The Benefits of Using Focus Pads

Focus pads have many uses and many benefits for those wanting to improve their fighting performance, learn vital self-defence skills and improve their overall physical health. They even provide great mental health benefits too.

But why are focus pads so beneficial and how can you use them properly to gain the benefits? Let’s take a look.

What to Know Before Starting with Focus Pads

Without knowing how to use focus pads properly, you not only risk not getting the most out of your training, but also injuring yourself in the process. So it’s crucial to learn the proper way to train with focus pads and the correct punching techniques before starting.

Make sure you and your training partner know the correct techniques for:

• Jabs
• Crosses
• Uppercuts
• Hooks

These are the four punches used in boxing; you should practise shadow boxing initially to ensure you have the right technique before moving on to focus pads and punching bags.

How to Use Focus Pads

When training with focus pads, your partner first needs to hold them properly. One of the principal advantages of focus pad training as opposed to hitting punching bags is that they’re a moving target, so your partner needs to move the pads fluidly to meet your punches to resist them securely and encourage you to use different punching techniques to form good punching combinations.

The mitt holder should also be communicating clearly and effectively with the boxer, so they know where to strike and what to improve each time. You can practise a variety of skills and techniques with focus pads, so make sure you both know which is the focus of that particular session before and during the training.

When striking the focus pads, aim for the centre of the pad; this target practice will help improve shot accuracy as well as valuable quick-thinking skills and improve your reaction time.

Also, endeavour to utilise your whole body. Punching power is generated in the foot and transferred through the body, being released by the fist, so stay on your toes, using the proper technique and moving your whole body to punch and return to a defensive stance.

As with most practices, consistency is key, so the more you train with focus pads, the better you’ll become. Keep swapping roles with your partner as well, so you can both learn the importance of a good mitt holder and improve both of your performances – and get in a great full-body workout.

The Benefits of Using Focus Pads

Focus pads are a key piece of equipment in boxing gyms as well as in Boxfit and Boxercise classes, as they can be used to improve technique and they’re great for cardiovascular fitness. So whether you want to become a professional boxer or want a fun way to stay in shape or exercise with a friend, focus pads have plenty of benefits for you.

Let’s look at each benefit in more detail.

Improving Boxing Technique

Engaging in focus pad training significantly enhances your striking technique, fostering the development of crucial skills throughout the entire training process. Both the person holding the pads and the one training with them experience great benefits; the pad holder must think quickly, fluidly moving their hands to meet strikes, forcing defensive manoeuvres, and encouraging the use of diverse combinations.

The person striking the focus pads will benefit from:

• Improving their punching technique and ability to seamlessly execute combinations
• Improving their shot accuracy as the trainer’s pads frequently move, challenging the boxer to target the centre of the pad accurately
• Improving speed and accuracy as focus pad training involves rapid movements, promoting quicker thinking and heightened reaction times

In the realm of boxing, success is not solely determined by physical prowess; mental performance is equally crucial. Understanding the ebb and flow of a match, anticipating your opponent’s next move, and making informed decisions swiftly are integral aspects. Focus pad training not only refines your physical capabilities but also sharpens your mental acuity, enabling you to make impactful decisions on the best form of attack against your opponent.

Improving Physical Fitness

Whether you’re punching, kicking or striking the focus pads with your knees, you need a full range of movement, utilising each of your body’s muscle groups to strike effectively. This requires great balance, physical strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and agility to pull off successfully.

When starting training with focus pads, you may be slower, ensuring the accuracy of your technique and positioning of the shot on the pad. However, as you practise and improve, your strikes will become quicker and more fluid as your physical fitness and fighting skills improve.

Focus pads are particularly great for:

• Improving muscular and cardiovascular endurance through intense and continuous movement
• Burning calories from an intense, full-body workout
• Improving coordination and balance as the striker must quickly strike the moving targets
• Improved speed and reflexes due to the fast-paced nature of focus pad training
• Increased flexibility in shoulders and hips through repeated strikes and moving between different striking techniques

Focus pad training can be intense for the striker and the mitt holder, so 15 – 20 minute sessions for each person, 2 – 3 times per week is an excellent way to stay in shape.

Improving Mental Health

Boxing and boxing fitness classes are increasing in popularity as people enjoy them for the intense exercise which helps their mental well-being as well as the social aspects that come with them. When using focus pads, you don’t even need to go down to a boxing class. If you buy a high-quality, durable pair of focus pads, you can train at home or in the park with a friend.

When it comes to mental well-being, focus pads help to:

• Relieve stress by emphatically hitting the pads
• Encourage focus and mindfulness as hitting the pads accurately requires intense concentration
• Motivate people to lose weight through a fun activity with a friend
• Encourage social interaction as the trainer and partner need to communicate well for effective training

Do Focus Pads Build Muscle?

Unfortunately for some, building muscle is not achievable through all sports or training, and cannot be achieved through punching focus pads, holding focus pads, or repeatedly punching abdominal muscles.

Building muscle mass requires full flexion of the muscle with resistance, so building muscles is easiest through:

• Weight lifting
• Strength training exercises

While around 10 million people in the UK hold gym memberships, around 34% of people in the UK don’t exercise once a week, so it’s clear that the gym isn’t for everyone. If you want to build muscle without heading to your gym and lifting weights, you can build muscle through strength training exercises using your own body weight, such as:

• Squats
• Crunches
• Press-ups
• Pull-ups
• Lunges

Strength training will help improve your fighting performance, and make you feel physically fitter, but if you wondered if focus pads build muscle because you want to improve your aesthetics, you don’t necessarily have to go out of your way to build muscle to improve your appearance.

Using focus pads is a great cardiovascular workout and can burn a lot of calories. So if you’re training regularly, you’ll notice you begin to lose fat from your arms, abdomen and thighs, and your muscles begin to tone, so you may be able to get the abs you’ve always dreamed of after all.

Where Can You Get the Best Focus Pads?

Since focus pads have so many benefits, you’re probably wondering where you can get yourself a pair.

Well, fortunately, you don’t have to go far, as Maxx Pro Boxing’s online shop has all of the best boxing equipment you need for a home workout.

Manufacturing and supplying high-quality boxing equipment across the UK, choose from:

• Pink and white leather curved focus pads
• Black and red leather curved focus pads, or
• Shop our range of focus pads

Don’t forget that when striking any piece of equipment, from focus pads to punching bags and another person, you’ll always need a high-quality pair of boxing gloves to protect your hands too.

Buy the Best Boxing Equipment – Maxx Pro Boxing

If you want to get the most out of training with focus pads, shop online at Maxx Pro Boxing today!