Check Out the AMAZING Boxing Schedule Over the Next Month!

If you're a hardcore boxing fan, you don't need me to tell you what an incredible line-up of fights we have going on over the next month, but if you're a casual fan or maybe interested in potentially being interested, this is a great time to tune in. There are 4 pretty big fights worth watching, involving arguably the Top 3 pound-for-pound fighters, as well as some really intriguing match-ups. It is unfortunately something we don't see enough in boxing, as the higher-profile fights happen rarely enough in general, and almost never in rapid succession, so I look forward to enjoying it while I can! Here is what's on tap, as well as my thoughts and predictions.

Inoue vs. Fulton - Tuesday, July 25, 4:45am - ESPN +

I've said many times that Naoya Inoue is the greatest pound-for-pound fighter right now, but after dominating the flyweight and bantamweight divisions as an undisputed champ, he is moving up a weight class. Usually when fighters move up, their first fight in that new division is certainly a bit of a test, but rarely a very serious challenge. Inoue is doing the opposite. He has moved up and challenged the very best in the 122-pound weight class- one of the better pound-for-pound fighters period- in Stephen Fulton. He is fighting for belts right away against another undefeated champion.

You might wonder how much difference a few extra pounds could make, but it can be pretty significant in boxing, especially at the lower weight classes where those few pounds make up a bigger percentage of their overall bodyweight. Just about every fighter cuts weight the day before a fight- meaning, whatever weight at which they fight is not how much they usually weigh. Fighters spend 24 hours dehydrating themselves completely so they can make the agreed-upon terms of the bout regarding bodyweight. Some fighters cut anywhere from 10-30 pounds of water before they weigh in. This gives them an advantage in the fight after they have rehydrated, as they are bigger and usually stronger than someone in that class would be. Since everybody does it though, the cuts tend to cancel each other out most of the time. But not in this case. Inoue is coming up to a higher weight whereas Fulton is cutting. Plus, it is not like Inoue is coming up in weight for the first time. He started off fighting at 108 pounds and that means he has a particularly small frame.

So, when the bell rings, Fulton will be the bigger man. He is also taller, will have about a 3-inch reach advantage and fights well behind his jab so it may be difficult for Inoue to get to him (depending on what strategy Fulton goes with). In many cases, the smaller fighter's advantage can be speed but I don't think Inoue will have one in this fight. Fulton is pretty quick too. What Inoue does have though is smoothness - he is the best combination puncher I have ever seen and sometimes smoothness and flow can make up for any speed or quickness disadvantages. 

Who do I think will win? Vegas has Inoue as a slight favorite but I am not so sure. I want to roll with my guy (which is Inoue) but this might be too tough of a test for him in his first match at 122 pounds. I think it will be a close decision, maybe even one we don't all agree with. The fight is in Japan, which is why it is on TV so early in the morning over here but I don't believe in any kind of home-field advantage in boxing. It can even be a disadvantage for some because of the added pressure. This shouldn't be the case with Inoue though. He is as cool as a cucumber and if he can pull this out and look good, we might be able to start the conversation of him being on his way to all-time greatness. But that is a pretty big "if.” So, as much as I hate to say it, I think Fulton will win this fight but my heart is certainly with Inoue because I just love his style so much and want to see him continue to flourish.

Spence vs Crawford - Saturday, July 29, 8pm - Showtime PPV

Speaking of pound-for-pound best right now, Terence "Bud" Crawford has generally sat in that seat for the last few years, with Errol Spence not being far behind. Both are master technicians, with somewhat of a rivalry and this is a fight we have been taunted with for a long time now. In fact, while I am trying to stay positive, I won't truly believe it is happening until I see both fighters actually walk out into the ring. 

What a fight it should be though! One of the biggest we've had in a while! An undisputed title fight between two knockout artists who have never even been knocked down at any point in their careers and never defeated. If Crawford wins, he will be the first men's fighter in the four-belt era to become an undisputed champ in two divisions. Spence will be his toughest challenge by far and will be the naturally bigger man, with a reach advantage he knows how to use well. He probably has a better resume than Crawford too but will be the slight underdog according to the Vegas odds. That being said though, plenty of smart pundits are picking Errol Spence to win.

The only thing that takes a little bit of the shine off this fight for me is just that it took so long to happen. There has been chatter since as early as 2018. And neither man has fought in a while. It's been over a year for both of them and not against high-level competition so it's hard to know exactly where they are at. There may be some ring rust but I am sure the display of boxing skill will be top notch. Errol Spence may have some of the best basics in boxing and Terence Crawford has more weapons at his disposal. I could see Crawford winning it by stoppage but Spence winning by decision. If I had to bet once again, I would slightly go towards the latter. Spence by decision.

Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz - Saturday, August 5th, - DAZN PPV

So, while you may see some of the best technical boxing ever in Spence vs. Crawford, the same cannot be said of Jake Paul and Nate Diaz. If you don't already know, Jake and his brother, Logan Paul, were popular YouTubers with no amateur or professional fighting experience who decided to get serious about boxing only about 4-5 years ago. Jake made a name for himself in celebrity boxing, taking on an NBA star and some former MMA stars. Many boxing purists hated it as these fights got more attention and made more money than most talented, experienced fighters will ever see. While that may not be "fair" and while the Paul brothers may rub plenty of people the wrong way, I think it is undeniable that they take boxing very, very seriously. If Jake's fights had been sloppy and lackluster, he would have faded away pretty quickly. But they weren't. At least not from his side. Most of them ended in spectacular, highlight reel knockouts. He defeated several former UFC champions before taking on his first boxer (though not particularly experienced) in Tommy Fury earlier this year. Jake lost by decision but I don't think he was necessarily out boxed by Tommy. I think Tommy's speed and explosiveness was too much for Jake to handle and he couldn't make adjustments to solve the puzzle.

Nate Diaz is another veteran of the UFC.  He also has a famous brother, Nick, who was an MMA fighter and boxer too. If you don't know either Nate or Nick Diaz, it will be pretty tough to sum them up in just a few sentences but they are almost cartoonishly angry, badass dudes. They love fighting and seem like they would do it for free if no one paid them. Nate is as tough as they come, won't back down, won't get tired, won't stop coming, and probably won't be stopped.

Despite all of his fight experience though, Nate has never been a particularly great boxer. Some footage of him training for this fight has been leaked and he doesn't look real sharp. I am not sure I totally believe it though. Even if that leaked footage is not a ploy, both Nate and Nick Diaz have had striking success which seems to belie their technical deficiencies (Google "Stockton Slap" if you want to learn more). A bigger problem I see for Nate though is size and athleticism. He's fought in the UFC at 155 pounds and Jake boxes around 185. That might be a lot to overcome at this point in his career. Jake should be significantly younger, stronger and faster but with any Diaz fight, there is always a Stockton Slapper's chance.

Unfortunately, the biggest of all problems might just be Nate's face. It is weathered to say the least. He's taken a lot of strikes and has scar tissue everywhere. What that means is that he is far more likely to open up and bleed as soon as he starts getting hit, even from light punches. As happy as I'm sure he would be to keep fighting with his head gushing blood, the issue is that the judges will stop the fight is a cut gets too big and certainly if it is over his eye(s). This might seem like and edge case scenario but it is actually my prediction for the fight. I think it will be a doctor's stoppage in the later rounds due to a cut. Nate Diaz will be mad, throw his hands up in the air, flip-off people in the stands but the doctor and/or ref will call it and declare Jake the winner. Jake will say he's disappointed and offer to "run it back" for a rematch some time in the future.

It should also be noted that one of the best female fighters, Amanda Serrano, will be fighting on this card too. She is going against someone I know nothing about, Heather Hardy, but Amanda is another great one to watch if you're looking for good technique. Pretty solid at everything and has gotten a lot of notoriety lately, largely due to Jake Paul promoting her and putting her on earlier cards as the co-main event.

