Footwork is one of the most important aspects of boxing. While fast feet can be an advantage in boxing, the ability to balance on your feet to avoid punches and deliver them with precision and power is even more vital than overall quickness and foot speed. There are several exercises a boxer can do that will enable him to be at his best in the ring.
Rope Jumping
Rope jumping is a traditional boxing exercise that helps a fighter with coordination, timing, balance, endurance and developing quick feet. Many fighters will jump rope two times or more in a practice session in the gym. Rope jumping is done at a quick pace in order to build foot quickness, and is usually done in three-minute increments. This is the same length of time in a round of boxing and it helps a boxer get used to moving at a high rate of speed during the course of a round. By jumping rope on the boxer's toes, it will help the boxer build rhythm and the ability to move back and forth quickly, which is what a fighter has to do to avoid punches.
Plyometric Exercises
Hopping, bounding and jumping exercises will build leg strength and help a boxer with his movement in the ring. One of the best exercises a fighter can do is box jumping. Set a 14-inch square box on the floor and stand to the left of it. Jump over it to the right and then bound back over it to the left. Do 10 back-and-forth jumps and then do the same by jumping back-to-front and front-to-back. This will help build explosiveness in the legs, giving the fighter more power in his punches as well as giving him the ability to slip punches.
Interval Training
Boxers regularly run 3 to 5 miles three or four times a week when preparing for a fight. Boxers and other athletes will gain more explosive leg strength and quicker feet from doing interval training. Go to a high school or college track and sprint distances of 100, 90, 80 and 70 yards in succession. Take no more than a 15-second break between sprints and when you finish the last sprint, take a one-minute break and repeat the set. Do this four times a week to prepare for a fight.
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