Back squat

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and place the barbell on your shoulders (behind the neck). Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground or a bit lower, pause and stand back up.

Straddle lift

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart. One feet should be place slightly in front of the other one (just like if you were preparing to do a lunge). Place the barbell in-between your legs and lift it up while maintaining a flat lower back and strong shoulders.

Overhead squat

Perform a regular squat while keeping the barbell above your head in fully extended arms. Be careful and use weight you are 100% confident you can manage.

Lunges

Stand with one feet placed in front of the other. Place the barbell on your shoulders and squat down. Make sure to alternate sides.

Hack squat/deadlift

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and the bar placed behind your feet. Squat down until the barbell touches the ground, then lift yourself back up. This exercise usually puts less strain on your lower back muscles than regular back squats or deadlifts.

Barbell calf raises

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and the bar in front of you. Slowly lift yourself up on your toes. Pause and slowly lower back down. Don’t bend your knees or hips. The movement happens only in your ankles.

Suitcase squat

Hold the barbell with one hand only. Perform a squat while keeping a straight back and good posture. This is a great exercise for core muscle training.

Front squat

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and keep the barbell in front of you (resting on your chest). Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground or a bit lower, pause and stand back up.

Barbell Exercises for Chest Muscles

Regular bench press

Lay down on flat bench. Grab the bar a bit wider than shoulder with apart. Slowly lower the bar until in touches your chest, pause and push the bar back up until your arms are almost fully extended.

Wide grip bench press

Perform a regular bench press with your palms placed slightly wider on the bar. This variation helps to develop a wide and strong chest as well as improve shoulder mobility and stretch your chest muscles.

Narrow grip bench press

Perform a regular bench press with your palms placed in a slightly narrower position. This variation will put more emphasis on triceps development.

Floor press

Lay down on the floor. Grab the bar a bit wider than shoulder with apart. Slowly lower the bar until in touches your chest, pause and push the bar back up until your arms are almost fully extended. In comparison to the bench press this variation offers a more limited range of motion, but at the same time eliminates any assistance from your legs or hips.

Incline bench press 30 degrees

In comparison to the regular bench press this variation puts more emphasis on the upper chest muscles and shoulders (front deltoids).

Incline bench press 45 degrees

In comparison to the regular bench press this variation puts more emphasis on the shoulders (front and side deltoids).

Barbell Exercises for Arms

Barbell wrist curl

Stand straight with the bar in front of you. While keeping your arms stiff and almost fully extended move your palms up and down. The movement should happen only in your wrists.

Reverse barbell wrist curls

Very similar to the regular barbell wrist curls. The only difference is that the reverse one uses underhand grip instead of the overhand grip.

Bicep curls

Stand straight with the bar in front of you. While keeping your upper arms at the same place, bend your elbows and bring the bar close to your chest, pause and slowly bring it back down.

Upper and Lower Back Barbell Exercises

Good morning

Place the bar behind your neck and keep your feet shoulder with apart. While keeping your knees locked and lower back straight, slowly lean forward until your upper body is parallel to the ground. Pause and slowly bring yourself back to the starting position. Be very careful with the amount of weight you are using.

Stiff leg deadlift

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and the bar in front of you. While keeping your knees locked and lower back straight, lean forward until the barbell is at the same level with your knees. Pause and bring yourself back up.

Bent knees deadlift

Very similar to the stiff leg deadlift with the only difference that your legs can be slightly bent. Suitable for people with limited flexibility/joint mobility and lower back issues.

Regular deadlift

Keep your feet shoulder with apart and your palms a bit wider than shoulder with apart. Squat down while keeping your back straight, pause and bring yourself back up.

Sumo deadlift

Place your feet in a very wide stance. Perform a deadlift using a rather narrow grip.

High pulls

Stand straight with the barbell in front of you. Use your shoulders and upper back to pull the bar up as high as you can. The aim is to touch your chin with the bar.

Snatch

Assume a deadlift position. With an explosive movement from your hips, lift yourself up and bring the barbell above your head. Make sure to keep a strong and straight back. Start with a light weight and progress slowly.

Clean and press

Very similar to snatch, but instead of bringing the bar straight up, you will first bring it to your chest. After you have stabilized, use your shoulders to push the bar up.

One arm clean and press

Very similar to the regular clean and press. A great exercise to develop hand/wrist strength as well as improve your core muscles.

Bent over row

Grab the bar and bend over until your upper body is almost parallel to the ground. While keeping your knees and hips slightly bent, pull the bar towards your chest in controlled manner. Pause and bring it back down.

Barbell Exercises for Shoulders

Shoulder shrugs

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and bar in front of you. While keeping a strong posture, pull your shoulders up towards your ears.

Military press

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and the barbell placed on your chest. While keeping your hips and lower back strong and stiff, push the bar above your head.

Behind the head shoulder press

The same as the military press, but instead of lowering the bar to your chest, you will place it behind your head.

Single arm barbell push press

Rest one end of the barbell I the middle of a weight plate. Grab the other end with one of your hands. Use your legs, hips and shoulders to push the barbell up until your hand is fully extended.

Core Muscle Barbell Exercises

Leg raises

Lay flat on the ground with the barbell in fully extended arms. Without bending your knees lift your legs up until they are in 90 degrees towards the floor. Pause and bring them back down.

Side leans

Keep the barbell in on hand. Slowly lean to one side (towards the hand holding the bar) in very controlled manner. Pause and bring yourself back up. Try to use the full range of motion.

Side bends

Just like side leans, but instead of having the barbell in one hand you will place it on your shoulders.

Barbell rollouts

Get on your knees with barbell in front of you. Grab the bar and slowly start pushing it forward. Try to bring it as far forward as you can. The ultimate goal is to get your arms fully extended and in a line with your upper body. Make sure to always keep your abs strong and newer let your lower back sink in.

Barbell Tunk Twist

Hold one end of the barbell while the other end is place on the floor in the middle of a weight plate. You will need to have a wide stance for extra stability. While keeping your abs tight and your arms almost fully extended, start swinging them from one side to the other. This is a phenomenal exercise for core muscle development. Just make sure that you have properly warmed up before performing it. If not, you might injure your back.

Superman Extensions

Lie down on the floor with your hand extended in front of you. Raise your upper body and legs at the same time while holding a light medicine ball in your hand. Pause and slowly return back to the starting position. This is an excellent exercise for building lower back strength and stability.

Triceps Extensions on the Bench

Lie down on a bench with your hands extended in 90 degrees in front of you. Bend your elbows and shoulders and slowly lower the medicine ball behind your head. Pause and bring it back to the starting position. This exercise will really help you to strengthen your shoulders and increase joint mobility.

V-ups

Lie down on your back and make sure your body is fully extended and your hands stretched behind your head. Press your legs together so that you can use your ankles to hold a (small and light) medicine ball. Use your core muscles to simultaneously lift your legs and upper body. Try to touch the ball with your fingertips. If your current flexibility level doesn’t allow it, don’t worry. Keep on working within your range of motion and the flexibility will gradually improve.

Rotate Around the Waist

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and medicine ball in one hand. Make sure that the medicine ball is on the small side. You need to be able to comfortably hold it with one hand. Try to rotate the ball around your waist from one hand to another. This exercise is great for joint mobility and coordination.

Woodchoppers

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and hold the ball with both hands. Keep your hands down and twit your body to one side so that the medicine ball is below or at the same level as your waist. With a rapid motion turn your upper body in the opposite direction while lifting your arms up. You should find yourself in a position where the ball is lifted above your shoulder and your upper body is fully twisted. Note: Make sure to properly warm up before performing this exercise. It can be very demanding on your core region and lower back.

Russian Twist

Sit down on the floor with your knees slightly bent. Keep the ball in front of you and make sure that your upper body is positioned in roughly 45 degrees. While keeping a good posture start to twist your body from left to right. Note: Make sure to properly warm up before performing this exercise. It can be very demanding on your core region and lower back.

Squats

Keep your feet shoulder with apart and the medicine ball in front of you. While maintaining a straight back, perform a regular squat. Make sure to use weight you can handle. You don’t want to lean too much forward since it might put unnecessary strain on your lower back.

Squat to Press

Perform a regular squat (as described previously). When you reach the upper part of the motion, lift the ball above your head, pause, bring it back to the chest level and lower yourself into squatting position.

Lunges With Rotation

Place one leg in front of you and press the medicine ball against your chest. While maintaining a straight posture, squat down until the knee of your back leg touches the floor. Pause and bring yourself back to the starting position. Remember to switch your legs and perform the same amount of repetitions on each side.

Overhead Squats

Perform a regular squat (as described previously) while keeping the ball above your head in fully extended arms. Start with a rather low weight since this exercise is much more demanding as it might seem.

Squat With Extended Arms

Perform a regular squat (as described previously) while keeping the ball in front of you in fully extended arms. Start with a rather low weight since this exercise is much more demanding as it might seem.

Halo

Keep the ball in both hands just above your shoulders. Slowly circle the ball around your head while maintaining the same height. Remember to change directions.

Figure of Eight

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and hold the medicine ball in front of you (around the level of your bellybutton). Now bring the ball up to your right ear, circle it around the front of your face, bring it back to your bellybutton, lower it down to your right knee, move it to your left knee and bring it back to the level of your bellybutton. Imagine that you are drawing a figure 8 in the air in front of your body.

Triceps Extensions Behind the Head

Stand straight in a relaxed position. Lift your hands straight up, so that the ball is just above your bead. While holding your upper arm in the same place, bend your elbows and lower the medicine ball behind your head. Pause and bring it back to the starting position.

Crunches

Sit down with your knees slightly bent and the ball placed in front of your chest. While maintaining a straight lower back and a good posture, lift your upper body until the medicine ball touches your knees, pause and return back to the starting position.

