Boxer Training Regimen: July + August 2007
4-5 times a week.
10 minutes -- Stretching
30 minutes -- Running
65 minutes -- Boxing
15 minutes -- Calisthenics
30 minutes -- Weight Lifting
30 minutes -- Snacking in the park
25 minutes -- Jogging home
10 minutes -- Stretching
This prevents injury and helps insure that I'm less sore after working out. I use this time to mentally prepare for the upcoming work out. I do a lot of breathing excercises. I meditate. I clear my mind of everything. And begin to review my mental notes from the previous training sessions. Hands up. Elbows in. Relax. Focus. Stay in Control. Etc.
30 minutes -- Running
The treadmills face away from the windows, and towards the boxing rings. As I run, I see many boxers training. I study their movements. Their footwork. Their technique. There is a rich vocabulary that their bodies articulate as they go through their routines and spar with one another.
The gym is visually stimulating. It has great lighting. 3 walls are windowless, with 1 wall comprised primarily of windows functioning the key light source for the entire room. There are plenty of florescent lights above to add a distinct grittyness and texture. The color pallette is comprised mainly of reds, with hints of blue and blacks.
By the time I'm done taking it all in. My run is over. I'm soaked in sweat. And its time to wrap my hands and prepare to box.
10 minutes -- "Double End Bag" a.k.a. "Headache Bag"
Its basically a bag slightly smaller than the size of someone's head that is attached via cable to both the ceiling and the floor. It moves very fast when hit and tends to come flying back at me whenever I give it a good punch. I use it to increase my ability to anticipate movement, as well as the aim my punches properly. I'm pretty good at this one. My eye sight is real sharp, I can follow the ball around well.
Edit 08-14-2007:
After hitting this thing for a few weeks, I realized this excercise is much more about controlling the ball with the initial punches in order to create a rythm and a pattern to its movement, rather than watching it closely to anticipate where it will move. The more control you have with your punch, the more you can utilize more complex attack combinations.
10 minutes -- "Vertical Heavy Bag"
Its a heavy bag, that sort of looks like a duffle bag. It's hung from the ceiling. This is where I can start to punch hard, and learn how to deal with things with a lot of mass. I have to circle it and control it.
I have large hands. So I have to wear large boxing gloves. These things get heavy. After a while my arms start to feel heavy too. This feeling is compounded by the fact that there is no air conditioning and its the dead of summer in NYC.
I hear my coach say something to the effect of: "What kind of sorry punch is that? Are you here to waste your money? 'cause you're doing a great job!"
Then all of a sudden I want to punch something, and my arms are no longer tired.
There is a "round bell" in Gleason's. It is set for 3 minute rounds. Everyone in the gym trains when the round bell rings. At 2 minutes 45 seconds, a 15 second warning sounds. My trainer yells "Come on D... 15 seconds. Push yourself. Go." I explode and punch as hard and as fast as I can for 15 seconds, pretty much exhausting me. Then the bell rings again signaling the end of the round, everyone in the gym stops training and takes a break until the next round begins. Its amazing to see the entire gym of boxer's stop and go in unison. It makes you feel like you are apart of something, and provides a lot of motivation to keep pace with everyone else.
After a few weeks of training, I started to have more endurance for this excercise. That's making me really happy. =)
10 minutes -- "Horizontal Heavy Bag"
Something similar to the first heavy bag. except its horizontal and fixed to a pillar. I work on side stepping a lot, as I punch this thing.
15 minutes -- "Shadow Boxing"
I climb into the boxing ring, and pretend that I have an imaginary opponent. I work on my footwork, movement, blocking, parrying and evasion. Also try to improvise and create brand new punch combinations. My coach will chime in he sees anything noteworthy.
This excercise is pretty difficult for me, I'm determined to conquer it though. I'll explain:
I'm 6'2'' 175 lbs. Most 175lbs boxers are a lot shorter than me. Most 6'2'' boxers weigh in excess of 250lbs. Boxer's fight by weight class, so I generally fight boxers who are shorter than me.
I have to move very fast to create distance between me and a shorter fighter in order to take advantage of my longer reach. A shorter opponent will want to run in on me, close the distance quickly and attack me hard.
When I was in highschool, I broke my kneecap into pieces playing basketball, and though I've healed, I'm not as quick as I used to be with my legs. So I really need to work on my foot speed to be effective. And it's driving me nuts that I'm not fast enough.
For most things in my life (photography, school, etc.), I rely heavily on my IQ or my talent. Boxing is the one thing I've ever faced where brains can only take you so far. It doesn't matter if my punch has perfect form, or if I can read my opponent like a book. If my opponent is stronger, faster and tougher than me. I'm fucked. I need to hit the gym hard, and alter my lifestyle dramatically to even stand a chance in the ring. This is so refreshing to me.
