Women's Fitness and Conditioning

Mobilisation (5 minutes)

• Neck rolls: 10 each direction
• Shoulder circles: 10 forward, 10 back
• Thoracic rotation: 10 each side
• Hip circles: 10 each direction
• Bodyweight squats: 10 reps
• Arm swings: 10 across chest, alternating
• Ankle circles: 10 each foot

Warm-Up Drills (8 minutes)

Progressive shadow boxing (4 mins)

2 x 1.5-minute rounds. Build from light to intense. Round 1: jab and cross, 50% pace. Round 2: all punches, 80% pace with movement. The shadow boxing warms up the body and sets the boxing context for the conditioning to come.

Bodyweight circuit warm-up (4 mins)

10 squat jumps, 10 press-ups (from knees if needed), 10 mountain climbers each side, 10 star jumps. Rest 30 seconds. Repeat once. This raises the heart rate and activates the muscles that will work during the main session.

Main Session (38 minutes)

Circuit Format

6 stations. 3 minutes per station. 30 seconds to rotate. Run through the full circuit twice. Total: 42 minutes (fits within the main session with brief explanation time).

Coach explains all stations before starting. Demonstrate each one. Post instructions at each station if possible.

Station 1: Bag Work - Combination Rounds

3 minutes on the heavy bag. Continuous combinations. The focus is output, not power. Throw jab-cross-hook, reset, jab-cross-hook, reset. Do not stop for the full 3 minutes.

"This is a conditioning station. The pace matters more than the power. Keep the hands moving. Every time you stop, you are resting. No resting."

Progression for round 2: increase the combination length. Jab-cross-hook-cross, jab-body hook-cross-hook.

Station 2: Core Work

3 minutes of continuous core exercises. The circuit within the station:

• 30 seconds Russian twists (with medicine ball if available)
• 30 seconds plank
• 30 seconds bicycle crunches
• 30 seconds mountain climbers
• 30 seconds dead bugs (lying on back, extend opposite arm and leg)
• 30 seconds side plank (15 seconds each side)

No rest between exercises. Move directly from one to the next.

"Core strength powers every punch. This is not separate from boxing. This is part of boxing."

Station 3: Partner Resistance Band Work

Pairs. One member wraps the resistance band around the other's waist from behind. The front member throws punches (shadow boxing) while the band provides resistance to forward movement.

90 seconds forward resistance, swap. 90 seconds each.

This builds the pushing strength that drives forward movement in the ring while maintaining boxing-specific movement patterns.

If resistance bands are limited, substitute with partner push resistance: the rear partner places hands on the front partner's shoulders and provides light resistance as the front partner steps forward throwing punches.

Station 4: Medicine Ball Power Circuit

3 minutes of medicine ball exercises:

• 30 seconds medicine ball slams (overhead slam to floor)
• 30 seconds rotational throws (stand sideways to wall, rotate and throw ball at wall)
• 30 seconds medicine ball sit-ups (hold ball at chest, sit up, extend ball forward)
• 30 seconds squat with ball press (squat with ball at chest, stand and press overhead)
• 30 seconds medicine ball Russian twists
• 30 seconds medicine ball burpees (burpee holding ball, press overhead at top)

"The medicine ball builds the explosive power that goes into every punch. The rotation throws are exactly the same movement as a hook."

Station 5: Footwork Cones - Speed Ladder Substitute

Set up 8 cones in a line, 50cm apart. Members move through the cones as fast as possible using boxing footwork:

• Run 1: both feet between each cone, forward
• Run 2: lateral movement, both feet between each cone
• Run 3: in-out pattern (step in, step out, move to next cone)
• Run 4: backwards through the cones

Continuous for 3 minutes. Go through the cones, jog back to the start, go again.

This builds the foot speed and coordination that translates to ring movement. It is also genuinely exhausting when done at pace.

Station 6: Pad Work Burnout

Pairs. The pad holder feeds fast, simple combinations. The worker throws as many clean combinations as possible in 90 seconds. Swap.

Combinations: 1-2 only. The simplicity allows maximum speed and volume. This is a conditioning station, not a technique station. Volume is the goal.

"How many 1-2s can you throw in 90 seconds? Count them. Beat that number in round 2."

Conditioning Finish (5 minutes)

Members have already been conditioning for the entire session. Keep the finish short and sharp.

• 30-second punch-out on the bag (fast, light, non-stop), 15 seconds rest x 3
• 20 squat jumps
• 30-second plank

Cool Down and Reflection (3 minutes)

Shoulder stretch: 15 seconds each. Quad stretch: 15 seconds each. Hamstring stretch: 15 seconds. Hip flexor stretch: 15 seconds each. Deep breathing: 30 seconds.

"Boxing fitness is different from gym fitness. It demands power, speed, endurance, and coordination at the same time. What you did today makes you stronger, faster, and harder to tire out. That carries into your pad work, your bag work, and your sparring."

Coaching Notes

• Frame the session around strength and capability. What members can do, not how they look. Never mention weight loss, calorie burning, or body shape. If a member asks, redirect: "This is about being a better boxer and a stronger person."
• The circuit format keeps members engaged because the variety prevents boredom. Three minutes per station is long enough to challenge but short enough to maintain focus.
• Watch for members who rest during stations. Walk between stations and keep the energy high. "Thirty seconds left. Push through it."
• The resistance band station requires demonstration. Many members will not have used bands in a boxing context before. Show them once, then let them work.
• For members who are primarily fitness-focused and less interested in technique, this session is where they thrive. Acknowledge that: "Not everyone is here to spar. Being strong and fit is its own reward."
• For more boxing-focused members, emphasise the connection between conditioning and performance: "The member who is still throwing clean punches in round 3 while everyone else is tired is the one who conditioned properly."
• If medicine balls are limited, substitute with bodyweight exercises that replicate the same movement patterns: burpees, squat jumps, rotational lunges.
• This session can be run every 2-3 weeks as part of the women's class rotation, alternating with technique and pad work sessions.