Standing Twist (straight arms)

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart. Fully extended your arms so that they are parallel to the ground. While maintaining a straight and strong posture, twist your body from one side to another. Start with a rather low weight since this exercise is much more demanding as it might seem.

Diamond Push-ups

Get into a regular push-up position and place both hands on the ball. While keeping straight back lower yourself until your chest touches your palms, pause and push yourself back up.

Staggered Push-ups

Assume a regular (military) push-up position. Place one hand on the medicine ball while the other hand remains firmly placed on the ground. Lower yourself as low as you can, pause and push back up. Remember to change your hands after each 5 or 10 repetitions. Note: this is a great exercise for avoiding uneven chest muscle development.

Push-ups on Knees

Perform a regular push-up (as described before) with your knees bent and placed on the floor. This is a great exercise for beginners and can also be used as a finisher after performing a hard workout routine.

Biceps Curls

Stand tall with your back straight and fully extended. Grab the ball with both hands and keep it in front of you. While keeping your upper arms in the same, vertical position, bend your elbows and lift the ball up towards your chest, pause and lower it back down.

Leg Raises

Lie flat on the ground with a medicine ball squeezed in-between your ankles. Raise your legs up to around 70 – 80 degrees without bending your knees. Pause and lower them back in a smooth motion. Make sure to use a rather light medicine ball. This exercise is a lot more about being in control than raw strength.

Back Extensions

Safely secure yourself in the back extension unit. Place the ball behind your neck (you can also hold it in front of you pressed against your chest if you wish so) and slowly lower your upper body. Make sure that movement happens only in your hips and waist. Your lower back muscles should be fully engaged throughout the motion. Pause at the bottom and slowly bring yourself back to the starting position.

Crunches on the Exercise Unit

Safely secure yourself in the exercise unite. Press the medicine ball against your chest and slowly lower your upper body. Your abdominal muscles should be fully engaged throughout the motion. Pause at the bottom and slowly bring yourself back to the starting position.

Chest Press

Lie down on your back and make sure your body is fully extended. Grab the ball with both hands and hold it on top of your chest. Press it up like you would do when performing a regular bench press. Pause and slowly bring it back down.

One Hand Chest Press

Lie flat on the ground with a medicine secured in one palm. Perform a regular chest/bench press. Don’t use a heavy weight (especially in the beginning) since this exercise is mainly focused on developing hand-eye coordination and strengthening your shoulder muscles.

Deadlifts

Keep your feet shoulder with apart and the ball in-between your legs in fully extended hands. Squat down while maintaining a completely straight back and try to touch the floor with the medicine ball. Pause in the lower position and push yourself back up. If your current flexibility level doesn’t allow to touch the floor, don’t worry. Keep on working within your range of motion and the flexibility will gradually improve.

Straight Leg Deadlifts

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and a medicine ball in front of you in fully extended arms. Without bending your knees lower your upper body until the medicine ball is just below your knees. Pause and slowly return to the starting position. Make sure that your lower back is straight and fully engaged throughout the movement. Warning: be very careful if you have issues with lower back.

Good Mornings

Good morning is very similar to the straight leg deadlift. Just instead of holding the ball in front, you will have to place on the back of your head. Please use a lighter weight than you would when performing a deadlift, since due to the position of the ball, the leverage is significantly increased.

Side to Side Leans

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and the ball lifted above your head in fully extended arms. Slowly lean your body from side to side while maintaining the extension in your arms. Go as low as it’s comfortable for you. Don’t push too much, since this is a rather demanding exercise that in the long run will improve your flexibility and core muscle strength.

Push-ups using dumbbells

Hold two dumbbells in your hands and place them shoulder with apart on the ground. Keep your core muscles engaged and your whole body as straight as possible. Perform a regular military push-up. Dumbbells will allow you to go a bit deeper than usually.

Push-ups renegade row using dumbbells

Perform a regular push-up using dumbbells as described above. When you reach the upper position of the movement perform a single arm row. Alternate sides after each repetition. This is a very good exercise for core muscle development.

T push-up

Perform a regular military push-up. When you reach the upper part of the movement lift one hand up and twist your body sideways. Lift your hand as high as you can and assume a “T” shaped position. Alternate sides after each repetition.

Floor press using dumbbells

Hold two dumbbells in your hand and lie down on your back with your knees slightly bent or fully extended. Perform a regular chest press (like you would be doing a bench press).

Bent over row

Slightly bend your knees and keep your back in a 45 degree angle. Perform a slow pulling motion until the dumbbells touch your chest. Pause and slowly return to the starting position.

High pulls

Stand straight with your feet shoulder with apart. Pull both hands up as high as you can. Pause and slowly return to the starting position. This is an excellent exercise for your upper back, side deltoids and trapezius muscles.

Shoulder shrugs

Stand straight with your feet shoulder with apart and hands at your sides with palms facing inwards. Lift your shoulders straight up without bending your elbows. It’s better to use a slightly heavier weight for this exercise.

Reverse grip bent over row

Very similar to the previously discussed regular bent over row. The only difference is that your palms should be facing out thus placing more emphasis on your biceps.

Bent over fly with dumbbells

Keep your knees slightly bent and your back in a 45 to 30 degree angle. Use your shoulders to lift your arms sideways without bending your elbows.

Renegade row

Very similar to the push-up renegade row using dumbbells. The only difference is that you will be always maintaining the upper position of a push-up.

Side deltoid raise

Rest one of your arms on an edge. While keeping your other arm perfectly extended raise it sideways until it’s horizontal to the ground. Pause and slowly return to the starting position.

Biceps curls

Perform a regular biceps curl. Don’t rock back and forth and try to use only your biceps to lift your arms.

Bicep curl to a shoulder press

Perform a regular bicep curl followed by a shoulder press. If you are short on time it’s always better to perform combo exercises like this one instead of performing biceps curls and shoulder presses separately.

Zottman curl with dumbbells

Perform a regular biceps curl. When you are at the upper position of the curl turn your hands around so that your palms are facing outwards. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position.

Hammer curls

Stand straight with both hands by your sides. Without rocking back and forth lift your hands up while keeping your palms/fists perpendicular to the floor.

Triceps extension

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart. Extend one arm above your head. While keeping a dumbbell in your hand, bend your elbow and lower the dumbbell behind your head. Lift your hand up and repeat.

Side plank

Perform a regular side plank while holding a dumbbell in your upper hand. Without bending your elbow lift the arm straight up. Don’t use very heavy weights. It will help to prevent unnecessary injuries.

Russian twist with a dumbbell

Sit on the ground with your knees slightly bent. Keep your back straight and in a 45 degree angle. While keeping a dumbbell in front of you slowly twist your upper body to one side as far as you comfortably can. Repeat on both sides.

Dumbbell roll-outs

For this exercise you will need round dumbbells or an Olympic bar with round weight plates. Place your knees on the ground and hold on to two dumbbells. Lower your body while pushing your arms in front of you. Make sure that your lower back is always nice and straight. Work within your capabilities and make sure that your lower back is never hyper-extended.

Dumbbell weighted squat

Perform a regular squat while holding two dumbbells at your sides. Use appropriate weight and make sure that you don’t experience any pain in your knees, elbows or lower back.

Dumbbell jump squat

Very similar to the regular squat. The only difference is that the upward motion will be a lot more explosive thus causing your feet lift off the ground. Use light weights, because this exercise is very demanding on your lower back.

Squat to curl to press

Squat down with your hands at your sides. While lifting yourself up bend your arms so that when the squatting motion is finished your arms are in the upper position of a bicep curl. While keeping your core region tight perform a regular shoulder press.

Sumo squat with a dumbbell

Hold a dumbbell with both hands. Place your feet wider than shoulder with apart and perform a deep squat.

Rotating dumbbell squat press

While resting two dumbbells on your shoulders perform a regular squat. When coming up, extend your arms and twist your body to one side. This is an excellent full body conditioning exercise.

Romanian (aka stiff leg) deadlift with dumbbells

Keep your hands in front of you. While keeping your knees straight (or barely bent) lean forward until your palms are at the same level as your knees. Make sure to use rather light weights and always keep your lower body completely straight and your shoulders pulled back.

Romanian (aka stiff leg) deadlift to row with dumbbells

Perform a regular stiff leg deadlift. When you are at the lower position of the deadlift pull your hands towards the chest and perform a bent over row.

One leg Romanian (aka stiff leg) deadlift with dumbbells

Perform a regular Rumanian deadlift while balancing on one leg. Make sure to switch sides after each set.

Bulgarian split squat

Place one foot on an elevated surface. Perform a squat while keeping both hands at your sides.

Lunges with dumbbells

Perform a regular lunge while keeping two dumbbells in your hands. Try to go as low as you can while maintaining balance and excellent posture.

Lunge to press

Perform a regular lunge combined with shoulder press. When going into a lunge simultaneously perform a regular shoulder press.

Side lunge with dumbbells

Perform a regular side lunge while holding two dumbbells at your sides.

Reverse lunge with dumbbells

Just like a regular lunge, the only difference is that instead of stepping forward in order to get into the lunging position, you are required to step backwards.

Step-up using dumbbells

Find a platform (e.g. aerobics step) and while holding two dumbbells in your hands step up and down while alternating sides.

Shoulder press (aka military) press

While keeping your body firm and not generating extra momentum with your legs or core, perform a regular shoulder press.

Alternating shoulder press

Exactly the same as the previous exercise with the exception that only one hand goes up at a time.

Arnold’s (shoulder) press

The only difference between Arnold’s and regular shoulder press is that in Arnold’s press your hand will be rotating throughout the motion.

Push press with dumbbells

Similar to a regular shoulder press with the difference that during this exercise you should slightly bounce in your knees thus generating extra momentum. You will be able to use a heavier weight than in the regular shoulder press.

