Boxing Equipment 24/7 » chin up bar

5 Best Abs Exercises for Boxers without Crunches or Machines

Boxing Trainer 24/7 — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:57:12 +0000

Few parts of the body get more attention paid to them while training for boxing than the abs. For boxers, the abs are extremely important, and it's more than just looking good when you're in the ring. Your abs and your core muscles are a huge source of the power that you generate while throwing punches. Of course, they are also responsible for eating up all of those body punches and keeping you standing on your feet while somebody else is trying to chop you down.

Therefore, learning some of the best abs exercises for boxers is crucial, and it's time to get more creative than just your typical crunches. Crunches and weighted machines don't target your entire abdominal and core muscles, and some of these movements can either be uncomfortable or can lead to injury and unnecessary strain. Instead, start to incorporate these techniques and movements while you're training for boxing and you'll be on your way to a solid, ripped and powerful midsection. You'll never have to do an annoying crunch ever again... I promise!

Best Abs Exercises for Boxing - Never do a Crunch Again

1. Push-Up Planks: Push-up planks are definitely at the head of the list for the best abs exercises for boxers to complete, and these are easy to get used to. These are great for real, functional abdominal strength because your abs are meant to support and stabilize, and this is exactly what this exercise works on. Get into a standard push-up position, but instead of supporting your weight on your palms, lean on your elbows while keeping your body in a rigid, straight line. In that "up" position, clench your core muscles as tight as you can, and hold the pose for 30 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat twice.

Variation: For added difficulty, there are a variety of other plank style exercises you can complete while training for boxing. For example, you can elevate your feet about two feet off the ground for a much harder version of the plank. You can also do a side plank, with your body perpendicular to the ground, only resting on one arm and alternating sides.

2. Hanging Leg Raises: Hanging leg raises might be my personal favorite amongst the best ab exercises that boxers can do for great, solid strength. Hang with your arms extended from a doorway chin up bar, using a normal pull-up grip. Keep your back straight and keep your head looking straight forward. Now bring your hips back so that you can bring your knees up towards your midsection, ending in a position where your shins are parallel to the floor. Be sure not to swing yourself or use momentum, and keep that back straight. Perform as many reps as possible, resting 60 seconds in between sets.

Variation: Once you've mastered the hanging leg raise, then try making it harder with hanging pikes. The same basic movement applies, but instead of raising your knees to your midsection and stopping, extend your legs straight up towards the ceiling in a "V" shape. Again, keep your back straight and your core tight as you complete the movement, and perform as many as possible in each set. You'll really feel this all up and down your abdominals for a great burn.

Veloce 12 lb Medicine Ball with Handle

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $0.00

Amazon Price: $44.54

3. Lying Toe Touches: I'm always a big proponent of training for boxing with medicine balls and this is one of the best abs exercises with medicine balls that you can perform. Lie down on your back on the floor, with a medicine ball by your head. Raise your legs straight into the air and keep them in that position. Grab the medicine ball and hold it behind your head with your arms extended straight. Now raise the medicine ball and touch your toes with it, keeping your legs still, your arms straight and doing the reaching with your core. Lower and repeat, performing 12-20 repetitions per set.

4. Russian Twists: Here's another one of the best abs exercises for boxers that uses a medicine ball. Sit down with both of your feet on the floor and hold a medicine ball with both hands in your midsection. Lean back so your upper body is at about a 45 degree angle, and lift your feet a few inches off the ground. Twist your upper body to one side, and carry the medicine ball as far as you can without losing your balance. Then swing the ball back across your body and all the way to the other side, completing 20 turns in each direction per set. If you lose your balance or get tired, just regroup in a quick second and complete the set.

5. Bird Dogs: Bird dogs are similar to push-up planks because you'll be using your core muscles in the way they're designed - for support and stabilization. Get down on all fours, resting on your knees and palms, with your back straight and your head looking straight forward. Extend your left leg straight back and your right arm straight forward, locking each limb out and keeping your core as tight as possible. Hold the pose for 10 seconds, and then use the opposite limbs, right leg and left arm. Alternate sides for between 3-5 reps per side, rest for one minute, and complete another set or two. Another great abs exercise for boxers that really targets the entire midsection while providing functional strength.

When you stick with these 5 best abs exercises for boxers, you'll never have to worry about machines or crunches ever again, and you'll enjoy truly fantastic results with great a rock solid core and a chiseled, functionally strong midsection.

Top 3 Must Have Items for Boxing Strength Training

Boxing Trainer 24/7 — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:47:28 +0000

Boxing strength training isn't always easy. But usually that's because so many of us take the wrong approaches and utilize the wrong techniques. In fact, when you know what to do and how to do it, then you'll find that you can quickly realize big gains, even for those of us simply boxing training at home.

In this guide you'll find the top 3 must have items that you need for boxing strength training. Three pieces of boxing training gear, all of them are cheap and easily accessible, and with them you'll be able to strengthen your entire body, ending up with a physique that looks and feels great but most importantly is also primed for the boxing ring.

