hey a quik question on training so running long distances are not that great for training.. admin says mixing it up is ok but you want bursts of sprinting for a while in between for your anaerobic i think part of your training. anyways i want to know does it help at all to time your breathing because i heard from a couple people to keep breathing slow even when your sprinting. ok ....... i know lame question but can you answer it because im kind of curious if that helps at all. and when your running i see boxers throwing punches like simple jabs...does that do anything for you or is it just to keep you focused?
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Don't try and harness your breathing...as you get in better shape your breathing will take care of itself. If you are breathing hard, it's for a reason -- you need the oxygen.
You can try breathing in through your nose. Keeping your mouth closed when you box is a good idea to prevent jaw damage.
As for throwing punches when you run it is beneficial for two reasons. One, it works on your ability to control what your body is doing (coordination). It is quite difficult to throw when you run. Two, it serves to spice up what can be a rather boring workout. Try running for over an hour and see how long it takes before you run out of things to talk to yourself about. Keeping your mind occupied trying to throw punches will make the time go by faster. As well, it will heighten the intensity of your workout simply because you are moving extra muscles.
I wouldn't throw them everytime you run -- sometimes you just need to concentrate on running and ensuring you are pushing yourself to your limits. That has merit in itself.
You can try: shadow-boxing with weighted gloves; using a heavier glove (12 of 14oz) when hitting the bag; or hitting the speed/rhythm bag.
Also, do you weight train?
Only you can tell for sure. From personal experience, when I was weight training I definitely noticed a decline in my punching speed and output. The larger/heavier my arms got, the slower I moved and the faster my arms fatigued. So take a look, if your arms are huge and you notice it effecting you then maybe lay off on the weights. But really, if you're just circuit training I don't think that would be the problem.
Have you tried working with weighted gloves? That really can have a huge effect on speed.
I think we need to be careful when saying putting on muscle will make you slower. That is not necessarily true and in some cases can even speed you up. Muscle is what makes your arms move and more muscle can mean more force. Putting on muscle in itself is not a bad thing (as long as you can still make the weight you want to fight at). However, when you put it on and can't make it functional, that's when things go wrong. For instance, if you weight train hard and build huge biceps but do not build your shoulders, triceps and other stabilizer muscles at the same rate, then you are throwing things off balance and this is when you notice slower responses, quicker fatigue and so on.
Personally I think boxers concentrate way too much on their weight. In an ideal world, the boxer should be at the same weight when he is not fighting as he is when he is fighting, he would have a very low bodyfat %, and every muscle would be developed in perfect proportion to its optimal size. Then instead of planning to make a weight, the fighter would naturally be at the weight he is genetically suited to fight at.
That won't happen though.
If you have a balanced weight training routine, and do not neglect the other things like running, plyometrics, circuit training, etc... then your body will adapt just fine to the extra muscle and you will likely be stronger and faster than before. Problem is, people start weight training and then neglect the functional aspects of a workout (aerobics, anaerobics etc...) In other words they build big muscles that look pretty but they don't do anything. You have to actually use what you build.
If you don't believe me, consider a sprinter. Take a look at their physique and in particular their legs. They are friggin huge and they weight train to make them that way to generate more explosive power and speed, but they do it in conjunction with some very specific functional plyometric routines. I have never seen an Olympic sprinter with underdeveloped quads.
I have personal experience here as well, putting on well over 40lbs of muscle -- and it is not in one or two specific places. I have become faster, not slower. I think if you listen closely to your body, it will tell you when enough is enough, but until then develop it to its ultimate potential. (naturally).
Very true. I wasn't trying to dissuade anyone from weight-training, or trying to give the impression that muscle slows you down. I can see how it might have sounded that way. I just don't think that enough boxers take the correct approach, and end up too big. The balance that you mention takes a lot of determination to find, and I think a lot of people are not inclined to notice what their bodies are telling them.
You're definitely right about how boxers would be better off fighting at their walking around weight. Just look at Bernard Hopkins, I think he might be the best example of this. Always in peak condition, rarely fatigued, and consistantly quick and powerful.
On the other hand, I think a guy like Jeff Lacy couldn't find that balance. He got too big and too slow, and was consequently taken to school by Calzaghe.
So I apologize again if I gave the wrong impression. Intelligent weight-training is an essential part of training. And developing functional muscles will make you faster as well as stronger.
Hey Kami22, no need to say you're sorry. I understood what you were saying, just wanted to ensure no one got the wrong impression, because done correctly weights are good for boxing. I've heard so many people try and tell me that boxers shouldn't lift weights and its absurd. It's one of those training myths that won't go away like the image of the boxer getting up at zero dark thirty and running for hours and hours. It's better to train smarter than longer.
Hopkins is the PERFECT example. It also goes to show what weights can do because I guarantee he lifts them. And yeah, Lacy is HUGE which requires a different boxing style. I can't honestly comment on the Calzaghe fight, but from the fights I've seen Lacy in, he fights like a tank. His size and bulk allows him to do that.
to the admin
will your 12 week workout plan help with the overall growth in all needed muscles or should i plan on going to the gym as well?
i kno im not the admin, or anyone for that matter. But as far as im concerned never give up and youll make a great boxer
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