Increase Your Metabolism with Boxing Training

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If you have ever watched a boxing match then you have seen the type of shape the majority of boxers are in. Most boxers were not born this way and have dedicated long hours of training to get in the kind of physical condition they need to ply their trade. Using the same training techniques the average person can lose weight and increase their metabolism for long term health gains.

Boxing training is relatively new to the mainstream fitness industry. While boxers have used these methods for years it is only recently that the average person has begun to use and see the benefits of this type of exercise program. The great thing about using a boxing program is that it provides a total body workout including aerobic conditioning, resistance training, flexibility, and balance.

There are aerobic boxing training classes that use innovative variations of sparring jobs, power punches and defense techniques to increase cardiovascular health and fitness. By learning the proper techniques for punching and kick combinations trainers are able to create intense workouts that increase strength and confidence.

For those new to the boxing workout routine it may look kind funny the first time you see it. When first starting the combinations of jabs, kicks and blocks are performed on imaginary opponents which mean you will be throwing punches and kicks in the air. As you get better you will move to punching bags and sparring opponents who wear big padded gloves used as targets for you workout.

One of the big benefits of boxing training is the amount of calories you can burn during one workout. In one hour you can burn anywhere from 350 to 500 calories. During this time you will also maintain a heart rate at 75 to 85 percent of maximum which is the optimal range for cardiovascular training.

Boxing training classes will also help to improve your speed, reaction time and strength along with flexibility and reflex actions of the muscles. The repetitive and constant movement of the arms and legs while doing the workout will build strength and power across all muscle groups. You will also build joint strength as well as balance and coordination from the consistent movements.

These days many fitness and personal trainers are recommending boxing lessons as a training choice for those who are beginners to fitness training. It can be customized to fit each person’s current fitness level which allows them to see consistent improvements in both physical condition and weight loss over a period of time. You will see positive results with boxing training as the workouts increase aerobic and muscle condition which both lead to a permanent increase in metabolism. Combined with a healthy diet this type of training is a great way to lose weight and keep those pounds off.

To learn more about your metabolism and how to increase it visit the website Metabolism by clicking here.

Time Boxing Promotes Time Awareness

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Working on your own often means working at your own time, at your own pace, and at your own terms. But too often, with this type of set up, you would end up not being aware of the time you have spent, or wasted. If you want to work on a fixed schedule or make sure that you are able to maximize the time you have on hand and spend it well, there is technique that has been circulating among freelancers for quite some time now. It is called time boxing. It can help you keep up with your tasks and keep tabs on the amount of time you spend on working on your tasks.

One of the reasons why time boxing can help you be aware of the time you spend is because the technique is time-bound, which means that it is not focused on the tasks done but on the time spent instead. As you go about your daily tasks employing the technique, you will notice that each task is listed and lined up according to the amount of time you intend to spend doing them. As a rule of thumb, when the alarm sets off for each task, you’ll need to stop what you’re doing and, no matter how little or how much work you were able to do on the tasks, drop it and do what’s next on the list. But this doesn’t mean that you are bound by that rule. You can always choose to continue with the tasks after the alarm goes off, you can customize the technique however way you want, and use it to your advantage. But the bottom line is, it keeps you aware of how long you’ve been working, how much time you have spent on your tasks, and how much time there is left both for each task and for your whole work day in general.

Another way that time boxing can help you be aware of your time is that it allows you to plan your tasks for the day according to how much time you tend to work for the whole day and divide the time into enough time boxes to accommodate your tasks. This way, your day is set up not according to what tasks you need to finish but to how much time you have to use for work. So as you progress along your day, you are definitely aware of your activities and how much time you have already spent.

Boxer’s Story In Film film Five Good Years Wins Support Of Sugar Ray Leonard

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Bruce Reisman and Kris Black of Four Legged Pictures invited me to watch Black train with the legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. To top it off, I was given the exclusive interview with Leonard to break the news to the world about his involvement in Four Legged Pictures’ film “Five Good Years.” What a great time to be in Hollywood and meet two of the most attractive guys, too.

