Lorenzo Cardona Jr.
Most fitness enthusiasts out there train differently based on the sport(s) or activity(s) that they do the most. Someone looking to break weightlifting records is going to spend the majority of their time pumping heavy weights while someone hoping to complete their first marathon is going to be running in their free time. However, I’m a firm believer that a person can benefit from incorporating multiple training principles into their routine. This includes some of the training principles common to boxing, a sport that combines speed, strength and big time stamina. As a favor to the community, local boxer and boxing trainer Lorenzo Cardona Jr. wrote up five boxing training principles that he uses to achieve real results with his clients.
- When it’s time to work, we work, when it’s time to chill, we chill.
When it’s time to train, nothing else matters. The only thing that matters is that you put in that work. Leave everything at the door outside of the gym. Or if you are at home, stay focused. Every second is crucial, don’t allow yourself to waste any time. In other words, don’t cut anything short and be ready to jump back in just as quickly as you stopped for a break. Therefore, it is essential to make sure you are eating a healthy and balanced diet as well as drinking plenty of water, you may also want to consider taking a supplement like quinton isotonics for rehydration and to help with normal digestion.
- Use the Jump rope.
The jump rope is a classic tool used by many boxers to stay in shape. Many greats such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather used the jump rope. For best results step away from the traditional short intervals, such as 15 or 30 seconds. In boxing, rounds last three minutes with a one minute break between rounds. You should aim to incorporate three rounds of jump rope into your workouts as either a warm up or a cool down at the end of your workout with a one minute break in between each round. Remember if you mess up, don’t worry, just jump right back in in less than three seconds!
- 30-minute jog
If you’re not in running shape, you’re not in fighting shape. Incorporating 2-3 30-minute jogs per week is not only a great physical challenge, but a great mental challenge as well. Choose one pace, not too fast and not too slow, and stay there the whole time. Just focus on your breathing. This can be done either outside or on a treadmill!
- Add some burpees/ bodyweight exercises
These are fun because, again, they are both physically and mentally challenging! For the burpee, you will start by marching your feet in place. You will then perform a burpee, the cleaner the better! Go down without the knees touching the ground and throw your feet back in push-up position, do one to three push-ups and throw both knees back up and jump up as high as you can! You then return to marching your feet for 1 to 3 seconds and then do another burpee. Continue this pattern for 3 minutes. I would use this as a finish to your workout routine, however, every now and then, it’s a great “preexhaustion” for you boxers and runners as well.
Bodyweight push-ups and squats are also great exercises to include in your routine.
- Be grateful
Waking up every day is a blessing! You get to train today and get 1% better! An easy way to do this is to switch your mindset. Everyone always thinks of the bad, but they forget to look at the good in things. So next time you have a negative mindset, immediately switch that into something positive. We are blessed!
Lorenzo Cardona Jr. is a local fitness enthusiast and an aspiring professional boxer looking to help people better themselves through the sport that built him up. Nearly every day of the week you can find him at Metroflex Gym teaching the young and the old how to box while helping anyone and everyone achieve their fitness goals through his Boxing Aesthetics programs.
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