Hi there, I'm Mike Gales for Everlast Nutrition. In this video, I want to
demonstrate how to hold the focus mitts. There are plenty of videos that will
show you how to hit these guys but I haven't seen too many videos that
clearly explain how to actually hold them. So that's exactly what we're
going to do. Working the focus mitts is not only for fighters, anyone can do it
and it's a great way to get a full body workout, that just destroys calories. It's
interactive and dynamic. The time is just going to fly by.
If you're sick of the same old same old monotonous workouts, then this is
definitely something you should give a try. To do this, you're definitely
going to need some focus mitts and you could probably pick up some Everlast
ones at your local superstore for under 20$. Your partner should really
use hand wraps and gloves. If you're not sure how to wrap your hands,
you can click on the description below. I'll also post some links
on how to properly throw each individual punch. In this video, I'm
going to work with a guy who's very new to boxing. His technique is not going
to be flawless and that's going to be perfect for this video. He's not
looking to fight but he is looking to be lean and mean for this summer. Maybe
you're looking to do the same thing. Before we get started, there's a few
things we're going to need to go over. First of which is going to be how should
you the person holding the mitts stand? You definitely don't want to
stand there all squared up with your chest perfectly facing your partner, like
I'm doing here. Why do you ask? Even though this guy is new to boxing, he's
still over 6 3 and 230 lbs. When my feet are perfectly in line, perpendicular
to hi, he's easily going to knock me off balance.
That can cause either one of us to get injured. It also really slows
down the pace of our workout if I'm getting knocked all over the place like.
You should assume a proper boxing stance yourself
when you're holding a focus mitts. If you're not sure about the boxing stance,
I'll also add that in the link in the description below.
Having a proper boxing stance will make sure that you're on balance and not getting
knock around. That way you can keep a high pace for your workout. It's also going to
make it much easier for you to position the mitts so your partner can throw
quick combinations. Finally, if your partner is actually looking to compete
in boxing, then these drills become all that much more realistic because now
you're standing there in the same position as a possible opponent.
Next up and this is such a common mistake, let me tell you that your
partner is not psychic. Moving the mitts all over the place in random directions
and expecting him to hit them is just not helping him. Especially in the
beginning. I let him know exactly what I want him to throw. That doesn't mean that
I won't switch it up here and there. I make sure that I communicate clearly which
punch he should be throwing. Next, you're going to
want to keep those mitts stiff. You're definitely asking for injuries if you
hold the mitts limp. Your partner might overextend or hyper-extend his arm.
He might knock your shoulder out of its socket. You must provide a solid
target for him to strike. In fact, if we zoom in here for a moment, you're going
to see that I'm actually coming out towards his punches to meet them with
some stiff resistance. That helps make sure that the target will be firm, so that
he doesn't hyper extend his arm. It is also gonna up the rate of our workout.
Notice that I'm not slamming mitts into his wrists. I'm not trying to injure
him. I'm just coming out slightly and then holding the mitts firmly, so
that he'll make a solid impact on the target. Next, I'm going to use a visual or
verbal cue to let him know when I'm ready for him to punch. So he knows which
punches to throw because I already told him and now he's going to know exactly
when to throw them. There are many trainers that will use a verbal cue by
saying "now, now" or "jab, jab, right" but I prefer to use a visual cue. I lowered the
mitts down when I don't want him to punch. Then I raise them up into the
proper position when I'm ready for him to punch. I would recommend that
you catch all the straight punches, so that's the jab and the cross, with your
rear hand only. You can see here that I have my boxing stance but I also have my
rear hand facing my partner, so that I can catch those straight punches. In the
beginning, it's going to be a little too confusing for the both of you to try and
catch straight punches using both mitts like this. So once again, instead catch
both the jab and the cross with your rear hand.
That will leave your lead hand available for other combinations, to practice
defensive counters or to make technical corrections if you need to.
As for the hooks, you're going to want to point the mitts towards the center of your
partner's chest. That will provide the right angle for the mitt to be struck.
In this case, my lead hand catches his lead hook and my rear hand catches his rear hook.
Please make this quick note, that I keep the rear pad away from my
face. The last thing that I want is to get hit by a rogue hook that missed its
target. Do the same thing for the hooks to the body. Just alter the height
of the mitts and remember to keep them stiff. Now for the uppercuts, I angle
the mitts so that they face slightly towards the floor. My lead hand catches his
lead uppercut, while my rear hand catches his rear uppercut. A common questions, is how
do you catch a hook to the body and head combination that is done to the same
side? I like to place the mitt for the body shot inverted against my hip for
resistance. My other hand is stiff and high away from my face for the hooks
or it's angled slightly towards the floor to catch uppercuts. In the future I
will post some great focus mitt routines on this YouTube channel. In the
meantime, here are some easy drills to get you started. Try 3 minutes of a
sprint that is done in place. Remember to hold them firmly. Have your partner
repeat with same combination non-stop with no extra movement for a whole 3
minutes. That could be the jab, cross non-stop or maybe some alternating hooks.
Maybe some alternating uppercuts. Mix it up a little bit and use your imagination.
You can focus more on technique with some in-place combinations. Now your partner
will throw the combinations that you told them to, with a little more power.
Then you're going to give them just a moment to reset
into his proper boxing stance, before he throws another.
This is the point where you want to use a verbal or visual cues. You could
also try some punches mixed in with some defensive movements. Perhaps a block,
a slip or a bob and weave. Pease do not try and randomly hit your partner in
the face. I never throw punches to my partner's head. I just want to make
sure that he keeps his hands up nice and high for defense. All I need to do for that
is to lightly pat him on the shoulder as a little reminder. Once again, I never
throw straight punches towards his face.
If I'm making my partner bob and weave under my simulated hooks, I make sure
that I never actually hit him in the head.
Finally, you can really up your skill level and the intensity of your workout
by adding in some foot movement. This is a much more realistic scenario just
punching a bag. Now you're both moving and you're dynamic. Many people
can punch really hard but can they quickly get to where they need to be and then
land that shot? Now that's a different question. You can have your partner
circle you or you can circle your partner. Change the angles. Just be
cautious not to continually circle in the same direction because you don't
want to get dizzy. You can have your partner come towards you or you can
press towards your partner and have them backing up. You are the one holding the
mitts and as such you're the lead partner in this dance and it's up to
your partner to follow your lead. Just remember to keep the scenario
realistic and take it one step at a time. Don't expect your partner to come
sprinting after you because you're running around. Now that you have the
basics down, you can use your imagination to come up with your own great routines
for the focus mitts. Try five rounds of three minutes each with a minute break
in between rounds. Just take a look at how much you will have sweat
by the end of it all. Now that you basically know what you're doing, there's
no reason not to give the focus mitts a try. They're different, so they'll
definitely take the monotony out of your training. They're fun and most of all, for
getting in shape they're extremely effective. This has been Mike Gales
for Everlast Nutrition. If you like these videos then you should definitely
click like or subscribe, as we're constantly posting up new videos that
contain great tips and ideas to get you in the absolute best shape possible.