Growing up, I was undoubtedly Daddy’s little girl. Besides going fishing, my other fond bonding moment with my dad was gathering around ye ole picture tube to watch boxing matches with family and friends. As I read back through Leonard’s amateur and professional career, I could remember seeing nearly every fight- especially in the later half of his career. An 80s gal to the core, Leonard was definitely one of my childhood heroes making this by far one of my most memorable journalistic moments to date.

Call it fate, but I have written about “Five Good Years” in prior posts, but it hasn’t seemed to get the momentum nor commitment that is garnering now. The script tells the story of a coal miner in West Virginia who has to box as a means to support his mother that is dying from a rare cancer called multiple myeloma. When Leonard received the script from “the first lady of boxing, Jackie Kallen (portrayed by Meg Ryan in “Against the Ropes”), he was won over. It was just that this was a boxing story that appealed to him, but it was the fact that he could relate to the mother’s multiple myeloma and her son’s need to turn to boxing. This was because Leonard’s own father has the same diagnosis and the story mirrored his struggle.

It’s been over 20 years since Leonard has acted. In this film, he will play the role of an ex-fighter turned promoter that is also suffering from early Parkinson’s disease. His character turns the tough-mind coal miner (portrayed by the co-writer and producer Black) into a contender.

Leonard has completely committed to this film project and even offered to train Black for his lead role of Alex Winston. Unofficially, I heard there’s also some interest from an A-list Latin celebrity and hope to break that news to you as well.

The following is my exclusive interview with Sugar Ray Leonard filmed outside of Fortune Gym in Hollywood.
Interview with Sugar Ray Leonard

Additional information about “Five Good Years” and Four Legged Pictures

The $4.5 million movie will be independently financed and is to be directed by Reisman. Reisman, who has been a writer-director-producer for close to forty years, joined Black to create FourTwoFive Films three years ago, with “The House That Jack Built” now in release, and the soon-to-be seen, “Blood Effects” which Black wrote and Reisman produced, completing their slate of low-budget horror movies.

Black formed Four Legged Pictures on his own, moving away from the “horror” genre. The current plans with Four Legged Pictures are to produce higher profile movies and not strictly horror. “Danny Boy” will follow production of “Five Good Years.” Co-written by Black and Reisman, “Danny Boy” is a cross between “Dead Man Walking” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” 2 complete opposites end up sharing the same cell in a high-security prison; one a hardened criminal and the other an episcopal priest, convicted of a “mercy killing.”

Behind the camera for “Five Good Years,” is cinematographer Bryan Greenberg, whose latest film, the independent “The Perfect Game,” received rave notices, especially for Greenberg’s beautiful photography.

Joining Greenberg behind-the-scenes is “legendary” editor Scott Conrad, who won an Oscar for editing the Best Picture winner, “Rocky.” The perfect editor for this story, Conrad was also drawn to the script, and of course, his experience in “cutting” the most famous boxing-theme movie of all time, made him the perfect choice for “Five Good Years.”

Other cast members, at this time, include Taryn Manning- known best for her work in “Hustle and Flow” and “8 Mile” with Eminem, and Justin Shilton who was in “Little Miss Sunshine.”

With casting of the other leading roles in process, plans are for the film to begin production before the end of this year in Detroit, Michigan, which will double for the South and various U.S. cities for the elaborate boxing sequences.

To be distributed by Synergetic, plans are to have the film ready for the Cannes Film Festival next year, with a general theatrical release planned for Fall 2011 to qualify for the Academy Awards.

The Allure Of Boxing As A Sport

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When you think of sports perhaps boxing is not the particular activity that comes to mind. Maybe you think that boxing is something that is only done by professionals in a ring against an opponent and is not something that would be considered a fun and fulfilling form of exercise. If so, you be surprised to learn that many people enjoy boxing as a great exercise that they can do right in their own homes. With a minimal amount of equipment one can have their very own mini gym complete with a punching bag {or punching dummy} and a good pair of boxing gloves. That is basically all that is required except for the desire and determination to participate. The interest in this sport is ever increasing and those who get involved love the workout and the physical results.

If you are desirous of a lean, toned, fit body, boxing may be just what you are looking for as a way to achieve this goal. The increased agility and coordination that can be achieved is another real benefit of this sport. It is heart healthy, fat-burning exercise that can deliver amazing results when you put forth the effort. Because it is a great cardio workout it can also result in significant weight loss if that is your goal. Some may worry that it is an exercise that will really bulk up the muscles but because many of the moves are very repetitive it is actually a better toning workout than you might think. It is certainly not just for men either as more and more women are finding that this is the perfect workout for them.