Navarrete vs Valdez - Saturday, August 12 - ESPN/ESPN+

Of all the bouts I have mentioned already, this one may actually be the most fun to watch. Two very unorthodox, offense fighters who everyone expects to just go at each other. Emanuel Navarrete's style is pretty crazy. He throws long, looping punches, usually from his hips and his feet just kind of go wherever. I can't imagine any coach would teach someone to box this way but he somehow makes it work at a very high level. He currently holds the WBO junior lightweight title and has won belts at 122 and 126 pounds as well. His only loss was to a unanimous decision vs. Shakur Stephenson, who is looking like he might be one of the very best in the game right now.

Oscar Valdez is more disciplined but he doesn't move or dance like many junior lightweights. He just comes forward on a straight line and is very successful leading with his cross. Everybody knows he's coming but it's hard to stop him. He is also a two-division champ and has just like Navarrete, is 31-1, with his only loss being against, once again, a unanimous decision to Shakur Stephenson!

I (and pretty much everyone else) expect major fireworks in this fight. Pundits always talk about the excitement that always comes with 2 Mexican fighters going at it but this is more than that. Even for Mexican fighters, these guys are both very aggressive and because their styles are so unique and different, it makes for an interesting match-up. I feel like Navarrate's not going to get away with keeping his hands down against a power puncher of Valdez's caliber but it's possible he will be able to use his length advantage to keep Oscar away. And we have seen Oscar not perform to the best of his abilities. Still, I'd pick Valdez to win by KO late, with both fighters getting knocked down at some point earlier.

But that's not even all for the month. There are some other intriguing fights afterwards featuring big names, big power punchers and some belts on the line:

• Anthony Joshua vs. Dillian Whyte - August 12
• Artur Beterbiev vs. Callum Smith - August 19
• Olexsandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois - August 26

And then this weekend, on July 22, we have former champ George Kambosos fighting again as well as USA silver medalist from last year's Olympics, Keyshawn Davis, taking a step up in competition. While not necessarily marquis matchups, I believe the fights are free on ESPN. Definitely a great time to get into watching boxing and plus, it gets us through that last leg of summer before football season starts up!

Is Your Heavy Bag Swinging?

If your heavy bag is hanging from something and not totally rooted to the ground, you will notice that it moves every time you strike it. The heavier and longer the bag, the less it may swing depends on the way you punch, kick or whatever.

How much should it be swinging while boxing? There are several variables here too, but I can say very generally that the answer is “not too much” for just general boxing training. And it is also likely that if your bag is swinging a lot after punching it, this is due to your punch being more of a push than a punch. Once the punch lands and full extension or rotation has been reached, the goal is to then get that hand back as quickly as possible. Even quicker than the punch itself if you can manage it. Leaving your hand on the bag for an extra millisecond in terms of making it swing. Thus, the bag is actually a good teacher here. It tells you that you aren't getting your hands back fast enough by swinging.

This does not mean, however, that we shouldn't strive to punch through the target. Yes, we want to whip those hands back but only after the punch has reached it's final destination. Only exception here might be a jab to the face, here the snap back is what makes the punch sting as opposed to pure force of the punch. Otherwise, make sure you never shorten the motion of the strike just to not make the bag swing. Again, the punch itself does not need to change, it is the speed that you retract your hand that we want to increase.

Another big factor on how much the bag swings is if you are moving around your bag while you punch. This is not inherently a bad thing to do but it can lead to some bad habits, including the thing I just described involving leaving your hand on the bag too long after your shot lands. I would recommend really having rock solid punch fundamentals before doing this. You can circle around all you want but when you are ready to strike, plant your feet and punch before moving again.

If your movement is straight forward - as in moving closer to the bag behind each punch - you will naturally get more swinging, no matter how fast you get your hands back because your forward momentum is being transferred, driving the bag back. This is not a bad thing either and we can even use it to incorporate drills and develop good boxing habits.

No matter how or why your bag is swinging, I generally advise people to either steady the bag with their own jab after the combo or don't do anything special at all. Just keep on doing your thing unless it is swinging a whole lot. What you DON'T want to do is stop entirely to steady your bag in any way that breaks your boxing rhythm (holding it, kneeing it, kicking it, etc.). Did a video once about this too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8NUErTFuuY

There are also ways you can use/initiate the swing to incorporate specific boxing drills like...

1. Getting your bag to swing back towards you and stopping it with your straight punches. This is a good way to ensure that you get good shoulder rotation and skeletal alignment because if you don't, the bag will likely push you backwards. It also somewhat simulates an opponent coming towards you.
2. Pushing the bag out, getting in to the space it previously occupied and throwing a quick couple of punches as it is moving out, then getting out before it comes back. Good for working on both hand and foot speed.
3. Getting the bag to swing (by pushing or just your own punches) and circle out to find a new angle before throwing the combo. Builds more realistic boxing footwork and coordination as well as better simulates an opponent.
4. Same as #3 but you add some punches to your bag moving laterally. This can be good practice for hitting a moving target but of course the heavy bag will move very differently than a person and doing to much of this, especially early on in training, can lead to some bad habits and slow down the development of your basic punch mechanics. If you are looking for better authenticity in this department, a double-end bag might be a better way to go.
5. While it's not so much swinging, you can use the lean of the bag for multiple drills where the goal is to keep it up and not let it swing back through rapid and strong punches

So whether you are using a bag as a coach to tell you when you aren't getting your hands back fast enough or using it for drills to simulate an opponent or work on specific skills or something else entirely, the heavy bag remains the greatest single training tool for fitness (boxing or otherwise) and does more than just hang there and get punched.

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Should You Train Like Rocky?

This 4th of July, one of the cable channels was doing a Rocky movie marathon (as they should) and of course one of the most memorable parts of all those films - except for Rocky V, which is not recognized by this blog - are the training montage scenes. Showing Rocky getting into shape before the big fight, accompanied by some of the greatest cinematic music ever written. To many of us who grew up with these movies, this was how we were introduced to boxing. 

I think it is impossible to be a normal, reasonably-healthy human being with a pulse and watch these training montage scenes without getting pumped up. They are AWESOME! But should you train like Rocky? First, here is a breakdown of literally everything he does in Rocky I, II, III, IV, and Rocky Balboa

• Jogging
• Alternating single-hand push-ups
• Clapping push-ups
• Speed bag
• Being hit in the stomach with something
• Sit-ups
• 1-handed push-ups
• More running
• Hitting metal with a hammer
• 1-arm chin-up
• Sit-up with twists
• Jump rope
• A split second of mitts
• Dumbbell lateral lifts
• Frog jumping and duck walking with a big piece of wood across his neck and shoulders
• Overhead presses with barbell
• Sit-ups and some guy hits him in the stomach
• Dumbbell reverse flys.
• Chases chicken
• More speedbag
• Back-to-back med ball hand-offs
• Bag work with no gloves
• Sprinting away from children
• Hurdles a few park benches
• Sprints vs Apollo Creed
• Bouncy footwork drills with Apollo, mainly a rhythmic Ali shuffle
• Some double-end bag work
• Some shadow boxing
• Swimming. Butterfly stroke.
• The tiniest bit of sparring
• More speedbag
• More jump rope
• More jump rope again
• Hanging sit-ups with punches at the top
• Chopping wood
• A couple hooks on the mitts
• More speedbag
• Uses a pulley to bring down heavy weight
• Leg lifts to Dragon Flag
• Slip line with uppercuts
• Weighted twist
• Sawing a big log
• Double lever press lifting people in a carriage
• Jogs up snowy mountain
• More jogging
• Pull-ups
• Bench press
• Squats
• Travelling push-ups with med ball
• Hammer swings
• Tiny bit of bag work with gloves
• Punches meat again
• Dumbbell  walking uppercut swings
• Keg slams
• Clean and press

In all 5 of those movies, I would say about 75% of Rocky's training is running. Except for Rocky Balboa, the training sequence in every film culminates with him finishing some running task. Climbing the stairs in Rocky I, climbing the stairs with lots of kids running after him in Rocky II (plus he catches that chicken earlier), beating Apollo Creed in a beach sprint in Rocky III and climbing to the top of a mountain and screaming "Draagggooooo!" in Rocky IV. He's a lot older in Rocky Balboa so the jogging is slower and instead, the montage scene ends with him doing a barbell clean and press.

