Hello, friends. What is CrossFit for boxers? This is a special training that improves his professional qualities. It should not be confused with ordinary exercises for pumping muscles. The main goal here is not to develop strength, but to improve speed and endurance.
Those who have begun to practice boxing diligently and want to achieve serious success in this area must certainly improve their shape. And CrossFit is an excellent assistant in this matter.
About complexes and exercises
For boxers, you can choose many different ranges of activities to increase the overall functionality of the body.
Thus, circuit training helps develop strength and dynamic strength characteristics, as well as endurance before upcoming championships.
There are many special exercises with barbells, rubber devices, rope and your own weight. From these, mentors form blocks of classes for boxers on an individual basis during a certain period.
Today the Tabata technique is very popular. It is especially relevant in the period before the fight. Thanks to it, the fighter excellently develops his speed characteristics.
Subtleties of Tabata
This CrossFit training program for boxers includes the following points:
- Hanging barbell chest press.
- Jumping over obstacles.
- Kettlebell swings.
- Burpees.
- Throwing the ball on the floor.
- Working with a skipping rope.
- Medicine ball throwing.
- Shadowboxing using weights.
The pace of each exercise is as fast as possible. Duration – 20 seconds. This is followed by a ten second rest. After this comes the next stage of training.
The number of circles is determined personally. They are separated by a two-minute break.
Contraindications
It is worth understanding that CrossFit requires good physical fitness from the athlete. After all, a beginner will not be able to withstand intense training of this type, especially if the work is done not only with his own weight, but also with additional weights. If you have the following diseases, training of this type may do more harm than good:
- high blood pressure;
- prostatitis;
- haemorrhoids;
- diabetes;
- Graves' disease;
- phlebeurysm;
- oncology;
- diseases of bones and joints;
- scoliosis;
- lung problems;
- vegetative-vascular dystonia;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- problems of the genitourinary system;
- stones, cholecystitis and other diseases of the biliary system.
Also, if you have recently had surgery, have had an acute respiratory infection, or are pregnant, you should stop training for a while. You can start using them only after consulting your doctor.
Implementation principles
To press the barbell, you should extend your arms slightly above your knees. The projectile is held on them. The legs are slightly bent, the back is straightened.
The exercise with a barbell is performed as follows: it is thrown onto the chest. The entire body straightens. The projectile returns to its starting position.
Next comes work with low barriers. An alternative can be 2-3 benches.
You must jump through them without interruptions and only in one direction. Then turn around and jump along the reverse vector.
You should swing the kettlebell using your legs and back. The projectile rises upward by inertia. The arms are extended.
A small but heavy ball is selected for throwing. He throws from the shoulder. In this case, only one hand is used.
You can work with a large ball. Then he rushes from the head. Both hands are involved. The projectile needs to be given the greatest acceleration.
A medicine ball session goes like this:
- Sit on the floor.
- Hold the projectile in front of you. The legs are in a hanging position.
- Twist to the left, touching the ball to the floor surface.
- Similar to step 3, only to the right.
There are no breaks allowed in this exercise.
Shadow boxing can be done using 1-2 kg dumbbells or elastic bands.
CrossFit – new or forgotten old?
This is a fashionable system of cyclic training today. Its founder is considered to be the American Greg Glassman. The training program itself is divided into so-called daily workouts, which include a series of different exercises that must be performed with high intensity.
You can't get bored with CrossFit. Every day is filled with a variety of exercises that squeeze all the juice out of the athlete. Often classes are structured using the following exercises and types of loads:
- Running (usually short distances, shuttle).
- Rope climbing.
- Exercises with dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells.
- Gymnastic elements (horizontal bar, rings).
- Carrying heavy things.
- Jumping and exercises with a skipping rope.
The average training duration is only 20-30 minutes, but due to the high intensity, the athlete is completely exhausted during this time. And from the first time, not every trained athlete will be able to complete the daily complex in one go and complete it within the allotted time.
Most often, this system is positioned as an extreme training system. After reading the above description, many athletes, especially those who were involved in wrestling back in the Soviet and post-Soviet years, may - what’s new here? After all, the practice of using circuit training with maximum effort has existed for a long time.
This method of training is practiced by wrestlers and boxers to train endurance and explosive strength. This technique is called general physical training (GPP). Here is an example of one of the circular complexes from Soviet times:
- Push ups;
- Press;
- Squatting or jumping;
- Shuttle or long distance running.
Sometimes the complex is combined with exercises with a sledgehammer or hammer. As we can see, the above method of general physical fitness training fits the description of the CrossFit system. At the same time, the Western version is more saturated with a variety of exercises, which make the training process more varied; work is carried out with different types of loads.
Second variation of Tabata
The following set of exercises appears here:
- Working with rope.
- Exercise with a medicine ball (stretching).
- Circular turns of the pancake around the body.
- Jumping on the stand.
The duration of each exercise is 20 seconds, pauses are 10 seconds. Two cycles are carried out.
When working with a rope, you need to grab its edges and send a “wave” along the floor surface.