If you are looking for a way to combat the stress in your life, you will be happy to learn that boxing is a great stress reliever in addition to its’ many other benefits. In addition, it is one of the more high intensity workouts that is just plain fun to do.

For those who are more interested in the social aspects of exercising, boxing offers that as well and classes are available for all levels. A typical class might have 15-18 participants who work on sparring against one another. Half of the class may work on taking jabs from their opponents and then they trade places and become the one inflicting the blows. Everyone gets a great workout and can enjoy some social interaction in the process.

Nike Boxing Shoes Designed To Make You Victorious

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Anyone who has ever done boxing understands the importance of having perfect boxing shoes. Success of a boxer is wholly or partially dependent on the shoes worn by them. There are many accessories used in the game of boxing, which are designed for protection of the boxers. The vital part is to purchase a pair of high quality boxing shoes to ensure a safe and comfortable way of boxing.

Nike boxing shoes are available in many types. Some of them are made up of the materials like leather, rubber, suede or even synthetic materials. It is important to manage ankles, bones and muscles in the ring and good boxing shoes never let you down in this case. There are many boxing shoes available and everyone picks the one in accordance to their choice and utility.

The shoes should be of perfect size. Nike boxing shoes are manufactured in a way such that your feet get proper breathing and are not bound in the tight area. Light weight shoes are important for keeping you firm in the ring and prohibiting you to get injured due to the swift movements of feet. Rubber soles are added for making sure that the boxer does not slip off. These soles are usually made up of the flex material.

Nike boxing shoes are available in many sizes and heights. They include low, high, medium tops and also, there are ankle length shoes available. High top shoes usually have better ankle support. The shoes are designed for concentrating on support and stoutness. Take proper trials before finalizing the shoe. Be sure that you try out the shoes before leaving the store. Jump, bounce and walk with the shoes and try out every usual angle you perform in boxing. Keep looking for the shoes until you find the ones perfectly suitable for your feet.

Time Boxing Why It’s Essential in Project Management

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One of the most popular techniques today in organizing and managing work is time boxing. This has become very popular that it is now being widely used in almost all types of work environment, even for students and professionals. This is especially useful for project management because it allows you to set both short-term and long-term goals, as well as make big projects less intimidating by breaking it down to smaller tasks.

With time boxing, you can allocate fixed deadlines for you tasks. This technique is time-bound, so you can designate a specific amount of time to be spent on each task depending on your predicted deadline. For example, if your project for the day is to come up with research proposal for your pre-finals in school, you can divide the task into smaller ones and set time boxes for each. You can allocate an hour for research and resource seeking, a full two and a half hours for writing the proposal itself, another hour for editing and revising, and then maybe take a 15-minute break, and then review the proposal for an hour. You can then allocate an extra 30 minutes for further revisions. You will find that the time you spent on the project is only four hours, giving you enough time to do other tasks for the rest of the day.

Another great thing for using this technique when doing any type of project is it allows for immediate feedback. When you’ve set up and delegated your initial time for each task in your project, you will find that you are able to adjust it as you go along and get an instantaneous picture of the task on hand, whether or not the amount of time currently allocated for it is enough or more time is needed for the task, and you can easily adjust it accordingly.

Notice how we tend to prefer smaller tasks than bigger ones? Same goes for projects, the huge ones always seem to overwhelm us while smaller ones are much more -bearable-. Time boxing solves this problem. This technique will help you break down the project into smaller tasks, giving you a visual of the small tasks instead of one big task. You will find that you can have more progress slowly working on the smaller tasks than when you see the big project as a whole. A huge house cleaning project, for example, can get you overwhelmed when you think about all the rooms and areas you will need to clean. So when you apply the technique, you can divide the project into rooms, set aside certain amounts of time for each room instead, and work on that. As you slowly work your way to the other rooms in your task list, you will find that you’ve achieved more this way.

