For her role in Jessica Jones, Krysten Ritter transformed her slender, small-boned shape into something that projected enough strength to lift an automobile. Her go-to workout? Boxing. "I love it!" Krysten says. "It's so dope." Not to mention what it does to your muscles.
Related: Krysten Ritter's Life Motto: Go Hard As A Motherf-cker
To learn the sport, she went to Ricky Quiles, owner of Ricky's Boxing Gym in Los Angeles and a former championship prize fighter. He told Women's Health a bit about the sport known as the "sweet science" and what it can do for your body and your mind. Here's the five key things you'll build:
Power
"Boxing is one of the best cardio and strength workouts you'll ever get," says Quiles. "That's why so many NBA and NFL players, gymnasts, all kinds of other athletes box." (The Slim, Sexy, Strong Workout DVD is the fast, flexible workout you've been waiting for!)
Endurance
Contracting your muscles quickly, over and over again, while bobbing and weaving around the ring helps acclimate you to repeated fatigue and recovery over an extended period of time.
Take a look behind the scenes of our cover shoot with Krysten Ritter:
Coordination
Quiles calls it "timing and rhythm": Moving lots of body parts simultaneously creates better spatial awareness—and makes you graceful.
Tone
Boxing's fast, repetitive jabs produce sleeker muscles than the slow movements of weight lifting.
Related: Exactly How Jessie Graff Became An 'American Ninja Warrior'
Confidence
For women in particular, says Quiles, boxing leads to "empowerment and courage. You know how to punch and protect yourself, and that's big."
This article originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of Women's Health. For more great advice, pick up a copy of the issue on newsstands now!
