There are myths everywhere and pretty much about anything and boxing myths are not an exception. You have probably heard things such as shadow boxing with dumbbells will make you stronger and that you need to incorporate hours of running to be a better boxer. Perhaps you have also heard – or thought – that all female boxers are masculine and look angry.
All of these are myths about boxing, so keep reading to learn some more so that if you hear someone tell you they are facts, you have the right information about why they are not.
1. Boxing is aggressive
This is one of the most popular boxing myths about boxing out there. This discipline is, of course, a combat sport that involves one-on-one fights and it can scare many people. They imagine bloody, broken noses and people with black eyes and think that that is all there is to this sport.
However, boxing is not only about the fights and it is not true that everyone who practices it must be aggressive and intense. Boxing is much more than fighting. There are even some people who only like to hit bags and not human opponents, for example.
In addition, boxing not only trains your body but also your mind. It helps you with focusing, coordinating your moves, technique, and it can also help you overcome anxiety. All of these benefits will also have effects on your everyday life which can make you become a more focused, calmer person. So no, boxing is not necessarily aggressive.
2. Boxers need to do Long Slow Distance roadwork
Among other boxing myths in boxing is that boxers need to do Long Slow Distance, LSD roadwork to be in shape and help you become a more effective boxer. There is the (wrong) belief that the more miles you can run, the more conditioned you will be, but the truth is that boxers are not training to run marathons.
Boxers are not looking to develop long thin muscles that long distance runners have. Also, the energy used in boxing is mostly anaerobic and when you run it is mostly aerobic, which can be great for burning extra fat.
3. Get a six pack doing crunches
No, you cannot get a six pack by only doing crunches every day. Yes, your muscles will work out, but no one will see them if you have fat covering your abs. For that to happen, you need to decrease your body fat percentage. The lower the body fat, the more evident the abs.
This is why some people can have their abs showing and they don’t exercise at all. They probably have a low body fat percentage. So, if you want abs, you need to train like a boxer and also eat like a boxer.
4. Boxing is not for women
This myth is very popular and the truth is that in general, boxing is a sport that more men, rather than women, want to practice. There may be many reasons why a woman would not choose boxing as her sport of choice, but some of them are related to the blood and bruises they think they will experience.
However, as we said in the first myth, boxing does not have to be a competitive sport. Like in many other sports, you can compete with yourself by trying to be better every day. You don’t have to get in the ring if you don’t want to, you can use boxing as a way to stay fit and healthy.
Boxing can help you become stronger, have more endurance, better coordination and balance, and it will also affect your mood in a positive way, as well as give you more self-confidence.
And, if you’re a female boxer, take a look at our list of the 2019 best boxing gloves for women.
5. You should not lift weights because it will make you slower
The answer to this myth is that “not necessarily will you become slower if you add weights to your boxing training”. We covered this subject on a post we published a few weeks ago and as we said on that occasion, you can use weights to gain muscle mass.
Boxers need muscle mass for strength, stamina, endurance and power, as well as helping them achieve better balance and coordination. However, the muscles you will need have to be lean so that you can have speed and agility for more punching power.
There are also other boxing myths related to weightlifting and they are that you will lose flexibility and that you will be more fatigued because of tightened muscles.
6. Punching power cannot be taught
Of course, it can be taught. Punching power comes from technique which can be learned. To some people, it may come natural, and for others, they have to develop punching power with practice.
The power of a boxer’s punches comes from the ground up. As we explained in another post about which parts of the body boxing works, the energy needs to come from the feet, through the legs, core, shoulders and then the arms.
Anyone can learn how to work their body to achieve punching power and learn how to throw a knockout punch. Even if you don’t have the natural ability or are just starting to train, all you will need is practice and more practice!
7. Shadow boxing with dumbbells will help you develop more strength
You may think that by adding more weight to your punches you will develop more strength, but the truth is that you could get injured. You may want to read our post about preventing wrist injuries in boxing and you can ask your trainer about better ways to develop strength and speed without possibly harming yourself.
