I post my training here once in a while to go over what I am working on for those interested in boxing and those maybe looking to train. Also, as someone covering the sport I feel good participating in it to get a feel of what the fighters go through. I have recommended Fran Sands’ site myboxingcoach and downloaded his free beginner boxer toolkit which is a sixty or so page pdf that outlines how to get started in boxing. It delves into the basics of stance, foot work, punching, conditioning, mindset, and how to structure a training camp regimen. He breaks the cycle down into four cycles based on what stage of training you are in and the first phase is the real conditioning phase prior to peaking. For those looking to do this program please look into it on his site, if you cannot find it comment on my post and I will send a link. I will post my work out but not all the details of the program as that is his secret sauce to give and not mine.
Three rounds of drills to start, each three minutes long with thirty second breaks. I started with several different things to work on be it stepping in and out behind a jab. I also worked on stepping in and pivoting to create angles and also stepping back and pivoting to escape and counter. I really want to focus on turning my shots over and rotating my hips so I practiced near a mirror and worked the same repetitions over and over from each side to see how I did on each technique.
From there I did three rounds of shadow boxing in the ring with three minute rounds with thirty seconds in between. When I shadow box I try to imagine a fighter in front of me. Move in what would be a realistic pace and distance if a fighter was opposite myself. I worked on closing the distance while creating angles and keeping my feet the proper space apart. I worked on head movement and transitioning offense to defense and vice versa. I try to be constant when doing my shadow boxing because in a three minute round a well conditioned opponent is not going to allow breaks so it is best to always be doing something whether it is moving, covering up, throwing a feint, throwing a punch or trying to catch a quick breath at a safe range. I focused on pivots, counters, setting traps and escaping the ropes and corners.
The next phase is six rounds of bag work at three minutes a round and thirty seconds of rest. I try to break my bag work into segments. The first round was just punching for speed, I do not completely sacrifice form but do sacrifice power in this drilling. I try to rattle off four to six punches at a time to practice speed and working fast. This also builds up lung capacity. It is good to mix up some head movement between shots and go body to head and head to body. The next round I focused on shorter combinations while ratcheting up the power and the form. I did jab cross, jab cross hook, cross hook, hook cross, uppercut hook, hook uppercut and some triples going alternating hands or one then doubling on a side. The next round was just hooks and uppercuts really focusing on the power and torque with the hips and knees. The fourth round was coming in with a jab and cross and then pivoting either way and scoring with a hook and or an uppercut. It is important to use your feet to cut the gap but also to create an angle once in punching range to avoid counters. The fifth round was just a punch out, AKA throwing constantly for three minutes just working on building lung and arm endurance. Some sequences were jab, cross, jab, cross, jab, jab, jab, jab or the same start with jab, cross, jab, cross with either a heavy left hook or a heavy overhand right. The final round split between the speedbag where I worked left, left, right right then left, left, right, then just alternating both hands quickly. The other half was spent on the double end bag rattling off jabs, double jabs, double jab cross, jab, cross, hook, cross to develop hand speed and avoid the bag snapping back into the returning hand. I mixed in a slip and duck in between sequences.
I jumped rope for about two rounds but my shoulder gave out. Sometimes that rotation motion after bag work is tough. An old shoulder injury from high school is starting to rear its ugly head. Ideally the skipping portion would be about five rounds straight through. I try to do two leg, one leg, running in place, and cross body skipping and am trying to master the double jump but can’t get it down just yet.
The final phase is floor work which I am doing ten rounds of ten seconds with no break and three times through the circuit. Fran Sands does not have a a list of any specific floor work circuits so I made my own and it is good because for months I have ignored floor work. I used to do a good circuit from JT Van at Precision Striking and incorporated much of his stuff. I did rounds of medicine ball push ups, Russian Twists, side crunches, bicycle crunch, neck bridges, bridge push ups, mountain climbers, squat thrusts, squat bounces with punches, and some times I work in a shoe shine.
I cooled down doing some isolation dumbbell shoulder exercises that I learned in physical therapy and at the weight room in my highs school for post work out warm downs. I feel mostly good and my conditioning is improving. At thirty one I am not a kid anymore so my body is taking the aches and pains a little more now especially the shoulders and lats currently. I feel I can keep this routine for about four weeks and then transition to the next phase of Sands’ program.
I encourage everyone who reads this to keep their body moving and work out whether you are training for a purpose or not.
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