Celebrities Into Boxing, Banner Image

Celebrities into boxing

Paparazzi be warned! Celebrities nowadays are packing more than just their fancy clothes.

With many stars turning to boxing to boost their health regimes, you had better think twice before pestering them for photos.

Celebrities Into Boxing

Boxing- A courageous sport which requires a lifetime of hard work, training and sheer determination, is often seen as ‘Brutal’ because of, well, all the punching. Whilst some might think that boxing is definitely a no go for them, others are seizing the opportunity and relishing in the incredible health benefits, so it’s no wonder celebrities have jumped aboard! Celebrities into boxing are on the rise and it’s hardly surprising….

The glitz and glamour lifestyle of being a celebrity comes with a huge price. Stress, anxiety and many other forms of worries pile up into one big storm, sometimes exploding into a media rage which circulates the world wide web faster than Usain Bolt at 100m. So how are the modern day celebrities dealing with this?

Boxing:

The Perfect stress release.

Proven to combat stress, anxiety and that occasional ‘holiday fat’, Boxing is seen as a huge empowerment giving people, especially celebrities, a place where they can switch off from the outside world.

Boxing isn’t a sport that you can easily walk into however, It requires a lot of concentration and focus, pushing your mind to places you didn’t even think it could go. Having to focus at that level puts your mind in a state of pure zen, similar to that of meditation, allowing you to be fully focused and giving you a fresh perspective on all your stress build ups.

After any workout, you already feel like you can achieve anything. Throw in a pair of gloves and a punch bag and it takes those feelings to a whole new level of empowerment.
What happens when you’re working out with a punch bag is remarkable. Apart from being the perfect distraction from your daily stresses, your brain also increases the production of endorphins. Endorphins are the key neurotransmitters that are proven to increase those happy, feel-good thoughts. This unique blend of punching, endorphins and a physical workout helps improve your focus and concentration, banishing those stressful feelings.

The physical benefits

Normally you would think that your arms would take the full brunt of the workout, but that’s not the case. Boxing works every part of your body. It mixes together both strength and cardio training that gets the blood pumping and your muscles twitching.

Your core muscles are predominantly used with every punch, stabilising your entire body, whilst your legs are absorbing all those power shots. Like any workout, you go to sleep feeling great and wake up feeling like a ten tonne truck has just hit you head on. The soreness is felt throughout, from your arms through to your upper back, legs and hips and even places you didn’t think would be affected. You may think “Why did I put myself through this pain?!”, but it is all worth it.

The A-list stars entering the ring

With the hype around boxing increasing, we take a look at the Celebrities who aren’t afraid to strap on their gloves and embrace the world of boxing. We find out about their typical boxing workout and we also look at how it’s improved their mental health and pushed them to strive for better.

Celebrities into boxing: Ellie Goulding

Celebrities Into Boxing, Ellie Goulding

A natural talent and arguably the face of celebrity boxing, Ellie Goulding seems to always find time for the gym, no matter where her tour takes her. Revealing that she’s a natural at the sport, Ellie is constantly sharing videos and images with her fans, believing that boxing isn’t all fun and games- It’s an intense and powerful workout that you can feel for days after.

Being in the limelight 24-7, Ellie Goulding finds Boxing a place where she can feel empowered. Admitting that she has cut down on her gym time due to a heart condition, Ellie has described boxing as being very animalistic, which helps her gain more stamina for her onstage performances.

Ellie Goulding’s workout exercises:

  • Roundhouse kicks
  • Jab Cross Drills
  • Uppercut punching
  • No shoes ring session
  • Punch slip drills

Celebrities into boxing: Gigi Hadid

Celebrities Into Boxing, Gigi Hadid

A strong believer in the benefits of boxing, Gigi Hadid praises the sport and says muscle memory can do the fighting for you.

