Boxing Training Foundation

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THE

BOXING TRAINING

FOUNDATION

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www.myboxingcoach.com

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About the Coach

My name is Fran Sands. Boxing has been a massive part of my life since I was 6 years old when my Dad took my brother and me to the local amateur boxing club. I had my first contest at the age of 11 and went on to compete for a further 10 years, taking part in 60 contests. As well as being a regional champion on numerous occasions, I reached national finals and semi finals all of which culminated in my representing my country at Under-19 level.

Having 'hung up my gloves' and after a break from the sport for a couple of years, I returned as a coach at the same gym at which I had boxed. Since then I have worked with hundreds of boxers over a 15 year period, from novice boxers up through to international standard amateurs, providing advice and guidance both in the gym and on fight night in the corner.

In 2010, I created the website www.MyBoxingCoach.com. I have published many articles and videos on the skills and fitness of boxers, building an invaluable repository of detailed, clear and consistent guidance for all who are interested in the sport of boxing. My primary aim in creating the MyBoxingCoach website has been to recreate the methods and techniques that I use in the boxing gym in the on-line environment. I have worked very hard to achieve this aim and the users of the site have very much endorsed the success of my approach.

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Boxing Training Foundation – A Coaching Experience

Video Timed-point

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Welcome to Success

Congratulations! You have purchased no ordinary package here, your

discerning eye has picked out a true coaching experience! This package of boxing coaching resources is the culmination of over 12 months of planning and development, calling on over 35 years of boxing experience. Whatever your motivation in buying The Boxing Training Foundation package, or BTF, I can guarantee that it will open your horizons to the possibilities around this sport, whether for competitive purposes, fitness development and weight-loss or self-defense.

A competing boxer needs to be fit, very fit. Without the required level of

fitness, a boxer cannot maintain technique. A boxer who cannot maintain technique is a lamb to the slaughter. A boxer's fitness is a balance of aerobic

fitness (working with oxygen over an extended period of time and building

endurance) and anaerobic fitness (high-intensity effort where the muscles work without oxygen using the body's energy stores, with ever-improving recovery rates being key.) This balance of the aerobic and anaerobic fitness means that as a method of maintaining a level of personal fitness and losing weight, there are few fitness programs that can be as effective as that of a

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Alongside fitness is the need for a boxer to continually develop their skills around 'hitting and not being hit'. The Boxing Training Foundation will provide the carefully considered approach to establishing the basics of boxing, allowing you to learn a highly technical sport at your own pace and giving you practical methods to follow in order to be your own coach.

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Page 9 Boxing Training Foundation – The Objectives

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When developing The Boxing Training Foundation, there were a series of key objectives that I wanted to achieve:

I wanted to provide a set of resources that would make the benefits of

boxing training fully accessible to all, whatever their level of

knowledge or experience of the sport.

I wanted to create a true coaching experience. A training regime that was practical, realistic and packed with benefits that could be gained quickly and more importantly be enhanced over months and years.

Continuing the www.myboxingcoach.com philosophy, I wanted to deliver detailed, consistent and specific coaching on what I believe to be the key areas of boxing fitness and boxing skills required to successfully establish the ideal basics.

I wanted to ensure that within a matter of a couple of hours you would be

self-sufficient in defining your future in terms of boxing skills and boxing fitness. By this I mean that you will have a framework that you

can adapt, depending upon your needs, circumstances and even mood! I wanted to provide unique boxing learning and fitness resources that were head and shoulders above anything else available out there, and

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would provide you with jaw-dropping value for money.

I wanted to provide an interesting alternative to the modern gyms that offer tread mills, rowing machines, exercise bikes and weight machines. In my experience, improving your physical fitness by learning a technical discipline with a varied training program is much more likely to culminate in a true change of lifestyle. There is a reason why so many gym memberships lay dormant whilst the monthly fee continues to be taken.

Having covered my main objectives in producing this package, I think it equally important to define what The Boxing Training Foundation is not intended to deliver:

I did not want to create a replacement for a boxing coach. If you

intend to undertake 'contact' with an opponent, that is you intend to hit a fellow human being (and likely be hit yourself), then the tutelage of a coach is simply irreplaceable and it would be irresponsible to try. If you

want to box competitively, go to a boxing club or boxing gym and speak to the person in charge.

I did not want to create something that claimed to turn you from a raw novice to a modern-day Muhammad Ali in '10 easy steps', 'a 12-week program', or any other method of measurement for that matter. I have more respect for basic human intelligence than this! Anybody who says that a single product will be all that you need to learn everything about boxing is, quite simply, talking crap; you know it and I know it. If I try to

cover too much, then I'll succeed only in diluting the quality of what I deliver; this I cannot tolerate and YOU deserve better!

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I did not want to cover any of the 'hitting activities', such as sparring, detailed fight tactics and strategy, pad sessions or detail on running, nutrition or weight training; these are considerations for a more 'advanced' level. I do provide some basic advice on running and nutrition within The Foundation (just enough to complement the core of the package,) and if your curiosity cannot be contained then you can check out the site where you'll find all kinds of information to plunder!

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Page 12 Boxing Training Foundation – How it Works

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In order to deliver an outstanding digital coaching experience and achieve my objectives, I knew that I had to come up with the answer to one very specific

question:

A really important balance to strike when learning boxing is to manage the

development of the skills as well as the fitness. The optimum approach is to

ensure that you feel small improvements in both areas at the end of each series of sessions. I knew that to get the right answer to the question, that balance of development was absolutely vital (controlled skills development alongside the sheer hard work of the fitness.) I also knew that we would be working the basics here, and 95% of what the champs do are the basics, they just do them very

well.

I knew that video alone would not be the answer as it simply does not deliver the breadth of information and overall structure that I would need to provide in order to allow you have all that you need to get 'up and running.' What I had to do was provide a central spine from which I could deliver a consistent, logical

and concise coaching experience, combining detailed video-based coaching

alongside other written and web-based resources. All of this together would provide masses of quality, relevant information and advice delivered without

How could I reproduce the processes and methods that I use when working with boxers in the gym environment when trying to establish the basics, whether from new or as a rebuilding exercise of the existing

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causing 'information overload’. Alongside this, I needed to provide options to

enable additional questions you have to be answered.

