How to do a Shadow Boxing
- Stand in a staggered stance with knees soft and hands up guarding your face.
- Stay light on your feet with a small continuous bounce.
- Throw jabs and crosses, rotating your torso and pivoting the back foot.
- Snap punches back to guard quickly rather than reaching or overextending.
- Add hooks, slips, and footwork to keep the heart rate up.
Keep in mind
- Stay light on your feet with a small bounce between punches.
- Turn the hips and the back foot into every punch.
- Keep the other hand up by your cheek.
- Don't snap the elbow straight at the end of a punch.
Common mistakes
- Punching with the arms alone — the power comes from the hips.
- Locking the elbows out hard — keep a slight bend at full reach.
- Standing flat and still — keep the feet moving.
Breathing
Breathe out sharply on each punch, and keep breathing between combinations.
Take care
Hyperextending the elbow is the injury here — never fully lock out, especially as you tire.
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