Healthista’s new How to Box video series is onto it’s fifth lesson. Former champion boxer and head coach at BXR London, Gary Logan shows us how to punch like a pro and deliver the perfect upper cut
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Dua Lipa, Angelina Jolie, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian, Eva Mendes, Gigi Hadid, Adriana Lima, Caroline Flack, Shay Mitchell, Ellie Goulding and Demi Lovato.
This long list of celebrity names all have something in common – they love boxing.
Do you know someone who is mad about boxing? Seems everyone is, including these celebrities – which means it has to be cool right?
Plus ‘women’ and ‘boxing’ are two words that no longer sound odd if used in the same sentence, with women’s participation in boxing and other fight styled sports rising dramatically in recent years. In fact, many say that boxing classes contain more women than men.
This may have been helped by boxing champions such as Nicola Adams, Ronda Rousey and Katie Taylor who are just some female boxers who have made headlines and inspired women everywhere to take up the sport.
Here is a picture of Nicola Adams visiting cool boutique boxing gym BXR London.
The cool boxing gym BXR London
Boxing gyms like BXR London, are popping up everywhere. Boutique boxing gyms help you to train like a boxer, without actually finding yourself in any real physical fights, because let’s be honest after a long day at work that’s all you need.
This is particularly perfect for women who are slightly nervous about getting started in what has been known to be a male-dominated sport.
Boxing gyms are set up to take people from a beginner level to a more advanced stage, so if you are worried you’ll be the only one there who has never boxed before, think again.
BXR is also known as ‘the Anthony Joshua gym.
BXR London was launched in January 2017 and is located in Marylebone. BXR is also known as ‘the Anthony Joshua gym’ because the Olympic boxing champion is an investing partner.
BXR’s tagline is ‘Train Like a Champion’, so don’t expect to go there if you want to go for a light jog on the treadmill and hang around for a relaxing chat in the sauna (which they do have by the way, along with a steam room).
BXR is swish: polished concrete, open space, a picture of Mohammid Ali painted on the wall, a glass cabinet containing boxing gloves signed by World Champion Anthony Joshua and pristine equipment.
Athletic authenticity and ultimate luxury is not an easy combination to achieve. But with bright luxurious changing rooms, a lounge area and a full sized boxing ring at it’s core, BXR has managed to do just that.
Check out BXR’s membership options here.
BXR first floor
Healthista have teamed up with BXR London (a luxury boxing gym that launched in January 2017) to give you thirteen videos of Boxing School lessons with BXR’s head boxing coach Gary Logan.
Since retiring from professional boxing, Gary Logan has trained top clients, including a number of celebrities. He knows his stuff, and although he can be strict he also makes sure you have a great time – so naturally he was the perfect choice.
From footwork to stance, keeping your guard up to balance, Gary will teach you how. If head boxing coach Gary Logan can’t teach you how to deliver a punch fit for a professional fight then no one can.
Are you ready for boxing lesson number five?
Boxing School Lesson #5: How to Uppercut
An uppercut comes straight up through a person’s guard making it a difficult punch to block without leaving yourself open to attack – meaning it’s a dangerous one.
Gary says that is also dangerous for the person who is delivering it. ‘Now it’s time to learn how to uppercut, which is the most dangerous shot I find for the person that is throwing it,’ says Gary.
Gary explains that the uppercut it’s dangerous because so many people throw this shot incorrectly. ‘They throw it swinging their arm with their chest coming up like they are a Marvel superhero’. This will leave you wide open and your face will be the target.
You need to keep your chest down, and stay low. This doesn’t mean you should be hunched over. Your torso should remain upright but you need to bend your knees and keep your hips low.
The power of this punch will come from the legs pushing off from the ground. Staying low will allow you to load up the legs like you are a lion or tiger that is ready to pounce.
Just before you throw the punch, you want to shift slightly more of your weight over to the same side leg that you’ll be punching with.
As the force moves up your leg into your torso, allow both your hips and core muscles to rotate for added power, rotating round like you learnt in the jab, hook and back hand.
Make sure you don’t drop your hands to deliver an uppercut. The uppercut is thrown from the same position as a hook or back hand (cross).
‘Let your body carry your arm through,’ says Gary. Allow your arm to follow through, palm facing towards you, finishing just in front of your own face.
You shouldn’t be extending and you definitely shouldn’t be jumping. Stay low through the whole movement.
Signed up for a boxing class? Here’s what you’ll need…
If you’ve signed up for your own boxing class and are unsure what to expect here are some things you will need, other than sheer determination and the motivation to hit as hard as you can:
- A pair of trainers
- A good sports bra
- Comfortable training clothes
- Boxing gloves (most clubs will lend you a pair on your first visit but bare in mind these will have been worn many times before)
- Wraps (available online or from most sports shops).
More from Healthista’s How To Box Video Series:
HOW TO BOX Lesson #1: Stance and Balance
HOW TO BOX Lesson #3: How to Back Hand
HOW TO BOX Lesson #4: How to Hook
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