Gigi Hadid’s workout routine:

1. Warm up the core muscles with 10 minutes of boxing.
2. Three sets of 40 crunches.
3. Get the blood pumping and heart rate up with 10 more minutes of boxing.
4. Three sets of 40 bicycle kicks, kicking each leg out after every cycle.
5. Another 10 minutes on the clock for boxing.
6. Hold planking position for around 60 seconds, hitting those transverse abdominals. holding for about 60 seconds, or as long as you can maintain good form (abs tight, no sway in the back, and the neck in a neutral position).
7. Super-set straight into leg raises to hit the lower abdominals, performing four sets of 25 leg raises each.

Celebrities into boxing: Adriana Lima

Celebrities Into Boxing, Adriana Lima

Victoria Secret model Adriana Lima is a huge fan of the sport and all the additional benefits that comes with it. As many women, Adriana never thought she was physically and mentally powerful as she is, putting boxing down to her realisation to just how powerful herself and others can be if they stick to it.

Admitting it’s not an easy road to go down, with the frustrations when first learning how to box, Adriana has learnt lessons that can help her through everyday life, explaining that no matter what you go through, you keep going, learning and failing until you get it done.

Adriana Lima’s workout routine:

  • Obstims
  • Jumprope
  • Boxing 10 minutes
  • Aero Twists
  • Pyramid Stance Jabs
  • Aero Squats
  • Boxing 10 minutes

Celebrities into boxing: Kevin James

Celebrities Into Boxing, Kevin James

American actor and comedian Kevin James used boxing to get into shape for the movie ‘Here Comes the Boom’. The film plot involves a high school teacher moonlighting as a MMA fighter to raise money to save the school’s music programme. Therefore the actor’s training programme had to be real to make his character more believable. MMA trainer Ryan Parsons trained Kevin James like he was preparing for real fight, so that he could really get into the right mind-set for the role.

Kevin James’ workout routine

Ryan whipped Kevin into shape using these training methods and techniques:

Medicine ball moves mixed in with pushups and situps
The medicine ball jackknife – holding a medicine ball with both hands, lie flat on your back with your legs straight and your arms extended past your head. Slowly bring your legs and arms up at the same time until your body forms a V. Aim to touch the ball to your feet without bending your legs. Hold for one count, then slowly return to the starting position. 3 sets of 15 reps
Pad work or shadow boxing workouts using these techniques:
Left jab, left jab, right cross
Right cross, left jab, right uppercut
Left body punch, right body punch, left uppercut
Right uppercut, right cross, left hook
Right cross, left hook, right hook

The emphasis of the training programme was on cardio fitness and technique, to get Kevin ready for the ring!

Celebrities into boxing: Mark Wahlberg

Celebrities Into Boxing, Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg first got into boxing training for his 2010 role as boxer “Irish” Micky Ward in ‘The Fighter’. He also undertook a rigorous training programme for his latest film ‘Mile 22’ in which his role as the leader of an elite, secretive CIA squad required him to be combat ready. He not only needed to look the part, but also be able to perform physically challenging manoeuvres.

 Mark Wahlberg’s workout routine

Brian Nguyen trained Wahlberg for both movies, as well as for some of his other roles in ‘Invincible’ ‘Pain & Gain’, ‘Shooter’ and more. Rather than having a leg day and an abs day and so on, Nguyen designs each workout as a full-body routine. They work in two day splits:

  • Upper body pushing and lower body pulling
  • Upper body pulling and lower body pushing

The focus of the workout is on the posture and core. The warm up routine uses medicine balls and a flexible, low-resistance stretch band and the main workout includes exercises such as barbell floor presses and kettlebell deadlifts. When training for ‘The Fighter’, Wahlberg reported arriving at the gym at 5am, warming up with a jump-rope, hitting the speed bag, the double-end bag and sparring.

The fact that celebrities into boxing manage to build training sessions into their already hectic schedules demonstrates their passion for the sport. In their busy and stressful lives, boxing can provide them with a sense of focus, escapism and stress-relief. And you don’t have to be a celeb to reap these amazing benefits! Ready to box like a star? Take a look at our Cleto Reyes training equipment to get you started.

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