Building muscle memory for boxing with pad work

During the boxing training sessions, we see how a coach is calling a fighter to land different punches while positioning his mitts at different angles. These sessions are held to simulate a fight by replicating real scenarios.

Why Pad Work?

In boxing and other combat sports, Pad working is needed to enhance punching power, reflexes, and hand speed. It is a great complementary exercise on top of footwork training. After a lot of regular training sessions with focus mitts or pads, a fighter gets a better understanding of reach and range; to land and avoid a punch.

This is especially important when one is fighting an outside game. Because the outside fighting needs a great timing and accuracy to use the lead hand continuously to stay behind the jabs and then land the occasional power shots. This situation needs a great estimation of reach and range, and if it is implemented wisely it not only helps to gain some crucial points to steal the rounds but also it brings one closer to a victory by stoppage.

Furthermore, the pad work helps in improving the physique of the fighters, because it’s not only landing punches to the mitt, but it needs a proper stance, body movement, and weight shifting as well. So due to its intensity, it helps in health and wellness along with weight loss.

Train at home with this mobile app that calls out punches just like a boxing coach would

Pad Work and muscle memory

All the coaches and trainers are left outside when a fighter goes into the ring. But there is one thing that goes with him or her. And that is the memory. These punches and reflexes are recorded not only in the actual memory but also in muscle memory. And during the actual fight, the body responds according to the situation as learned during the mitt sessions.

During these mitt sessions and the pad works, a coach not only offers his mitts to land the punches but also throws different strikes and calls fighter to escape from those. It improves the reflexes of the fighters to save themselves from the counter punches in boxing and counter strikes in other combat sports.

Be prepared

Long story short, pad work is where a fighter learn how to land different combinations during a real fight, and how to protect themselves from the counter attacks and then land their own vicious punches to bring damage while staying behind the jabs.

If you don’t have a coach or a gym available, you can have a similar experience to pad work with our Shadow Boxing Workout app. It will call out punches among other exercises. You can either follow our premade trainings our customize everything, including the combos called out!

It’s a great way to stay in shape while practicing boxing, even if you are stuck at home, so feel free to give it a try!