In order to deliver all of this I have put in place three connected resources:

The BTF Manual. This is your reference point and provides the context

for everything that you will learn. It not only provides the structure for how the videos are to be used, but also how other resources on the MyBoxingCoach website and elsewhere will aid your progress. The eBook expands upon and enhances the video presentations and provides the context for the information from the site to be delivered at just the right time. In order to deliver the link from the eBook to the different parts of the video, I’ve inserted the following marker to indicate the relevant Video and the Timed-point in the video for you to scroll to:

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The BTF Videos. If you've been a regular visitor to the site, then you'll

have a full understanding of the simple and clear approach that I take during video demonstrations. For the Boxing Training Foundation, I've gone a step further and really opened up my detailed demonstrations to incorporate full on action sequences at competition speed, providing the 'golden ticket' to successfully learn the skills and develop the fitness. There are 6 videos, giving a total of around 3 hours and 40 minutes of top-line advice and instruction. The timed points are available on each video page on the site and Annex 14 provides a list of all of the timed points

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The website and my time and expertise. If you can't find the answer that

you are looking for in the existing articles and comments, then I'm always available to provide additional assistance wherever possible. An email or a comment will always be opened and read and every effort will be made to respond – you ask, I answer. Any questions or comments you have, let me know by dropping me an email. Whilst I can't promise to respond to every email individually (although I always strive to do this) I can promise to address common issues in other ways, such as posts on the site.

The first two resources provide the bulk of the coaching and guidance. There are sections within this book that correspond with each of the headings above. Each section will provide a timed-point to the point on the video where you can find the relevant descriptions and demonstrations. Each section may also contain links to associated/supportive content on MyBoxingCoach or on other carefully chosen sites.

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Boxing Training Foundation – Structure and Timetable

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The Boxing Training Foundation is intended to be practical. There are other products out there that lay-down a 12-week plan, 28 days to success or 10 easy steps. Others offer highly structured and 'professional' approaches to becoming a champion. The reality of boxing is that most boxers, and by 'most boxers' I mean most competitive amateur and many professional boxers, are fortunate if they get between 2 and 4 weeks notice for an upcoming fight, and often less. This means that an all-round level of fitness is required over a

prolonged period, and this is augmented in the week running up to the fight

with some speed development work.

So, the timetable and approach that I have put together is largely the

same as I would stipulate for competing boxers, excluding the 'contact'

elements and other advanced work for the more experienced/tournament targeted fighters. The aim of taking this approach is for you to obtain the exact same benefits that a competing boxer attains; speed, strength, skill,

stamina, suppleness, power and physique, and maintain this as the norm

with continued skills development.

The key points then:

There will be 3 sessions per week, ideally on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

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Tuesday and Thursday, a 3-mile run ending with a short sprint is ideal.

Saturday and Sunday will be rest days.

Rounds will be of 2 minutes duration.

Rest periods will be of 1-minute duration.

This approach is flexible and indeed I would expect you to adapt the

approach where necessary to fit your particular circumstances and rate of

improvement. For example you may prefer to train on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Or you may wish to increase the round length to 3-minute duration as your fitness develops.

However, structure and commitment within the session is

non-negotiable. When you have made the decision to complete a training

session, you must put 100% effort into that session, even if you don't feel like you are 'In the zone.' Apply structure to the session then demonstrate self-discipline to see that structure through and you WILL gain the benefits on offer. Boxers must maintain discipline, both mental and technical.

The BTF session consists of 7 phases is shown in the table below (Go to

Annex 1 to find a version that you can print and put up on the wall of your

gym):

Phase Activity Format/Duration Rest Period

1 Warm Up 8 minutes 1 minute

2 Boxing Drills 3 x 2 minute rounds 1 minute

3 Shadow Boxing 3 x 2 minute rounds 1 minute

4 Heavy Bag 3 x 2 minute rounds 1 minute

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Each of these phases is broken down into as much detail as you will require. You should be able to spot right away though that this is not your average fitness

regime. It is interesting and varied and ideal for avoiding the boredom factor

that extinguishes the fitness ambitions of so many!

On a final note, if you are working alongside a partner we can make some small adjustments to make the Boxing Training Foundation fit your needs.

Boxing is an individual sport, but the training need not be. In order to

configure the Boxing Training Foundation to meet the needs of working as a pair, here are the simple alterations that you should apply:

During Phase 2 (Boxing Drills), you can work facing each other with one throwing the shots and the other holding the back hand up as a pad to 'catch' the shots (no hitting each other in the head!) Taking this approach on the boxing drills gives you a more realistic “live” target to work with and will assist in developing your range-finding ability.

During Phase 4 (Heavy Bag) and Phase 5 (Jumping Rope), if you only have one heavy bag to work on, then one of you use the bag and one of you complete your skipping. This does mean that the person skipping will have to do so in their hand wraps, but this is a minor discomfort and you can go on the bag first next time around. This is in the interest of ‘sharing the misery’.

All of the other phases can be completed together, with ample opportunity to support each other during the challenges that come along with the Boxing Training Foundation.

6 Strength Training/Ton Up 4 minutes 1 minute

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Page 19 What Equipment You Need

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In defining what equipment you need in order to put in place this Boxing Training

Foundation, I am assuming that you want to undertake the training in your home

environment. If you have access to a gym, then that's great as there will be savings, but even without access to an equipped gym, the costs involved in setting up your

own space are far from prohibitive.

Here is a list of 7 items that I recommend you get hold of in order to gain the maximum benefits from the Boxing Training Foundation is:

Heavy bag/punch bag Boxing gloves Hand-wraps/bandages Mirror Skipping rope Round timer Padding/mat

As simple as that, and not particularly expensive to gather the items, especially as this

is an investment for the long-term. Much of this equipment will not need to be

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The Heavy Bag

The presence of a heavy bag is what defines a boxing gym. Many gyms retain

bags that have been ‘part of the furniture’ for many years, complete with running repairs administered with duct tape following years of impacts from the patrons. A heavy bag is pretty crucial to the Boxing Training Foundation, so it's important that I provide some information on the bag and the options available.