Lateral raises

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and hands at your sides. Without bending your elbows lift both arms so that you assume the position of the letter “T”. Pause, bring your arms down and repeat.

Front raises

Just like lateral raises, but instead of raising your hands to your sides, you will lift both hands in front of you.

Front/lateral raise

A combination of both previously described exercises. You will lift one arm in front of you while the other will go to your side. Remember to switch sides.

Halo with a dumbbell

Hold the dumbbell with both hands. Rotate the weight slowly around your head. Remember to switch sides.

Side rotation (internal)

Lie on your side with your knees slightly bent. Take the weight in the bottom hand and slowly pull it towards your body. Make sure that you use a light weight in order to protect your elbows.

Side rotation (external)

Lie on your side with your knees slightly bent. Take the weight in the upper hand and slowly rotate it away from your body. Make sure that you use a light weight in order to protect your elbows.

Clean and press with dumbbells

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and hands at your sides. While maintaining a strong core perform a little “kick” to lift the dumbbells up to your shoulders. From this position perform a regular shoulder press.

One arm snatch with a dumbbell

Take a dumbbell in one arm. Squat down and with a rapid motion bring your body back up. Use the momentum you generated through squatting to swing your hand up until it’s securely locked in the upper position. Make sure to slowly bring the weight back down.

Wood chopper (wood chipper) with a dumbbell

Hold a dumbbell with both hands and lift it above one of your shoulders. With a rapid, explosive movement swing the dumbbell across your chest until you reach the hip of your other side. With an explosive movement bring the dumbbell back to the starting position.

Wood chopper (wood chipper) lunges with a dumbbell

Perform a regular wood chopper while incorporating a lunge in each repetition.

180 degree wood chopper (wood chipper) with a dumbbell

Similar to the regular wood chopper, but instead of swinging the dumbbell across your chest, you will swing it over your head from one side to the other.

L sit

Sit on the ground with both legs extended in front of you. Use your arms and shoulders to lift your body slightly up. Keep your abs tight and don’t allow your feet to drop down. You should maintain a letter “L” like position.

Box Fitness gym offers a wide variety of dumbbells and other weightlifting equipment for all fitness levels. We are constantly adding new, high quality fitness tools in order to provide the best service for our clients.

Day 1 – Olympic barbell:

Perform 10 reps for each exercise without taking breaks between the exercises (or putting down your barbell). When you have done 10 reps of all exercise take a 1 minute break and repeat the whole process for five times in total.

Shoulder press – grab the bar a bit wider than shoulder with apart. Lift it up and slowly lower it back down. Rest it on your chest or on your shoulders (behind your head) before pressing up again. You can alternate the sides or pick the one that feels most comfortable for you.

Good morning – place the barbell on your shoulders. While keeping your legs and back relatively straight, lean forward as low as you can without crunching your lower back. The movement should happen only in your hip region.

High pull – grab the barbell with a relatively narrow grip. Slowly pull it as high as you can (no need to pull it higher than your chin) and lower it down in a controlled manner.

Lunges – place the barbell on your shoulders and perform alternated lunges. You should work within the range of your mobility, but the aim is to touch the ground with your knee while maintaining a straight back.

Stiff leg deadlift – put your feet shoulder with apart and hold the bar. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and while maintaining stiff legs and a straight upper and lower back, lower the bar as low as you can without bending your back. If you have a good level of flexibility you should be able to lower the bar just below you knees. If you can’t, continue to work within your range of motion and it will gradually increase.

Bent over row – bend over while keeping your back straight and strained. Slowly pull the barbell towards your chest, pause and lower it back down in a controlled manner.

Day 2 – Kettlebells:

Perform 20 (10 each side) reps for each exercise without taking breaks between the exercises (or putting down your kettlebell). When you have done 20 reps of all exercise take a 1 minute break and repeat the whole process for five times in total.

Kettlebell swing – keep your feet shoulder with apart and lower back completely straight. Use your legs and hips to generate movement in order to swing the kettlebell up. Stop the movement when your arm is parallel to the ground. All the “work” is done by your legs, hips and core muscles, not your arm or shoulder.

Kettlebell halo – circle the kettlebell around your head while keeping it always at your eye/ear level.

Kettlebell snatch – perform a regular kettlebell swing, but instead of stopping the motion midways, allow it to come all the way up until your arm is fully extended above your head. Lock it, pause for a second and return it to the starting position in a slow and controlled manner.

Kettlebell front squat/deep squat – perform a regular deep squat while holding a kettlebell in front of you.

Kettlebell wood chipper/chopper – stand with your feet shoulder with apart. Keep the kettlebell in front of you in slightly bent arms. While keeping your arms and shoulders fairly stiff, start to rapidly move the kettlebell from your shoulder to hip (across your torso). The created momentum will really work on your core muscles.

Kettlebell Russian twist – get into a crunch position with your knees slightly bent. Hold the kettlebell in front of your chest and slowly twist your torso from one side to the other.

Day3 – Bodyweight training:

Perform 10 reps for each exercise without taking breaks between the exercises. When you have done 10 reps of all exercise take a 1 minute break and repeat the whole process for five times in total.

Hindu/military push-ups – Place your palms and feet a bit wider than shoulder with apart. Keep your legs and arms fully extended and buttocks raised up. Slowly lower yourself towards the ground. When your face is close to the ground, start to arch your lower back and push yourself up. Pause for a second and return to the starting position. Note: If this exercise is too challenging for you, you can also do a regular military push-up.

Jump squats (max effort) – Jump as high as you can from a deep squat position. Try to maintain a constant rhythm – a jump every 2 to 3 seconds.

Body row – Make sure that the height of the rings is right. When you grab the rings with fully extended arms, your body should be very close to being horizontal, but your back shouldn’t touch the ground.

Spiderman push-up – Perform a regular military push-up. Every time you are lowering your body, bring one of your knees towards your elbow. Try to keep your torso as straight as possible throughout the movement.

Dips (rings/regular/chair)- depending on your current fitness level, perform bodyweight dips using gymnastic rings, dip-frame or just a regular chair or the edge of a boxing ring.

Mountain climbers – get into a push up position and slightly raise your buttocks. While maintaining your posture, start to bring your knees towards your chest one at a time. Speed is the key for this exercise.

Posterior chain

Kettlebell swing: Feet should be shoulder with apart and lower back completely straight. Use your legs and hips to generate movement in order to swing the kettlebell up. Stop the movement when your arm is parallel to the ground. All the “work” is done by your legs, hips and core muscles, not your arm or shoulder.

Double arm swing: To make the swing a bit more challenging you can use two kettlebells. It will require more strength and a better sense of balance.

Kettlebell swing to the chest: This exercise is very similar to the regular kettlebell swing, but instead of keeping the kettlebell in a fully extended arm, you will pull the kettlebell towards your chest/shoulder. Before gravity pulls the kettlebell back down, punch out and allow the kettlebell to take the same trajectory it used to come up.

Snatch: Perform a regular kettlebell swing, but instead of stopping the motion midways, allow it to come all the way up until your arm is fully extended above your head. Lock it, pause for a second and return it to the starting position in a slow and controlled manner.

Kettlebell swing from a kneeing position: Very similar to the regular kettlebell swing, but instead of standing up you will be down on one knee. This position won’t allow you to use your legs to generate momentum, thus forcing your hips and lower back to work a bit harder. It’s vital to keep your lower back completely straight throughout the movement.

Shoulders

Iron cross hold: Take two kettlebells and lift them to your sides until your arms are parallel to the ground. Keep this position for as long as you can.

Halo around the head: Circle the kettlebell around your head while keeping it always at your eye/ear level.

Military press: Place both kettlebells on your shoulders and perform a regular military/shoulder press.

High pull: Grab a kettlebell by its horn. While engaging your shoulder muscles and trapezius pull the kettlebell up as high as you can.

Straight arm extensions (front): Raise the kettlebell in front of you while keeping your arm fully extended and locked.

Straight arm extensions (side): Raise the kettlebell to one side while keeping your arm fully extended and locked.

Straight arm extensions (back): Raise the kettlebell behind your back while keeping your arm fully extended and locked.

Shoulder press holding the kettlebell by its horn and the bell facing upwards: Perform a regular shoulder press while keeping the kettlebell’s bell portion facing up. This exercise will help to develop grip strength and coordination.

Kettlebell side press: While keeping your feet fairly wide, lean your upper body towards one side and perform an upwards facing pressing motion.

Kettlebell sots press: Place two kettlebells on your shoulders. Squat down and while staying at this position perform a regular shoulder press.

Core

Halo around waist: Keep your hands relaxed and fully extended. Swing the kettlebell around your waist while switching it from one hand to the other. Maintain a strong core all the way through the movement.

Figure eight between legs: Keep your feet quite wide with knees slightly bent. Swing the kettlebell between and around your legs like drawing a figure eight in the air. Remember to keep your abs tight and back straight.

Windmill lower arm: Keep your legs shoulder with apart and fully locked. Slowly lean towards the side in which you have the kettlebell. Remember to fully engage your core muscles.

Windmill upper arm: Very similar to the previous exercise. In order to make it more challenging you will hold the kettlebell in the arm that is facing up.

Windmill both arms: Keep your legs shoulder with apart and fully locked. Slowly lean towards one side while keeping your core engaged and upper body fairly stiff and facing forward. The arm that is facing up should always be fully locked.

Turkish getup: Lie on the ground while holding a kettlebell in one hand. Bend your leg (the one on the same side where you have the kettlebell) and by driving your heel in the ground rotate your body towards the other side. Rise your body off the floor thus getting yourself into a bridge-like position. Slide a leg (the one from the side where you don’t have the kettlebell) underneath the bridge and place your knee on the ground. At this point lift up your supporting hand and stand up. Use the same steps in a reverse order to get back to the starting position.