There are several cinematic reasons for doing this, finishing the montage with a running scene (particularly going up something, like stairs or a mountain). It is symbolic, it looks good, it looks like work, showing somebody moving faster is an easy way to demonstrate progression and it is something a non-boxing actor can do. 

I don't know that it will necessarily make someone a better boxer though. Jogging is cardio training, for sure, and to some degree, there is a toughness element as well. Just keep moving, don't stop. In the old days, jogging was a big part of a boxer's training regimen. Certainly not 75%, maybe not even 25%, but every boxer did it. The real Rocky, Rocky Marciano, would run about 10 miles every single day, including Christmas. These days, many fighters do less distance running and are more about sprints/tempo runs. Shorter bursts of more explosive energy with active rests is more analogous to what a boxer faces inside the ring, versus slower, steady-state plodding. Running, or "Road Work" as people like to call it, certainly has benefits but if you want to be a better boxer, you don't actually need to it at all. As I mentioned earlier, there is something to the toughness and discipline that can come from consistent running but you may be able to get that from other places. I personally, do not run anymore at all because of old knee injuries and my boxing skills and endurance has not changed at all. If I were training a younger healthier person for a fight, I would have them do tempo runs instead. I made a video with some examples right here:

In a distant second to running, Rocky spends the most of his training montage time doing some form of a strength exercise. Push-ups, pull-ups, weights, core, old school lifts. How much these things help your boxing depends quite a bit on you and how much strength you already have in each department. My personal belief for strength training- and what I would have anyone younger I was training for a fight do- is almost all bodyweight exercises, in addition to the boxing, of course. Unless you specifically want to bulk up, I don't think weights are necessary and note that bulking up will not help you with your boxing. You may still want to do it and that is totally, 100% fine, it just will not make you box any better and you could even tire more quickly, carrying around the extra weight, particularly in the upper body. Here is a blog post for more info on the subject - https://theboxingmanifesto.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-power-of-bodyweight-exercise-how-i.html

Then I would say jump rope comes next for Rocky. He does it in every movie except in Rocky Balboa. Jumping rope is great. You should do it too! You don't need a lot of time either. 5 minutes of jump rope a day is beneficial, and you can extend it as you get better and better. How does it help with your boxing? A couple different ways. It keeps you light on your feet, on the balls of your feet, which is the place you want to be while boxing. There is also a rhythm and timing and coordination aspect to it that is transferable. And then finally, jump rope is an interesting exercise in that it is intense and will tire you out but you are largely turning off most of the muscles in your body. This is a critical skill to learn in boxing and anyone who comes from a weight-lifting background generally struggles with it. Boxing is a explosive, using those fast-twitch muscle fibers to generate as much acceleration and deceleration as possible. But that's only in very specific muscles. Other muscles should be almost totally deactivated. Why? Because they can actually hold your punches back. I have spoken about this a lot but just as an example, if you try to throw a quick jab or cross and your shoulders are fully engaged, your body will get tighter and lack the elasticity to really whip those punches for maximum sting.

Then there is the speedbag. Rocky does this for at least a second or two in every movie training montage. Sometimes he is really bad at it at first and then he gets better so we see progression, although I've always wondered how he keeps forgetting how to do it in each film. Anyway, speedbag training can help you with rhythm as well as muscular endurance and is a perfectly fine thing to do if you want to train in boxing. Will it help you get a whole lot better at boxing? Absolutely not. It is meant to be more of a supplemental, complimentary training tool. It looks really good in the movies because when someone learns how to do it, the bag moves super fast and this naturally appears impressive. Wrote a much more detailed blog post about it earlier as well:  https://theboxingmanifesto.blogspot.com/2022/03/what-about-speed-bags.html

Finally, at what I would say represents less than 5% of Rocky's montage training is actual boxing/punching something. He does do a little bit of it in every movie but it is sometimes literally for about a second. The most we ever see Rocky boxing is versus the meat in Rocky I. Other than that, we get a couple punches on mitts here and there, some lackluster bag work, a few shadowboxed punches, and sparring is not really touched at all. At no point, do we see him doing anything remotely defensive at all. There is a big reason for the lack of boxing in the movies and that is probably obvious - Sylvester Stallone is not a boxer. He is an actor. A physically strong actor with a lot of love for boxing but if they want to show him training and looking as awesome as possible, they can't really spend a lot of time on boxing technique, speed or power. They also do show plenty of this in the fight scenes so perhaps the movie didn't want to overdo during the training scenes. And finally, it might be difficult to show boxing skill progression to a layperson, whereas showing an impressive physical feat may communicate "Getting strong now" better.

In reality, by far- by a million miles- the best way to get better at boxing is to actually box. Punching hanging haunches of meat might not be a great idea but bag work, mitt work, shadow boxing, even sparring if that is your jam and your technique is highly developed, are all highly effective. The more you box with proper instruction/coaching, the better you get at boxing. But that also doesn't mean at the same pace the entire time. The concept of over-training is important in boxing as well, just like it is with lifting weights. Overloading speed, power and endurance drills all improve your boxing skills as well as fitness. It is even more critical that you approach all training with the mindset of getting better. I've written numerous posts about that subject as well. Here is one:  https://theboxingmanifesto.blogspot.com/2022/03/are-you-comfortable-boxer.html

So does this mean that if you have all day to train, you would be best served by boxing all day? Ah, a good question. And no, not necessarily. If you have all day to train, you may very well burn out just training in boxing. This is where you can mix things up and even add in some of Rocky's routine. But do you have all day to train? Most people do not. Most of us are lucky to make an hour or so. In that case, you are going to be best served by spending almost all of that time in boxing. Works every muscle, is both cardio & strength training simultaneously, and most importantly it is 100% the absolute best way to get better at actually boxing!

Does Caffeine Make You a Better Boxer?

It is estimated that 90% of adult Americans consume caffeine regularly. Nowadays, it seems like there are literally a million different types of energy drinks and pre-workout supplements, as consuming caffeine before exercise is very common too. Should you be taking it before boxing workouts? And if so, when? And how much? What about side effects? Read on!

First and foremost, your intake of caffeine should depend very much on who you are and your present medical condition. People with heart disease, high blood pressure, high anxiety, or insomnia should definitely use caution and check with your doctor before using caffeine. It is certainly not recommended for people who are pregnant either.

Otherwise, while moderation is often encouraged, caffeine is probably the most effective exercise supplement available. It affects several different types of cells throughout your body including muscle cells, fat cells and those within your central nervous system. Besides increased athletic performance and decreased fatigue, caffeine can also improve your mental focus as well. It even may help you burn more calories.

How does it do all of this? Many different ways. Caffeine increases circulating epinephrine, the hormone that kicks in during the fight or flight response and gives us that adrenaline rush feeling. Beta-endorphins are also produced that help give you the workout high feeling as well. The effects on the central nervous system are not as well understood but we all tend to feel more awake, focused and able to process things quicker mentally when we consume it. Caffeine can increase your body's ability to burn fat via lipolysis- breaking down fat in fat cells- plus it can raise your body temperature too, which can help burn calories. The lipolysis effect means that you might burn less of your glycogen carb storage, leading to enhanced endurance performance.

There have been plenty of studies of caffeine and endurance athletes, with all of them experience some performance improvements. How much you improve once again depends a lot on you and your genetic make-up but you don't have to read the studies to know this. Just consume a reasonable amount of caffeine and you will very likely feel more energy.

For higher-intensity training, the results are pretty similar except a little more skewed towards caffeine being more of a benefit to trained athletes vs. untrained athletes. For strength training, there is not a lot of evidence to show that it will increase your 1 rep maximum lift but your overall performance and muscular endurance (reps, rest time between sets) will likely improve.