Unleashing big shots on a heavy bag gives so many benefits. The heavy bag

allows you to use different styles and techniques, either moving side to side and pinging long-range shots, or stepping in close and using crunching short and mid-range hooks and uppercuts. The bag can be used to improve speed,

strength and endurance by configuring the rounds, punching rate and

punching style accordingly. It’s also a great way to relieve the stress at the end of a hard day. As an additional bonus, you don’t need much floor space for using a heavy bag, as you need never be any more than a few centimetres out of punching range.

There are a number of different types of heavy bag.

Things have moved on a pace since ubiquitous free-hanging bag made famous on the old boxing films (except Rocky, where he used half a cow carcass…it takes all sorts I guess) Modern punching equipment includes the angled hanging bag, maize bag, wall-mounted pad systems and even ‘person’ shaped high density foam free-standing objects complete with chiseled good looks and ripped six-pack. But, do these additional choices actually offer any benefit beyond that offered by the old faithful heavy bag?

I have used many different styles of bag over the years. The traditional type of

heavy bag, such as that shown above, is what we expect to see. The bag itself is

The Boxing Training Foundation

The Heavy Bag

The presence of a heavy bag is what defines a boxing gym. Many gyms retain bags that have been ‘part of the furniture’ for many years, complete with running repairs administered with gaffer tape following years of impacts from the patrons. A heavy bag is pretty crucial to the Boxing Training Foundation, so it's important that I provide some information on the bag and the options available.

Unleashing big shots on a heavy bag has so many benefits for the user. The heavy bag allows you to use different styles and techniques, either moving side to side and pinging long-range shots, or stepping in close and using crunching short and mid-range hooks and uppercuts. The bag can be used to improve speed, strength and endurance by configuring the rounds, punching rate and punching style accordingly. It’s also a great way to relieve the stress at the end of a hard day. As an additional bonus, you don’t need much floor space for using a heavy bag, as you need never be any more than a few centimetres out of punching range.

There are a number of different types of heavy bag. Things have moved on a pace since ubiquitous free-hanging bag made famous on the old boxing films (except Rocky, where he used half a cow carcass…it takes all sorts I guess.) Modern punching equipment includes the angled hanging bag, maize bag, wall-mounted pad systems and even ‘person’ shaped high density foam free-standing objects complete with chiselled good looks and ripped six-pack. But, do these additional choices actually offer any benefit beyond that offered by the old faithful heavy bag?

I have used many different styles of bag over the years. The traditional type of heavy bag, such as that shown above, is what we expect to see. The bag itself is generally hung from a wall mounted bracket or from an available cross-beam or rafter.

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generally hung from a wall mounted bracket or from an available cross-beam or rafter.

Obviously, if you are going to use a wall bracket (left), it needs to be fixed very securely to the wall using the recommended fixings. After all, the more you hit a bag, the more developed your punching skill. The more you

develop your punching skills, the more power you generate. I can imagine few things more embarrassing than to develop all of

that punching power only to be knocked out by a falling wall bracket! A similar option to the heavy bag is the angled

punch bag. The angled punch bag (right) allows some nice variations as you develop your repertoire of punches, particularly the hooks and uppercuts at various ranges. The bag that I use in Phase 4 of the

Boxing Training Foundation is an angled punch bag. For the purposes of the Boxing Training Foundation, I would recommend using a conventional heavy bag or the angled punch bag,

both are perfectly fine for our purposes.

In terms of the quality of the bag, you should ensure that the leather hide is

hardwearing and that the weight is substantial enough to not move too

dramatically from a single power shot. Bags are traditionally filled with cloth rags, packed in tightly to ensure an appropriate degree of resistance when the shot lands. When you launch punches at bag, it’s important that there is some

‘give’ in the bag, however slight this may be. So don’t go filling the bag with

sand!

Obviously, if you are going to use a wall bracket (left), it needs to be fixed very securely to the wall using the recommended fixings. After all, the more you hit a bag, the more developed your punching skill. The more you develop your punching skill, the more power you generate. I can imagine few things more embarrassing than to develop all of that punching power only to be rendered unconscious by a falling wall bracket.

A similar option to the heavy bag is the angled punch bag. The angled punch bag (right) allows some nice variations as you develop your repertoire of punches, particularly the hooks and uppercuts at various ranges. The bag that I use in Phase 4 of the

Boxing Training Foundation is an angled punch bag. For the

purposes of the Boxing Training Foundation, I would recommend using a conventional heavy bag or the angled punch bag, both are perfectly fine for our purposes.

In terms of the quality of the bag, you should ensure that the leather hide is hard-wearing and that the weight is substantial enough to not move too dramatically from a single power shot. Bags are traditionally filled with cloth rags, packed in tightly to ensure an appropriate degree of resistance when the shot lands. It’s important that there is some ‘give’ in the bag, however slight this may be. I'd also recommend using a bag that has chain fixings, rather than the type that has the hanging loops made from the same material as the bag itself. In my experience, the chain version are the far more hard-wearing and longer-lasting of the two.

A word of warning, when using a bag your hands should be well protected with bandages/wraps and gloves. The high impact nature of punching a bag can cause degenerative problems if the bag is too hard and the hand protection is not appropriate, so make sure that you avoid hand problems by getting the right bag and the right choice of hand protection (which we'll cover in a moment).

www.MyBoxingCoach.com

Obviously, if you are going to use a wall bracket (left), it needs to be

fixed very securely to the wall using the recommended fixings. After

all, the more you hit a bag, the more developed your punching skill.

The more you develop your punching skill, the more power you

generate. I can imagine few things more embarrassing than to develop all of that

punching power only to be rendered unconscious by a falling wall bracket.

A similar option to the heavy bag is the angled punch bag. The

angled punch bag (right) allows some nice variations as you

develop your repertoire of punches, particularly the hooks and

uppercuts at various ranges. The bag that I use in Phase 4 of the

Boxing Training Foundation

is an angled punch bag. For the

purposes of the

Boxing Training Foundation,

I would recommend

using a conventional heavy bag or the angled punch bag, both are

perfectly fine for our purposes.