As it stands, I move too slowly. So to surmount my obstacle, I've been adding more muscles to my legs via running, weight lifting and eventually jump roping. I also practice shadow boxing at home, and in the park, basically whenever I'm away from the boxing gym. It will take sometime to get it done the right way. I hope to have it figured out in a couple of months.
10 minutes -- "Speed Bag"
As I said, sometimes I feel defeated when I go into Gleason's boxing gym, because I have a lot of work to do in terms of my footwork, movement and evasion. And also because boxing is such a difficult workout, and I get frustrated when my punches start to wane because I'm still developing my body to be a boxer. But my spirits lift when I get to the speed bag because its not a physically demanding excercise, its all mental.
The goal of this excercise is to increase consistency of your punches, inspite of minute calculations and adjustments you have to make in split seconds. It also develops your sense of rhythm which is very important to boxing.
I generally have excellent hand eye coordination and rhythm. And I was able to learn how to punch a speed bag with both of my hands in only 3 tries. My coach was surprised and told me that I set a new record in Gleason's Gym. =) He put me on the smallest and fastest bag on my 5th try, and by my 6th try I was able to hit it 200 times in a row non stop with both hands.
My coach tells me to use the confidence I gained from mastering this excercise and channel it into learning the other excercises.
10 minutes -- "Pads"
This is where I put everything I learned together: Offensive Combos, Footwork, Evasion and Defense. My coach holds up punching targets and tells me various punches or punches combinations to hit them with. Jab Jab. Uppercut. Straight. 10x jabs. Hook. etc.
He eventually starts to attack me with punches of his own. And I have to both attack and defend at the same time.
Hands up. Elbows in.
Lean to the side vs jabs.
Squat under hooks.
Block upper cuts.
Bob and Weave vs Straight punches.
etc.
I have a lot of fun with this excercise because it feels like I'm playing a game. I'm quick to recognize a type of attack, and do the appropriate defense on a reflex. I'm also very quick to recognize patterns too.
To be able to take a good photograph at will, you have to have a masterful understanding of light and camera technique. I spent many years training myself to see things, and simultaneously use my hands to change the settings on my camera to shoot, without thinking or losing sight of my subject. I feel this has prepared me well for this part of boxing.
I'm usually grinning after we're done with this one, and I ask if we can do a few more rounds. But my coach tells me that I should use my energy to develop the things I'm not as good at, instead of the ones I'm already really good at. Can't argue with that. He's a wise man.
15 minutes -- Calisthenics
Pull ups. Push ups. Sit Ups. More Sit ups. Slant board sit ups. Full range of motion sit ups. Short range motion sit ups. All things that strengthen the core of my body. Stomach, Chest, Back.
This is where the power of a coach comes into play. I'm mentally and physically exhausted at this point. A good coach helps me push myself past my limitations.
He says things like: "Come on. That's not a situp. That's an insult. Why are you wasting my time? If you don't come in here everyday with focus and energy, I'm going to give you a refund and tell you to leave."
It's so basic. He challenges my manhood. And somehow, that gets me going like I can hardly believe.
My coach tells me I'm not trying to get in shape overnight. The only goal is that everytime I step into the boxing gym, I go at least a little bit past where I was last time. Always moving forward.
30 minutes -- Weight Lifting
As I said, I really want to increase my foot speed, so I do a lot of weight lifting for my legs. And then I do general excercises for shoulders and back, so I can punch harder.
I also want to start doing bench press at this point in the work out. But I have to get in better shape before I attempt that. My goal is to be doing it by September. For now, push ups should be fine. Push ups are generally more important than bench press from most of the magazines I've read.
30 minutes -- Snacking in the Park
By the time I'm done with Gleason's, I'm starving. I buy a snack in the gourmet deli across the street, usually freshly cut fruits. But if I'm not in the mood for sugar, I get a salad or a bagel.
I head to DUMBO park and sit down on the grass between the Manhatten bridge and Brooklyn Bridge. I take out my boxing gloves and hand wraps and lay them out on the grass so as to air them out. I'll do a few last sets of push ups, sit ups and "The Plank" core excercises just to cool down, and also get my appetite up. Then I'll snack and relax. Watch the water. Children playing. Couples out on dates. That sort of thing.
Today, I saw some dogs running around and playing, which was nice. It was really cloudly, so there was a low contrast gloomy hue cast over everything. The sunset was red, and reflecting on the water. Here's a snapshot from my cell phone camera.
