers, I need you to have in mind it’s harder to hit a moving goal, right? If I were to remain still, someone’s going to hit me straight away. If I’m moving, it may be much harder for that opponent to catch me.”

It’s lots to recollect, but Platania will guide you thru every punch, jab, and cross. Whoever or whatever your imaginary opponent is, keep them in your sights during these boxing combos for beginners. Even in the event you’re normally a peaceful person in real life, be happy to let your ferocious side loose within the (imaginary) ring.

A 24-minute workout featuring boxing combos for beginners

Format: A warm-up recapping the punches, followed by six three-minute rounds with one minute of rest between rounds.

Equipment needed: Some space to maneuver around.

Who is that this for: Starting boxers who’ve already learned the essential punches.

Warm-up: Recapping punches

Platania begins by going over each punch and its corresponding number, which serves as a shorthand for the move. For a more in-depth explanations, watch Platania’s shadowboxing workout for beginners video. Here’s what we’re working with on this session:

Boxing stance: Dominant leg staggered behind your front leg, slight bend in your knees, arms up.

Duck: A defensive move that involves dropping your knees, bobbing down, and popping right back up.

The punches: 

1. Jab: A straight out punch together with your front hand, aiming for the eyes
2. Cross: A full extension together with your back hand, turning the knuckles, back foot, and hip to the front, aiming for the nose
3. Front hook: Your front arm wraps up and around, with an enormous turn of the hip, aiming for  the side of the jaw
4. Back hook: Back arm wraps up and around, aiming for other side of the jaw
5. Front uppercut: Drive the front arm up from below, aiming into the belly
6. Back uppercut: Drive the back arm up from below, aiming into the belly

Round 1: Jabs (3 minutes)

Round one comprises three minutes practicing the first punch, jabs (primary). You’ll vary speed and aim to construct strength, since this punch uses your non-dominant arm.

“It’s a very powerful punch in boxing,” Platania says. “It’s probably the most versatile punch. We could use this for power. We could use it for speed, defense. You may gauge your opponent. That is where you may block a punch. That is why this punch is super essential.” It’s lots for one arm, so prepare to push through some fatigue.

Recovery: one-minute shake out and shoulder stretches

Round 2: Practicing all six punches

Platania take us through numbers one through six in several orders to assist us re-familiarize with the moves.

“We’re approaching these punches with confidence today,” Platania says. “It’s okay if they don’t seem to be perfect. It’s all about progress and that is why we do that. That is why we run round after round.”

Recovery: body weight squats for 30 seconds, 30 seconds of rest

Round 3: Defense and combo-building

On this introduction to boxing combos for beginners, Platania shows us the way to mix different punches to knock out an opponent.

“I need you to show that brain on and really begin to memorize the combos,” Platania says. “Get them into your body. Feel them out. Get that muscle memory activated. So when it comes time later, we tap right back in.”

Combos:

1. Jab, cross, duck
2. Jab, cross, duck, back uppercut.
3. Front hook, cross, back uppercut, front hook
4. Jab, jab, duck, front uppercut
5. Front uppercut, back hook

Recovery: 30-second plank, 30 seconds of rest

Round 4: Conditioning

Platania will train you in reactionary skills. When she says go, you’ll execute ones and twos with speed. When she says drop, you duck. Then, you’ll do more combos for speed: A front hook and back hook for one minute, followed by 30 seconds of 4 uppercuts, then 30 seconds of 4 hooks

Recovery: 30 seconds of butt kicks, 30 seconds of rest

Round 5: Constructing on combos

You’ll return to the combos from round three, specializing in constructing to 2 important combos, which you’ll practice for a minute and a half each:

1. Jab, cross, duck, back uppercut, front hook
2. Jab, jab, duck, front uppercut, back hook

“Once you begin to get cozy with it, I need you to hurry up the setup after which go heavy on that knockout,” Platania says.

Recovery: 30 seconds of jump rope, 30 seconds of rest

Round 6: Recap

Put all of it together and begin painting together with your boxer’s paintbrush on your personal on this final round.

“That is your all the pieces round,” Platania says. “We’ll take little bits and pieces of each round that we did today, mesh all of it together and just go hard.”

1. Jab, cross.
2. Back uppercut, front hook (“That is one among those combos you set in your back pocket,” Platania says. “You keep in mind that body-head if you see it.”)
3. Speed jabs and uppercuts
4. Double jabs
5. 30 seconds of freestyle: “I need this moment to be all about you,” Platania says. “You bought the six punches. You bought defense. Now let’s examine what you bought.”