In terms of the quality of the bag, you should ensure that the leather hide is hard-wearing

and that the weight is substantial enough to not move too dramatically from a single power

shot. Bags are traditionally filled with cloth rags, packed in tightly to ensure an appropriate

degree of resistance when the shot lands. It

’s important that there is some ‘give’ in the

bag, however slight this may be. I'd also recommend using a bag that has chain fixings,

rather than the type that has the hanging loops made from the same material as the bag

itself. In my experience, the chain version are the far more hard-wearing and

longer-lasting of the two.

A word of warning, when using a bag your hands should be well protected with

bandages/wraps and gloves. The high impact nature of punching a bag can cause

degenerative problems if the bag is too hard and the hand protection is not appropriate, so

make sure that you avoid hand problems by getting the right bag and the right choice of

hand protection (which we'll cover in a moment).

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I'd also recommend using a bag that has chain fixings, rather than the type

that has the hanging loops made from the same material as the bag itself. In my experience, the chain version is the far more hardwearing and longer-lasting of the two.

A word of warning, when using a bag your hands should be well protected with bandages/wraps and gloves. The high impact nature of punching a bag

can cause degenerative problems if the bag is too hard and the hand protection is not appropriate, so make sure that you avoid hand problems by getting the right bag and the right choice of hand protection (which we'll cover in a moment.)

So, what about the other options that I’ve mentioned? A

maize bag (left) is a pear or tear-drop shaped stitched

leather bag. It comes in a range of colours and sizes, although traditionally tend to be classed as be small (approximately 15kg) or large (30kg+). Due to the shape of the bag and the nature of the filling, it has a unique response and ‘feel’ when hit with a shot. When a heavy

shot is landed, the maize bag absorbs power without the ‘give’ that is present with most heavy bags.

The shape of the maize bag means that there is a much greater range of hooks

and uppercuts available to you. Short and medium range hooks and uppercuts,

combined with body movements and footwork techniques, provide the backbone of any infighting tactics. Infighting is what I'd classify as a more advanced boxing technique, but the Boxing Training Foundation does 'open the door' for you to understand infighting and as such it's important that you can see what the maize bag might do for you in the future.

A maize bag is a much more ‘solid’ object than a heavy bag. When assaulting

the maize bag with short, explosive hooks and uppercuts, it really does create

So, what about the other options that I’ve mentioned? A maize bag

(left) is a pear or tear-drop shaped stitched leather bag. It comes in a

range of colours and sizes, although traditionally tend to be classed as

be small (approximately 15kg) or large (30kg+). Due to the shape of

the bag and the nature of the filling, it has a unique response and ‘feel’

when hit with a shot. When a heavy shot is landed, the bag absorbs

power without the ‘spring’ that is present with most heavy bags.

The shape of the maize bag means that there is a much greater range of hooks and

uppercuts available to you. Short and medium range hooks and uppercuts, combined with

body movements and footwork techniques, provide the backbone of any infighting tactics.

Infighting is what I'd classify as a more advanced boxing technique, but the

Boxing

Training Foundation does 'open the door' for you to understand infighting and as such it's

important that you can see what the maize bag might do for you in the future.

A maize bag is a much more ‘solid’ object than a heavy bag. When assaulting the maize

bag with short, explosive hooks and uppercuts, it really does create some very high

impacts on the hands. Even with appropriate hand protection in the form of

bandaging/wraps, the stresses and impacts mean that the bag is not so practical to use for

too many rounds in succession. Aiming to complete say 6 x 3 minute rounds on a maize

bag is going to be tough going and with the best will in the world could prove

counterproductive. It is more beneficial to mix in a couple of rounds on a maize bag into

you’re the main bag routine, maybe a 3 rounds to 1 ratio of heavy bag to maize bag.

If you can spare the floor space, and your budget can withstand the cost, owning both a

heavy bag/angled hanging bag and a maize bag would offer a very dynamic, power-biased

home gym set up. The use of pivots and sidesteps to generate leverage for short and

mid-range hooks and uppercuts means that the bag is excellent when focussing on developing

the ‘punching’ muscle-groups.

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some very high impacts on the hands. Even with appropriate hand protection in the form of bandaging/wraps, the stresses and impacts mean that the maize bag

is not really practical to use for too many rounds in succession. Aiming to

complete say 6 rounds on a maize bag is going to be very tough going and with the best will in the world could prove counterproductive. It is more beneficial to mix in a couple of rounds on a maize bag into you’re the main bag routine, maybe a 3 rounds to 1 ratio of heavy bag to maize bag.

If you can spare the floor space, and your budget can withstand the cost, owning

both a heavy bag/angled hanging bag and a maize bag would offer a very dynamic, power-biased home gym set up. The use of pivots and sidesteps to

generate leverage for short and mid-range hooks and uppercuts means that the bag is excellent when focusing on developing the ‘punching’ muscle-groups.

Something that you should be aware of is that the heavy bags and even more so maize bags are very heavy and require chains to hang them. As with the heavy bag, use a crossbeam or wall-bracket as a secure fixing for a maize bag. Lifting a

maize bag on to the chains is a two-person job. It is not really practical to

alternate a heavy bag and a maize bag on the same bracket or cross-beam. If I

were restricted to one bracket/fixing, then I’d always go with the heavy bag or angled hanging bag rather than the maize bag.

In terms of the wall-mounted pad system (left), I feel that unless you are working to a generous budget and you have ample floor space available, these pieces of

equipment should be reserved for a full-sized gym.

A key benefit of this type of system is that it encourages the boxer to combine effective footwork with dynamic body movements and a varied range of punches. A drawback is that there is very little ‘give’ when your

Something that you should be aware of is that the heavy bags and even more so maize bags are very heavy and require chains to hang them. As with the heavy bag, use a cross-beam or wall-bracket as a secure fixing for a maize bag. Lifting a maize bag on to the chains is a two person job. It is not really practical to alternate a heavy bag and a maize bag on the same bracket or cross-beam. If I were restricted to one bracket/fixing, then I’d always go with the heavy bag or angled hanging bag.

