Swap out the necessary gear for a high-energy, stress-relieving experience: Grasp this 20-minute shadowboxing plan tailored for novices to jumpstart your metabolism
Improve Your Fitness with a New Home Workout: Shadowboxing
NASM-certified personal trainer Jess Hiestand from Rumble Boxing has introduced a new no-equipment home workout: shadowboxing. This dynamic exercise offers numerous benefits for improving cardiovascular health and endurance.
The workout is split into five rounds, each consisting of three minutes of shadowboxing followed by one minute of rest.
In Round 1, perform different combinations of straight punches for 45 seconds each. The jab, jab, cross, jab, cross sequence is used.
Round 2 introduces ducks to the combinations, with the jab, duck, jab, cross, jab, duck sequence used.
In Round 3, add in hooks and uppercuts to the combinations. The cross, front hook, cross, front uppercut, back uppercut, front hook, back hook, jab, jab, back hook sequence is used.
Round 4 focuses on countering and ducking to avoid a blow, returning a punch. The combinations used are jab, cross, duck, cross, jab, cross, duck, back uppercut, front uppercut, back uppercut, jab, cross, front uppercut, duck, back uppercut.
The intensity is raised in Round 5, with the following combinations used nonstop: jab, cross (at pace), jab, cross (with power), front hook, back hook (nonstop with power), front uppercut, back uppercut (nonstop at pace), front uppercut, back uppercut (nonstop with power).
Each movement starts from a boxing stance. The jab involves extending the front arm forward, keeping the wrist and fist strong. The cross extends the rear arm forward, pivoting on the rear foot and rotating the hips so they face forward. The front hook lifts the front arm to shoulder height and pivots on the front foot to move the fist towards the dominant side. The back hook does the same for the rear arm and the non-dominant side. The front uppercut bends the knees slightly, then extends the legs while pivoting on the front foot to punch up with the front fist. The back uppercut does the same for the rear fist. The duck movement involves crouching as though avoiding a punch.
Shadowboxing offers more than just a shoulder and arm workout. It also works the core, legs, calves, and back. Key benefits include improved cardiovascular endurance, fat loss and calorie burning, muscular endurance and total-body conditioning, accessibility and convenience, and coordination and mental focus.
By incorporating shadowboxing into your fitness routine, you can reap the benefits of a high-intensity, dynamic exercise that raises your heart rate, challenges your cardiovascular system, and engages multiple muscle groups and energy systems.
[1] ACSM's Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 9th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2014. [2] ACSM's Resource Manual for Sports Medicine and Performance Enhancement. 3rd ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2015. [3] Burke, L. M., et al. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. 44(1), 2016, pp. 1-14. [4] Spriet, L. L. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 43(10), 2011, pp. 1849-1857. [5] Tschakert, D., et al. Sports Medicine. 46(1), 2016, pp. 123-135.
- Home workouts, such as shadowboxing, have become an integral part of the health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise landscape, offering a convenient and accessible way to engage in cardio exercises at home.
- According to recent scientific studies, [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], dynamic exercises like shadowboxing can significantly improve cardiovascular health and endurance, enhancing your fitness level.
- Besides providing a full-body workout targeting the core, legs, calves, and back, shadowboxing also aids in fat loss and calorie burning, contributing to overall health and wellness.
