Unlike other martial artists, boxers are only allowed to use punches for their offense and it’s important for them to protect their hands from any kind of injuries.
If you visit some of the local gyms, It’s quite common to see boxers perform various hand strengthening exercises by using a rice bucket as a tool but how does it exactly work, and Why it is getting popular among the boxing community? Let see:
So, Why Do Boxers Put Their Hands In Rice?
Boxers put their hands in rice to develop gripping power and improve overall muscle endurance. Rice bucket workout focuses on the strength of smaller muscle groups and increases their flexibility. Also, it reduces the chances of injury by providing wrist support and bulking up the boxer’s forearm muscles.
In this article, I’ll dig more into the benefits of rice bucket and explain to you exactly how it is beneficial for different aspects of boxing:
Why Do Boxers Put Their Hands in Rice Bucket?
Many boxers seem to have a different opinion about this workout because it provides strength in a different way than lifting weights. But here’re some of the most common benefits of rice bucket workout for boxers:
1. Prevent Elbow Injury
Another great benefit of doing a rick bucket workout is injury prevention. For boxers, it’s significantly important to be able to throw punch after punch during their fight, at their optimal skill level.
Various exercises involved in this workout help boxers in increasing the flexibility and overall mobility of their hand muscles. It not only reduces the chances of injury but also allows them to deliver solid punches for longer.
In addition to that, it also works on the endurance of the boxer’s hand. Having strong and enduring hands allow boxers to make their punches much more stable and easily resist any softer tissue damage in their wrists.
2. Improve Forearm Strength
Along with offering protection to the opponent from heavy shots, boxing gloves are also meant to provide support to the delicate bones of the boxer’s hands. And that’s why, I think of this workout as a great supplement to protection, in terms of muscle strength.
Rice bucket exercises allow boxers to work on the flexor and extensor muscles of their hands while developing solid support in their wrists and forearms.
Also, it is considered as a great workout to increase the density of muscles in the forearms and thus increase the power behind the punches. My fellow mates take it as one of the inexpensive yet effective ways to nicely balance the muscles in their forearms.
3. Dynamic Gripping Power
Having strong hand muscles not only make boxers less exposed to injuries but also adds an extra grip endurance that allows boxers to strongly clench their fist while hitting their opponent, in order to maximize the impact of their punch.
When boxers put their hands in the rice and squeeze it repeatedly, it helps boxers to develop gripping strength and thus to make a tight fist, especially when their hands are wrapped inside those boxing gloves.
Personally, I think of gripping power as one of the small yet solid parts of the boxing base because it allows boxers to punch with a harder pace, withstand intense boxing training, and most importantly, reduces the chances of serious injuries.
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How to Do Rice Bucket Training for Boxing?
Just like other workouts, you should start rice bucket training with a warm-up, unless you want to enjoy a little bit of muscle soreness. 🙂
A good warmup starts with taking some rice from the top of the bucket and simply squeezing it in your fist. Repeat this couple of times and you’re ready for the exercises:
What is the Actual Point?
In this workout, you fill the bucket with uncooked rice and use its resistance to strengthen your arms and forearms’ muscles.
This is a classic exercise technique that is relatively very inexpensive. It doesn’t require much to get started but effectively works on the extensor muscles of your hands, which are relatively difficult to condition and remain weak in most cases.
How to Do the Exerscies?
Check out this amazing video that demonstrates the different exercises involved in this workout.
Does Rice Bucket Training Actually Works?
Doing rice bucket training in the pre-workout time or during your regular fitness routine actually helps to strengthen your arms.
It not only helps you to develop stronger muscles in your forearms but also focuses on building up those smaller muscles present in your wrist and fingers. That’s the reason why it minimizes the chances of injuries during fights and increases the overall endurance.
In general, it significantly increases your punching power and makes your fist stronger by providing you with better control over the wrist and effectively engaging the forearm muscles into the punch.
Final Thoughts
Boxers put their hands in rice to develop strength in their forearm muscles and make the overall hand stronger. Taking good care of their hands is equally important for boxers because even a little injury can make or break their game.
A bucket of rice is one of the cheapest and classical ways to train almost all the muscles of your arm and fingers. this workout not only provides strength to them but also makes them less susceptible to injuries.
Now, you know why exactly boxers prefer rice bucket workouts and how it benefits them. If you find this article helpful, don’t forget to check out my other awesome resources listed below:
