1. Boxers Can Strengthen Without Weights
Strengthening the muscles in the shoulder, including the deltoids, the trapezius, the infraspinatus and the triceps, helps increase the power in a boxer's punch for more effective throws. Boxers can increase stamina in these muscles while training without weights. Moving the arms in circles, either small or large, with the arms outstretched horizontally from the body adds stress to the shoulder muscles and increases strength. Workouts that include punching a heavy bag, a large weighted bag suspended from the ceiling, direct the brunt of the impact to the shoulders causing development of these muscles. Boxers who hold their hands up in front of their bodies while sparring or punching pads held by someone else also increase the stress in shoulder muscles, resulting in more strength. Jumping rope is a classic weightless boxing workout that helps develop shoulder muscles.
2. Follow a Pyramid to Improve Your Shoulder
Boxers can increase strength in their shoulder muscles by performing a pyramid workout that consists of a few different exercises done in decreasing frequency. Your own body weight acts as the stressor in these workouts and improves the strength in your shoulders. The only equipment required for this workout is a chin-up bar and a weight bench. You may also want a mat for the abdominal portion of this routine. The key here is completing each session, starting with 25 repetitions of each exercise, then going to 24, 23, 22 and on down to zero for each move. You only do five chin-ups every other session, so on the odd numbered rotations, add the chin-up exercise. Start with five chin-ups, then do 25 push-ups. Follow these with 25 abdominal crunches, then 25 dips on the weight bench, where you start by sitting on the bench with your hands on top of the bench right next to your sides, fingers wrapped around the edges. Outstretch your legs and raise yourself off the bench to support yourself with your arms. Slowly lower yourself with your back barely touching the side of the bench as you go down until your upper arms end up parallel to the floor. The next session includes 24 repetitions of each exercise and no crunches. When you move on to 23 of each exercise, start with five crunches again.
3. This Classic Exercise Still Works
You can increase the strength of the entire shoulder area with a seated shoulder press, and using a shoulder press machine for this exercise limits your range of motion. Start with a weight bar placed about two inches short of your lock-out position, or the place where your arms extend fully. Place 50 to 150 percent of your normal workout weight on the bar and press the bar up to near lock-out. Hold the bar here for anywhere from five to ten seconds.