All of these things will benefit your boxing training. You can box at a given intensity for longer before feeling fatigued. I can tell you almost every fighter consumes caffeine before training or a fight. Usually a pre-workout or sometimes just black coffee. They have to be careful not to overdo it, especially before a fight, as some of the side effects, like jitteriness, are not beneficial. Usually, it is anywhere between 40-325 mg. Depends on a lot on their personal tolerance and body weight.

Speaking of side effects, is there a down side? Of course! Too much caffeine can cause:

• increased heart rate
• anxiety
• dizziness
• irritability
• tremors
• multiple stomach problems
• sleep disruptions

It should also be noted that caffeine becomes addictive and the more you take, the more your tolerance increases so the more you feel like you need. Breaking this addiction or even dramatically reducing your intake can be rough. I personally have found (working with people and in my own training), that some of the negative side of effects of caffeine can really be exacerbated by how much you eat. For instance, if you skip lunch and come to a boxing class at night after downing an energy drink, you may feel pretty bad and even quite weak, despite the energized feeling. I don't recommend high amounts of caffeine during the day on an empty stomach.

Of course the method you choose to consume caffeine may have a different effect too. Some energy drinks are also full of sugar, some are not. Pre-workouts also have a million different ingredients and your reaction to them will be different than others. We don't have a ton of information on all of these ingredients and the FDA does not regulate this stuff so make sure to compare labels and do research if you are concerned.

Since everyone's tolerance is pretty different, it is hard to recommend a particular amount of caffeine for training. You really need to safely assess your own sensitivity first. 200mg is pretty standard for energy drinks and pre-workouts. The stronger ones are about 300-400mg. I have read things that say an average cup of coffee is about 50mg but we drink coffee in all different sizes so I would guess 50 is on the very low end. What would be considered a somewhat dangerously high dose? About 600mg, especially if you are not used to it.

Can you overdose and even die from too much caffeine? Yes, you can. It would have to be an extremely high amount and usually a habit of extremely high doses, as well as pre-existing medical conditions.

The bottom line is that caffeine is a fairly safe, undeniably effective exercise supplement. The recommended doses vary by body weight, usually between 200-400mg, taken 30-60 minutes before a workout. Make sure you know how much you are taking, how you handle the side effects and most importantly, if you have any physical or mental conditions that make caffeine a bad fit for you personally. As always, what might be safe for someone else may not be safe for you!

How To Be Energy Efficient While Boxing

Energy efficiency isn't just for our homes and our cars. We can be more energy efficient when we box
too. This does not mean, however, using less energy in general. In fact, you could even use more energy, but by using it more effectively and efficiently, you will be able to perform at significantly higher levels. Here are several different ways I recommend to maximize your work during boxing training sessions and one way that I DON'T recommend for training. First, the do's:

Breathing

Most people relatively new to boxing, as well as plenty who have boxed for a while, don't actually breathe properly when they punch stuff. Sure, we all know how to breathe, we are even doing it right now, but that is steady state breathing. Meaning, your body automatically breathes in a certain, mostly-uninterrupted rhythm. And even if you are doing physical activity like jogging or biking or lifting, you can still keep this steady state breathing pattern, just maybe at a higher rate and/or deeper inhale-exhale. But this is not how we breathe when we box, as boxing is not a steady state activity. It is a series of constantly changing rhythms, patterns and exertions. Steady state breathing will not work well here.

As insult to injury, what many people naturally do when they punch (or exert themselves in any sudden way), is hold their breath. This is a pretty natural human reaction that does not serve us when we box. Instead we have to teach ourselves to do the opposite: every time you punch or perform any exertion, force a quick exhale. To make sure you are doing this, it should be audible too. Generally a "shushing" type sound is preferred because you don't want to get into the habit of opening your mouth while punching.

I think there are plenty of folks who feel somewhat uncomfortable doing this in a group setting. Being noisy with their breathing. It might feel like you're calling attention to yourself or showing off or even being obnoxious, like some of those tennis players and weightlifters who grunt really loud. I get it, for sure. But as long as you aren't trying to make an obnoxious sound on purpose, this is not the case. The forced exhale should be as much as part of the punch as the punch is. Every single fighter does this. Not most, ALL! So you should do it too!! I guarantee it will help!!

But what about in between rounds? This is when you can go back to your steady state breathing and try to go in through the nose, out through the mouth. Deep breaths are good but I have seen people go too far and actually make themselves dizzy going too deep. You may also want water right away and you should drink water but make sure you get at least 2 good breaths in first.

For more info, here is a video I made a couple years ago about breathing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL9wk2J2mQM&list=PLN0PPf0o8X6X1Te2zEgHrqy-BtyI-RAg3&index=129

Relax!

This can be very unnatural as well. Generally when people want to throw a punch (or again, any exertion), the tendency is to tense up. All of your muscles engage to put extra oomph into this powerful punch. The problem is, while you may use a lot of different muscles to punch, you don't use all of them. When you're tense and certain muscles are engaged that don't actually help with the action you are trying to do, they end up fighting a little bit with all the muscles you actually do need. So tensing up can actually make your punches less powerful and slower, as well as tire you out unnecessarily.

The key is to relax the muscles you don't need at that split second and activate the ones you do need. This does NOT mean throwing punches lightly though! Quite the opposite as relaxing can result in faster, harder punches because you are not fighting yourself. You are launching a hand towards the target totally unimpeded. This is a lot easier said than done as you need to figure out, either consciously or not, which muscles to turn on and turn off.

Biggest and most common example are the shoulders. If your shoulders are highly engaged, maybe even shrugging upward a little, it is going to slow everything down. You don't need to do a lot with your shoulder muscles when you throw a punch. Don't get me wrong though. Your shoulders definitely move and rotation is often encouraged but it is not those shoulder muscles that activate initially. It is the hips and trunk starting the motion, then the shoulders just follow. When the punch lands and you pull it back quickly, that should begin with the lat muscles in your back, along with the hips and trunk. Even when keeping your hands up to guard your face, you should be using very little shoulder muscle. Instead, just let your elbows rest on your ribs, bringing the hands up, keeping your shoulders up and relaxed.

Here is yet another video I made on the subject:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqYr8H1fHqM&list=PLN0PPf0o8X6X1Te2zEgHrqy-BtyI-RAg3&index=87

Mental Toughness/Self Talk

If you look up any physical endurance record - like the most consecutive push-ups or holding a plank - the numbers are insane. Like for instance, people have done over 10,000 push-ups in a row. How is that humanly possible? From a physical standpoint, it isn't. The people who have these records are not necessarily more physically fit than people who do push-ups and tons of other exercises every day, the difference is mental. The mind is incredibly powerful and can sometimes override the feelings of exhaustion we all get when working hard.

This works the other way too. The mind can also work against you and be de-motivational as well. It can tell you that you are tired and that you didn't sleep that well last night and had a long day at work so that is why you have less energy during your training sessions. Whether or not this is true, this kind of thinking can bring you down. Instead, stay positive and remind yourself that intense exercise training sessions are somewhat of a journey. How you feel right now may not be how you feel in a round or two. Second and third winds are very real things. There are times where I've been at the halfway point in a workout and thought I couldn't go much longer but then once I get towards the end, I feel like I never need to stop.

The body achieves what the mind the believes. When you get tired during boxing training, remember why you started. Think about every person who may have doubted you at any point in your life. Visualize that you are an unstoppable killing machine or at least, your favorite fighter. Being tired is just a state of mind. Find your perfect mindset that gives you the most possible energy and strength for boxing training.

Quality Over Quantity

No matter how fit we are, no matter how mentally tough we are, we all have a finite amount of energy within a given time frame. So it makes sense that we would want to spend this energy on what is most important, right? What is giving us the most bang for our buck, so to speak. When I see people just standing in front of the bag, throwing non-stop punches with no breaks, I am happy to see that kind of determination but I believe they would be much better served trying to throw combinations faster, more powerfully and with better technique, followed by movement, before throwing the combination again.