ProSource Heavy-Duty Easy Gym Doorway Chin-Up/Pull-Up Bar

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $39.99

Amazon Price: $27.99

Must Have #1 – The Doorway Chin Up Bar – A doorway chin up bar or a wall mounted pullup bar can help you immensely with your boxing strength training. It's the perfect piece of equipment because it's cheap, can be easily used anywhere without eating up a lot of your time and it targets some of the most important muscles in your body.

Since you are utilizing your own bodyweight to train as opposed to bulky free weights or machines, you don't have to worry about training in the wrong ways, or losing your speed or flexibility as a result of your added strength.

Pull ups can target your major back muscle groups, while also hitting your forearms and core muscles as well. Chin ups do the same but also place emphasis on your biceps. Then you can perform hard hitting abdominal movements such as hanging leg raises and hanging leg pikes that target each and every one of your core muscles, building a rock solid midsection without doing a single crunch. View our complete pull up training guide.

Champion Sports 10Lb Medicine Ball With Textured Surface

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $68.99

Amazon Price: $51.00

Must Have #2 – The Medicine Ball – The next must have for boxing strength training is the medicine ball. This is one of the classic boxing training tools that has seemingly been around forever.

With a medicine ball you will be able to perform all kinds of movements and exercises, targeting many of your major muscle groups with ease. You can take almost any abdominal movement and add in a medicine ball for increased difficulty, for example simple medicine ball crunches and leg lifts, lying toe touches holding a medicine ball and much, much more.

You can also incorporate a medicine ball into an entire circuit training and cardio training program as well. The possibilities are endless, from performing uneven pushups to jump squats holding a medicine ball and on down the line. Take a look at more of our favorite medicine ball exercises.

GoFit 35-Pound Green Kettlebell with Vinyl Coating, Training DVD and Exercise Booklet

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $89.99

Amazon Price: $79.99

Must have #3 – The Kettlebell – The third and final must have piece of gear for boxing strength training at home is the kettlebell. Actually, you should ideally pick up two kettlebells of the same weight so you have a set and can perform all of the potential exercises that are available to you.

Kettlebells help provide great strength training benefits because of their unique shape and off-balance center of gravity. This makes your body work extra hard to maneuver the weights and it forces you to incorporate your core muscles and stabilizers along the way. With one set of kettlebells you can target all of your major muscle groups, from your legs to your chest, to your back to your arms and everything in between, all right from your home.

Kettlebells might seem expensive for boxing strength training, but just consider that you won't need to invest in any other weights, let alone any pricey gym memberships, and you'll see that the price pays for itself. See more kettlebell exercises and ideas for boxers.

With these 3 must have items you'll be a guaranteed winner with boxing strength training and the results will speak for themselves.

Doorway Pull Up Bar Exercises for Boxers

Boxing Trainer 24/7 — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:08:36 +0000

The doorway pull up bar can be a boxer's best friend. There are a variety of exercises and workout routines that somebody training in boxing can use with a portable pull up bar or chin up bar. Some will focus primarily on building strength in the upper body and the back. Others will focus in on your core.

Either way, both of those areas are of extreme importance for training in boxing. Additionally, a doorway pull up bar comes with many other advantages for boxers and would be boxers. Take a look at some of these benefits and some sample exercises you can use with a portable chin up bar.

Portable Chin Up Bar Routines that Boxers can Use

Iron Gym Total Upper Body Workout Bar - Extreme Edition

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $59.99

Amazon Price: $26.95

Obviously it's no secret that you'll be focusing on doing pull ups and chin ups, however you can change the way that you do them and the routines that you use in order to achieve maximum results. One routine I like to do involves 8 sets of pull ups and chin ups. Here's the routine:

Start off by doing two sets of wide grip pull ups, completing as many repetitions as possible each time. Move to two sets of close grip pull ups, going until failure again, and then do two sets each of wide grip and close grip chin ups. You'll hit your entire back as well as your arms, and you'll really add a lot of strength and lean muscle to your frame.

However, you can also perform a lot of core exercises with a doorway pull up bar. For example, you can give these a try:

Hanging Leg Raise: From a wide grip pull up position, raise your knees into your chest, and bring your hips back so that your shins up parallel to the floor and ceiling. Keep your back straight the whole time, don't swing your body and look straight ahead. Perform 3 sets of as many repetitions as you can, and focus on quality over quantity.
Hanging Pikes: Once you can perform 10 hanging leg raises with solid form, graduate to the hanging pikes. Start by performing a hanging leg raise on your doorway pull up bar, and then keep extending your legs up so that they end up touching the bar and forming a V.

Maximum Muscle Trainer Wall-Mounted Pull Up Chin Up Bar

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $64.99

Amazon Price: $45.86

There are many different benefits to using a doorway pull up bar for training in boxing. For one thing, you can pack on a lot of strength. But you'll be focusing on your core and you'll be building lean muscle. This is as opposed to using weights which can make you bulky, slow and uncoordinated, all big no-nos for boxers.

