That is awesome. I Am sure your instructors can see your desire and willingness to learn and that is why they are giving you the time
[quote]Ranzo wrote:
That is awesome. I Am sure your instructors can see your desire and willingness to learn and that is why they are giving you the time[/quote]
Thanks mate, and thank you for your confirmation of the hook to the body. I hope you’ll be a frequent visitor here and share your knowledge and experience with me!
3.5 hours? Geez you wouldn’t want to be doing that every night.
Awesome that the coach wants to work with you and for free too. They must see some potential. Nice one.
[quote]Kirks wrote:
3.5 hours? Geez you wouldn’t want to be doing that every night.
Awesome that the coach wants to work with you and for free too. They must see some potential. Nice one. [/quote]
Thanks man. Ye, I felt it tonight, a lot. More on that in my next log post. Thanks for stopping by.
09/05/2014 - boxing gym
I had been feeling a bit spaced out all day. I don’t feel I ate or drank nearly enough to replenish after last night’s marathon session. Thought it would be ok and I’d shake it off when I got to training, but I was really drained. Tonight was my first session where everything was off, and it was pretty demoralising, but I did the work as follows:
Warm up:
1 Mile Run
4 x 2 stepper, 4 x 2 skipping rope
10 x 40m sprints (jog back to start line and go again immediately) - This is where I knew I was in for a lousy session. I just couldn’t shake off the fatigue, and I found this hard, even though I could usually do this standing on my head.
Sparring:
3 x 3 minute rounds, with 3 different partners - I did ok, but my punch volume was way down, and my movement was slow and not very effective. I kept my guard up, and my defense was still ok, so I didn’t really take much in the way of punches, but I was resting way too much, gassed quickly, and didn’t really use many of the things I’ve been learning.
5 x 3 heavy bag - My coach only allowed me to use the lead hand, to build the strength and stamina in my jab. I slacked doing this, it was very disappointing, because I’ve just about reached a point where I can do this comfortably and with good snap. Tonight it was weak and not effective.
5 x 3 mitt work - bounce step work, jab work, counters (to straight punches). Started to get a bit more focused here, managed to get into a groove a bit more.
3 x 3 - hook on the pivot - I have this down in technique drills, but have yet to use it in sparring. I keep trying, but by the time I recognise the opportunity, it’s passed.
That was the end of the session.
I stayed behind with another guy, and we sparred with the coach. He did 2 rounds and went, and I stayed and sparred more or less non-stop for half an hour. I really enjoyed this, and for some reason, snapped out of the funk and was able to really get some quality training in. It was great, because the coach is an exceptional boxer with a glittering record, he was in complete control. I was really able to relax, and let my hands go. Because also I think I wanted to impress him and show him that his time investment was paying off, I had a really good go. I was able to use a wide variety of techniques he has shown me, and it was undoubtedly the best I’ve sparred in the short time I’ve been boxing. Although mostly he used speed not power, to tag me for my lapses in defense, he also hit me with some bigger shots. He said afterwards he worked a few in to see how I took good shots, and was pleased that I could take a punch.
It sounds ridiculous, but having been punched pretty hard a few times now by him, I feel much more confident.
At the end of the session, he asked if I’d like to train with him on weekends sometimes, when it is mutually convenient. That is pretty cool that he’d come in specially, and for free. I will make it count.
10/05/14
Very sore today. Ended up helping my family by doing some labouring, so quite a lot of sledge hammer work and hod carrying.
Kept it light when I hit the bags & weights:
4 x 3 floor to ceiling bag - focused on head movement, and relaxing and letting my hands go.
4 x 3 Heavy bag - almost exclusively jabs, trying to build up the strength and snap in my jab. It’s definitely improving. I could see this becoming a good shot for me. Practised a few variations of the jab, counters with it, etc. Quality work, pleased with how it went.
1 x 3 shadowboxing (I’ve been doing this all day everyday anyway- everytime I get 30 seconds break I’m jabbing, or countering, or pivoting etc)
Weights:
Big circuit, done twice
rear delt flies 10,10
Shrugs (3s pause at top) 10,10
neck (all 4 directions) 10,10
Ab wheel 10,10
Shoulder band dislocates 20,20
Not heavy weights, and not a lot of work, just enough that my shoulders and posture feels good.
11/5/14
Had work all day today.
5 x 3 shadow boxing
Isometric punch work for each punch:
Jab - 5 x 3s hold at 3 points
Cross - 5 x 3s hold at 3 points
Hooks (both hands) - 5 x 3s at 2 points
Uppercuts(both hands) - 5 x 3s at 2 points
12/5/14
5x3 floor to ceiling ball
3x3 heavybag
3x3 shadowboxing
Focus on head movement on everything I was doing. I can feel it in all my shadow boxing that I’m improving day by day.
