Shadow boxing is often just viewed as a warm up before the boxing workout. How untrue this is! Shadow boxing serves to warm and prep the body for the upcoming workout but there’s far more to it than that.

More importantly, shadow boxing helps you to groove the skills you have been taught.

It is best to shadow box in front of a mirror were you can monitor your technique that has been taught to you. I often say… the mirror doesn’t lie. Once you know what to look for, it’s impossible to have bad technique in front of the mirror!

If you really focus on what you’re doing while shadow boxing then progression in skill is heightened. Your trainer won’t have to keep barking at you to keep your hands up or throw that hook right when your working the bags. He will be very pleased to see your fast progression do to your commitment of solid technique when shadow boxing.

Great fighters will tell you, that when they shadow box and move around the ring they envision real situations that may come up in the ring. They envision having an opponent in front of them. From offensive combos, to defensive tactics, all is covered.

Look at an experienced fighter’s body language and eyes while they shadow box. It shows they are in a different world. Indeed they are, a world where they see themselves dominating. You wonder why these fighters get so good? Because they see themselves doing it first in the gym and during their shadow boxing.

Think about that next time you shadow box. This is what we think about when we train in my Columbus Ohio boxing gym.