It is important to remember that our punches can always get faster, more powerful and technically better. Doing this requires additional energy. And it is a different energy system than throwing non-stop steady state punches. So I definitely understand how making this change can be difficult but it is more than worth it. Your workout will be better with a higher ceiling too. When you find yourself getting more tired throwing combinations with this intensity, use your footwork to recover and manage your energy systems, then throw it again only when you are ready to throw at that same (or better) intensity level. Tapping the bag lazily when you're tired in the name of not stopping isn't going to do much for you. You'd get a lot more by taking an active rest.

Food and Hydration

Every body is a little different here but I feel like for many of us, boxing on an empty stomach is not a great idea unless it is really early in the morning. If it's 9am or after, I would highly recommend at least eating a little something. I won't get into specifics in this particular post but generally, we run on carbs so eating something carby without a lot of sugar before workouts makes sense, unless you've just had a full meal in the not-too-distant past.

Hydration is critical too. Most people drink water during their workout sessions but it's good to hydrate before as well, especially the later in the day those sessions are. Try to consume a full glass of water within the hour before training.

If you find yourself feeling jittery, light-headed and weaker than normal during boxing training, there is a good chance it has something to do with your food and hydration levels. Even if your goal is purely to lose weight, you will ultimately get more out of a properly-fueled performance than an under nourished one.

Box More

This is an easy one! You can learn technique to manage your energy systems efficiently, like some of what I have mentioned already, but there is a lot of subconscious learning that our bodies do which can only come from experience. The more we box, the more our bodies learn. 

Consistency is important here too. If you train consistently X-amount of times a week, your body (and mind) will learn and develop better than if you say, boxed 6 times in one week and then not again for two weeks. This makes it much easier to set goals. So if for instance, you are boxing 2 or 3 times every week, you can try to up the intensity level every few weeks and have a much better chance of taking that next step up because of that consistent training.

And here is one way that I DON'T recommend using for energy management during boxing training...

Conscious Conservation

This is the idea of trying to conserve energy, usually in the early rounds, to avoid gassing out at the end. It makes a lot of logical sense and you hear a lot of smart people talk about it but I think it can easily be misunderstood and not applied properly in a training scenario. 

An important distinction to make is whether or not we are talking about boxing competitively or training with a coach/on your own. Even if you are fighter who competes, these are still really different things in some ways. Then there is context too. If you are boxing competitively and using a lot of energy but not doing a lot of damage or scoring a lot of points, that is obviously a non-efficient use of energy. In cases where someone is covering up, moving around a lot and causing you to miss, it makes good sense not to expend a ton of energy unless it is going to directly break this pattern that you have fallen into. In professional fights that go more than say, 8 rounds, it is not uncommon at all to see a fighter taking a round off if they feel like they don't necessarily need it on the scorecard. This is generally in the name of conservation so they can make sure to finish strong. I don't particularly love this strategy because of the uncertainty of judging in boxing but most everybody does it and it often works out okay for them.

But if we are talking about training on your own or with a coach, I feel like trying to conserve will not help you get better and even create some bad habits. The two main ones are creating a pattern of sub-maximal effort and routinely throwing punches without a ton of speed or power because that is the routine you are used to. 

The other bad habit is that it makes it harder to increase your overall stamina and fitness. If you find yourself gassing out early, you'd be much better served by training your body to overcome this and get stronger than to simply concede that you WILL gas out early and had better conserve or else. Pushing to failure is not a bad thing in training. Obviously, you don't want "failure" to result in physical ailments but going to the point where you simply can't go any more is how you build that stamina.

On some level, your body may unconsciously pace itself to handle the task at hand. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you just make sure you always consciously pushing to get better, getting out of your comfort zone.

Coaching Is Caring!

We all should know by now that boxing is a sport and a very particular set of skills. Skills that we are
always improving and developing, making you stronger and faster every time you practice. Nobody starts off with these skills. Nobody. Sure, some folks are able to learn and adapt more quickly, maybe because of their background doing somewhat comparable things, but they still must learn and develop these skills from the ground up, like everybody else.

One thing that makes boxing a little bit different than many other sports is that it is based less on physical talent than things like football and basketball. Not that those sports aren't very skill-based as they certainly are, but more often than not, the greatest performers also have more physical talent than everybody else. They are just bigger, stronger, faster, quicker, can jump higher, etc. and present a natural match-up problem for anyone trying to defend them. This is much less the case in boxing. There are definitely exceptions, like Tyson Fury being 6'9 and being able to move the way he does, but for the most part, the higher-level boxers are better because they have better developed skills than everybody else, as well as just a powerful mental game.

I have met more than a few people who have no formal boxing/combat sports experience but tell me they do have some experience fighting on the street or messing around with their friends in a basement. I would say that over 95% of such people really, really struggle their first time with formal boxing training. In fact, a good percentage struggle more than someone who has never even thought about throwing a punch in their life. This is because boxing is not fighting, it is a very particular set of skills.

To learn these skills, as I have talked about many times on this blog, you need someone who cares to teach you. But it's not just the basics you need to learn, you also need to someone to teach you how to improve those skills because remember, boxing is about always improving. Of course you want your coach to be knowledgeable and likable, but above all else, to care about your development. To care about making you better. Not just even at boxing but healthier, stronger, happier, more confident, etc. We've all had teachers who don't care about us or what they are teaching, and hopefully, we've had teachers who do care. The difference is obvious.

Having a positive, supportive environment is really important too, in my opinion. You want people to have fun, feel good and work hard. But if you want to teach everyone boxing (or anything), there needs to be some instruction obviously. The tricky part is how people respond to this instruction. Not just how to throw a particular punch or combo but how what they are currently doing can be improved. Everybody both learns and responds to instruction differently. There are plenty who take it as a very negative criticism, even if the teacher tries to put it as nicely and inoffensively as possible. All that they hear is that they are doing something wrong and that is a bad thing. 

This is very understandable though. Especially if you are in an environment that is unfamiliar and surrounded by people who may all seem to "get it.” You may feel like you are even being called out (even though not by name and no one else is paying attention anyway) in front of the group. Sometimes this comes from mismatched expectations. I have had people get mad at me and look very taken aback by the sheer fact that I am teaching them anything. I personally would assume that if I were going to a boxing class and had never done boxing before that people at this place would try to teach me boxing, but I have learned that these expectations can really vary. I've also met the opposite - people who get mad if I say "good job!" because they know they are doing something less than perfectly and want me to tell them what that is. I myself fall somewhat into this category although please feel free to tell me, "good job!" from time to time.

Everyone also has different interest levels in learning too. Some people really want to learn a lot and get better. Some don't really care as much and see boxing only as another form of exercise and aren't able to make the connection between getting better at boxing and the workout getting better too.

No matter what side of the fence you are on, the most important thing to remember is something I talked about earlier - caring.  If someone is trying to teach you boxing (or anything), they must care about you on some level. Even if they sound like a bossy jerk, they are not just doing it to be a bossy jerk or make you feel bad, they care about you learning. (Note that this does not mean it is okay to be a bossy jerk, I am just explaining that it still comes from a motivation of care). If someone doesn't care, why spend any time trying to instruct you specifically? What difference does it make to them if you get better? I guess they could be doing it for money, but that is less of a motivator than it used to be, and if it is in a group class scenario, they can just kind of avoid/ignore you pretty easily. Or I suppose they could also just be mean and sadistic and want to make you feel bad for doing something "wrong" but I think you will be able to spot someone like that.

Also remember that no matter how good you get, you can always get better. When someone tells you to throw a punch or do something differently, it is not saying you are bad or even doing it wrong, per se. It means, "Here is how to do this even better!" Now the bossy jerk may not make it feel this way and that is on them, but try not to see something a coach may want to correct as a representation of you doing something wrong or bad. It's not! The greatest boxers in the world all have coaches and I would bet they do a better job of listening to those coaches than average fighters because, as I mentioned earlier, boxing is less about natural physical/athletic talent than many other sports.

