Boxing is an incredibly demanding sport that requires strength, explosive power, quick reflexes, hand-eye coordination, balance and endurance. Unlike many team sports that require athletes to frequently compete in matches or games, boxing matches -- especially at the professional level -- are few and far between. This means most boxers spend the majority of their time training, as opposed to competing. While each boxer has his own routine, some exercises are virtually universal to boxing.
Heavy Bag
One of the most well-known routine exercises for boxers is hitting the heavy bag. A heavy bag is a large, heavy cylindrical bag that hangs from a ceiling support. Athletes can exercise with a heavy bag in two general ways. They can let the bag swing back and forth as they punch it, which replicates the attack and retreat of an opponent. They can also have a coach or partner hold the bag, which allows athletes to repetitively work particular sequences or types of punches without having to "track down" the bag after each punch. While the first type of heavy bag exercise helps with coordination and endurance, the latter puts an emphasis on technique and power. For optimal results, the United States Military Academy recommends that athletes do not perform heavy bag exercises during the final few days before a match, as they can cause weariness in the arms and reduce punch speed.
Speed Bag
Speed bag exercises improve timing, rhythm and hand-eye coordination. A speed bag is a small, spherical, lightweight bag that is either stuffed or inflated; it hangs from a ceiling or wall mount. Working out with a speed bag requires that an athlete deliver short, fast punches -- either with one hand or alternating between both -- so that the bag swings back and forth at a constant, rhythmic pace. For best results, RossBoxing.com recommends making slight circling movements with your fists as you punch.
Calisthenics
Calisthenic exercises are ideal for people who do not have access to training equipment such as speed bags and heavy bags. Performing calisthenics should be a secondary or supplemental part of overall training, however, and not the base component. Calisthenic exercises require that you complete repetitive, high-energy movements using your body weight as the only force of resistance. According to the United States Military Academy, the best exercises for boxing include sit-ups, curls and leg raises, which strengthen the abdominal muscles; push-ups, which can increase the force of punches; and neck flexions, which strengthen the neck muscles. Flexions require that an athlete bend his neck either laterally or vertically against the resistance of his own hand or a partner.
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