The fifth and final blog in the Wii Sports Warm-Ups series involves Wii Boxing and the muscles involved in real-life boxing. The physically demanding sport requires warming up and exercising a considerable array of muscle groups spanning almost the entire length of the person’s body, from the shoulder and neck muscles to the upper leg muscles. Three-minute rounds of fighting, interrupted by 30 or 60-second rest breaks between rounds, demands aerobic and anaerobic conditioning so that boxers could last 12 or 15 rounds. Body conditioning involves developing upper and lower body strength as well as good hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
Much of the wear and tear that takes place on the body during boxing occurs in the upper torso area, so boxers focus on strengthening the core muscles in order to absorb punches to the body.
Target muscle groups
Core muscles
Offensively, the act of punching and the subsequent impact requires conditioning the shoulder, neck, arm, and hand muscles.
Shoulder and neck muscles
Deltoids
Pectoralis Major
Arm muscles
Hand muscles
- Palmaris longus
- Abductor pollicis brevis
- Flexor pollicis brevis
The following video contains a series hand, finger, and forearm exercises for martial artists, and boxing, as a martial art, is no exception. The exercises highlighted in the video strengthens the hand muscles listed above.
Why work out the legs in a sport that seems not to use them? A good amount of the power in a boxer’s punch comes from their lower body. Working out the upper leg muscles and hips helps boxers develop more explosive punches.
Upper leg muscles and hips
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
First-time players of Wii Boxing found themselves the most sore (and out-of-shape) out of all five sports available in Wii Sports. Whether you’re a virtual Wii boxer or a real boxer, warming up the muscle groups outlined in this blog will help you reduce injuries, increase your endurance, and get the most out of the athleticism that virtual and real boxing needs.
