Actor and pro boxer Sam Gittins advices his favourite boxing exercises when he’s away for work or doesn’t have access to gym facilities.
“My exercise routine usually consists of three sessions in a boxing gym and two runs in the week, but when I’m on projects like Break and I’m away for a long time, you have to get inventive as staying fit keeps me focussed, especially when you’re the lead role in a film, you have to be on form every day,
Break was intense which I loved so I fitted in exercise in my hotel room before or after filming.”
Boxing is a mixture of cardio, strength and endurance, requiring a surprising amount of upper body strength. But it is important that you mix up upper body training with a combination of other exercises such as squats, lunges and abdominal work.
“Any room, park or exercise area can be useful for bodyweight exercises; however, you can still tick over with your cardio. When shooting for my new film Break, I started every day with;
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20 press ups (slowly, spending three seconds in the down position and three in the “up” position).
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This would be followed by 1 minute in the plank position (place your forearms on the floor with elbows aligned below shoulders and arms parallel to your body at about shoulder width lifting up with your toes so your body is off the floor and straight)
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Then I would flip over to my back for 30 crunches (lie on your back with your knees up and arms straight then pulse your arms to touch your knees so your back is slightly coming off the floor, you can feel the burn in your abs)
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With no rest I would go straight into 30 reverse crunches (same position as above but alternate your legs back and forth whilst still crunching your abs)
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I would then finish with my legs six inches off of the ground lying on my back (and hold for however long you can hold for).
I would repeat the entire mini-circuit three times. This work out was great because during Break I was going from fight scenes to chase scenes, to then needing core strength and concentration for the snooker parts.”
Even this short circuit of exercises can prove to be a great start to anyone’s day. It doesn’t take much, but boxing exercises such as those above can reduce stress and release endorphins into the body to give your day the start it needs.
‘BREAK will be available in cinemas later in the year. For more information please follow @BrEAK_Film on Twitter and/or @breakukfilm on Instagram & Facebook!’