25 minutes -- Jogging
I live a roughly 25 minute jog away from Gleason's Gym. If I'm up for it I'll jog home. If not I'll just walk. =)
10 minutes -- Stretching
30 minutes -- Running
65 minutes -- Boxing
15 minutes -- Calisthenics
30 minutes -- Weight Lifting
30 minutes -- Snacking in the park
25 minutes -- Jogging home
10 minutes -- Stretching
This prevents injury and helps insure that I'm less sore after working out. I use this time to mentally prepare for the upcoming work out. I do a lot of breathing excercises. I meditate. I clear my mind of everything. And begin to review my mental notes from the previous training sessions. Hands up. Elbows in. Relax. Focus. Stay in Control. Etc.
30 minutes -- Running
The treadmills face away from the windows, and towards the boxing rings. As I run, I see many boxers training. I study their movements. Their footwork. Their technique. There is a rich vocabulary that their bodies articulate as they go through their routines and spar with one another.
The gym is visually stimulating. It has great lighting. 3 walls are windowless, with 1 wall comprised primarily of windows functioning the key light source for the entire room. There are plenty of florescent lights above to add a distinct grittyness and texture. The color pallette is comprised mainly of reds, with hints of blue and blacks.
By the time I'm done taking it all in. My run is over. I'm soaked in sweat. And its time to wrap my hands and prepare to box.
10 minutes -- "Double End Bag" a.k.a. "Headache Bag"
Its basically a bag slightly smaller than the size of someone's head that is attached via cable to both the ceiling and the floor. It moves very fast when hit and tends to come flying back at me whenever I give it a good punch. I use it to increase my ability to anticipate movement, as well as the aim my punches properly. I'm pretty good at this one. My eye sight is real sharp, I can follow the ball around well.
Edit 08-14-2007:
After hitting this thing for a few weeks, I realized this excercise is much more about controlling the ball with the initial punches in order to create a rythm and a pattern to its movement, rather than watching it closely to anticipate where it will move. The more control you have with your punch, the more you can utilize more complex attack combinations.
10 minutes -- "Vertical Heavy Bag"
Its a heavy bag, that sort of looks like a duffle bag. It's hung from the ceiling. This is where I can start to punch hard, and learn how to deal with things with a lot of mass. I have to circle it and control it.
I have large hands. So I have to wear large boxing gloves. These things get heavy. After a while my arms start to feel heavy too. This feeling is compounded by the fact that there is no air conditioning and its the dead of summer in NYC.
I hear my coach say something to the effect of: "What kind of sorry punch is that? Are you here to waste your money? 'cause you're doing a great job!"
Then all of a sudden I want to punch something, and my arms are no longer tired.
There is a "round bell" in Gleason's. It is set for 3 minute rounds. Everyone in the gym trains when the round bell rings. At 2 minutes 45 seconds, a 15 second warning sounds. My trainer yells "Come on D... 15 seconds. Push yourself. Go." I explode and punch as hard and as fast as I can for 15 seconds, pretty much exhausting me. Then the bell rings again signaling the end of the round, everyone in the gym stops training and takes a break until the next round begins. Its amazing to see the entire gym of boxer's stop and go in unison. It makes you feel like you are apart of something, and provides a lot of motivation to keep pace with everyone else.
After a few weeks of training, I started to have more endurance for this excercise. That's making me really happy. =)
10 minutes -- "Horizontal Heavy Bag"
Something similar to the first heavy bag. except its horizontal and fixed to a pillar. I work on side stepping a lot, as I punch this thing.
15 minutes -- "Shadow Boxing"
I climb into the boxing ring, and pretend that I have an imaginary opponent. I work on my footwork, movement, blocking, parrying and evasion. Also try to improvise and create brand new punch combinations. My coach will chime in he sees anything noteworthy.
This excercise is pretty difficult for me, I'm determined to conquer it though. I'll explain:
I'm 6'2'' 175 lbs. Most 175lbs boxers are a lot shorter than me. Most 6'2'' boxers weigh in excess of 250lbs. Boxer's fight by weight class, so I generally fight boxers who are shorter than me.
I have to move very fast to create distance between me and a shorter fighter in order to take advantage of my longer reach. A shorter opponent will want to run in on me, close the distance quickly and attack me hard.
When I was in highschool, I broke my kneecap into pieces playing basketball, and though I've healed, I'm not as quick as I used to be with my legs. So I really need to work on my foot speed to be effective. And it's driving me nuts that I'm not fast enough.
For most things in my life (photography, school, etc.), I rely heavily on my IQ or my talent. Boxing is the one thing I've ever faced where brains can only take you so far. It doesn't matter if my punch has perfect form, or if I can read my opponent like a book. If my opponent is stronger, faster and tougher than me. I'm fucked. I need to hit the gym hard, and alter my lifestyle dramatically to even stand a chance in the ring. This is so refreshing to me.