The Revival of Bare-Knuckle Boxing

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When people think of martial arts systems they think of them as Asian. They don’t think of martial arts as being European or American. Some have heard of Bare-Knuckle Boxing but don’t equate it with other martial arts. They somehow think of it as a cultural component but never thinking of it as a real, world class martial art. In fact, Bare-Knuckle Boxing was once considered one of the most effective empty hand systems in the Western world for self-defense.

When we think of Bare-Knuckle Boxing we think of a ring with rules more than an efficient street fighting system. We think of the Queensberry rules and black & white visions of fighters who stood in a strange looking, more upright, primary fighting stance. People today consider the system a rather antiquated form of boxing which has grown to become a high level sport. That is exactly what it has become; A SPORT.

There is a large gap between sport and self-defense, however. As a self-defense, today’s boxing has lost much of its street effectiveness. The Bare knuckle fighter of the past could handle himself quite well against any would-be attacker.

Early in the sport, men still used illegal techniques that they learned from their own fathers and brothers or from the street. These fighters knew how to hide illegal techniques within legal ones like the straight right hand that would slice the opponents lips to ribbons or the eye gouge hidden within a jab. These guys knew all the brutal, vicious, fight-terminating shots. In fact, before rules were in place and before today’s boxing methods were birthed in the ring, men were studying boxing as a self-defense science. The practice of bare-knuckle boxing dates back to ancient times and was unparalleled during the Renaissance where fencing science and human biomechanics were meticulously applied to the system.

European bare-knuckle boxing is an almost forgotten, yet very effective street self-defense system. It is the original form of boxing, more closely related to ancient combat systems. It involves sophisticated self-defense using fists, fingers, elbows, knees, feet and even the head.

Bare-Knuckle Boxing or Western boxing or what I call Long-Bridge Boxing at my school is our indigenous fighting system and is every bit as effective as its oriental counterparts. It makes up a large part of our martial culture. The western art of boxing has also had a huge influence on most other martial arts. One system in particular, some believe, that was greatly influenced by Western boxing is Wing Chun. A look into China’s past will tell you that Chinese practitioners had many encounters with Western boxers. They encountered a system of fighting they hadn’t seen before because they were used to fighting people of their own stature, not the taller Europeans.

These Europeans kept their heads back, with their weight on the rear leg. They punched straight and took small, shuffling steps, with a few low kicks or none at all. This was totally different from the Chinese methods as they used low horse stances, with wide, overreaching punches. Needless to say the Europeans beat many of the kung fu fighters. This is a matter of great controversy so we need not say that this is indisputable. What I submit to you is that Wing Chun would be greatly improved by incorporating certain key principles of Bare-Knuckle Boxing.

Mma & Boxing Fitness Secrets From The Borneo Monster

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What’s the Borneo Monster MMA & boxing fitness conditioning tactic*?

So here’s the story…

The biggest guy I know (well he was the biggest guy) literally showed up at the boxing fitness club after we hadn’t seen him for a year with a rock-solid chiseled body and six-pack abs…

We immediately rushed to “interview” him so we could learn his secrets. His nickname at the boxing fitness club is now the borneo monster because he was so overweight and now he’s an MMA & boxing monster with an awesome body.

So how did the borneo monster lose so much weight so fast and literally chisel his body? It’s because he learned the secret fitness techniques of professional MMA & boxing fighters…

Here, I’ll let him explain:

“hey guys and gals, to lose weight and/or get super ripped without having to resort to tactics that could put you in danger just simply follow the pros!

I suffered from health problems because of my poor fitness…So things had to change for me quickly.

This made me go on a journey to discover the pros deepest MMA & boxing fitness secrets…because I know these guys and gals get results fast.

Getting in touch with an actual professional MMA & boxing fitness trainer, I deciphened the secrets mixed martial artists & boxers use to get their physiques…And fast!

These 5 secrets are pure gold…

1. It’s all about intense workouts that aren’t boring. If you have a boring workout, you’ll give up. We’re human and we need a little excitement.

2. Also, you need an intense workout that you can do at home or at the gym. A flexible workout. Sometimes I would just get up off my computer and start doing them…In the house.

3. All you gotta do to get a level of fitness and physique that people would truly admire (those of pro MMA & boxing fighters) is train effectively – 3 days a week for 1 hour. Not bad at all…

4. The secret you can’t ignore to losing weight and getting ripped super fast is to do exercises that train the entire body and your core at the same time. That’s why boxing fitness is awesome!

