High school physical education classes draw from a wide variety of different units. Fitness, yoga, weightlifting, and dance are often the most popular and utilized options. High school boxing programs don’t often make their way into physical education as often.
But high school boxing programs in physical education can provide high school students with a new positive fitness experience. Let’s talk about boxing and explore 4 free lessons for you to try out with your students!
Is Boxing Right For My Students?
Let’s address the elephant in the room. When you hear boxing, you probably envision 2 students in class punching each other in the face.
But we are not talking about what you see in amateur boxing and professional boxing. We promise! High school boxing programs can provide students with the basic fundamental skills of boxing, while also teaching them lifelong fitness skills.
In fact, boxing classes have become widely popularized across the country much like yoga, pilates, and dance. And just like yoga, pilates, and dance are taught in physical education as a step towards lifetime fitness, so should boxing!
What Do High School Boxing Programs In PE Look Like?
While boxing training has been coming onto the scene as a popularized form of fitness for adults, it has not gotten the same attention at the high school level. That is why at PLT4M, we set out to make an Intro To Boxing program that can be utilized by any physical education class.
This program aims to introduce students to key boxing concepts like footwork, offense, and defense. In addition, students will build their general fitness skills with bodyweight exercises and different circuit style training.
These high-intensity workouts will bridge boxing skills and fitness fundamentals that are sure to be an excellent workout for any student.
Better yet, it can be done anywhere. There is no equipment needed! All you need to run this successfully is space to move around. If by chance you have access to some boxing equipment like heavy bags, there are certainly ways you could incorporate those if you wanted.
Ready to Learn More?
Schedule a free 10 minute consultation to see how PLT4M can help save you time and empower student learning!
4 Free High School Boxing Program Workouts
Within PLT4M’s high school boxing program, we start our first three lessons with the basics.
Lesson 1 – Footwork
Lesson 2 – Offense
Lesson 3 – Defense
The remainder of the workouts in this boxing program (12 total) combine the different skills first introduced, and continue to build on new boxing skills. And we will give you a taste of that by showcasing lesson 4.
Each workout is a total body workout! Odd rounds (1,3,5,7) consist of boxing exercises. Students will be instructed to practice different combinations and can practice at their own pace or follow along with Sean, our instructor. Even rounds (2,4,6,8) consist of bodyweight circuits. The 8th round wraps up with a core cashout. We occasionally switch up the format of the rounds, but always follow an 8 round workout.
No prior boxing experience needed! We do strongly recommend that students have taken part in some form of introductory fitness program as we jump right into bodyweight circuit training that requires a basic understanding of movements.
Lesson 1 - Footwork
Lesson Notes
Welcome to Intro To Boxing! In these lessons, you will get an introduction to the basics of boxing and get a great workout in the process. Consider it a perfect 1-2 punch!
Your instructor for all of our boxing lessons will be Sean Lally. When Sean moves, you move! Mirror his moves as he takes you through this full workout. There are some times during the circuit work he will stop and coach you, but keep moving as he encourages you through the workout!
Each workout will follow the same format as a typical boxing match. That means we will have 8 rounds that consist of 3 minutes of work. You will have a minute of rest between each round to shake it out, grab some water, and get ready for the next round.
In our first three lessons, we will cover all of the basics of footwork, offense, and defense. Today’s focus is footwork. The movements we will cover throughout the lesson are:
1) Fight Stance
2) Pendulum
3) The Step – Forward/Back/Lateral
4) Push Step – Forward/Back/Lateral
5) Trot
6) Crosswalk
7) Lateral Movement
Today, our odd rounds will cover the footwork basics, and our even rounds will be fun circuits to get our heart rates up and bodies moving.
Lesson 2 - Offense
Lesson Notes
Welcome back to lesson 2 of Intro To Boxing! In our first workout, we covered the basics of footwork. Today, we will continue to grow our skills and learn about boxing offense. The movements we will cover are:
1) Jab
2) Cross
3) Lead Hook
4) Rear Hook
5) Lead Uppercut
6) Rear Uppercut
As we go through today’s workout, be aware of your body and positioning. While we are doing all of these movements without equipment and it can be easy to get sloppy, hammer home your technique so if you ever do go to use equipment like a bag you are ready to go!
Like the last lesson, our workout will consist of 8 rounds of 3 minutes of work and 1-minute rest.
A friendly reminder: When Sean moves, you move! Mirror his moves as he takes you through this full workout. Sometimes, during the circuit work, he will stop and coach you, but keep moving as he encourages you through the workout!
Lesson 3 - Defense
Welcome back to lesson 3 of Intro To Boxing. We have covered footwork and offense so far. Next, we will go over the foundational defensive movements of boxing. The movements we will cover are:
1) Parry
2) Check
3) Duck
4) Roll
5) Slip
As we wrap up the first three lessons intended to cover all of the basics, continue to focus on great form and technique! These lessons are setting the foundation for future workouts where we will start to put more and more of these moves into full-blown workouts.
Lesson 4 - Putting It All Together
Lesson Notes:
Welcome back to another awesome boxing workout. In the first three lessons we covered footwork, offense, and defense. Now, we can start to put our skills together with different combinations to make for one fantastic workout!
When the combinations are simple, just follow along with Sean. As they get more complicated, don’t be afraid to check out the right side of your screen for the ‘combo menu.’ The menu is a perfect place to always come back if you want to move a little faster or slower than Sean, or if you just get lost!
Let’s get after it!
Ready to Learn More?
Schedule a free 10 minute consultation to see how PLT4M can help save you time and empower student learning!
Key Takeaways to High School Boxing Programs In PE
When it comes to deciding if you want add a high school boxing program to your physical education class, it is important to consider the overall objective. For us here at PLT4M, we want to empower students with different ways to workout and be fit.
The goal of boxing, like any other unit, is to put new forms of fitness into students’ hands. As students graduate and continue their lives, boxing will always be an option at local boxing gyms and facilities. Give them the basic skills and confidence to know they can walk into any gym and succeed!
Lastly, remember that boxing is for everyone! We often unfairly associate different fitness activities with gender. Bodyweight boxing is an excellent high intensity workout that any and all students should give a try.
FAQ
What other types of programs does PLT4M offer?
PLT4M has a whole slate of instructional content for you to choose from! Grab from our library of pe lesson plans that includes fitness, weightlifting, mindfulness, nutrition, pilates, dance fitness, and more.
Do schools have boxing clubs outside of PE?
Some schools do offer after-school programs or even offer it as a high school sport.
USA boxing also provides ways to find boxing clubs near your school location.
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