Russian twist: Get into a crunch position with your knees slightly bent. Hold the kettlebell in front of your chest and slowly twist your torso from one side to the other.

Side leans: While standing with your feet shoulder with apart and holding a kettlebell in one hand, slowly lean to the other side without twisting your body forwards or backwards. Don’t overextend since it might cause an injury to your back.

Standing wood chippers/choppers: Stand with your feet shoulder with apart. Keep the kettlebell in front of you in slightly bent arms. While keeping your arms and shoulders fairly stiff, start to rapidly move the kettlebell from your shoulder to hip (across your torso). The created momentum will really work on your core muscles.

Wood chippers/choppers with a squat: Very similar to the standing wood chipper/chopper. The only difference is that you will incorporate a squat within the movement, thus generating even more force and momentum.

Renegade row: Get into a regular plank position with one palm firmly placed on the ground and other on a kettlebell. While keeping a strong core and good posture lift the kettlebell up towards your chest and slowly back down.

Push-up renegade row to side press: Get yourself into a plank position with one hand placed on a kettlebell. Perform a regular push-up before going into a renegade row. When you are in the middle of the renegade row, twist your body slightly sideways and push the kettlebell up towards the ceiling. You will find yourself in a star plank position.

Kettlebell sit-ups: Perform a regular crunch while keeping a kettlebell in front of you.

Bear crawl: Get into a crawling position with a large kettlebell in each of your hands. Start to crawl around while keeping your lower back nice and straight.

Biceps

Kettlebell bicep curls: Your upper arm and elbows should be locked in one position. Keep your body steady and don’t swing your hips for extra momentum. The movement should happen only in your elbows.

Legs

Squat: Place one or two kettlebells on your shoulders and perform a regular squat.

Deep squat: Perform a regular deep squat while holding a kettlebell in front of you.

Overhead squat: Keep two kettlebells in fully extended arms while performing a regular deep squat. The aim is to keep both arms as straight as possible throughout the whole movement (most people won’t be able to maintain fully extended arms). This is a very demanding exercise, that’s why it’s important to start with a lower weight and remember to keep your back straight.

Squat to a press: Place the kettlebells on your shoulders. Slowly squat down, pause and lift yourself back up. When your legs are fully extended perform a regular shoulder press.

Farmers walk: Take to heavy kettlebells and walk around while keeping your back nice and tight. Depending on the weight of the keetlebells, your walk could be from twenty to hundreds of feet long.

Walking lunges: Similar to the farmers walk, but instead of just walking, perform a deep lunge on each of your steps.

Chest

Floor press: While lying on the floor perform a movement that is similar to a regular bench press. You can use a rather heavy weight, because you will be working in a shorter range of motion. Make the movement as fast and rapid as possible in order to simulate the motion of a punch.

Bench press: Perform a regular bench press, but instead of using a barbell or dumbbells, use two kettlebells.

Staggered push-ups: Perform a regular military push-up while keeping one hand on the ground and one hand on a kettlebell. This exercise will help to develop your chest muscles from different angles.

Push-ups on kettlebells: You can use two large kettlebells as push-up handles in order to perform a “deeper” push-up.

Diamond push-ups on a kettlebell: Place both pals on one kettlebell and perform a regular push-up. This exercise will develop your chest muscle strength and improve balance.

Alternating floor press: Lie down on the floor with a kettlebell in each of your hands. Alternately press the kettlebells up (like you would be doing a bench press).

Back

Bent over row: While keeping a straight back, bend over until your upper body is almost parallel to the ground. Keep your shoulders tucked back and slowly pull the kettlebells towards your chest/shoulders.

Deadlift: While keeping your back straight, squat down until kettlebells touch the ground. Pause for a second and bring yourself back while maintaining a good posture.

Stiff leg deadlift: Keep your legs fully locked and back straight. With a good posture lean forward until your palms reach your knees. Don’t use an extremely heavy weight, since it will be very hard to maintain a straight lower back.

Kettlebell one legged dead-lift: Take one or two kettlebells in your hands. While balancing on one leg, squat down and lean forward until the kettlebell touches the floor. Pause for a second and stand back up. Remember that your lower back should be straight and fully engaged throughout the whole movement.

Triceps

Behind the head triceps extensions: Hold a kettlebell in an extended arm just above your head. Lower the kettlebell behind your head while keeping the upper part of the arm (the one attached to the shoulder) relatively straight. The movement should occur only in the elbow joint.

NOTE: You might also be interested in our dumbbell training article.

In this blog post we will show you a very basic, easy to follow joint mobility routine which you can (and should) use as a part of your warm-up routine before boxing or fitness training. A lot of emphasis will be put on shoulder mobility since it is a common problem area for many athletes, but especially boxers.

Shoulder mobility A: Relax your arms and let them hang at your sides. Start to slowly move your shoulder joint in a circular motion. Try to use a full range of motion, but don’t put too much pressure or additional force. Perform 10 circles forward followed by 10 circles backwards.

Shoulder mobility B: Bend your elbows in a 90 degree angle and raise your arms slightly up. While trying to keep your torso and shoulders stable and in the same place perform wide circular motion with your arms. Try to use a wide range of motion and moderate pace. Perform 10 circles forward followed by 10 circles backwards.

Shoulder mobility C: Lift your arms to a horizontal level (crucifix position). Start to twist your arms – one arm needs to twist forwards and the other backwards. Imagine that you are rolling/twisting a towel. Your arms and shoulders should basically perform the same motion. Try to use a full range of motion, but don’t overstretch. Change direction after each repetition. You should perform between 14 – 20 reps.

Wrist mobility: Put your palms together and interlace your fingers. Start to move your wrist joints in a circular motion. Your fingers should stay roughly at the same place and your wrists should move around them. The movement should be performed slowly and with a great care. Don’t rush – your wrists are a very sensible area. Perform 10 repetitions (full circles) in each direction.

Hip mobility A: Place your feet shoulder with apart. Start to circle your hips while keeping your feet and head at the same position. The movements should be slow and controlled and try NOT to use a full range of motion. You should be very careful with your lower back. If you feel any discomfort in the region of your spine, stop immediately. Perform 10 repetitions (full circles) in each direction.

Hip mobility B: Place your feet shoulder with apart. Start to circle your upper body while keeping your feet and hips at the same place. Again the movements should be slow and controlled and try NOT to use a full range of motion. You should be very careful with your lower back. If you feel any discomfort in the region of your spine, stop immediately. Perform 10 repetitions (full circles) in each direction.

Lower back mobility: Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and extend your arms above your head. Lean down as low as you can while keeping your legs straight. Pause and go back to the starting position. Perform this exercise for 10 repetitions. Don’t worry if you can’t go very low the first time. If you keep on practicing these movements your range of mobility will increase.

Knee mobility: Keep your feet and knees together. Place your palms on your knees and bend your legs to a 90 degree angle. Start to rotate your knees in a circle – up, right, down, left, up… Don’t use a full range of motion, be very gentle. Perform 10 repetitions (full circles) in each direction.

Knee and hip mobility: Place your feet shoulder-with apart with your toes pointing out. While keeping your hands crossed on your chest and lower back flat squat down as low as you can. Keep this position for 5-10 seconds. You should feel some stretching in your legs and buttocks. Come up to the starting position and repeat for 5 times.

If someone has a ripped six pack it doesn’t certainly mean that he/she has strong core muscles. Most of the time it only shows that this person has a low level of body fat. People often underestimate the importance of strong core musculature. It’s important to remember that core muscles have three main tasks: generation of movement, protection of spine and protection of internal organs. It’s vital to train this area regularly in order to prevent lower back injuries.

Below you can find a basic core muscle training routine which focuses on both static and flexing type core training exercises.

Regular plank: Place your elbows shoulder-with apart on the ground and extend your legs. Keep your abdominal muscles strained and buttocks slightly raised so that your belly doesn’t sink in. Maintain this position for as long as you can (at least 15 seconds and no longer than 3 minutes).

Side plank: Balance on one elbow and use your other arm for additional support. Keep your spine straight and abdominal muscles strained. This exercise will help to develop your obliques. Maintain this position for as long as you can (at least 15 seconds and no longer than 3 minutes). Remember to perform this exercise on both sides.

Side plank with a twist: this is an advanced variation of the side plank. Instead of maintaining a static position you should till your upper shoulder forward and lean as low as you can without losing your balance. Return to the starting position and repeat for 5 – 15 times. Remember to perform this exercise on both sides.

Abdominal crunch: Lie on the ground and bend your knees. While keeping your palms at the sides of your head embrace your abdominal muscles and lean forward. It’s not necessary to pull yourself all the way up to your knees. The focus is on REALLY engaging your abdominal muscles and using good technique even if it’s in a very short range of motion. You should perform this exercise for 10 – 30 times.

Straight leg crunch/reach: This exercise is similar to the abdominal crunch, but instead of bending your knees and working in a short range of motion you will stretch your legs out and by using a very smooth and fluid motion pull your upper body up and lean as far forward as you can. You should perform 10 – 30 repetitions of this exercise.

Russian twist with a kettlebell: Assume an abdominal crunch position and position your upper body in a 45 degree angle against the floor. While keeping a dumbbell, kettlebell or weight plate in your hands twist your body to one side in a controlled and slow manner. Return to the starting position and twist to the other side. If you haven’t done this exercise before you might wish to perform it without any weights. You should perform 8 – 20 repetitions of this exercise.

Superman back extension: Lie on the floor with your legs and arms fully stretched out. Use your back muscles to simultaneously lift your legs, arms and shoulders up as high as you can. Return to the starting position and repeat. For additional challenge you might take some really light dumbbells in your hands. You should perform this exercise for 15 – 30 repetitions.