In terms of the wall-mounted pad system (left), I feel that unless you are working to a generous budget and you have ample floor space available, these pieces of equipment should be reserved for a full-sized gym. A key benefit of this type of system is that it encourages the boxer to combine effective footwork with dynamic body movements and a varied range of punches. A drawback is that there is very little ‘give’ when your shots land and as such is impractical for use for a prolonged period, this is not true of a conventional heavy bag or angled hanging bag.

Another modern piece of equipment is the free-standing human target, made from high density plastics and rubbers and complete with life-like body shape and target areas (left). I’ve seen these pieces of equipment in gyms over the years. In principle, the idea is sensible, but in my experience what tends to happen is that people constantly strike the target under the chin with uppercuts...the temptation is just too great. Over time, this focused assault can lead to damage to the neck and ultimately a complete decapitation, generating the rather disconcerting situation of a mock human head bouncing across the floor of the gym. My own view is that this piece of equipment is an expensive luxury that I feel adds little, if any, additional value to that provided by conventional punch bags. They sure look good though.

There is a tutorial on using the punch bag in Phase 4 of the Boxing Training Foundation.

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shots land and as such is impractical for use for a prolonged period, this is not true of a conventional heavy bag or angled hanging bag.

Another modern piece of equipment is the freestanding

human target (right), made from high-density plastics

and rubbers and complete with life-like body shape and target areas. I’ve seen these pieces of equipment in gyms over the years. In principle, the idea is sensible, but in my experience what tends to happen is that people

constantly strike the target under the chin with uppercuts, the temptation is just too great. Over time,

this focused assault can lead to damage to the neck and ultimately a complete decapitation, generating the rather

disconcerting situation of a mock human head bouncing across the floor of the gym. My own view is that this piece of equipment is an expensive luxury

that I feel adds little, if any, additional value to that provided by conventional punch bags. They sure look good though.

There is a tutorial on using the punch bag in Phase 4 of the Boxing Training

Foundation. In the meantime, below is what is known as the “Associated Resource” box. Throughout this eBook you will find these boxes and in them you

can click a link to take you to some relevant information on the website. In this case you can access an article that provides a bunch of information on buying a punch bag, along with some links to various products.

Associated Resources:

Buying a Punch Bag – What to Know!

Something that you should be aware of is that the heavy bags and even more so maize bags are very heavy and require chains to hang them. As with the heavy bag, use a cross-beam or wall-bracket as a secure fixing for a maize bag. Lifting a maize bag on to the chains is a two person job. It is not really practical to alternate a heavy bag and a maize bag on the same bracket or cross-beam. If I were restricted to one bracket/fixing, then I’d always go with the heavy bag or angled hanging bag.

In terms of the wall-mounted pad system (left), I feel that unless you are working to a generous budget and you have ample floor space available, these pieces of equipment should be reserved for a full-sized gym. A key benefit of this type of system is that it encourages the boxer to combine effective footwork with dynamic body movements and a varied range of punches. A drawback is that there is very little ‘give’ when your shots land and as such is impractical for use for a prolonged period, this is not true of a conventional heavy bag or angled hanging bag.

Another modern piece of equipment is the free-standing human target, made from high density plastics and rubbers and complete with life-like body shape and target areas (left). I’ve seen these pieces of equipment in gyms over the years. In principle, the idea is sensible, but in my experience what tends to happen is that people constantly strike the target under the chin with uppercuts...the temptation is just too great. Over time, this focused assault can lead to damage to the neck and ultimately a complete decapitation, generating the rather disconcerting situation of a mock human head bouncing across the floor of the gym. My own view is that this piece of equipment is an expensive luxury that I feel adds little, if any, additional value to that provided by conventional punch bags. They sure look good though.

There is a tutorial on using the punch bag in Phase 4 of the Boxing Training Foundation.

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Boxing Gloves

Having described the hitting equipment that we use within the BTF, the next step is to cover the kind of hand protection we need to use, starting with boxing

gloves. There is a range of boxing gloves available, and in this section I’ll help

you get the pair that’s right for you.

Given that within the Boxing Training Foundation we are aiming to work on a punch bag (i.e. we are not covering sparring or competition), I would recommend purchasing

a pair of bag gloves, also referred to as bag mitts. Bag

gloves are the cheapest option and the most practical for using against a heavy bag. They tend to go up to 10oz to 12oz in weight and are available in a range of colours to suit any taste. Options on bag gloves have moved on significantly over the years from the traditional style bag glove (above) that has no Velcro wristband or laces and very compact, thin padding.

Also available now are a range of hybrid

gloves (right) that take design elements from

the competition glove range i.e. support around the wrist and Velcro strapping, and combined these with the characteristics of the traditional bag glove. The common characteristic

across the range of bag gloves tends to be a reduced level of padding in the knuckle area. The reduced level of padding really allows you to ‘feel’ the impact

of the shots. However, and another word of warning here, bag gloves are

entirely unsuitable for use during any kind of contact activity, namely

sparring, so don’t start hitting anyone in the mistaken belief that the gloves are designed for that, they are not!

Boxing Gloves

Given that within the Boxing Training Foundation we are are aiming to work on a punch bag (i.e. we are not covering sparring or competition), I would recommend purchasing a pair of bag gloves, also referred to as bag mitts. Bag gloves are the cheapest option and the most practical for using against a heavy bag. They tend to go up to 10oz to 12oz in weight and are available in a range of colours to suit any taste. Options on bag gloves have moved on significantly over the years from the traditional style bag glove that has no wristband and very compact, thin padding (above).

Also available now are a range of hybrid gloves that take design elements from the competition glove range, that is support around the wrist and Velcro strapping (right), and combined these with the characteristics of the traditional bag glove. The common characteristic across the range of bag

gloves tends to be a reduced level of padding in the knuckle area. The reduced level of padding really allows you to ‘feel’ the impact of the shots. However, and another word of warning here, bag gloves are entirely unsuitable for use during any kind of contact activity, namely sparring, so don’t start hitting anyone in the mistaken belief that the gloves are designed for that, they are not.