5. Have a simple nutrition program to ensure that your body is getting lean even while you’re not working out…A system that works on pure autopilot.

Plus, if you have exciting workouts you’ll actually look forward to doing them. So that’s the real trick. MMA & boxing fitness exercises are great because you’ll have a lot of fun and you’ll be learning real skills.

Hence, after my research I realized that MMA & boxing workouts were #1 for fitness and losing weight. Diets suck! Trust me, I’ve tried em all!

A great exercise that professional fighters use is the 1-arm tripod row: Take a dumbell in one hand. Put your free arm out and find something to lean that up against so your body, arm, and ground form a triangle. Pull the weight up to your lats. This forces you to heavily engage your core and pulling muscles.

Try doing 1 set of 50, then mix it up. The next week do 4 sets of 15. Then get back to 3 sets of 10 with more weight.

Even a giant monster like myself can lose weight and get super lean, super fast…Without taking b.s. supplements.”

So there you have it. The borneo monster speaks.

Accomplish More with These Time Boxing Tricks

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Time boxing lets you use a timer or an alarm clock for effective time management. It helps you stay on track of your projects. It also allows you to determine the real amount of time that you have to spend working on each task. When we say ‘real’, it means the precise number of minutes or hours that it should take you to complete an assignment-minus the distractions. This is one of the time boxing tricks valued by freelance workers.

This tool teaches you first on identifying the most appropriate period of the day for you to begin your work. This should be when you have already accomplished your household chores and no one will ever bother you. Either your kids are in school or playing or while your husband is in the office. This way you are sure of your 100 percent attention. You can realistically measure your production every hour then. But what is more significant with this method is that it enables you to increase the number of your completed tasks in a day.

Using time boxing tricks will let you accomplish more daily. If previously you can only come up with four completed tasks daily, you will be surprised to know that you can actually do two or three more in the same amount of time. This is because of your focus, which this time boxer trains you for. Unfortunately, this is also what is lacking with some freelance workers.

A number of freelancers give no sufficient attention to their work. They fail to maximize the opportunities presented to them. For one, they are not able to accept more clients all because they do not follow a fixed work schedule. They manage their time poorly. They believe that they opt to become freelance workers so they can attend to their jobs at their own pace and so that they can have more life outside of their careers. It is obvious then that they are not after business and career growth. They are only after pleasure. They do not realize that if only they deal with their time efficiently, they can have both: advancement and enjoyment.

If you are not like them and you wish to advance your freelance career, you will be on the right path by using time boxing tricks. With proper time management you can do more projects in a day. You can even accommodate new clients thereby increasing your monthly profits. Opportunities are boundless in freelancing. You only need to grab them.

Nokia N900 Smartphone Available From Boxing Day In Uk

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The Boxing Day 2009 will bring along Nokia’s eagerly awaited Nokia N900 mobile phone. Nokia recently announced that its N900 mobile device will be available from Carphone Warehouse Retail Stores from December 26 (Boxing Day), the day after Christmas. The Vodafone will have the Nokia N900 from January 7, 2010.

Both Carphone Warehouse and Vodaphone have already started taking pre orders, but Carphone will actually make an entry much before Vodaphone in London, UK market.

The N900 will be the latest in Nokia’s series of Linux based mobile devices. It will be the first to feature cellular voice and data capabilities, turning it into a smartphone, while its previous models only had Wi-Fi.

Nokia said that the new Maemo 5 platform will be a PC like computing experience into a mobile handset form factor.

Specifications of Nokia N900

The Nokia N900 has a 3.5 inch high resolution touch screen along with a full slide out querty keyboard. It also has Mozilla web browser, Nokia’s Ovi Maps and Adobe Flash Player 9.4. The phone has a 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and Carl Zeiss optics, dual LED flash and geo tagging.

It is based on an ARM cortex – A8 processor with 1GB of memory for applications and 32GB of storage which can be expanded upto 48GB with a microSD card slot.

Lets wait for the Nokia N900 reviews, which will decide whether the phone will be a hit or a flop.

The contracts for the Nokia N900 smartphone starts at a price of 35 pounds based on a 2 year agreement to get a free Nokia N900 which also includes 900 minutes along with unlimited texts and landline calls.