As it stands, I move too slowly. So to surmount my obstacle, I've been adding more muscles to my legs via running, weight lifting and eventually jump roping. I also practice shadow boxing at home, and in the park, basically whenever I'm away from the boxing gym. It will take sometime to get it done the right way. I hope to have it figured out in a couple of months.
10 minutes -- "Speed Bag"
As I said, sometimes I feel defeated when I go into Gleason's boxing gym, because I have a lot of work to do in terms of my footwork, movement and evasion. And also because boxing is such a difficult workout, and I get frustrated when my punches start to wane because I'm still developing my body to be a boxer. But my spirits lift when I get to the speed bag because its not a physically demanding excercise, its all mental.
The goal of this excercise is to increase consistency of your punches, inspite of minute calculations and adjustments you have to make in split seconds. It also develops your sense of rhythm which is very important to boxing.
I generally have excellent hand eye coordination and rhythm. And I was able to learn how to punch a speed bag with both of my hands in only 3 tries. My coach was surprised and told me that I set a new record in Gleason's Gym. =) He put me on the smallest and fastest bag on my 5th try, and by my 6th try I was able to hit it 200 times in a row non stop with both hands.
My coach tells me to use the confidence I gained from mastering this excercise and channel it into learning the other excercises.
10 minutes -- "Pads"
This is where I put everything I learned together: Offensive Combos, Footwork, Evasion and Defense. My coach holds up punching targets and tells me various punches or punches combinations to hit them with. Jab Jab. Uppercut. Straight. 10x jabs. Hook. etc.
He eventually starts to attack me with punches of his own. And I have to both attack and defend at the same time.
Hands up. Elbows in.
Lean to the side vs jabs.
Squat under hooks.
Block upper cuts.
Bob and Weave vs Straight punches.
etc.
I have a lot of fun with this excercise because it feels like I'm playing a game. I'm quick to recognize a type of attack, and do the appropriate defense on a reflex. I'm also very quick to recognize patterns too.
To be able to take a good photograph at will, you have to have a masterful understanding of light and camera technique. I spent many years training myself to see things, and simultaneously use my hands to change the settings on my camera to shoot, without thinking or losing sight of my subject. I feel this has prepared me well for this part of boxing.
I'm usually grinning after we're done with this one, and I ask if we can do a few more rounds. But my coach tells me that I should use my energy to develop the things I'm not as good at, instead of the ones I'm already really good at. Can't argue with that. He's a wise man.
15 minutes -- Calisthenics
Pull ups. Push ups. Sit Ups. More Sit ups. Slant board sit ups. Full range of motion sit ups. Short range motion sit ups. All things that strengthen the core of my body. Stomach, Chest, Back.
This is where the power of a coach comes into play. I'm mentally and physically exhausted at this point. A good coach helps me push myself past my limitations.
He says things like: "Come on. That's not a situp. That's an insult. Why are you wasting my time? If you don't come in here everyday with focus and energy, I'm going to give you a refund and tell you to leave."
It's so basic. He challenges my manhood. And somehow, that gets me going like I can hardly believe.
My coach tells me I'm not trying to get in shape overnight. The only goal is that everytime I step into the boxing gym, I go at least a little bit past where I was last time. Always moving forward.
30 minutes -- Weight Lifting
As I said, I really want to increase my foot speed, so I do a lot of weight lifting for my legs. And then I do general excercises for shoulders and back, so I can punch harder.
I also want to start doing bench press at this point in the work out. But I have to get in better shape before I attempt that. My goal is to be doing it by September. For now, push ups should be fine. Push ups are generally more important than bench press from most of the magazines I've read.
30 minutes -- Snacking in the Park
By the time I'm done with Gleason's, I'm starving. I buy a snack in the gourmet deli across the street, usually freshly cut fruits. But if I'm not in the mood for sugar, I get a salad or a bagel.
I head to DUMBO park and sit down on the grass between the Manhatten bridge and Brooklyn Bridge. I take out my boxing gloves and hand wraps and lay them out on the grass so as to air them out. I'll do a few last sets of push ups, sit ups and "The Plank" core excercises just to cool down, and also get my appetite up. Then I'll snack and relax. Watch the water. Children playing. Couples out on dates. That sort of thing.
Today, I saw some dogs running around and playing, which was nice. It was really cloudly, so there was a low contrast gloomy hue cast over everything. The sunset was red, and reflecting on the water. Here's a snapshot from my cell phone camera.
25 minutes -- Jogging
I live a roughly 25 minute jog away from Gleason's Gym. If I'm up for it I'll jog home. If not I'll just walk. =)
posted by Derrick Gomez at 6:03 AM
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