[quote]Newboxer wrote:
11/5/14
Had work all day today.
5 x 3 shadow boxing
Isometric punch work for each punch:
Jab - 5 x 3s hold at 3 points
Cross - 5 x 3s hold at 3 points
Hooks (both hands) - 5 x 3s at 2 points
Uppercuts(both hands) - 5 x 3s at 2 points
[/quote]
What does “at two points” mean?
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
[quote]Newboxer wrote:
11/5/14
Had work all day today.
5 x 3 shadow boxing
Isometric punch work for each punch:
Jab - 5 x 3s hold at 3 points
Cross - 5 x 3s hold at 3 points
Hooks (both hands) - 5 x 3s at 2 points
Uppercuts(both hands) - 5 x 3s at 2 points
[/quote]
What does “at two points” mean?[/quote]
I do the isometric at the start point of the punch, and at the point of contact. So, for example, on a jab, I will do one isometric from my guard, one at mid range, and one at full extension. It’s still quite early to tell, but I fell like it is giving me a bit more strength in my punches at the point of impact.
13/5/14
Training - boxing gym:
Warm up
1 mile run
4 x 2 stepper 4 x 2 skipping
Training:
6 x 3 sparring.
This was really hard. This was the first time I’ve had to stay in the ring solidly, and my sparring partners have cycled through, so I boxed someone fresh each round. Everyone I sparred tonight was experienced, and they’ve been told not to hold back anymore on me. This was a big step up for me. I started off ok, but I still tired quickly. I pushed myself to keep going. I was given the option to move onto mitt work after 4 rounds, but I felt it was important to push through the tiredness and do a few more rounds. Consequently, I did end up taking a bit of a beating, and definitely lost every round. That said, I learned a lot about myself, as this is the first time I’ve been given everyone’s best, and I managed to fight back a bit. I wasn’t at all discouraged, and it has taken a lot of the ‘mystery’ out of sparring now. I’m not hurt or marked up, although my neck is sore now. When I finally got out of the ring, I was pretty close to tears to be honest. I was so frustrated, it’s the pride that hurts more than anything. Whereas before I’d be really down about this, tonight I’m not at all, I understand it is part of the process now, and I am looking forward to getting into the ring on Thursday and doing that little bit better - even if it’s just landing one or two more shots. I think the coach was quietly pleased that I showed good spirit and heart, and he spent a bit of time with me afterwards explaining what I needed to do more of, and reassuring me that it would take time an I was doing well.
4 x 3 (each) mittwork - combos, mainly a counter jab followed by a long range right hook, left uppercut.
10 x 2 heavybag work - speed focus
That was it for today.
15/5/14 - boxing gym
Hard training tonight:
Warm up - 1 mile run
Sparring 3 x 3 - got whupped for 2 rounds, did ok for the third
Mitts: 4 x 3 combinations working the ‘screw jab’ (Weight on lead leg, dropping down to that side and twisting up into a jab - hard to describe well, obviously)
More sparring 3 x 3 - got whupped for one round, then something clicked (more on that below), and after that I actually more than held my own against a much more experienced guy.
20 x 30s heavy bag punchout drills, 30s shadowboxing
Sprints: 15 x 40m, 10s shadowboxing ‘rest’ at the end of each sprint.
The coaches have really stepped me up this week, in terms of expectations. They are pushing me much harder, and being much tougher with me. They aren’t saving me in sparring any more if I am getting overwhelmed, and my sparring partners have been told not to hold back, and to press their advantages. It’s exactly what I need. I love being pushed, because I push back hard, it brings out the best in me. I think they have seen this, and are changing their approach. It is much tougher, but all I feel is determination. As strange as it is, I think I may actually be good at getting punched. I don’t get angry, and I don’t lose focus (even though I often don’t know what the ‘right’ thing to do is). Every time I get hit, I just feel more determined. I can’t wait to be good at this!
Looks like tough, hard training - well done!
I was just thinking while posting my own log this morning, I need to take measures to ensure my shoulders stay healthy (considering the volume of punches in training.)
You’re volume is high too man; so tray and get plenty of recovery and prehab in!
Great going.
[quote]donnydarkoirl wrote:
Looks like tough, hard training - well done!
I was just thinking while posting my own log this morning, I need to take measures to ensure my shoulders stay healthy (considering the volume of punches in training.)
You’re volume is high too man; so tray and get plenty of recovery and prehab in!