When choosing bag gloves, I tend to go with a pair from one of the main suppliers in the sport such as Everlast, Lonsdale, Tuf-Wear, Grant or BBE. Some of these outfits have been designing and manufacturing boxing gloves for a long time, and I’ve yet to find a pair produced with any particular design deficiency. This said, there is a considerable personal preference aspect in terms of the feel of the glove and as such there is some trial and error involved. I for instance dislike those bag gloves that for some reason have the thumb removed, I just don’t get it. I know that I do not like open-thumbed gloves, but I only found out that I did not like these gloves after trying a pair. You may be perfectly happy with your

Boxing Gloves

Given that within the

Boxing Training Foundation we are are aiming

to work on a punch bag (i.e. we are not covering sparring or

competition), I would recommend purchasing a pair of bag gloves,

also referred to as bag mitts. Bag gloves are the cheapest option

and the most practical for using against a heavy bag. They tend to

go up to 10oz to 12oz in weight and are available in a range of

colours to suit any taste. Options on bag gloves have moved on significantly over the

years from the traditional style bag glove that has no wristband and very compact, thin

padding (above).

Also available now are a range of hybrid gloves that take

design elements from the competition glove range, that is

support around the wrist and Velcro strapping (right), and

combined these with the characteristics of the traditional bag

glove. The common characteristic across the range of bag

gloves tends to be a reduced level of padding in the knuckle area. The reduced level of

padding really allows you to ‘feel’ the impact of the shots. However, and another word of

warning here, bag gloves are entirely unsuitable for use during any kind of contact activity,

namely sparring, so don’t start hitting anyone in the mistaken belief that the gloves are

designed for that, they are not.

When choosing bag gloves, I tend to go with a pair from one of the main suppliers in the

sport such as Everlast, Lonsdale, Tuf-Wear, Grant or BBE. Some of these outfits have

been designing and manufacturing boxing gloves for a long time, and I’ve yet to find a pair

produced with any particular design deficiency. This said, there is a considerable personal

preference aspect in terms of the feel of the glove and as such there is some trial and error

involved. I for instance dislike those bag gloves that for some reason have the thumb

removed, I just don’t get it. I know that I do not like open-thumbed gloves, but I only found

out that I did not like these gloves after trying a pair. You may be perfectly happy with your

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When choosing bag gloves, I tend to go with a pair from one of the main

suppliers in the sport such as Everlast, Lonsdale, Tuf-Wear, Grant or BBE. Some

of these outfits have been designing and manufacturing boxing gloves for a long time, and I’ve yet to find a pair produced with any particular design deficiency. This said, there is a considerable personal preference aspect in terms of the

feel of the glove and as such there is some trial and error involved. I, for

instance dislike those bag gloves that for some reason have the thumb removed, I just don’t get it! I know this, but I only knew this after trying a pair of gloves with no thumb. You may be perfectly happy with your thumbs being exposed to the elements. As I say, personal preference.

Finally, having bought a pair of boxing bag gloves, I always give myself time to

settle in with them, aiming to complete at least about 50 rounds of bag work before I decide whether they are the ones for me or not. I have to say

though, there is not an awful lot that can go wrong here, so don't get too caught up in a selection crisis. Pick a pair of gloves and give it a go!

There are a whole range of boxing gloves available on the market, and if you are a concert pianist or a surgeon, you may wish to invest in something with a little more padding such as a pair of 16oz or 18oz sparring gloves. For more

information on boxing gloves of all kinds, check out the link below:

Associated Resources:

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Hand-Wraps/Bandages

Never, ever hit a punch bag without appropriate hand protection. Don’t even

be tempted to have a little pop as you walk past. The damage that you can do to the hands if you don’t have them well wrapped/bandaged and protected with gloves is immense. I’m not talking about nasty little cuts and abrasions here, I’m

talking about disintegrated knuckles and shattered metacarpals where the

damage is so grave that the hand is permanently disfigured and will never function properly again.

There is a range of options available when it comes to hand protection, none of which are going to break the bank, so there’s no excuse for not avoiding pain

and problems. When you notice a boxer at the end of a big fight, they’ve taken

off their gloves and underneath are very tightly packed, solid bandaging, gleaming white and trimmed to perfection. This is a special effort for the fight. In gym time, professional and amateur boxers alike tend to be much more practical. Hand protection is covered in the main by the following options:

Crepe bandages Hand wraps

Gel-filled under gloves.

Crepe bandages (left) were for many years the

standard. They are available at most pharmacies/drug-stores and are very hardwearing.

You can have any colour you like so long as it’s white, and avoid purchasing the basic cotton version

as there is no elasticity in these and they really can

a special effort for the fight. In gym time, professional and amateur boxers alike tend to be

much more practical. Hand protection is covered in the main by the following options:

Crepe bandages

Hand wraps

Gel-filled under gloves.

Crepe bandages were for many years the standard. They are

available at most pharmacies/drug-stores and are very hard-wearing.

You can have any colour, so long as it’s white (right), and avoid

purchasing the basic cotton version as there is no elasticity in these

and they really can become quite uncomfortable on the hand. It’s

helpful to make a small incision at one end of the bandage to allow

the thumb to be threaded through; this makes the process of wrapping the hands easier.

The bandage should be about 7-10cm wide, but should be as long as is available, usually

4-5 metres. The length is important because the ideal way to wrap the hands is to feed

the bandage in between the fingers and some way up the wrist. Feeding the bandages

through the fingers prevents the bandages riding up the hand when hitting the bag, thus

avoiding leaving the knuckle area unprotected. A key benefit of the basic bandage is that

a layer of thin foam can be placed underneath the bandage for additional protection.

Hand-wraps (left) are a more modern progression of the crepe

bandage. They are very tightly woven fabric and are available in a

range of colours. Hand-wraps are specialised pieces of kit designed

for combat sports such as boxing, Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts

(MMA). Wraps include a loop or ‘partial glove’ at one end (to provide

the anchor point to wrap the hands) and a Velcro fastener at the other end, allowing a

speedy application. Wraps tend to provide a higher level of protection than crepe

bandages, and would not ordinarily require the addition of sponge layers to improve

protection. For a video lesson in putting on your hand wraps and taking care of those

prized assets that are your hands, check out the link in the resource box overleaf.

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become quite uncomfortable on the hand. It’s helpful to make a small incision

at one end of the bandage to allow the thumb to be threaded through; this

makes the process of wrapping the hands easier.