Your back and your core are two of the most important muscle groups for boxers. Boosting your strength while staying lean will enable you to throw more punches, throw them harder and increase your overall stamina, fitness and strength levels.

You can also choose between different kinds of chin up bars. You can look into a wall mounted pull up bar, which is a permanent installation. Or you can purchase a portable chin up bar, which you can move around and use anytime, anywhere. With these you get the added benefit of being able to perform other exercises such as tricep dips and push ups as well.

Browse below to find some deals on a great, discount doorway pull up bar. As you can see above, there is a near endless array of exercises that you can perform and benefits you can receive. You can also find a collection of doorway chin up bar models in our store.

NEW DOORWAY PULL UP CHIN UP BAR 5 RESISTANCE BAND 4 P90²X GYM
US $34.99

Chin Pull Up Bar 4 Bands for P90²X PLUS 6 More DIF BUY IT NOW OPTIONS INSIDE
US $24.99

NEW DOORWAY PULL UP CHIN UP BAR 5 RESISTANCE BAND 4 P90²X GYM
US $34.99

Boxing Strength Exercises: Mastering the Pull Up and Chin Up

Boxing Trainer 24/7 — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:02:32 +0000

Fighters in training often struggle with the best ways to build muscle for boxing. Strength exercises for boxing have to be different than strength exercises for other athletes. In boxing, a fighter's flexibility and lean muscle mass are extremely important, whereas you don't want to just pack on tons of extra muscle.

One of the best strength training exercises for boxing is the pull up, and it's close cousin, the chin up. Both of these are body weight exercises, meaning you aren't relying on extra weights or machines, you are building strength through working out with your own body weight. This applies great to boxing, and will help you add tons of functional strength to use in the ring, without bulking you up too much or slowing you down.

Maximum Fitness Gear All-In-One Doorway Chin-Up Bar with Ab Exercise Guide

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $54.99

Amazon Price: $27.00

Difference Between Pull Ups and Chin Ups

Let's get this out of the way first, what's the difference between a pull up and a chin up? A pull up is done with your palms facing away from your body. That means you're looking at the back of your hands as you grip the pull up bar. Doing a pull up is probably the single best way to strength train for your upper and middle back. Pull ups also incorporate the forearms, triceps and biceps.

Chin ups are done with your hands facing the opposite direction, with the palms facing towards you. Chin ups are easier to perform than pull ups, because of how you are gripping the bar. By gripping with your palms facing you, you end up using your biceps a lot more. Your back is still the primary target, but your biceps aren't far behind.

Using Pull Ups and Chin Ups for Boxing Strength Training

There are lots of ways to incorporate pull ups and chin ups for boxing strength training. And the benefits are clear: much stronger back, arms, grip and core, without bulking up and limiting your range of motion, your speed or your fluidity.

First you have to test yourself to see how many pull ups and chin ups you can perform, or if you can perform any. You also need to know the proper way to do a pull up and a chin up. Position yourself under a pull up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.

Start hanging from the bar, so your arms are fully extended. Pull yourself so your chin is completely over the bar, squeezing with your back muscles as you exert yourself. Pause for a brief second and then slowly yourself back down so your arms are completely extended. Do not cheat by lowering yourself halfway, unless you are purposely burning yourself out to failure.

Different Ways to Use Pull Ups and Chin Ups for Boxing Strength Training

Altus Athletic 3 in 1 Chin-Up Bar + Push-Up Bar + Sit-Up Bar

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $39.99

Amazon Price: $21.99

Now, can you perform one complete pull up or chin up? If not, then you have to train yourself by completing half pull ups or half chin ups. To do these, you jump up so that your starting position is with your chin above the bar. Then lower yourself down, taking 5 seconds to completely extend your arms. Repeat this several times in a row, then rest for one minute, before repeating two more sets. This will build up your strength and soon you will be able to start completing full repetitions.

Once you can complete at least 5 chin ups, it's time to move to more advanced training techniques. You can either perform these routines before your boxing workout, on separate days or as part of a larger strength training routine.

Routine 1: Perform a set of pull ups to failure. Immediately after your last completed rep, switch to a chin up grip, and perform chin ups until failure. Rest one minute and repeat twice.

Routine 2: Perform a total of 25 chin ups. If you can do 5 chin ups your first set, you might believe you can finish this in 5 sets. But as you begin getting tired, you won't be able to maximize your reps each time. Keep track of how many sets it takes you to complete the 25 reps, and work on lowering that number. Perform twice a week. If you can do this in 2 sets, perform the same routine with pull ups, or switch the number to 40.

Routine 3: Perform a set of pull ups until failure. Immediately begin performing push ups, complete one set until failure. Rest 60 seconds and repeat two more times. Perform two more super-sets, this time starting with chin ups and finishing with push ups.

Routine 4: Shadowbox for three minutes. During your 60 second rest period, perform as many pull ups as you can. Repeat for three total rounds.

Pull ups and chin ups are two of the best strength training exercises for boxing workouts. They are guaranteed to increase your strength, yet because they are body weight exercises, you won't unnecessarily bulk up.