Focus pads are one of the most useful and practically applicable prices of equipment available when it comes to training for a fight or just for the fitness it can provide. They allow you to put your skills to the test in a practical and applicable manner that helps you to really burn some calories at the same time and helps you to strengthen your punches, dodges and your techniques.There are a lot of different ways that you can go about using them, and multiple reasons for each one of them, and this is the reason for their popularity. With all of that being said, it can be hard to know where to get started, but we have a few ideas to get you going!Moves:First of all, it's absolutely essential to know the different punches you're going to need in order to carry out these routines. The biggest hitters (pardon the pun) are based around jab, hook and uppercut variations that are all fundamentals of boxing, but we'll go through them below to make sure you're caught up as best we can.JabThe jab is the most basic and the lightest hitting of the punches that are available, as that is what it is designed for. It is essentially just a straight, reasonably light shot straight forward at your opponent or the pads in the aim of being fast, and effective to get through your opponent's guard or make the most of an opportunityHookThe hook is a lot more hard-hitting as is often the follow up to a jab. The point is to swing sideways instead of outwards to hit your opponent in more vulnerable spots or to get around the block as they open their guard to hit you.UppercutWe also have the uppercut, so again that you can have another varied angle and a lot of power in one punch as your swing forwards and upwards dealing the best blow with any opportunity, especially from a counter.CrossThe cross is pretty much as it sounds, and involves you swinging across your body rather than straight outwards. This is great as a part of a combination to prevent your moves becoming too predictable, but as workout move, it also gives you more variation and core involvement.Training:Once you've got a rough idea of all the different punching techniques there are, you can begin to get to grips with how to utilise your focus pads in your training to be able to really put them into practice. There are a number of different ways you can use them to improve your overall boxing ability as well as altogether to give you an amazingly effective cardio workout.Response TrainingResponse training is probably the most common form of training seen in the ring. The idea of response training is to have the focus pad user to hold them in various positions, both height, distance and for different amounts of time, in order for you to hit them as fast and accurately as you can. This allows you to develop the instant reaction of what punch should be going where and where the opponent is likely to move, or even where they might be able to swing at your from.Speed JabsSpeed jabs are exactly what they sound like. The pad user holds them in a fixed position of their choice and you have to use the appropriate punch to hit the pads as many times as you can, as fast as you can, for a set amount of time. This seems easy at first, but you will very quickly realise how much energy and stamina this takes, so it works well as both a skill improving exercise as well as stamina and endurance-based workout too. If you work through every type of punch in order for 2 minutes each, you will really feel the benefit in the long run.Sequence DrillA sequence is slightly more specialised to boxing ability improvement, but it's still a fantastic workout to be involved in and it really does help to spice up your training and keep things active and interesting. The pad holder will tell you what to expect in short bursts, such as jab, jab, jab, hook, jab, step, uppercut before he then moves the pads into positions where you can do this in rapid succession. This may need a bit of memory, but you'll quickly fall into the patterns that they choose and increase your performance for your speed, stamina and your technique, so it's very effective overall.DodgesFinally, dodge training is another popular way to go about mastering your boxing training. There is a lot more to boxing than just simple punches, and the footwork alone can be extremely challenging. This one is best saved until last once you have mastered your punches down so that eventually you can even work in your own counters to the routine, but dodging is the main feature here.As the pad holder moves around the ring or even just the room, keep your guard up and as you both move, the pad holder brings a variety of different swings your way so that you have to think on your feet, meaning that you are forced to duck, weave and dodge them in order to avoid getting hit. This is an extremely dynamic way to train your reflexes, stance and movement skills whilst still giving you a great cardio workout.Once you've got to grips with all of these, you can really start to make your own customised training plan that will be great at giving you a full body workout and improve your boxing skills at the same time. You can even start to use different combinations of these styles to find out your strengths and weaknesses and train to work on them as you need to. Once you've mastered it all, it's easy to use other training items like speed bags and punch bags too to make the most of your results, but there's nothing quite like focus pads.Before beginning any exercise or nutrition program, consult your physician, doctor or other professional. This is especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or persons with pre-existing health problems. Exercise.co.uk assumes no responsibility for personal injury or property damage sustained using our advice.If you experience dizziness, nausea, chest pain, or any other abnormal symptoms, stop the workout at once and consult a physician or doctor immediately.