Back extension with added resistance: Place the bar just below your belly button and keep a dumbbell, kettlebell or weight plate pressed against your chest. Lean forward while keeping your lower back strained and straight, meaning that the motion should happen only in your hips. Pull your upper body back and repeat. If you haven’t done this exercise before you might wish to perform it without any weights. You should perform 8 – 20 repetitions of this exercise.

As probably everyone knows foods can be divided in protein rich, carbohydrate rich and fat rich foods. A balanced diet will included all of them. In regards of a health promoting diet the main question isn’t what the ratio between carbs, protein and fat should be, but from what sources should we obtain these macro nutrients? The answer is – the more natural and unprocessed the source, the better results you will get. Below you can see a list of good and healthy sources for carbs, fats and protein.

Carbohydrates:
• Fruits (Limited portions are fine, but please don’t go crazy on these)
• Tubers (e.g. potatoes, yams, etc)
• Rice
• Oats
• Vegetables (e.g. carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc )
• Natural honey

Healthy fats:
• Animal fats (e.g. lard, eggs, quality butter, etc)
• Fish and fish products like cod liver oil
• Cold pressed olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Nuts

Protein:
• Poultry
• Game
• Red meat
• Fish and other forms of seafood
• Eggs
• Dairy

Some general rules you should follow:

1. Try to include vegetables in most of your meals – it’s an excellent source of minerals and vitamins.
2. Don’t go crazy on reducing fat in your diet. Just make sure that you obtain fat from good sources.
3. If you are doing a lot of cardio exercises try to slightly increase your carbohydrate intake for that extra boost. It will help to maintain your energy reserves.
4. If you want to gain lean muscle mass, focus on increasing your protein intake while keeping carbs and fats at the same level. If you don’t eat enough while you are engaged in a demanding fitness regime, your body will start to break down your muscle tissue in order to provide enough nutrients/energy for the vital bodily functions.

Here is a sample of how your day in terms of food could look like:

Breakfast: Fried eggs and sausages. Fruit with Greek yoghurt.
Lunch: Chicken with potatoes and loads of vegetables.
Supper: Grilled salmon with rice and vegetables.
If you want to eat something between meals, just snack on some fruit, nuts or dark chocolate.

Unfortunately it’s almost impossible to offer a “one size fits all” formula when it comes to nutrition. We all are unique – what works for one person will not bring the same results for someone else. It’s vital to get the basics right, but eventually it’s all about individual experimentation.

There are six kinds of nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins and water. With obesity rates hitting all time high it’s pretty obvious that the nutrient ratio promoted by conventional wisdom isn’t optimal. Of course it’s not only the ratio, but also the types of food we use in our diet – carbohydrate rich and refined foods, hydrogenated vegetable oils, etc.

With so many nutrition trends and celebrity diets floating around it’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel lost. In the end it’s important to distance from all the hype and understand that the basics of healthy nutrition are dead simple. First of all you should eat foods that aren’t heavily processed and that are coming from natural sources. Second of all try to eat only food that make you feel good and helps to improve your performance. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of self-experimentation. There are no rules or magic pills, just basic guidelines.

It’s funny how many people are obsessed about reducing fat in their diet, while still loading up on carbs. Fat is an extremely important nutrient which plays a major role in brain development, metabolism regulation and cellular repair. Actually overloading on carbs is what triggers excessive fat storage. The video below will explain this in more detail.

If your aim is to develop a lean, healthy and strong body you might wish to obtain your calories from the food sources listed below.

Please experiment with your food, keep on questioning conventional wisdom and enjoy the process. Even though we have come a long way in terms of nutrition science we still don’t fully understand human body and all the processes (e.g. metabolism) taking place within it.

For more in-depth information on how to get the most out of your diet you might wish to visit the following links:

Mark’s Daily Apple
Robb Wolf – The Paleo Solution
The Weston A. Price Foundation

Quite often interval training routines are performed using treadmills, elliptical trainers or other forms of traditional cardio equipment. While you are still able to gain the cardiovascular benefits, it’s not the best approach to obtain general fitness. The main issue is that majority of active people have got a good level of lower body muscle endurance, but unfortunately their upper body muscle endurance is usually quite weak. By placing more emphasis on exercises that develop upper body it’s possible to fix this disbalance. The following routine is designed with exactly this objective in mind.

The routine consists of three pairs of exercises + two warm-up exercises, meaning that there will be eight different exercises in total. Both warm-up exercises should be performed just once.

Warm-up: Shoulder mobility training with clubbell mills x 10 (each arm)
Rowing x 5 minutes
A: Halo x 10 (each direction)
Single arm kettlebell swing x 10 (each arm)
B: Stiff leg kettlebell deadlift x 15
Kettlebell snatch x 10 (each arm)
C: Kettlebell squat x 20
Windmill x 5 (each arm)

This routine is rather simple and easy to follow. You will start with the two exercises in the “Warm-up” section and follow with the exercise pairs “A”,”B” and ”C”. Warm-up exercises should be performed just once, but the exercise pairs A, B and C should be performed three times. Exercises within a pair should be performed nonstop – without taking any breaks in-between. A 1 minute break should be taken after completion of an exercise pair.

This is a high intensity exercise routine which consists of 335 individual repetitions + 5 minutes on the rowing machine. Due to the demanding nature of this training method you should use weights that are lighter than the ones you are using for more bodybuilding oriented training approach.

Exercise description

Clubbell mills

Keep the clubbell upwards in an extended arm. Bend your arm in the elbow and let the klubbell drop away from you while you rotate your arm/clubbell around your head and shoulders. When a full circle is made, your arm should return in the same starting position – extended arm with the clubbell facing up. Use smooth, controlled motion in order to maintain momentum and avoid injuries.

Rowing

Secure your feet using the security straps. Grab the handle and while maintaining a completely straight lower back, extend your knees and lean back imitating the motion of rowing a boat. The power should be generated in your hips and back muscles. Make sure that your lower back is always straight and strained. Vary the speed and power output according to your fitness level and experiment with the position of your palms in order to find the most natural position.

Halo

Grab a kettlebell by its “horns” with the bell portion facing upwards. Rotate the kettlebell around your head just like you would be drawing a halo in the air. Perform the exercise in a slow and controlled manner. If you feel any pain or discomfort in your shoulders you should lower the weight or readjust your hand position.

Single arm kettlebell swing

Grab a kettlebell with one arm and place your feet shoulder with apart. Bend your knees and keep your lower back completely straight. Use your hips and core muscles to generate power in order to swing the kettlebell. Your arm acts just like a pendulum. Swing the kettlebell until your extended arm is almost parallel to the ground. Stop the motion and allow the kettlebell drop back between your legs. Use your shoulders and back muscles to lower the kettlebell in a controlled manner. Make sure that your knees are position wide apart. You don’t want to hit them with a heavy kettlebell.

Stiff leg kettlebell deadlift

Put your feet shoulder with apart and grab the kettlebell by its “horns”. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and while maintaining a straight upper and lower back lower the kettlebell as low as you can without bending your back. If you have a good level of flexibility you should be able to lower the kettlebell just below you knees. If you can’t, continue to work within your range of motion and it will gradually increase. The key to this exercise is to keep your legs stiff and knees locked throughout the whole motions. It’s a safe and very effective exercise as long as you keep your back straight and strained.

Kettlebell snatch

The starting position of the snatch is similar to the starting position of a single arm kettlebell swing. Instead of stopping the motion when your arm is parallel to the ground you will slightly bend your elbow and drive the kettlebell straight in the air until your arm is fully extended. Lower the kettlebell in a slow and controlled manner. You don’t want to allow the kettlebell to swing back down, because it might cause too much strain for your joints, especially if you are using heavy weights.

Kettlebell squat

Hold the kettlebell in front of your chest just like if you would be getting ready to perform a halo. Instead of a halo you will perform a deep squat while holding the kettlebell in front of you. Not only it’s a great leg strengthening exercise, but it also makes your core muscle to work really hard since they will have to maintain your balance.

Windmill

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and keep the kettlebell up in a fully extended arm. Shift your hips to one side and bend your upper body in opposite direction while holding the kettlebell above your head. Your legs should be fully locked throughout the movement. Try to work within your full range of motion. The aim is to touch the ground with your fingertips. Remember to take small steps and progress gradually in order to prevent injuries.

Enjoy,

Box Fitness team.

Our approach is to focus on variety instead of adding more and more reps of exactly the same exercise. Unfortunately most of the time when people think about pull-up training only two exercises come into their mind – regular (military/shoulder with) pull-ups and chin-ups (the same as a pull-up, only palms are facing towards your body). In this article will try to introduce you to the endless variations and progressions pull up training can offer.

Each variation targets your muscles in a slightly different way, thus providing a well-rounded workout. Lets take running as an example. Very different skills are needed to compete in 100m sprints, mountain marathons and 100+ mile ultra-marathons. The ability to compete in all of these disciplines would make that person a very well rounded athlete. It’s the same with pull-ups. The more different variations you will do, the better you will be able to condition your upper back, shoulder and hand muscles.

We believe that for general fitness it’s better to be a generalist rather than a specialist in just couple movements. Before we get into the fun stuff, lets take a look at some basic principles and practices.

How to do Pull-ups safely?

Injury prevention should be your main focus when performing any kind of physical exercises. Here are some tips you should always remember when performing regular pull-ups and other closely related exercises.

1. Try to inhale on your way down and exhale on your way up. This isn’t a firm rule and you should adapt to the patterns that feel most natural to your body. The main thing is that you shouldn’t hold your breath for too long.

2. Keep your body straight and aligned. Engage your core muscles and focus on smooth movements. Rocking back and forth and other movements that help to generate momentum should be only used when performing more advanced pull-up variations like the kipping pull-ups.

3. Lower yourself until your arms are fully extended, but always keep your shoulders pulled into their sockets. Never relax them completely. When pulling yourself up try to go as high as you can. Forget about the “chin above the bar”. If you are a beginner and can just get your nose above the bar, then do it that way. If you are an expert and can touch the bar with your chest or upper abdomen, than that’s how high you should be going.

Basic Pull-up variations – wide grip, close grip, chin-ups and regular (military)

In this paragraph we will briefly look at the four most common pull up variations: close grip pull-ups, wide grip pull-ups, military pull-ups and chin-ups.

• Regular (military) Pull-ups
This is the most common pull-up variation. When performing this variation make sure that your palms are a bit wider than shoulder with apart and are facing away from your body. Pull yourself up in a slow and controlled manner while keeping your body as straight as possible. Don’t rock back and forth to generate momentum. At this point we want to build up your strengths. Later in more advanced variations we will start to introduce the ”kipping” motion.

• Chin-ups
The only major difference between a chin-up and a pull-up is that you palms will be facing you. The change in the palm position will change the movement patterns thus triggering different muscle groups. For majority of people chin-ups are a bit easier than regular pull-ups. It’s due to the fact that chin–ups put a lot of emphasis on biceps. This muscle seems to be more developed than upper back (which is mainly utilised in regular pull-ups).

• Close grip Pull-ups

Very similar to the regular (military) pull-up with the difference that your palms should be exactly shoulder with apart. Be careful! Don’t perform this variation if you have issues with your wrist joints.

• Wide grip Pull-ups

When performing wide grip pull-ups keep your body nice and tight and place your palms wider than shoulder with apart. There is no real way to tell how wide you should place them. We wouldn’t suggest going extremely wide because it might put too much pressure on your wrist joints. The only time you can go very wide is if you have access to a pull up bar with bent ends. If you feel any pain or discomfort in your joints, adjust your palm placement until you feel comfortable.

Pull-up exercise variations & tips for beginners

If you are a beginner many bodyweight exercises (including pull-ups and chin-ups) might feel very challenging to you. We understand that many people can’t do even a single repetition of a pull-up. Don’t worry, there are some tricks and techniques that will help you to gain the strength you need for achieving your first perfect repetition. Our five favorites are the following:

• Assisted pull-ups. For this exercise you will need another person to help you. Grab the bar and let the other person hold your hips or legs. When you pull yourself up he should use his arms to push you up as well. The assistant should push you just a little so that you have plenty of work to do yourself. If you prefer to work out alone you can buy elastic resistance bands. Just throw them over the bar and put your knee or foot in the loop. That will help you a bit.

• Body row. While not a pull-up is still helps to develop the muscles you will need for harder pull-up variations. For this exercise you can use either a low hanging bar or gymnastic rings (or TRX). Grab the bar and fully extend your arms. Make sure that your body is in a straight line and your abs are engaged. While maintaining a good posture, pull your chest towards the bar. Pause and return back to the starting position.

• Jumping pull-ups. For this exercise you will need a bar that you can easily reach while standing on the ground. In a pull-up exercise the hardest part is pulling yourself up. Letting yourself down is the easy part. Grab the bar with both hands. Use your legs to jump up so that your chin is above the bar. Don’t drop down. Use all the strength you have to make the downward motion as slow as possible. Repeat this exercise until you can no longer jump high enough or your back muscles can’t carry your weight anymore.

• Static holds. Find a low-hanging bar or use a chair to access a regular height pull-up bar. Grab it and make sure that your chin is above the bar. Lift your feed and hold this position (with the chin above the bar) for as long as you can. If you start losing strength, don’t just jump off – lower yourself in a controlled manner. Static holds are very effective for building strength for more demanding movements.

• Negative pull-ups. Find a low-hanging bar or use a chair to access a regular height pull-up bar. Grab the bar so that you find yourself in the upper position of a pull-up. Slowly lower yourself back down. This exercise is very similar to the jumping pull-up.

More advanced pull-up variations

• Behind the head pull-ups – try to touch the bar with the back of your neck.

• Supper narrow grip pull-ups – Place your palms together as close as you can.

• One hand assisted pull-ups – grab the bar with one hand. Place your other hand on the wrist of the first one for additional support. Helps to develop grip strength.

• Diagonal pull-ups – try to touch your right palm with your left shoulder and vice versa.

• Mixed grip pull-ups – perform a regular pull-up with one hand facing you and the other hand facing away.

• Clapping pull-ups – perform explosive pull-ups where at the upper part of the pull-up you release your hands and make a quick clap.

• Ladder hand walking

• Fingertip pull-ups – find a narrow edge which is wide enough for you to place just your fingertips. Helps to develop finger strength for sports like rock climbing, mountain biking and motocross.

• Around the world pull-ups – use a full range of circular motion (up, down and sideways) to perform this variation.

• Side to side pull-ups – pull yourself up and while maintaining the upper position shift your body from one side to the other.

• Towel pull-ups – throw two towels over a bar. Grab the ends of the towels and pull yourself up. Helps to develop grip strength.

The list could go on and on…

Photo credit: United States Marine Corps Official Page via photopin cc

This article outlines the importance of multi-disciplinary approaches to the principles of boxing footwork. It also suggests how the coach can use the information when developing their coaching process (Nash et al 2008; Miles 2004). Research into boxing generically, suggests there aren’t a lot of researchers that are willing to study boxing, other than in the realms of boxing injuries. This is due to the very nature of the sport, and the fact they would not want to play a role in getting people injured (Smit and Louw 2011). With this in mind, other research states that the footwork and related movements involved can relate to other dynamic sports, such as tennis (Mack et al 2010) and striking and kicking sports (K-1, MMA, Thai boxing) (Kajmovic et al 2007; Kapo 2006).

Biomechanical

The correct footwork can be used as a combination, to embark on an attack or to retreat with a defence (Kapo et al 2008). The application of footwork allows you to move away and towards your opponent in a fast motion (Venda et al 2008) which will be beneficial in counter attacking opponents. The ABA outline the four main directions in which a boxer will need to move (Forward, Back, Left and right) as can be seen in the coaching points section. The list of importance’s to incorporate correct biomechanical footwork in boxing could go on and on. Everything starts from the base (stance) and without correct technical application of this; all other elements will suffer dramatically in terms of defence, attack, generation and force production, timing, balance and explosive power etc. Other factors include;

• Punches will drive from the legs in a twisting motion through proximal-to-distal sequencing (Mack et al 2010). The motion initiates in the larger, heavier proximal body segments and, as the energy increases, proceeds outward to the smaller, lighter distal segments (Ends in the fist).
• Without correct footwork, the torso will be restricted in its ability to rotate; therefore reducing the impact and force of the punch Power, as suggested in the ABA coaching manual.
• Punches drive from the legs the force generated then proceeds in a twisting motion through the pelvis ending at the arms/fist as suggested in the ABA coaching manual (2011).

Psychological

The psychological element will apply itself in the competition phase, determining whether the boxer chooses to apply forward moving footwork (attacking), backward moving footwork (defensive) or neutral footwork (Combined) (ABA 2011; Kapo et al 2008).

Waquent (2004) noted that violence and aggression need to be suppressed which is supported by (Smith & Louw 2011) when reporting that losing control of anger will lead you to a less chance of winning a bout. Other skills and techniques such as footwork and other defensive manoeuvres need to be considered in replacement to pure all out aggression.

All these defence strategies start with the movement of foot. This will mean that if the boxer is unsuccessfully using correct footwork and movement to defend, they could then therefore end up taking unnecessary blows, further affecting their psychological frame of mind, thus resulting in a loss.

On the whole boxing is a muscular endurance sport, with elements of high explosive anaerobic movements. The amount of movement will depend on the duration of the bout and the way in which the bout is being scored (10-9 system or computer scoring). This shows the importance of having a high V02 max and a good tolerance to high levels of blood lactate due to the onset of acidosis (Bonitch-Gongora et al 2010). With this in mind, the movement and footwork will become impaired as the boxer becomes tired, resulting in;

• Reduced leg Isometric strength
• Reduced leg Explosive power
• Increased leg stiffness
• Less movement
• Impaired accuracy (Girard et al 2006)

These factors occur for several reasons, including

• The insufficient rate of re-synthesis of ATP, PC
• The build up of inorganic phosphate molecules
• Increased levels of PH due to the onset of Hydrogen ions

Physiology & Psychology

When a boxer steps into the ring, they need to be both physically and mentally prepared for competition. If the boxer does not feel as physically fit as they should do, this can play a huge role in negatively affecting a boxers frame of mind. This will alter the way a boxer goes about the bout, as they may “hold back” as they believe they are not fit enough to maintain a sufficient pace. Relevant coaching implementations need to be applied;

1. Ensure the boxer is in good physical conditioning; in terms of footwork, plyo-metric and muscular endurance training will be beneficial for maintaining explosive footwork.

2. If a boxer is feeling psychologically unprepared for the match up, specialist help may be required. If this is not possible or does not work, ensure the boxer does not compete.

Biomechanics & Physiology

The relationship between these two sciences are critical to the application of boxing technique. If the boxer isn’t prepared physically, their ability to perform correct biomechanical footwork will suffer. For new boxers, the legs will be the main area that will “ache” due to the new/unlearned strain being put on them. This is why it is important to ensure that biomechanical and physical training run side by side in the training programme.

1. Make the leg training days relevant to the technique of boxing footwork; for example when doing squat training, do it in the boxing stance.

2. Try and ensure the correct technique is being replicated, this will aid muscle memory.

Biomechanics & Psychology

Both these two disciplines correlate in the application of boxing footwork. If a boxer knows that their biomechanical technique is “top notch”, they will feel more psychologically sound in terms of their own abilities. They will also be able to change their game-plan as and when necessary, as they will understand the different attack and defence strategies due to the work completed in the technique stage of coaching.

