Showing posts with label cardio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cardio. Show all posts

Boxing - Much More Than Physical Exercise


If you want to improve your health and physical fitness a boxing training program may be what you are looking for. As well as building body strength and fitness it can also go a long way to improve your personal confidence. Of course, by taking part in boxing workouts you will also improve your fighting form.

People who have tried boxing as a form of exercise find it to have very positive results, arms and legs usually gain a lot of strength and become more defined in shape. However, the benefits are not all physical. People also find that they gain a greater sense of inner strength and feel more emotionally balanced.

Boxing as a form of training and exercise became part of the large fitness training arena a few years ago. Great benefits can be found from boxing workouts on muscle toning and the cardiovascular system. It was the release of many videos featuring Tae bo and kick boxing workouts that made boxing rise in popularity.

The many innovative variations on boxing such as power punches, defence and punch and kick exercises have all the components of aerobic exercise. As you progress you will find your strength will build along with your confidence as you are taught how to execute punch and kick moves more effectively for a far more intense workout.

Kicks and punches which are performed in various combination on blocks are done with an imaginary opponent, you have no doubt seen this many times on television etc. where the participant through punches and kicks into the air. There are also training facilities where there is the necessary equipment such as punch bags and so on. In some cases there may even be a real opponent to hit, they have very good padding on their hands of course!

Cardin kick boxing gives many more benefits other than the physical factors, it is an excellent way to burn off excess calories. In just one hour of kick boxing you can expect to use in the region of between 350 and 500 calories. It is also very good for maintaining a good heart rate of somewhere between 75% and 85%. This has been proven to be the ideal rate for anyone in training or exercising.


Boxing as exercise is beneficial for the whole body. As well as increasing arm and leg strength through the repeated sparring and jogging whilst punching at the same time,it also helps increase resistance and strength whilst greatly enhancing the reflexes and flexibility of all your muscles.

The workouts involved help to greatly enhance balance and co-ordination which in turn gives you body great form and increased stability and also allows joint movements to be more flexible giving fantastic results in physical fitness.

There are many benefits to be gained from all types of boxing training, that is on top of the physical benefits. In the training process you will learn a great deal about defense skills which, in today's world could prove to be invaluable. A great sense of satisfaction, self confidence, motivation and relaxation can also be gained from training.

The stresses and strains of modern living can be lifted and any anger and aggregation which may be building up inside can be released and lifted giving more peace of mind and help you relax more.

A number of aerobic fitness instructors do recommend some boxing training instruction for people starting out. This allows each individual to take things at their own pace depending on how fit you are already. The other extreme is boxing classes which will push you to your limit. In this case it is important that you have a safe environment with fully trained instructors on hand and that you are already physically fit.

You will see many positive results if you take up boxing training, you will be much more fit physically and mentally. You can take things at your own pace and most of all enjoy the fun of being involved in a training program.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Boxing - Much More Than Physical Exercise

Author: Kenneth Scott

Images courtesy of Chizeled.net

Q & A

Q: What is to be gain by doing a slow set concentrating on muscles and then following with the same exercise but doing a fast set?

Answer:
Whenever you do a perform a repetition quickly, you create momentum. This happens because as you increase the speed of a heavy object (in this case a weight), it does not stop when you decide to stop - it keeps on going. This momentum takes pressure off of the working muscles and actually helps you complete the repetition. If you are performing a set of an exercise with the goal of fatiguing a muscle so it will eventually get stronger, then using momentum to help you along each repetition is going to retard your rate of progress towards your goal. For that reason, I would never recommend doing a "fast set." Not only is there nothing to gain by it, but you actually slow down the rate by which you will get stronger. I hope this answers your question, Jeff

Q: Since I spend incredibly amount of my time sitting studying my butt off... my butt has suffered the consequences. I am pretty thin, but the lack of exercise has taken a toll on the back of my thighs. What can I do to strengthen them?? one word.... cellulite!

Answer:
There is no definitive answer as to what actually causes cellulite. Some scientists theorize that it is the result of fat cells which have somehow mutated and that the mutation is related to estrogen (which would explain why it is more prevalent in women than men). Others theorize that the connective tissue that holds a woman's fat cells in place is different than a man's and results in cellulite. Really, no one knows for sure - not yet, anyway...
Burning more calories than you eat is the only way you are ever going to tap into the stored fat in the back of your thighs and thus decrease the size of the fat cells back there. - Jeff

Q: How fast to lift? I read somewhere to lift slowly, like a 4 count up & 4 down. But last night at the gym, I spotted a group of guys that were just pushing out reps at full-blast speed,... it took counting to 1 for them to lift and lower total. Are you supposed to go THAT fast, or more slowly, or mix it up?

Answer:
Whenever you do a resistance exercise quickly, you create momentum. Momentum actually eases the strain on a working muscle, thus assisting in the completion of a repetition and allowing you to move a greater amount of weight... I would advise incorporating as little momentum as possible in your routine.
However, they too can be more effective in tearing fibers if performed at a slower rate per repetition. Naturally, this would require the amount of resistance to be adjusted. - Jeff

Featured in AskMen.com!

http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_200/241_fitness_tip.html

Feel free to visit the link and buzz it up!

"That AskMen.com thinks enough of my writing to consider it for publication is truly flattering. I am not much of a writer (not in the formal sense, anyway), but I most certainly enjoy sharing what I know about fitness." - Jeff

Workout must-have gadget


Polar F5 Heart Rate Monitor Watch

Ideal for general fitness, running, and other cardio workouts, the Polar F5 heart rate monitor watch combines all the necessary heart rate features with a sleek, high-quality design.
For weight management, running in the 60- to 70-percent zone helps you burn fat and build endurance. Or you can increase your overall fitness by doing tempo runs in the 70- to 80-percent zone. Best of all, heart rate monitors aren't just for competitive runners, as casual joggers will also find them invaluable.
The F5 is packed with innovative training features to help you toward your exercise goals, including Zone Pointer and OwnCal modes. The Zone Pointer is an audible and visual feature on the display of your F5 that shows you where your current heart rate sits within your target heart rate zone. Polar OwnCal, meanwhile, shows your energy expenditure during one exercise session, as well as your accumulated kilocalories during several exercise sessions. You can also set daily and weekly exercise goals in terms of calorie expenditure, helping you achieve both short-term and long-term goals.