The bandage should be about 7-10cm wide, but should be as long as is available, usually 4-5 metres. The length is important because the ideal way to wrap the

hands is to feed the bandage in between the fingers and some way up the wrist. Feeding the bandages through the fingers prevents the bandages riding

up the hand when hitting the bag, thus avoiding leaving the knuckle area unprotected. A key benefit of the basic bandage is that a layer of thin foam can be placed underneath the bandage for additional protection.

Hand-wraps (left) are a more modern progression of the

crepe bandage and are compulsory for competition at amateur level. They are very tightly woven fabric and are available in a range of colours. Hand-wraps are specialised pieces of kit designed for combat sports such as boxing, Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Wraps include a loop or ‘partial glove’ at one end (to provide the anchor point to wrap the hands) and a Velcro fastener at the other end, allowing a speedy application. Wraps tend to

provide a higher level of protection than crepe bandages, and would not

ordinarily require the addition of sponge layers to improve protection. For a video lesson in putting on your hand wraps and taking care of those prized assets that are your hands, check out the link in the resource box below.

Associated Resources:

Boxing Hand Wraps – Take Care of the Tools of the Trade!

Finally are the modern gel-filled under gloves (overleaf). This type of hand

a special effort for the fight. In gym time, professional and amateur boxers alike tend to be much more practical. Hand protection is covered in the main by the following options:

Crepe bandages Hand wraps

Gel-filled under gloves.

Crepe bandages were for many years the standard. They are available at most pharmacies/drug-stores and are very hard-wearing. You can have any colour, so long as it’s white (right), and avoid purchasing the basic cotton version as there is no elasticity in these and they really can become quite uncomfortable on the hand. It’s helpful to make a small incision at one end of the bandage to allow the thumb to be threaded through; this makes the process of wrapping the hands easier.

The bandage should be about 7-10cm wide, but should be as long as is available, usually 4-5 metres. The length is important because the ideal way to wrap the hands is to feed the bandage in between the fingers and some way up the wrist. Feeding the bandages through the fingers prevents the bandages riding up the hand when hitting the bag, thus avoiding leaving the knuckle area unprotected. A key benefit of the basic bandage is that a layer of thin foam can be placed underneath the bandage for additional protection.

Hand-wraps (left) are a more modern progression of the crepe bandage. They are very tightly woven fabric and are available in a range of colours. Hand-wraps are specialised pieces of kit designed for combat sports such as boxing, Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Wraps include a loop or ‘partial glove’ at one end (to provide the anchor point to wrap the hands) and a Velcro fastener at the other end, allowing a speedy application. Wraps tend to provide a higher level of protection than crepe bandages, and would not ordinarily require the addition of sponge layers to improve protection. For a video lesson in putting on your hand wraps and taking care of those prized assets that are your hands, check out the link in the resource box overleaf.

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Page 29

protection has become more common in boxing in recent years. They are a more expensive form of hand protection, and although their use has become more common, the hand-wraps remain more widespread in boxing.

Under-gloves tend to be marketed as a convenient alternative to bandages or wraps, so there may well

be compromises in terms of hand protection. I would suggest that if you are going to try these types of

gloves, ensure that they fit the hand perfectly. If

there is any movement of the glove across the hand, then it is highly likely that significant friction-type injuries will be caused to the knuckles. Whilst these injuries are not terribly serious, they can be very

annoying and troublesome over time. I’d also be concerned that the many

stitched joins could be a source of weakness where damage could occur. My

personal preference remains hand wraps or bandages; gel-filled

under-gloves have yet to convince this traditionalist.

On a final note, I will again emphasise the importance of protecting your

hands, after all they need to last you for the rest of your life! Gloves alone cannot

provide the necessary ‘armour.’ Repeated blows against a heavy bag (or the even more implacable maize bag) are going put massive stress on your hands and wrists particularly as your power develops, so take bandaging/wrapping

seriously and enjoy bag work without the threat of causing lasting damage to

the ‘tools of the trade’.

A Mirror

Mirrors are present in all kinds of gyms and studios, and a boxing gym is no different. There are very good reasons why mirrors are so beneficial during physical exercise, especially exercise that incorporates a technical discipline. The ability to coach yourself to improve your technical development, and the fact that watching yourself working hard provides motivation are to my mind the big

Finally is the modern gel-filled under gloves (right). This type of hand protection has become more common in boxing in recent years. They are a more expensive form of hand protection, and although their use has become more common, the hand-wraps remain more widespread in modern boxing.

Under-gloves tend to be marketed as a convenient alternative to bandages or wraps, so there may well be compromises in terms of hand protection. I would suggest that if you are going to try these types of gloves, ensure that they fit the hand perfectly. If there is any movement of the glove across the hand, then it is highly likely that significant friction-type injuries will be caused to the knuckles. Whilst these injuries are not terribly serious, they can be very annoying and troublesome over time. I’d also be concerned that the many stitched joins could be a source of weakness where damage could occur. My personal preference remains hand wraps or bandages; gel-filled under-gloves have yet to tempt this traditionalist.

On a final note, I will again emphasise the importance of protecting your hands, after all they need to last you for the rest of your life. Gloves alone cannot provide the necessary ‘armour.’ Repeated blows against a heavy bag (or the even more implacable maize bag) are going put massive stress on your hands and wrists particularly as your power develops, so take bandaging/wrapping seriously and enjoy bag work without the threat of causing lasting damage to the ‘tools of the trade’.

A Mirror

Mirrors are present in all kinds of gyms and studios, and a boxing gym is no different. There are very good reasons why mirrors are so beneficial during physical exercise,

Associated Resources:

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Page 30 benefits of using mirrors in a gym.

Whilst a little posing around the gym does no harm, the presence of a mirror is not strictly for the purposes of vanity. If your aim is to consistently improve

your boxing technique, then it is vital that you have the use of a mirror. From

the first Core Skill of the Boxing Training Foundation looking at your position and form in a mirror allows you to ensure that none of the common faults are creeping in, analyzing your boxing style in real-time and making adjustments as necessary.

