With the new year comes new resolutions about health and fitness. If you're like millions of other Americans, 2005 will start off with bold goals and renewed gym memberships. Wait... doesn't that sound exactly like the beginning of 2004? What stopped you last year from achieving your "perfect" physique? Maybe your exercise routine became stale, or maybe it was too boring right from the start.

Joel and Deborah Mosley, partners in marriage, business (they are owners of Gravitas, a full-service personal training and health company) and sometimes in boxing, seem to have a fun and effective solution: take your workout into the boxing ring. Joel is a professional, state-licensed heavy weight boxer with 13 years of experience. A NSCA certified UCLA trainer with a bachelor's degree in human biomechanics from The Master's College, he teaches his clients boxing techniques in order to increase their cardiovascular health, improve muscle tone and hone their self-defense abilities. His wife, Deborah, is a UCLA-trained certified kickboxing and boxing instructor that has worked in the medical weight loss field for nine years and has a certificate in advanced nutrition.

Together they have created a workout that can be done with a partner using focus pads (available at any sports-oriented retail store) or alone, shadow-boxing style. Moves can be done singularly for short time increments or can be combined for a more varied routine (i.e. Left Hook, Right Hook, Straight Right Cross, Knee Kick...). For more information on local boxing classes or training, call Gravitas at 888-205-5524.

Knee Kick

Start with knees loose and bent. Your kicking knee should rise in a controlled motion quickly, and bringing the knee higher than the waistline will work the abdominals. Arms should be raised at the beginning of the movement, and come down towards the knee as your leg goes up.

Left Hook

Get into a boxer's stance, legs a comfortable hip's length apart, back foot turned to the side to create an "L" shape. Harnessing the power in your legs, core and upper body, turn into a punch - push through with your fist while pivoting on your back toe, keeping your body weight stable. Avoid hyper-extending your joint. Keep your elbow parallel to your body through both the punch's delivery (acceleration) and retraction (deceleration). Switch for a Right Hook.


Straight Right Cross

Here, your back toe and hips rotate as your right arm extends and crosses your body's midline. Keep your extended arm parallel to the floor. In practice, it's especially important to keep your arm parallel to the ground, as raising your arm lower or higher will reduce the power of the punch. Instead, adjust the bend in your knees to make contact with a taller or shorter target. Switch for Straight Left Cross.