1. Ensure that the technical application is correct, from basic to advanced.

2. Encourage good technique, so the boxer subconsciously knows when they are doing well, this will help the movements to become imbedded into the mind.

Coaching Points

The stance – The positioning should be shoulder width apart with a 40 to 45 degree angle of both the front and back foot. The positioning of the feet is shown in pic 2.The boxer should be balanced with the weight being over on the back leg. The heels should be off the ground and the boxer should be in the ready position. The positioning may cause stress on the legs (especially the weight bearing leg) so relevant muscular endurance and interval training are necessary to ensure the quadriceps, hamstrings and gastrocnemeous are able to cope with the strain being placed upon them. Looking and feeling strong may also aid the psyche of the boxer, as they will be able to gain an initial advantage over their opponent. (ABA coaching course 2011).

• Forwards: Push off from the back foot, moving the front foot first
• Backwards: Push from the front foot, moving the back foot first
• Right: Push from the front foot, moving the back foot to the right
• Left: Push from the back foot, moving the front foot first across to the left (ABA coaching course 2011)

Conclusion

This article indicates that there is not a lot of research directly relating to boxing (Smit and Louw 2011). However, from the research that is out there, we were able to develop a coaching model that can be used as a recommendation for coaches when coaching boxers from an early age. It is also evident that the 3 sciences (Psychology, physiology and biomechanics) correspond with each other, this is important to remember when devising training programmes in the coaching process (Nash et al 2008). Footwork is used in all stages of completion (attacking, defending and combined) (Kapo et al 2008) showing the importance of ensuring boxers get well coached/schooled in this element of boxing. A final thought to consider is, “A boxer can be as fast as lightning with their hand speed, without the fast feet to support this, they will rarely land a punch”. (ABA coaching course 2011).

Author: Jon Shaw

Sports Scientists and coaches have suggested that the ability to perform short bursts of sprints with minimal recovery periods in between them (Repeat sprint ability, RSA), may be influential in determining the result of many different sporting events, including team and individual sports (Jougla et al 2010; Oliver et al 2007; Spencer et al 2005). The ability to recover and maintain maximal effort during subsequent sprints is an important determinant to a successful performance, which shows us the importance of the understanding of the physiological effects that such sprints will have on an athlete. This present study specifically focuses on the rest period duration (15 Seconds(s) and 120 Seconds(s)) and how this will effect sprint performance, as it has been identified as an influential factor on sprint performance (Billaut and Basset 2007; Spencer et al 2005).

For single short maximal sprints (<6 seconds), energy provision is maintained predominantly from anaerobic sources phosphorcreatine (PCr) degradation and Glycolysis, with a minimal contribution from aerobic metabolism. Recovery is symbolised as the body’s ability to return to homeostasis (Glaister 2005). Without sufficient bouts of recovery, the onset of fatigue will occur due to the depletion Adenosine Tri Phosphate (ATP), Phosphorcreatine (PCr) and the accumulation of hindering sources such as inorganic Phosphate molecules (iP). The body stores only 80g to 100g of ATP (Dick 2002) which isn’t enough for sustained sprinting (Noakes 2000), showing the need for resynthesis. The intramuscular PCr stores in a resting state are usually around 75-85 mmol/KG dm (Spencer et al 2005) with a maximal PCr turnover rate of around 7-9 mmol/ KG dm/ sec, enough time for around 5s of maximal effort sprinting. Fatigue can be viewed as the inability to continue exercise at any given intensity (Robergs & Roberts 1997). There are two types of fatigue, 1) Central fatigue; factors such as the recruitment of muscle fibers by motor units and motivation are considered. 2) Peripheral fatigue; split into 4 types, depletion of PCr, Lack of Glycogen availability, decline in intracellular pH and accumulation of iP (McMahon & Jenkins 2002; Glaister 2005). It is notable that PCr acts as a buffer for ATP and a moderate correlation as been made between PCr depletion and fatigue. Casey (1996) studied 9 male participants over 2 bouts of 30 seconds maximal bike sprints. It was found that PCr decreased from 83.9 ± 3.6 to 34.8 ± 4.5 mmol/kg, whilst ATP reduced by 23.9 ± 0.4 decreased to 18.7 ± 1.3 mmol/kg. A distinct reduction in both PCr and ATP is evident with a more clear reduction in the levels of PCr. The recovery duration is important in the restoration and resynthesis of PCr and ATP (Glaister 2005; Spencer et al 2005). Harris et al (1976) carried out 5 studies using all male participants between 18- 30 years old, on the lengths of recovery in relation to PCr levels. It was found that the longer rest duration, the more PCr that is re-synthesised. 21 seconds worth of recovery time would only be enough to re-synthesise 50% of the homeostasis state, with 84% after 2 minutes. For a 100% re-synthesis a 20 minute rest period would be necessary. When the recovery duration is short, the PCr levels cannot reach sufficient levels to produce a maintained high intensity sprint, lowering sprint ability (Glaister 2005). The lack of PCr (2nd Peripheral fatigue) means there will be an increased demand on the anaerobic Glycolysis system, its main limitation is that its end process produces pyruvate, which is transported to the mitochondria, oxidised to acetyl co-A and converted to lactate; with hydrogen being the limiting waste product. This factor directly correlates with the 3rd type of peripheral fatigue as the hydrogen ions play a huge role in declining the pH in the muscle cells causing the onset of muscular acidosis. The calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum are sensitive to change in the levels of acidity, causing an interference with the binding of the troponin heads in muscular contraction. Acidosis impairs the body’s capacity for Glycolysis, whilst the onset of hydrogen ions inhibits Phosphorylase and Phosphofructokinase (PFK), key regulatory enzymes; again decreasing the ability and speed of ATP resynthesis. Glaister (2005) Studied Twenty-five male physical education and sport science students. The mean ± SD values for age, height, body mass, and predicted percentage of body fat (7-site skinfold protocol) were 20.6 ± 1.5 years, 177.2 ± 5.4 cm, 78.2 ± 8.2 kg, and 11.9 ± 4.7%, respectively. 2 multiple sprint test protocols with contrasting recovery periods, each protocol was separated by a minimum 24-hour rest period. Protocol 1 consisted of 20x5s sprints separated by 10s recovery periods. Protocol 2 consisted of 20x5s sprints separated by 30-second recovery periods. It was again found that the Recovery duration had a significant effect on measures of maximum mean power output, with a suggestion that the 10s recovery periods provided insufficient restoration of homeostasis.

Aim

To determine whether there is an influence of recovery duration on Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA).

Null Hypothesis

There will be no significance between the 15 seconds and 120 seconds recovery periods on RSA.

Research Design

This study was a repeated measured design between two different groups (15s recovery and 120s recovery).

Participants

8 male participants, all sports students who volunteered to take part in the study. Mean age of 20 years ± 2.07, mean weight of 75 KG ± 7.73 and mean height of 179 cm ± 3.17. They were all accustomed to the procedures of the study.

Ethics

All participants completed a pre-test and blood screening questionnaire and also gave written consent to be involved within the study. It was made clear that resignation from the study at any time was possible. As bloods were being taken, professional conduct was maintained and needles were never reused and were disposed of in sharps bins immediately after testing. A relevant warm up and cool down procedure was undertaken.

Procedures

Eight participants were selected and completed a pre-test questionnaire, blood screening document and provided written consent to be involved within the study. All the participants were informed of the testing procedures and understood they could withdraw from the study at any particular time. Participants were assigned randomly into two groups, 15s recovery or 120s recovery. The participants then recorded height (cm), weight (kg), resting heart rate (b/min) (Polar HR monitor) and resting blood lactate (mM) (Lactate Pro) at homeostasis state. Participants completed a comprehensive warm up for 10 minutes, starting at a light jog progressing through to faster strides. A series of dynamic sprint related stretching was used to reduce risk of injury.

4 x 25m areas were set up with a timing gate at the start and at the finish of the area (Tag Heurer). On the completion of the warm up the participants completed 10 x 25 m sprints interspersed with their allocated recovery period (15 s or 120 s). The times of each sprint were collated using the timing gates. The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) (Borg 1982) was gathered at the end of each sprint. The Heart rate of the participants was gathered at the beginning of each sprint and at the end of each sprint using Heart rate monitors.

After the completion of the sprints the participants undertook a light cool down consisting of slow movements and static stretching. Post blood lactate was taken three minutes after the last sprint was performed. Participants completed a thorough warm-down, and were advised to replenish fuel stores via consumption of a light carbohydrate snack.

Data analysis

All of the collected data was inserted to Microsoft excel. All data are expressed as mean (±SD), and statistical significance set at P<0.05. All statistical tests were carried out using SPSS software. Repeated measures one-way ANOVA was used to evaluate the difference between the treatments for all dependent measures.

Results

Figure 1 shows that the 120s rest duration sprint times were faster and more consistent than the 15s times. The 15s sprint times got slower over the course of the 10 sprints. Statistical analysis shows a significant difference (p <0.05).

FIG 1 Times (s) for 10 x 25m sprints for 15s and 120s recovery periods. Results are mean data ± SD.

Fig 2 shows rest Blood Lactate for the 15s and 120s recovery (p >0.05) showing no significance. This is expected as both reading were taken at homeostasis. It also shows post blood lactate levels (p <0.05), with statistical analysis showing a significance.

FIG 2 Mean blood lactate levels ± SD for both 15s and 120s in pre and post lactate testing.

FIG 3 shows that there is a clear difference between the fatigue indexes of the two recovery periods. (p<0.05) statistically indicating a significant difference.

FIG 3 Mean fatigue index percentage ± SD, for 15s and 120s recover.

FIG 4 the heart rate before each of the 15s recovery sprints were higher than that of the 120s. It is noticeable that the HR before the 15s recovery sprints wasn’t significantly different to the readings taken afterwards (see FIG 4(a)). (p<0.05) showing statistical significance. FIG 4 Mean Heart rate before each of the 10x25m sprints ± SD for both 15s and 120s recovery.

