Just Box Sessions: The Art of Shadowboxing
Shadowboxing which is done through our Just Box Videos is a training method that accompanies the martial arts, especially boxing. It’s typically used as a warm-up to gradually increase heart rate and prepare the muscles for training. In our Just Box videos, a contender moves around the room and throws punches at the air in a way that mimics fighting or sparring.
At first glance, it might not seem like much more than a simple warm-up. In reality, however, shadowboxing has tremendous benefits.
Just Box plays a vital role in your training and overall growth in the ring for contenders of any level and with any goal. The art of shadowboxing should not be overlooked.
Benefits of Just Box
There is a reason why we included Just Box in GWX on Demand. Certainly, it makes for a great full-body warm-up before any of our Strength videos. But there’s more! This small but mighty practice enhances form, technique, movement, and even helps you build muscle memory and mindfulness. Not to mention, it’s great exercise.
Form
Just Box videos are the perfect opportunity to focus on your form. There’s no pressure to throw out fast punches at the bag or an opponent, and there’s nothing coming back at you, so you can zone in on your form by practicing your stance and building up good fighting habits.
It’s a good idea to practice your basic boxing stance when completing your Just Box videos:
Keep your feet in the ideal position with your weight distributed evenly
Slightly bend the knees
Feet diagonal and a little wider than shoulder-width apart
Elbows down, hands up
Chin slightly down, stare forward
Even for those intermediate and advanced contenders, practicing basic boxing stance is important, as it can easily take a backseat when working on new skills.
Technique
Once your form is down, you can start focusing on your technique. Where are you struggling? Do you have any bad habits in the ring, like looking down or poor footwork? Do you want to improve certain skills like your jab straight punch, or uppercuts? Zone in and perfect those strikes. This is a great time to work on punching combos as well. Drill them as much as you can and reinforce the muscle memory until they become second nature.
Remember, you don’t have the pressure of a bag or an opponent, so Just Box is the perfect workout for improving your technique, from punches to footwork to movement and dodges. Have at it!
Movement and Balance
Movement and balance are important components of being in the ring. You need to move around your opponent in a strategic way, maintaining your balance while dodging punches or even while striking. What about when you miss a punch? It’s easy to get thrown off balance when you expect to land a hit and instead end up swinging at the air. Just Box is the perfect time to perfect these skills.
Focus on your footwork and movement when completing the Just Box videos. It’s a good idea to throw in some switches, side steps, and pivots during your next Just Box video.
Muscle Memory
One of the greatest benefits of Just Box is muscle memory. Muscle memory is the phenomenon of being able to perform complex tasks with ease, accuracy, and seemingly on autopilot. This happens after much practice of repeating certain moves over and over again.
Just Box is a great way to build up that much-needed muscle memory. While you’re in control of your surroundings and you’re focusing on your form, technique, and movement, your building these important skills into your muscle memory to be able to move about the ring easily and comfortably. The more you practice the skills you want to develop, the more natural they will become for you in the ring.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the state where your mind is fully attentive to what is going on in the present moment; your surroundings, your actions, your thoughts, and feelings. Mindfulness is an important skill to develop. It can do wonders for your everyday life, as well as for your performance as a contender. So, how does one develop mindfulness? While a great practice, quiet meditation is not the only way to gain this important skill.
Learning to be mindful is the first step to meditation. Mindfulness allows you to inhabit a calm state of constant physical and mental awareness which can be used as a focusing method or therapeutic technique. Once you’ve successfully maintained and controlled your own mindfulness, you’ve mastered a part of meditation that should allow you to reach a meditative state, no matter where you are.
Exercise
You might think of Just Box Videos as more of a warm-up than an exercise, but it’s actually a great full-body workout. During these rounds, you’re working your chest, shoulders, arms, and leg muscles. It burns calories and is a great way for beginners to build-up some muscle mass. If you’re a little more advanced, you can perform your movements at a higher level to continue challenging your body.
Why We Just Box
Just Box videos set you up for the rest of your workout. The movements that you rehearse translate into more efficient movement and sharper, faster responses to commands given on the mitts. Use your Just Box video time to prepare yourself for what is to come once you start to sweat, grind, and drive.
All athletes move through common motor patterns before they step up to compete. Batters take practice swings, wide receivers walk routes, boxers shadowbox. This is part of your body of work. Using the art of shadowboxing through Just Box videos is an opportunity to perfect your craft, quiet your mind, and focus inwardly 100%. These moments are rare, especially in the culture we live in. Take advantage of them every time they are presented.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Just Box videos, and how you can put different movements and combinations together to set yourself up for success each and every session, check out our Just Box Videos in the GWX On Demand Video Library. See you in the Ring!