Boxing workouts are rooted in repetition. By repeating a movement over and over, it becomes more natural, more instinctual and reactions start to become second nature.
Creating the nuero-pathways in your brain that let your subconscious take over so that you simply react can be monotonous at times... even downright boring. So why not throw an entirely different type of boxing-focused workout into your routine once in a while to mix things up? It keeps you on your toes, forces you to think, adapt and will challenge both your mind and body in new ways.
If it's time to shake things up a little, try this TITLE workout:
60 MINUTE MASH-UP
Unless you have a gym full of bags, boxers and training tools, it might be a stretch to find sixty different boxing-focused exercises to fill an entire workout. If you do then feel free to improvise and add to this outline, otherwise, it's not so hard to find twenty that you can repeat three times without stopping.
This workout mixes a variety of demands and intensities to fill sixty, one minute rounds (no rest.) It's one hour of continuous effort and work. It also alternates between intense, demanding movements versus easier, more passive exercises, as well as alternating between upper and lower body. This way, the rests are built in but the intensity is still there and the activity is continuous.
ROUNDS:
1 - Shadowboxing (provides a traditional warm-up)
2 - Jump Rope (continues the warm up and also loosens-up the legs and lower body)
3 – Speedbag (intensifies the warm-up, while adding focus and fast-twitch muscle activation)
4 - Slipping Cord (warms up your core and engages the rest of your body - attach a cord or rope at shoulder height and roll under it, shifting your weight to the front foot and back foot. Bend at your knees and not your waist)
5 - Shadowboxing with Weights or a Resistance Cord (use a traditional approach, but add this extra strength-building component to increase the physical demands)
6 - Natural Body Weight Squats (perform squats with no weights - to build leg strength.) Get your gloves on as you squat to prepare for the next round
7 - Heavybag (work on punching from long range, boxing from the outside)
8 - Medicine Ball Movement (hold a medicine ball chest high as you move around the ring, forward and back, side to side, in and out and focus on quick, explosive footwork)
9 - Double End Bag - Inside fighting (working on punching at close range, working on the inside)
10 – Toe Touches (alternating feet from the floor to the edge of the ring)
11 – Heavy bag - Inside fighting (working on punching at close range, working the body, uppercuts and inside hooks)
12 - Deep Knee Shadowboxing (from about a 20% lower position than you would normally assume, move around the ring, constantly throwing punches. Don't stand upright, but squat low to develop leg strength)
13 - Double End Bag (working on punching from long range, working on the outside)
14 - Footwork Only (shuffle from side to side for an entire round. It's basic, but effective for developing the muscles that are used for lateral movement)
15 – Speedbag (move your head once in a while. Shift your weight and keep the bag moving)
16 – Heavybag (throwing only body punches)
17 - Head Movement (slip, move your head side-to-side, duck and roll for an entire round – focus entirely on defense and movement)
18 - Heavybag One-Twos (throw both punches straight, hard and fast for one minute non-stop. Work on using your whole body, not just arm punching. Turn your hips, roll your shoulders and extend your punches fully. There's nothing quite as effective as the 'ole one-two so practice it.
19 - Power Shadowboxing (throw hard, throw fast and with as much intensity as you can muster this round. Think "high volume of punches", extending each one all the way out)
20 – Heavy bag with Movement (circle around the heavy bag as you throw combinations, either at close range or from a distance, but be sure you are constantly throwing combinations. Step and throw, step and throw. The focus here is on lateral movement while staying active and punching consistently)
This should get you 20 minutes into your workout with the goal being to make it through this routine three times - for a full sixty minutes of action. The second and third times through, keep the beginning, warm-up rounds in order to add valleys to the peak portions of the entire workout. It gives you a chance to catch your breath, return your heart rate to its more natural rhythm and helps create the highs and lows that are beneficial to this type of training. "Chaos" style fitness training is popular because it focuses on utilizing a variety of movements that keep your mind engaged, your body guessing and your muscles "confused" (constantly forcing them to adapt). The theory is that this approach promotes growth. Whether you buy into that concept or not, at the very least it may take some of the monotony out of your same 'ole, same 'ole workout.