Boxing Speed Exercises

Developing speed in boxing is crucial if you want to experience success. Punching speed will allow you to hit your opponent first and throw devastating combinations. Defensive speed will allow you to avoid incoming attacks and reposition your body properly to counter-punch. Developing speed in boxing requires hard work and determination--the proper exercises need to be performed to achieve optimal results.

  1. Speed Bag

    • Using the speed bag is a great exercise to improve hand speed and muscle endurance. The exercise forces you to maintain a rhythm while throwing quick punches. The routine trains the fast twitch muscles in the upper body, which are responsible for speed and explosiveness. As you hit the bag, move in a circle to mimic actual boxing movements. As you become more adept at controlling the bag, mix in slips and hooks to attain the full benefits of this boxing training workout.

    Adding Weights

    • It is possible to improve speed by adding hand weights or ankle weights to traditional boxing exercises. For instance, it is highly effective to improve hand speed by shadow boxing with light weights, possibly 5 or 8 pounds. You will immediately notice the increased stress on the arms and the shoulders. After a few weeks of training, you will see a noticeable improvement in hand speed when you put down the weights. Furthermore, using ankle weights during heavy bag workouts and mitt work will improve lateral movement by building calf strength and increasing quickness. The weights should never be so heavy that they prevent you from maintaining proper form throughout the exercise.

    Double-End Bag

    • The double-end bag is a circular ball that is suspended in the air. The top and bottom ends are attached to the ceiling and the floor, respectively, with the use of rubber bungee ropes. As you hit the ball, it will oscillate forward and backwards to mimic the movement of an opponent's head. The bag will move quickly and force you to utilize coordination and reflexes to hit the bag. The exercise is not meant to be performed at full power. Rather, you should focus on connecting via quick blows while circling the bag. As you begin to accurately predict the movement of the bag, incorporate hooks and uppercuts to work on combinations and conditioning.

    Shoulder Burn-Outs

    • Shoulder burn-outs are highly effective at training fast twitch muscles and increasing muscle endurance. The exercise involves performing several individual exercises sequentially without a rest in between. Take a long bar weighing approximately 40 pounds and hold it at shoulder height with your hands shoulder-width apart. Thrust the bar forward; quickly repeat this motion until your muscles burn out. The movement should be parallel to the ground. Next, take 8-pound hand weights and perform jab-straight combinations until you are fully exhausted. Finally, alternate between front and side shoulder lifts with the same weights. This series of exercises will build tremendous muscle endurance in the arms and shoulders and vastly improve hand speed.