8. Hitting as hard as you can all the time will make your punches more powerful
This is another common myth in boxing, but it is just that, a myth. Hitting things hard will not make your punches more powerful. TECHNIQUE is what will give you more power, as we said before. You can try punching the bag as hard as possible, but if you have no technique, the power will not increase at all.
9. Boxing is not a full-body workout
Perhaps this myth comes from people thinking that the upper body is the only thing that you work out the most in boxing but in fact, you use your entire body. Certainly, the arms receive lots of attention in boxing, but you do use all of the major muscle groups when training.
The obvious ones are the arms and shoulders and instead of working specific muscles in an isolated manner like when you lift weights, your muscles work together in more practical movements. Also, the chest and back have an important part in boxing when punching so they get worked out as well.
The legs also are exercised. Whenever you practice ducking, dodging and footwork, your legs are working out. And we cannot leave out the core that helps you stay balanced, steady and coordinated.
Other myths related to sports and health
So, we gave you a list of some boxing myths out there and we wanted to add some more myths that exist related to being healthy and training in general. We chose some of those that stood out the most for us but feel free to add some more you know in the comments below!
1. Moderate intensity cardio for an hour is the best way of burning fat
The truth is that you can burn fat by doing an hour of moderate-intensity cardio, but you can burn the same amount in a shorter time with a higher intensity workout. However, it is probable that you can’t keep up a high-intensity pace for an entire hour but if you go with the short high-intensity cardio, you will still be burning calories after you finish. To sum things up: a short high-intensity cardio will help you burn more fat.
2. Eating after 8 pm turns food into fat
This is a very common myth and it is absolutely not true since your body does not shut off after 8:00 pm, you keep burning calories all night long! Your metabolism does slow a little bit but if you exercise regularly and do not overeat, your body can still burn calories while sleeping.
We want to add here that also the myth about being fat but fit is ok, which it really is not. There’s a belief that some extra fat on the body is desirable in boxing but it really isn’t. If you could trade a pound of fat for a pound of muscle, wouldn’t you do so? You need muscles for exercising, for boxing and for your health, fat is better for keeping you warm in winter.
3. Chocolate will help your athletic performance
According to UW Health, there was a study performed in 2015 in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition researchers from Kingston University that concluded that the consumption of dark chocolate can lead to significant improvements in the cyclists they were doing the experiment with.
“It is believed that the positive performance benefits were due to dark chocolate’s high flavonol content, which may improve blood flow during exercise”, the website revealed.
Dark chocolate is a chocolate that has more than 70% cocoa content and we could say that this myth is not a myth!
4. Only muscle soreness makes training effective
Muscle soreness is no indication of effective training. It just indicates that the structures of the muscles were overstrained. It is normal to feel some soreness if you are a beginner in boxing or any other activity you are doing or if you did an unusual exercise. However, if your muscles are aching because you used the wrong technique you need to check your execution.
5. You should do a carb load the night before a race
It is common for people who run to have a large plate of pasta the night before they have a race. What they are doing is a carb load so that they have the proper endurance and energy the next day.
However, if you are already eating properly and consuming the right amount of carbs every day, a carb load the night before your sports event will have minimal effect. What experts recommend is to cut back on the training the week before and keep the carbohydrate intake consistent. If you eat a lower amount of carbs, then a carb load could be useful.
6. You don’t need to rest; it is better to train every single day
Many athletes underestimate recreation and rest day, according to an article about myths in sports published in Lanserhof News. “Many forget that regeneration is just as much a part of training as the sports itself”, they say.
The regeneration phase helps the body adapt to the previous load and initiates muscle build-up. This process takes time and depends on the intensity and duration of the training session that just occurred. “If the body does not get the time it needs, the training effect does not occur”, Lanserhof News explains.
7. Caffeine can improve your performance
This myth is also true, like the dark chocolate one. According to information published by UW Health, there are researches that show that doses of approximately 1.5-2.5 milligrams per pound of bodyweight caffeine can increase physical performance. Nonetheless, there are people who do respond to the effects and there are others who don’t.
What others boxing myths or others related to exercising have you heard about? Did we answer your question to a particular myth you used to believe in? Leave your comments below!