If you could do something better and maybe get stronger and fitter and healthier, wouldn't that be a good thing? So if anyone is telling you, "Here is how you can do this even better!" (even if they don't use those exact words), wouldn't that be a good thing too? This is how we need to see all types of instruction and correction if we want to be our best selves. It isn't always easy and on some level, we all have egos and human sensitivities but again, the reward is our best selves and that is more than worth it! The other part of this is that when you listen to your coach and improve, you need acknowledgement of that too. Your coach should celebrate it and this is where the "good job!" comes in.

So to recap, the next time you hear a coach try to teach you something in boxing, remember the following things:

1. Boxing is hard
2. Everyone can always get better
3. You are not doing anything wrong, you can just can just do that thing better
4. Your Coach cares about YOU getting better
5. Getting better is good
6. Your hard work should be acknowledged and celebrated

How The #@%* Do I Remember This Combo?!?

 

Learning the basic punches and movements in boxing is hard enough on its own. Throwing them in a particular sequence can be even more daunting. Oh, and by the way, there is literally an infinite number of these sequences, these combinations. Pretty much everyone who starts off boxing will likely struggle with this and even those who have boxed for years will sometimes get stumped by a particularly tough combo- but don't worry. Here are 8 tips that I guarantee will make this a lot easier:

When You Hear/See the Combo, Be Confident

This is the first and most important step. In fact, of the 8 things I list here, if you give up reading the whole thing but just get this first point down, it will help a lot. I can't tell you how many times I have seen someone brand new hear the combo and see it demonstrated slowly, decide that it is too tough for them and there is no way they will be able to remember it. This also can happen when I add on even a single punch to a combo they were already throwing pretty successfully. I can see it in people's eyes and sometimes people even say it out loud. The problem is that once you do that, once you tell yourself that something is too hard and beyond your abilities, your pipes of learning are clogged. A combo or add-on may be challenging, for sure, but there are ways to tackle this problem. We need information to flow as freely as possible and just like a clog in your sink drain pipe will prevent water flow, so do our mental clogs prevent information flow.

Instead, tell yourself something like what I just said - "This is a challenging combo, yes, but it is something I can learn calmly and methodically." Self-talk is so important. If it's hard for you to always be so positive and confident, just make sure you at least avoid the highly negative stuff. The instant you say something like, "this is too hard, I will never get it", you can make it almost impossible for yourself. Not because the combo is impossible, because you made it so by clogging the pipes. Keep those things clear!

Besides just the negative self-talk being, well, negative, it is also a distraction. I have seen many instances where I give someone a combo, they immediately decide they can't do and don't even hear what I say afterwards because they listening to their own selves tell them that they can't do it instead of listening to me. This of course, only compounds the problem. So make sure not only keep the pipes clear but also your ears open, without any internal distractions.

Take It Slow. At First!

If you even have to think about the combo at all, take it slowly the first time or two that you throw it. No need to rush it. Take it one punch at a time. Teach your own muscle memory. Do not worry about power or speed or even perfect technique right away, just kind of do a quick run through.

The idea though is that you just do this once or twice though. Then you want to try to increase those three factors I mentioned earlier, in this order - technique, speed, power. I have also seen people get a combo down, throw it perfectly 10 times in a row but then lose it again. It's happened to me too. Just reset, run through it slowly again, and then get back to your technique, speed and power. Sometimes we need that little reset and slow is the way to do it.

I have also seen this taken to a non-productive extreme though. People using this slow method longer than I think they need to. At some point, take the training wheels off the bike and speed up. If you fall down and lose it, you can always go back to slow but don't be afraid to try and throw a combo with confidence after a couple practice rounds. What is the worst that could happen? You throw the wrong punches? So what?

Say the Punches Out Loud As You Throw Them

This goes hand-in-hand with the abovementioned tip. It helps your brain and your muscles learn the punches and build the flow. It also helps you to concentrate, focusing on the punches and avoid any distractions and/or negative self-talk. And it helps you to breathe out every time you throw a punch, something lots of people have trouble with. What's more, I truly guarantee it will help you. I guarantee all of this stuff will help but this is the most easily measurable.

So why don't more people do it? It is an ongoing mystery to me. I am sure some people don't want to make any noises out loud in a room full of others but you can say it under your breath. And if that is really an issue, stop caring about that. We are allowed to make sounds when we punch. Literally every single fighter does. Every single one. It is not like when those brohams grunt at the gym trying to look cool either. There should be some forced exhale sound at the end of your punches. It is part of the technique. Plus, remember that worrying about what other people think is another way you can clog your own pipes.

If a Combo Is Particularly Long, Start With Just the 1st Few Things

Usually, I try to build combos with smaller, digestible chunks. But let's say a combination starts off pretty long, something like double jab-cross-lead hook-rear uppercut-roll-overhand-liver-lead hook. I would never start off with something that long but let's say I did and it wasn't clicking for you. Start off with just throwing the double jab-cross-lead hook. That is pretty reasonable. Most of us have done it before. Don't even think about the rest of it for now. Just concentrate on the first 3-4 strikes. Then add the rear uppercut on. Then maybe the roll-overhand. 

If you never quite get all the way there, that is okay. Just practice what you can right now and you will be better prepared to take on more in the future. Plus you will get much more work in. Use this technique as part of your self-talk as well. If you tell yourself that a combo is very long and very challenging, remember that you don't have to do all of it. Just take it one or two pieces at a time. You can do that!

When It Comes To Add-Ons, Don't Overthink!

So if the combo isn't too long at first (or even if it is) and we do decide to build it up by adding on a strike or movement or two, don't worry. First and foremost, you don't have to actually add it on! Just like I said above, if your brain is maxed out, you certainly don't have to add on extra stuff. Keep it digestible and only add on when you are ready.

But if you do want to add on, don't overthink it either. It may not be as challenging as you initially feel like it is. I have seen instances where I had people throwing a combo like, jab-cross-liver shot-slip-lead hook and everybody's hitting it pretty well. No one looks confused, no looks hesitant, everyone's just flowing. But then I add on a cross and it's like the levy just broke! Sometimes people will seem to re-evaluate everything they just did now that a single punch or movement or two has been added instead of just doing the same thing they were already doing successfully and throwing a cross at the end.

Know That There May Be a Repeating Pattern or Structure

In our classes, we put a lot of thought into each round and progression of everything. We also do so knowing that certain things will be challenging and try to mitigate this issue re-using certain structures, patterns, or even the punches themselves so you don't have to learn something brand new every time. For instance, I just taught a class where slips and rolls were the focus. First 4 rounds were all about slips, the next 4 were about rolls. So in Round 2, there was a combo that was jab-cross-lead hook-slip-lead uppercut-cross. When working on rolls in Round 6, we went back to this exact same combo except instead of slipping, we rolled (J-C-LH-roll-LU-C). So instead of it being something totally new to learn, it was the same thing with just a defensive variable changed. 

This is a pretty basic example but there are many that aren't necessarily so obvious. You may not even perceive them, in fact. So how is that supposed to help you if you don't perceive the similarity? Self-talk. I keep coming back to it. Instead of thinking, "Oh crap, I've got to learn something brand new!", think that this is something you have done before, whether you remember it or not, and your brain and body can probably handle it.

Another type example involves the specific punches. Instead of looking at them as all individual, unique things that require the same amount of brain processing power, think that there may be some repetition that can be grouped together. For instance, if I were to tell someone to throw a jab-cross-lead hook-cross-lead hook-cross, they would hear a lot of words and maybe think it's particularly tricky but all it is is a jab and then repeated between crosses and lead hooks several times over. Or sometimes I like to do what I call "cycle drills" where you might throw a jab-cross-jab-rear uppercut-jab-rear hook-jab rear body shot over and over. Sounds like a lot but you can simplify by telling your brain that the only punch you are going to throw on your lead side is a jab. It's just a jab + a new punch on the rear side. Still challenging but easier when you don't have to think about doing anything differently with the left/lead side of your body. But not everybody does this. They just hear 8 totally unique strikes.