FIG 4(a) alike the pre sprint heart rates shown in FIG 4, there is a clear difference between the two recovery periods HR’s. (p <0.05) showing relevant significance.

FIG 4(a) Mean Heart after each of the 10 x 25m sprints ± SD for both 15s and 120s.

FIG 5 shows that the participants did report a difference in intensity as the 15s RPE’s are higher than the 120s from sprint 4-10. (p>0.05) showing no statistical significance.

FIG 5 Mean RPE scores after each of the 10x25m sprints ± SD for both 15s and 120s.

Discussion

The focus of this study was to determine whether there was a difference in performance levels (times of sprints) dependant on the duration of recovery (15s, 120s). From statistical analysis of the results of the sprint times, it is evident that there was a clear significance between the two recovery durations (p<0.05). The 120s recovery period allowed sufficient levels of PCr to make a contribution to the resynthesis of ATP prior to each sprint (Glaister 2005), allowing for more consistent sprint times. PCr regeneration is critical when understanding that Gaitanos (1993) found PCr was reported 80% of the total anaerobic ATP provision during the final bout of 10 X 6s maximal sprints (30 s recovery). On the reverse side, the half time for PCr resynthesis is >22s concluding that the 15s recovery period wasn’t enough time to allow sufficient PCr regeneration (Ferrauti 2001), meaning a lower contribution towards power output from PCr, resulting in an inhibition of contractile activity through a decrease in the muscle pH, thus resulting in slower times after the first few sprints (Balsom et al 1992; Bogdanis et al; 1996). This is supported by Harris et al (1976) when reporting PCr would only get back to 50% of its original state after a 21s rest period.

The results from the fatigue index show a significant difference between 15s and 120s (p<0.05). The fact that the times produced in the sprints were mainly regulated by the PCr availability provides a strong reason why the blood lactate levels were significantly higher in the post 15s, which has limitations on the body’s contractile capabilities, resulting in a decreased power output (Glaister 2005). The reduced ability to regenerate sufficient levels of PCr in the 15s interval would result in a demand on anaerobic Glycolysis for the maintenance of ATP resynthesis leading to a lower power output. The minimum recovery duration to maintain the initial peak power output during two successive sprints of 8 s was around 30 s (Billaut et al 2003), further explaining the 15s recovery was insufficient. The Half-time for the removal of lactic acid from the body is around 9 minutes, meaning a 15s rest period would be virtually useless in any kind of meaningful removal. Glaister (2005) suggests blood lactate is the reflection of production to removal ratio and implies that more research on this matter needs to be assembled. It is acknowledged by many researchers that the onset of lactic acid occurs during high intense sporting activities, reports have indicated a negative impact on performance (Astrand 1963). Newer research however, suggests that the lactate is in fact a critical link between energy processes and provides key fuels (glycogenolysis) (Brooks 2007). Westerblad et al (2002) suggests that the Hydrogen (H+) ions are the limiting factor in the production of lactic acid as they contribute to acidosis whereby the normal pH = 7.35 – 7.45; decrease by 0.5 during intense activity, proposing several mechanisms of fatigue. It is therefore important for this build up of lactate to be removed in order to disassociate the body with any build up of H+ ions. 120s recovery will have a more likely chance of offering sufficient aerobic active rest time (McArdle et al 2000) to aid the removal, unlike that of the 15s duration. This would be a contributor to the slower sprint times in the 15s recovery test. The fourth type of peripheral fatigue; the build up of iP molecules has been reported to be more of contributor of fatigue (in high intense activities) than lactic acid, according to newer research. This is Due to the inhibitory effect on sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release (Westerblad 2002). Removing accumulated iP from the body during the recovery process is done by adenosine diphosphate and creatine phosphorylation which relies on the presence of oxygen (Glaister 2005; Spencer 2005). Therefore the 120s rest period will allow for more sufficient recovery periods likely to aid the removal of iP at a higher level than the 15s recovery as a result of more time for oxygen consumption. Gaitanos et al (1993) tested 8 healthy male Physical education students with an average age of 26. 10x6s maximum sprints were performed with passive 30 seconds recovery in between them. Results indicated from interval 1 to interval 10, the rate of ATP derived from PCr dropped 45%, while the rate of ATP derived from Glycolysis dropped 85%. The total anaerobic contribution dropped by 65% from the first to the last sprint. By the last sprint, the rate of lactate production decreased 10-fold. Despite a huge reduction in Glycolitic energy production, the mean power output between intervals 1 and 10 only fell 27%. Although seen as circumstantial data by many researchers, the findings seem to show a significant shift to aerobic metabolism at the latter stages of the exercise test, due to a reduced anaerobic energy yield.

Conclusion

The influence of recovery duration on multiple-sprint performance has been investigated using two different recovery durations (15s and 20s). I have discovered that shorter rest durations result in a lower power output in later sprints due to inadequate time to get the body back towards a homeostasis state; this resulted in slower sprint times, increased blood lactate and a higher fatigue index. My results were supported by current literature that studied similar research topics.

Author: Jon Shaw

Reference List

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Balsom, P.D. Seger, J.Y. Sodjin, B. Bekblom, B. (1992) Maximal intensity intermittent exercise: Effect of recovery duration. Sports Med. 13:528-533.

Billaut, V.L. Sirvent, P.P. Koralsztein, J.P. Mercier, J. (2003)The concept of maximal lactate steady state. Sport Med 33: 406–426.

Bogdanis, G.C. Nevile, M.E. Boobis, L.H. Lakomy, H.K. Nevile, A.M.(1995) Recovery of power output and muscle metabolites following 30 s of maximal sprint cycling in man. Journal of Physiology. 482: 467-480.

Borg, G. (1982) Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 14 (5), p. 377-81

Brooks, G.A. (2007) Lactate: Link Between Glycolytic and Oxidative Metabolism. Sports Medicine, 37 (4-5), 341-343.

Dick, F.W. (2002) Sports training principles. 4th edition. London, A&C Black (publishers) Ltd.

Ferrauti, A., Pluim, B. & Weber, K. (2001) The effect of recovery duration on running speed and stroke quality during intermittent training drills in elite tennis players. Journal of Sport Sciences [Online] 19, 235-242. Available from: Academic Search Elite [Accessed November 2012].

Gaitanos, G.C.C. Williams, L. Brooks, S. (1993) Human muscle metabolism during intermittent maximal exercise. Applied Physiology. 75:712-719. 1993.

Glaister, M., Stone, M.H., Stewart, A.M., Hughes, M. & Moir, G.L. (2005) The influence of recovery duration on multiple sprint cycling performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research [Online] 19 (4), 831-837. Available from Academic Search Elite [Accessed 27th July 2011].

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McArdle, W.D, Katch., F.I. & Katch, V.L. (2000) Essentials of Exercise Physiology. Baltimore, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

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Requirements for this position:
• 8 – 10 years experience as an amateur boxer or an ex-professional. Instead you can have experience as a boxing coach.
• Good communication and customer service skills.
• Passion for boxing and desire to pursue a career in fitness industry.

May be an advantage:
• Education in personal fitness training, physiotherapy or other relevant subjects.
• Work experience in other forms of fitness training e.g. general gym training, kettlebell etc.

*There is no age limit for applicants.

For applications or any inquiries you can contact us via e-mail, phone or come straight to the gym if you wish to do so.

Kettlebell training is an excellent way of working out. It will help you to build a strong core, tone-up muscles, improve endurance and strengthen cardiovascular system. The nature of kettlebell exercises provides the best form of functional strength building without “heavy” weight equipment, which is ideal to maintain muscle strength, flexibility, bone density and prevent injuries.

Everyone in regards of their age, gender and fitness level will benefit from this kind of exercising.

Our kettlebell classes will be approximately an hour long. They include a 15 min warm-up followed by a wide variety of full-body kettlebell exercises. If you are interested, please don’t hesitate to contact us, because places are limited.

See you at the gym,

Box Fitness team.

We believe that one of the main reasons for training is to improve your daily life – make you stronger, healthier and able to enjoy every aspect of life. Lately we have been working hard on developing functional fitness training classes and upgrading our range of equipment with some useful and unusual pieces:

Gymnastic rings

With these you can make regular exercises like push-ups and dips more challenging. Regular training with gymnastic rings will help you develop a strong core region and powerful shoulders.

When push-ups and dips don’t challenge you anymore you can try to master advanced moves such as iron cross, L – sit and front lever.

Sandbag

This piece of training equipment quite often is used by military and emergency services. You can combine it with a wide variety of exercises. Because of its loose structure it will provide extra challenge to common exercises like bicep curls and squats. The weight of the sandbag can be altered to meet the needs of each individual.

Aerobic step

This is a basic piece of equipment that can be used for a wide variety of exercises – from cardio and jump training to dumbbell flies and rows.

Push-up and dip handles

With our own in-house design push-up handles we give you a more intense and rewarding chest, shoulder, core and bicep workout.

Perfect push-up handles

These handles are especially useful for people with wrist problems. Of course they can be used by everybody. Using these handles you can go lower thus putting more strain on your chest muscles as well as providing a great stretch.

Hand stand handles

Using these you can practice handstands and handstand push – ups easier and safer. Handstand push-up is the best bodyweight exercise for shoulders.

Resistance bands

These are mainly used for boxing conditioning and speed training.

Weights

We have just added a couple more dumbbells and kettlebells. Now you can find the perfect weight for yourself starting with one kilo and going up to 30 kilo dumbbells and from 4 up to 20 kilo kettlebells.

Be sure to visit our gym and try all the new equipment. Visit our website regularly because there is more new equipment coming and we will keep you posted.