Let's look at the main uses of a mirror in the gym (other than for posing purposes):

When shadow boxing, the mirror can be used to ensure that both

attacking and defending sequences work well with efficiency and speed. The mirror acts as a proxy opponent, allowing you to examine

your style with a critical eye. This process has the added benefit of

improving your thought processes and promoting a greater understanding of the detail of boxing. You are in effect putting yourself

in the shoes of an 'opponent', seeing what that opponent sees...this has to be a good thing.

Used as an aide to performing drills. This might include using taped

lines on the mirror and floor to provide axis to work around thus ensuring that the feet and body move in the correct way during passages of boxing, building workable attack and defence sequences.

When completing ‘groundwork’ like the Ton Up at Phase 6, performing various exercises such as plyometrics, calisthenics and abdominal

work, the mirror can be used to ensure that appropriate exercise

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As a method of motivation, such as when skipping or lifting free-weights. Many boxers find that it helps when ‘digging deep’ during a hard session. Ideally, the mirror should be large enough to be able to see your entire body, with some space to spare on either side to allow some side-stepping movement. Modern gym mirrors can be fixed to the wall and incorporate safety backing to limit the risk of the mirror shattering. Ideally it would be better to go with

the safety-conscious option in the home, although in over 30 years around

gyms, I’ve only ever witnessed one mirror get broken by one butter-fingered boxer who accidentally let go of a hand weight during shadow boxing!

If you don’t have the room to accommodate a larger specialised gym mirror, then a full-length domestic mirror would provide benefits, with the main

characteristic being that you can see the full body. The reason I’m fairly fixed

on this requirement is that the ability to co-ordinate upper and lower body movement when performing boxing skills (particularly when executing more complex sequences) is more readily attained with effective use of a mirror. Seeing only your top half is of very limited use.

If for whatever reason you are unable to use a mirror, then a substitute would be a video camera. This option allows subsequent analysis but has the drawback of providing no 'real time' feedback to allow instant changes to be made.

Skipping Rope

Jumping rope or ‘skipping’ is a staple activity of any boxer’s training regime. As an activity it provides benefits including:

Variety, providing the ability to enhance the warm up and warm down or

Boxing Training Foundation

THE

BOXING TRAINING

FOUNDATION

Table of Contents

About the Coach

Boxing Training Foundation – A Coaching Experience

Obviously, if you are going to use a wall bracket (left), it needs to be

fixed very securely to the wall using the recommended fixings. After

all, the more you hit a bag, the more developed your punching skill.

The more you develop your punching skill, the more power you

generate. I can imagine few things more embarrassing than to develop all of that

punching power only to be rendered unconscious by a falling wall bracket.

A similar option to the heavy bag is the angled punch bag. The

angled punch bag (right) allows some nice variations as you

develop your repertoire of punches, particularly the hooks and

uppercuts at various ranges. The bag that I use in Phase 4 of the

Boxing Training Foundation

is an angled punch bag. For the

purposes of the

Boxing Training Foundation,

I would recommend

using a conventional heavy bag or the angled punch bag, both are

perfectly fine for our purposes.

In terms of the quality of the bag, you should ensure that the leather hide is hard-wearing

and that the weight is substantial enough to not move too dramatically from a single power

shot. Bags are traditionally filled with cloth rags, packed in tightly to ensure an appropriate

degree of resistance when the shot lands. It

’s important that there is some ‘give’ in the

bag, however slight this may be. I'd also recommend using a bag that has chain fixings,

rather than the type that has the hanging loops made from the same material as the bag

itself. In my experience, the chain version are the far more hard-wearing and

longer-lasting of the two.

A word of warning, when using a bag your hands should be well protected with

bandages/wraps and gloves. The high impact nature of punching a bag can cause

degenerative problems if the bag is too hard and the hand protection is not appropriate, so

make sure that you avoid hand problems by getting the right bag and the right choice of

hand protection (which we'll cover in a moment).

So, what about the other options that I’ve mentioned? A maize bag

(left) is a pear or tear-drop shaped stitched leather bag. It comes in a

range of colours and sizes, although traditionally tend to be classed as

be small (approximately 15kg) or large (30kg+). Due to the shape of

the bag and the nature of the filling, it has a unique response and ‘feel’

when hit with a shot. When a heavy shot is landed, the bag absorbs

power without the ‘spring’ that is present with most heavy bags.

The shape of the maize bag means that there is a much greater range of hooks and

uppercuts available to you. Short and medium range hooks and uppercuts, combined with

body movements and footwork techniques, provide the backbone of any infighting tactics.

Infighting is what I'd classify as a more advanced boxing technique, but the

Boxing

Training Foundation does 'open the door' for you to understand infighting and as such it's

important that you can see what the maize bag might do for you in the future.

A maize bag is a much more ‘solid’ object than a heavy bag. When assaulting the maize

bag with short, explosive hooks and uppercuts, it really does create some very high

impacts on the hands. Even with appropriate hand protection in the form of

bandaging/wraps, the stresses and impacts mean that the bag is not so practical to use for

too many rounds in succession. Aiming to complete say 6 x 3 minute rounds on a maize

bag is going to be tough going and with the best will in the world could prove

counterproductive. It is more beneficial to mix in a couple of rounds on a maize bag into

you’re the main bag routine, maybe a 3 rounds to 1 ratio of heavy bag to maize bag.

If you can spare the floor space, and your budget can withstand the cost, owning both a

heavy bag/angled hanging bag and a maize bag would offer a very dynamic, power-biased

home gym set up. The use of pivots and sidesteps to generate leverage for short and

mid-range hooks and uppercuts means that the bag is excellent when focussing on developing

the ‘punching’ muscle-groups.

Associated Resources:

Boxing Gloves

Given that within the

Boxing Training Foundation we are are aiming

to work on a punch bag (i.e. we are not covering sparring or

competition), I would recommend purchasing a pair of bag gloves,

also referred to as bag mitts. Bag gloves are the cheapest option

and the most practical for using against a heavy bag. They tend to

go up to 10oz to 12oz in weight and are available in a range of

colours to suit any taste. Options on bag gloves have moved on significantly over the

years from the traditional style bag glove that has no wristband and very compact, thin

padding (above).

Also available now are a range of hybrid gloves that take

design elements from the competition glove range, that is

support around the wrist and Velcro strapping (right), and