Don't Be Afraid To Do the Wrong Thing

I already touched on this one when talking about taking things slow at first but it is definitely worth mentioning on its own. Though I will say, once again, that I fully guarantee all of things will help you, you may still get lost in a combo. Or you may be used to throwing a slightly different combo and it's hard to stop your muscle memory from throwing the old one. It is gonna happen if you practice a lot of different combinations of punches (and you should). And while slowing things down at first is helpful, you do not want to get to the point of hesitation because you are worried about throwing the wrong punch, rolling the wrong way or whatever. Just throw something and if it is a hook instead of a cross, that's fine. Can always fix it later. I just don't want anyone getting in the habit of constantly second guessing themselves and not committing to their strikes. The technique behind the strikes is always going to be more important.

Important Note: This does NOT mean that you should quit trying to throw the combo or drill or whatever the coach gives you. Do not give up on it in the spirit of this tip. Yes, it might be hard but you CAN do it. Don't be afraid to be wrong but always try to be right.

Careful With the Ancillary Stuff

This can be a problem for more experienced boxers as well as new boxers, who are already fans of the sport, and try to bite off more than they can chew early on. Boxing is not just throwing combos or punches. It is footwork, head movement, hand movement, feints and more. I always like seeing people move after they throw a combo and not just stand in front of a bag and punch. But we all have to be careful sometimes. When you add in a lot of extra movement, you run the risk of forgetting the combo. I have certainly done it myself while taking classes. Sometimes I have done so much other stuff, I even forget what the combo is when it's time to punch.  If you find yourself moving around a lot but then having trouble executing the combo efficiently, maybe eliminate the ancillary stuff and just focus on the punches. Burn the flow into your brain and then add on the movement. 

And if you're brand new but love combat sports, don't come in and start dancing around and doing the Philly Shell like Floyd Mayweather. Let that be the LAST thing you learn. Get the punches and the combos down. Don't worry about how you look. I honestly think everybody looks pretty cool when boxing but if someone tries to do fancy stuff without understanding the basics or even the combo, it looks awkward and the opposite of what they are going for.

Boxing is as much of a mental game as it is a physical one and combination punching is a great way to help your body learn the mechanics while flowing through them efficiently. It also helps provide the best full-body workout. If you were to just throw individual punches, you would be able to work a lot of muscles but when you throw them together in different ways, it forces those muscles to move in infinitely different ways. While there a lot of different lifts with weights, it doesn't compare to the number of boxing combinations. And if you did every type of weight lift, you would run out of time in a day, whereas boxing combinations go fast and you can get a much more significant amount of work in a very short period of time. This is why we practice them all the time, besides of course, the boxing skill/strategy element. It's just the mental part that is difficult but I will close in saying for the third and final time that if you follow these tips, I guarantee it will make it easier for you to grasp and transition through all the different combos. Or your pizza is free.

How To Get Better At Boxing When You ARE Boxing

Even if you box entirely for fitness and don't give a toss about the sport at all, boxing is a skill-based workout and something you can get better at just about every time you do it. How much better you get depends on you and your coach. For the sake of this article, let's assume you have a pretty good coach who knows how to teach, cares about you and wants to make you better. We're just going to talk about the You part here. How can you make the most of your boxing training and improve your skills and fitness levels during training? Of course the obvious answer is "Practice!" but let's also assume you already are practicing and want to practice better. Here are 8 tried-and-true suggestions!

1) Listen to Your Coach

I used to be a Project Manager (among other things) in the video game industry. Did it for many years and as the teams I worked with got bigger and bigger, communication became more and more important. It was a relatively fluid environment with changes always coming down the pipe - dates, assignments, features, etc. We'd have meetings and send out emails but people wouldn't always get the message. Then they'd get mad when they didn't know what was going on. I tried very hard to impress on them that communication is a 2-way street. Information must be broadcast and information must be received. Just broadcasting doesn't mean something gets communicated. The receiver must actively receive it. They must pay attention and process it.

Of course this is true in everything else and certainly boxing. Listen to what your coach is broadcasting, even if you think it doesn't apply to you or you already know it.

2) No Really, Listen

When it comes to learning a skill like boxing, especially at a furious pace when you are tired, it is easy to become unaware of what you are actually doing. A couple years ago, if a coach would have told me to keep my hands up when I was punching, I would have thought, "Duh, I'm already doing that!" But the strange thing was, I wasn't. I thought I was but I wasn't always. This is VERY common and a big reason why we all need coaches. We tend to think we are doing something but an impartial observer will notice otherwise. We have to be willing to always question ourselves and accept feedback.

3) Don't Assume That You Can't Do It

This is huge. I have now seen many thousands of people learn to box, many of them not necessarily young, athletic, fit or have a natural aptitude for learning a sport. These things do not have to be barriers though. True, everyone progresses at different rates but everyone CAN do it and everyone can be stronger and faster than they currently are.

The problem, though, is not physical at all. It's mental. I can usually tell from looking at someone whether or not they believe they can do something I've asked them to do. And it is pretty much as simple as is this: if they think they can, they can. If they think they can't, they can't. The mental barriers are just as strong as the physical ones. Too often, I see folks resign themselves to believing something is too hard and they can't do it right off the bat instead of calmly, taking each part step by step and executing with confidence. Believe that you can do it, believe that you can do better, and both things will be true.

4.) But Don't Assume That You've Got It Either

This is kind of the flipside of #3. Believing that you've got something down and no longer need to think about making it better anymore. Whether it is boxing or any sport, the highest level athletes don't practice less than everybody else because they are so good, they practice more! There is never a point where a boxer says something like, "I don't think I need to practice throwing jabs any more. I've thrown millions and that jab is as good as it's going to get." No, your jab and your everything can ALWAYS get better. That is a great thing about sports. There are no ceilings!

5.) You Must Push and Get Uncomfortable

I have met plenty of people who say they want to get better but they want this to somehow happen magically or without putting in harder work than they have put in previously. Unfortunately, as nice as it would be, this is not going to happen. We all have to ask ourselves, do we really want to get better? Really? Or are we just telling ourselves this because they alternative sounds negative?

If you really want to get better at boxing (or most things in life), you're gonna have to work for it. You are going to have to leave your comfort zone, physically and mentally. You can't be afraid to push yourself a little harder when you're completely exhausted and just want to rest. You can't be afraid to try something brand new that you might look silly doing. You can't be afraid to change something that you've been doing for a long time and is awkward to fix. Even if you are boxing only for fitness, don't be afraid to slow down and try to get some of the mechanics right. You may feel like you are sacrificing your workout that particular day but in the long term, your workouts will improve with proper technique. There are lots of ways to get out of our comfort zone and we have to do pretty much all of them to get better! Doing the same thing over and over will not get you there.

This also relates to working on the things you have more trouble with. If you struggle with something like, say, uppercuts, don't just resign yourself to the fact that you struggle with uppercuts. Work extra hard on them and be comfortable being uncomfortable. Just like you push past the physical barriers, you must push past those mental barriers too.

6.) Stay Disciplined When You Are Tired

Speaking of scary things, getting really tired during a workout is kind of scary. We don't usually think about it in those terms but it is true. Being tired at the end of a long day and climbing into a comfy bed is great but the kind of physical exhaustion that comes from a high-intensity workout is a whole different animal. What's more is that when you feel this way and the workout is not even half over. You have to still go on, despite wanting very much to stop.

If/when this happens to you, what if you looked at it in a totally different way? What if you looked it at as A) a good sign that shows you are working hard and making yourself stronger (despite feeling weaker at that exact moment) and B) see it as an opportunity to stay disciplined? If you watch just about any boxing match that goes into the later rounds, you will see professional boxers in the best physical condition possible start to get tired. For many of them, when they get tired like this, things start to change. They're not as up on their toes, their hands aren't always up, their punches don't snap like they used to, etc.