In exercise number 2, the medicine ball is held on the chest. The jump is made. When the knee touches the floor, you need to change legs.
When practicing with a pancake, you should move it around you. From the back it moves behind the head. From the front - on the line of the navel. The second cycle is performed in the opposite direction.
To work with a cabinet, select furniture that is not very tall. It is required to continuously jump on and off it.
General criteria for beginners
There are many activities with own mass implemented here. And to increase the effectiveness of training, the following criteria must be met:
- Mandatory pre-warm-up. This prepares the body for upcoming stress and protects against injury.
- The duration of the training process for debutants is 15 minutes. It gradually develops up to half an hour.
- One complete program includes 3-5 exercises that are repeated cyclically.
- The intensity of all exercises is maximum.
- Short breaks are arranged after the end of the circle. There is no break between exercises. Gradually it is required to reduce the break to a minimum value.
- Exercises that are technically complex should be mastered under the guidance of a qualified trainer.
- The program must include cardio and strength exercises.
- During and before the lesson, drinking water is prohibited. Only 200 ml is allowed 20 minutes after training.
- At the end of the workout, sudden stops are excluded. This can negatively affect the functioning of the heart. You should walk at a brisk pace and do breathing exercises to normalize its rhythm.
SECOND LOAD OPTION (Accommodate more work at the same time)
This method is more complex because it is more strictly time bound. Here you need to complete as many rounds as possible in time.
For example, in 20 minutes, perform AS many full circles as possible:
- 5 pull-ups
- 10 push-ups
- 15 jumps
The criterion for progress in this option is an increase in the number of complete circles in the same time. Let's say if the first time you got 20 full circles, and after a couple of months 40 full circles in the same time (20 minutes), then this means that your functionality has increased TWO times.
Only after you have completed the planned number of repetitions in a set of any exercise can you move on to the next exercise. Those. only after you have completed a full circle (round) can you count it and move on to the next one.
Try to choose a reasonable number of repetitions in each set. Because if you take a plank that is too difficult in captivity of quantity, then you will have to “slow down” the transition to the next exercise. The goal is not to do a lot of repetitions in one set. The goal is to do a lot of the approaches themselves. THE MORE ROUNDS IN A TIME, THE BETTER!
Complexes for debutants
This refers to CrossFit training for bodyweight boxers. There are 3 training sessions. Each has its own principles and characteristics.
The initial training points are:
- Burpees. Squat down. Palms are placed on the floor. Legs are straightened and placed back. You need to take a plank position. Then return to the original position. Jump quickly. At the same time, straighten your arms above your head. Load: 20-40 times.
You can gradually complicate the exercise with weights.
- Kipping. This is a standard pull-up, but performed as intensely as possible. Standard for one cycle: 5-20 pull-ups.
- Abdominal pumping. To do this, hang on the bar and raise your legs. Norm for one circle: 10-30 times.
- Explosive push-ups. Their specificity is that they are implemented at a rapid pace and with a jerk on the rise.
The range of exercises in the second training session is as follows:
- Weighted burpees. A backpack is used, which can hold a weight of 3-5 kg. Solid loads are not needed yet. Prepare your body for them systematically. 10-20 repetitions are performed in one circle.
- Explosive push-ups. One cycle contains 10-25 approaches.
- Squats with weights. They are performed extremely carefully. After all, if you do it incorrectly, there is a high risk of damage to the popliteal ligaments. Don't squat too deep. Maintain a right angle between the shin and thigh. For one cycle the norm is: 30 – 50 squats.
- Leg raises. To do this, also position yourself on the crossbar. Load: 10-30 times.
The third workout complex consists of the following exercises:
- Running at maximum pace. Distance – 300 m.
- Kipping. Repetition rate: 5 - 20.
- Burpees. The standard for one circle is 20 - 40 times.
- Classic push-ups. In one cycle they should be performed at least 20, maximum 40.
This is the optimal CrossFit for bodyweight boxers. Thus, mainly due to his mass, competent and intensive execution, a fighter can significantly develop his strength and endurance. And then start training with heavier projectiles.
Possible harm
Opponents of the new direction in strength sports believe that not everyone should engage in such an intense and intense program. The main harm of CrossFit is the extreme loads that a beginner receives almost in the first lesson.
However, there is no clear guide for beginners as such. Some experts believe that the intensity of training is dangerous not only for neophytes, but also for experienced athletes. Extreme training always increases trauma and the risk of cardiovascular complications. Since when performing exercises athletes focus not on technique, but on speed and heavy weight, the likelihood of causing damage increases many times over.
Not all professional athletes accept or endorse CrossFit. For example, the famous athlete Sergei Badyuk speaks extremely negatively about CrossFit, believing that intense training has a detrimental effect on the myocardium (muscle tissue of the heart) and contributes to its wear and tear.
To the question “is CrossFit harmful?” Each of the athletes is ultimately responsible for himself. Obviously, this discipline is more suitable for those athletes who already have experience in bodybuilding or other strength disciplines.