Great going.[/quote]
Definitely something I’m becoming aware of. I’m trying to do some row, shrug and rear fly work a couple of times a week. Do you think that’s enough? Anything specific you’d recommend?
16/5/14
This was a bit of a light session, just ended up doing the following:
Warm up:
run, skip, step
Training:
6x3 heavy bag
3x3 floor to ceiling
3 x 3 mitts
19/5/14
Trained at home:
6 x 3 floor to ceiling
3 x 3 heavy bag - almost exclusively jab work. My jab is a lot stronger.
20/5/14
Boxing gym.
Warm up:
Run 1 mile. Skipping 3 rounds.
Training. Pretty much sparring all evening.
3x3 - sparring, jab and move, a few different partners, landed a couple of good counter rights. Got hit with a big right hand. My nose hurts.
1x3 light shadow boxing
3x3 sparring - again, just trying to do the basics right, guard up, stepping in behind the jab etc. Got hit with another good straight left from a southpaw, got a chunk missing from the inside of my mouth. Landed some good shots of my own.
1x3 light shadow boxing
6x2 - 1 min shadowboxing, 1 min bag sprints, no break between rounds
1x3 sparring - in with a lighter guy. Kept it technical, I managed to do a really nice jab, long range uppercut right cross, landing all three.
That was the end of the session. One of the coaches took me aside and said that confidence in the ring was my only problem. So frustrating because other than time in the ring, I don’t know anything I can do on my own time to build up the confidence more quickly. It is also frustrating because I am a very confident person in the rest of my daily dealings. I am trying very hard not to let forced aggression take the place of confidence, I think it would be a poor substitute, although I don’t have any experience to back that up.
I stayed behind to spar with the trainer. I lost track of how many rounds we did. We didn’t spar to the buzzer, we just went until I had to stop, paused for a minute or two, then wen again, until I had nothing left. I dry retched on the way home from exhaustion.
This was an incredibly hard session. Everything aches, particularly my neck. I learned so much though, and am starting to see the bigger picture, and how a fight flows from one range to another. I think I took a big step forward, we’ll see on Thursday when I spar again.
[quote]Newboxer wrote:
One of the coaches took me aside and said that confidence in the ring was my only problem. So frustrating because other than time in the ring, I don’t know anything I can do on my own time to build up the confidence more quickly. [/quote]
That’s the thing though brother, you’re putting in lots of ring time and you’ve said yourself that you already feel more confident compared to when you started. You’re on the right track, just keep putting in work.
[quote]Melvin Smiley wrote:
[quote]Newboxer wrote:
One of the coaches took me aside and said that confidence in the ring was my only problem. So frustrating because other than time in the ring, I don’t know anything I can do on my own time to build up the confidence more quickly. [/quote]
That’s the thing though brother, you’re putting in lots of ring time and you’ve said yourself that you already feel more confident compared to when you started. You’re on the right track, just keep putting in work.
[/quote]
Thanks mate, I appreciate the encouragement. I’m not so apprehensive to get in there anymore, though I’m definitely still way too tense. We did quite a lot of work on inside fighting, and using my my body and feet in close yesterday. I think that’ll really help, because before, other than jabbing and moving, I didn’t really have a clue of what to do next.
Got a bit of a headache today/feel hungover after yesterday’s session. Not ideal, will do a light session later.
22/5/14 - Boxing Gym
Really strong session tonight:
Warm up:
Run 1 mile, 3 x 3 skipping 3 x 3 stepper
Sparring:
3 x 3 - Two guys who were giving me a lot of trouble as recently as the start of last week hardly managed to get near me. Both have been boxing for over a year and have competition experience. I was gassed after 3 rounds, but I moved a lot on my feet and was really active. I surprised myself.
Mitt work:
Not sure how many rounds, we just did a constant back and forth working on the long range hook using the back of the fist. I can see this being a good punch for me once I get the technique down.
3 x 3 technical bag work - feint a cross, ‘jump’ in behind the jab, or long range jab to set up a big right hand.
10 x 2 bag sprint/ultra active footwork drill
Abs:
100,100,100 leg raises, crunches, situps
Smashed it tonight, which surprised me as I felt dead going in to the gym. Really didn’t want to go I was so tired. Not been sleeping well the past few nights.
After the session, the coach encouraged me that in a month or so we should be looking to get another session in every week at another gym, where he stands in my corner and I spar their guys. I’m pretty flattered that he’d even think about giving up one of his free evenings for me. I want to make sure I’m in good condition by then so that I can get enough rounds in to make it worth his while.