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Circuit training is important for the fitness aspect of boxing. It is predominantly used to developed your strength, conditioning and anaerobic fitness. Boxers of all levels should have circuit training incorporated into their routine, and circuits can be designed for all levels of fitness/experience.

General Guidelines for Circuit Training

There are a few general guidelines that we would recommend to get the most out of your circuit training as a boxer. 

• Alternate the muscle groups you work in your circuit to avoid overtraining a certain body part. Here at Bristol boxing gym we design our circuits into the groups: arms, trunk, and legs.

• Circuit Training should be performed near the end of your session, after your technical work. This allows you to learn your technique when you are sharp, which will restrain you from learning bad habits.

• As a general rule, the less repetitions in your circuit the more emphasis would be on speed. As you do more reps the emphasis changes to endurance.

• Circuit training is best done in the close season and maintained maybe once or twice a week throughout the year. This is because it can be quite strenuous and you need to be fresh for fight time!

Types of circuits

There are various types of circuit training which can all be used to improve different aspects of your fitness/strength. The most frequently used circuit at the Bristol boxing gym would be “timed circuits” we like to use this as we have such a broad range of people and abilities come through the door  this allows work to your own ability. Here are a few commonly used methods of circuit training for boxing. However, you can use the guidelines above to tweak or create your own circuit to achieve your desired training goal.

Timed circuits- Map your exercises out and give the boxer a specific time frame to do as many reps as possible. E.g. 30 seconds press ups, 30 seconds sit ups etc.

Progressive circuits-Map your exercises out and after one lap of your circuit is complete, increase the load on the muscle groups. E.g. press ups, crunch, squat on the second lap could become incline press up, sit up, squat jump.

Pyramid circuits-Start your exercises on a low amount of reps. As each lap goes by increase the number of reps. Do this until you reach a peak then reduce the reps until you get back to your start number.    

Fixed Load circuit-Each exercise on the circuit has a set number of repetitions which the boxer completes as quick as possible. E.g. 20 press ups, 20 sit ups, 10 squats

Equipment for circuit training

• Step up

• Medicine ball

• Hand weights

• Ankle weights

• Barbell

• Maize ball

• Abdominal roller

• Stability ball