Shadow Boxing w/Weights?

[Heavy D]

How effective is shadowboxing with weights? Every time I try it, I can really feel the burn after a bit, and once I'm done, my punches obviously feel a million times lighter and I can really roll out some extended flurries with great speed. I'm just wondering if this is subtly improving my everyday punching, or only immediately after using the weights (as a quasi psychological thing, with my body still punching like I'm holding the weights).

[Memphis]

It will improve your speed and power, dont go overboard with the weight though, max 5lbs (per hand) IMO.

It doesnt have to just be punches, you can do any dumbell drill, 30 second bursts and then immediately on to the next one, 6 excercises = 1 round, great stuff for muscle endurance.

[Trueplaya]

If your shadowboxing while holding weights it won't help your speed or power.Reason being a boxer doesn't punch while holding a weight, you end up working your muscles in a different way.Matter of fact subliminally you are holding back speed because if you shot your hand out like a punch should be thrown you won't be able to hold on to the weight.Your holding something back off the punch to keep the weight in your hand.Try weighted gloves or shadowbox with your handwraps on, now you can throw those crazy combos that you'll need in the ring.Put down the weights.

[Howlin Mad Missy]

If your shadowboxing while holding weights it won't help your speed or power.Reason being a boxer doesn't punch while holding a weight, you end up working your muscles in a different way.Matter of fact subliminally you are holding back speed because if you shot your hand out like a punch should be thrown you won't be able to hold on to the weight.Your holding something back off the punch to keep the weight in your hand.Try weighted gloves or shadowbox with your handwraps on, now you can throw those crazy combos that you'll need in the ring.Put down the weights.

weighted glove/light hand weight

which is why we use light weights as Memphis has mentioned.

Examples of drills you may consider.
either do sets slow eg. 30 jabs, so you feel the muscles OR 10 jabs as quick as you can-think speed OR jab as quick as you can for 30 secs forget technique just keep going as fast as you can.

[Chris Nagel]

How effective is shadowboxing with weights? Every time I try it, I can really feel the burn after a bit, and once I'm done, my punches obviously feel a million times lighter and I can really roll out some extended flurries with great speed. I'm just wondering if this is subtly improving my everyday punching, or only immediately after using the weights (as a quasi psychological thing, with my body still punching like I'm holding the weights).

After you punch with a weight, your punches feel perceptively faster, while on the contrary they are not faster. If you want that same feeling without the workout, just punch once/arm with a 15-20 lbs dumbell once to get that same kind of quasi psychological effect.


Weighted shadow boxing is a good way to build up endurance in your deltoids, which will help you keep your arms up provided that you have a decent all around endurance level of fitness.

If incorporated in a progressive regimen-like fashion, it will also increase your punching speed. AT first I'd recommend you start with lower reps, 30-40, what ever you can handle, don't neglect technique, even if it feels like you can go faster. Increase the reps progressively, if possible, have a coach or friend count the number of punches. When you become hang of it, your technique (Punches) will get faster.

If a baseball pitcher neglects technique while throwing a weighted ball, he won't get the full benefit from training, this also applies to weighted shadowboxing, Technique must be emphasized to come as close to reality as possible. Bad technique will also help build your endurance, but the side-effects may be a slight decline in accuracy, and coordination. You can still go as fast as you can, while your technique is present, you can increase speed from there, and not before too long in the program, you can punch as fast as grease lightning.

My only objection, is that weighted shadowboxing tenses your muscles all over. In boxing tense muscle fatigue quickly, and compromises speed, thats not what I'de like to go out with.


Other exercises that will help you increase speed is:
-Immersed shadowboxing (shadowboxing shoulder-deep in water), Excellent for building stamina, while providing resistance that in turn will build punching power and strength.

-Isometric Exercises (See rossboxing.com "The Gym" for details) In combination with dynamic, and stressed forms of conditioning this will also supplement speed.

-Plyometric Exercises helps build your fast-twitch muscle fibers to act in a explosive-like fashion.


If you incorporate this in a regimen supplementary to your boxing one, this will provide your need for speed and with alotta elbow grease your hands will become fast like Gease Lghtning!

Perform these drills on days when you are not fighting/or sparring, and make sure you give your body enough time to recover. your muscles should be fresh and loose when you do your sparring and other boxing drills.


Regards, Rocky

[carlson]

Hey well ive found that shadow boxing with weights has help the strenght of my punches lots now i know i've been boxing for only 2 months or so but my trainer has me do it and its helping a lot

[BritishLion]

Shadow boxing with weights will DECREASE speed. What would increase speed would be to chop your hands off, go shadow box 60 second rounds with 60 seconds rest, then stitch your hands back on again.

[carlson]

I never said it was helping with speed for that i work with the speed bag and my heavy bag. i said it has helped with my strenght. and i only do it for 2-2min rounds then i shadow box with out it for anothe 4-3min rounds.

[No Pain No Game]

Shadow boxing at the start of session is very important to just basically loosen up anyway. What i do at the end of a training session, is pick up 0.75 kg hand weights, stand in your boxing position, and throw 2 sets of left rights, then 2 sets of left right left, then 2 sets of left, right, eft right (So basically 2 punches, then 3, then 4 and so on and so on. Then when i get to 10 i aim to do 10 sets. Then i put them down and work my ways back, from 10 to 2 with no weights. This helps bulid your shoulders and endurance, and then doing it with no weights gets you working on thats speed again and helps warm doen. Nice little exercise to finsh off with, and if doing in front of a mirror with a coach pushing you, then it usually gets u more motivated to do those final reps of 10. I now use 1.1kg weights.