Some of that is certainly inevitable but if you find yourself feeling tired and not as sharp as you once were, start to focus more on what you are doing. Work extra hard to keep your hands up, stay on the balls of your feet and if your punches aren't as snappy, throw fewer of them, but focus more on snapping the ones you do throw. It really doesn't save you that much energy to put your hands down and rest than if you had just kept your hands up and moved around the bag. The difference is much smaller than someone might think. So do it! Spend that extra joule of energy, as I like to say, staying disciplined. 

7) Finish Strong!

Let's say you're not having the greatest day of training ever. Maybe you're tired and you're sick of trying to stay disciplined and you're pushing yourself but just feel like you are grinding your gears. We all have those days. All of us. Pro boxers even take rounds off sometimes! But in training, I would never advise taking a round off. What you can do though, is slow things down for a round where you're grinding a little bit but still try to finish strong at the end of the round. Or end of the session. Give yourself that extra push at the end because you know a break is coming. It won't feel great and you won't want to do it but it will make a big, positive difference in the long-term. Plus it trains your body to recover better and creates somewhat of a killer instinct.

8) Film Yourself

I mentioned earlier about how a coach can see things you can't and it's important to listen to them but sometimes, YOU need to see it to believe it. I also mentioned earlier not believing that I was dropping my hands on punches until I finally saw video of me doing it.

So film yourself during a boxing training session and then watch it back later. WARNING! You might be taken aback by what you see. Besides technical mistakes, we  often look slower on video than we feel like we are moving. And sloppier. Don't let that get you down though. Most everybody feels this way so instead think of it as constructive criticism. How can you get better?  Maybe try to improve your speed and mechanics. Then film yourself again later and compare the two. You might still feel like you were moving faster than the video shows but at least you see that you were moving faster than you were in the first video.

If you do these 8 things and put in the work, no matter who you are, you WILL get better at boxing and your fitness will improve. I guarantee it. There is no way it won't work. How much better you get may depend a little bit on other factors but you will improve. You just have to do it. And relatively speaking, they are not that hard to do. Think about this way, you've already done the hardest part. If have made the time and you are already in the gym training, that is by far the biggest hurdle for the vast majority of people. Showing up. Might as well make the most of your time while you're there, right?

How To Get Better at Boxing When You're NOT Boxing

Remember that scene in the movie, The Matrix, where Keanu Reeves's character is strapped to a chair with cables hooked up to his skull and a computer uploads a complete mastery of Kung Fu into his brain within seconds? Well, you can't do that with boxing. You also can't do it with Kung Fu. I do remember people selling tapes that you could listen to while you were sleeping that would implant suggestions that supposedly helped with things like weight loss, and I am pretty sure that none of those things worked either. As nice is it would be to do absolutely nothing and learn certain skills or disciplines, this is not an option for us in the present day. For now, learning things requires hard work.

But you can get better at boxing, even when you are not actually training boxing. Here are 4 ways to do it and note that you do have to be awake for all of them:

Watching With a Purpose

While we can't have boxing just directly implanted into our brains like Neo in the Matrix, we do have the ability now to watch boxing any time we want, anywhere we want, through our many screen options. Watching competitive boxing, particularly with skilled fighters, will help you to better understand the sport and movement mechanics, which can translate into better success in your own training. I put some good, classic fights up on our youtube channel here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN0PPf0o8X6WesaqNEuumJFunk5C9P_-u

But you can make it much more effective than just watching some good fights. Instead, pick a fighter to study. Preferably someone who you connect with and seems more similar to you than others. There may not be that many similarities but if you are small and fast, maybe find a good small and fast fighter to study, for example. Or better yet, let's say you have a favorite punch or at least, one you like to throw. Or maybe you really like footwork. Or defense. Or you just like punching and aren't interested as much in the other stuff. Or whatever. Find a fighter who is like that. Search online for things like, "which boxer has the best left hook?," "which boxer punches the fastest?," etc. You will likely get different answers and you can explore all of them a little.

Once you find that fighter to study, watch some of their fights or at least, highlights. Then try to visualize them when you get back to boxing training. Provided they aren't breaking a ton of rules, your boxing will almost definitely improve. I always tell people to watch Mike Tyson throwing uppercuts. The more you visualize him using his legs, exploding upwards, rotating his hips and arch his back, the more power you are going to get. I can tell you to do all of those things myself but if you are able to clearly see it in your head, it can really help.

DISCLAIMER: Note that the advice above is for someone who has already been training in boxing. You don't have to be an expert, not by any means, but at least have a very basic handle on the different punches and movements. I occasionally see people come to our club who have never done any training before in their lives and instantly try to be like Floyd Mayweather Jr., doing Philly Shell defense and shoulder roll and this is definitely NOT what I am talking about here. 

Boxing On My Mind

Just thinking about boxing will help you get better at it. Maybe won't make a huge difference but it will help. As I have said many many times, boxing is not natural. Taking a swing at somebody, sure, that is pretty natural but throwing proper punches with good form while staying protected is the opposite of natural. Keeping your mind engaged in the sport, even when you aren't training your body, will assist with the transition of making something unnatural become natural.

So, what should you think about? Could be anything, really, but something I recommend are combinations. Think about throwing a combination. Doesn't have to be anything long or fancy at all. Could even be a jab-cross. Just like I mentioned above, see it in your mind. Then think about what punch you might throw next. You don't have to put a lot of thought into it either, just whatever feels right. Then what might you throw after that? You could imagine defense as well. And you could think about everything in relation to an opponent and it will get even better. What did your opponent do when you threw the jab-cross? How does that change your next punch? Did they throw something back at you and how are you going to defend it? Perhaps this is veering into the more complicated, but simple works just fine, too.

When would you actually do this? While you're waiting in line for something. During an unskippable commercial interlude. Any time you have a few seconds where you aren't able to do anything else productive. You actually do this while you are trying to get to sleep and it actually may help, like a violent version of counting sheep. Maybe you are thinking now, "Look, I like boxing but I am not THAT into it where I would be thinking of combos during the day and night." Maybe that does feel like a certain level of interest that you don't have, but during these moments, what else are you going to think about? I am a relatively busy person and I like to stay busy, but still find those little moments of dead time all the time.

Accept That You Are Boxer

If you train boxing somewhat consistently, at least once a week in a very structured manner under a coach, you are a boxer. Doesn't matter if you train on the heavy bag, mitts, even shadow boxing, if you are training with a purpose and a decent coach, you are a boxer. I wrote a whole blog post on this once that anybody who doubts whether or not they are a boxer should read - https://theboxingmanifesto.blogspot.com/2022/12/are-you-boxer.html

How does this help you get better? Because it changes your mindset. It means you are more likely to do the 2 things I have already mentioned above and means that you take your own training more seriously, with more accountability. We all hold ourselves back in different ways and this is extremely common when it comes to average folks learning boxing. Boxing is not their world and as I'll say again, it is certainly not natural nor easy, so they create a mental block for themselves, as well as a built-in excuse. "I don't have to punch any harder or faster because I'm not a boxer - I'm just trying a new kind of exercise." They may certainly just be trying out a new kind of exercise but that thinking will hold them and their exercise results back. 

Once again, if you train consistently under a coach in a structured format, like the classes we do at our club, you are a boxer. You may not think of yourself as a particularly good or strong boxers but you are boxer nonetheless. And you can always get better. Always. No matter who you are or who you think you are.

Self-Care

Whether you are a boxer, bowler, bocce baller, or just regular old human being, proper nutrition, sleep and eating habits are important. You don't need me to tell you that, but sometimes it helps to think about it in a different context. If you eat healthier, you will perform better when you box. You'll have more energy, feel less fatigued, and recover quicker. If those things happen, you will be able to focus more on form and coaching in general, as well as generally feel more capable while you box as opposed to wiped out. You also may feel more confident as you perform better. All of those things translate into making you a better boxer, so the better you eat, the better you box.

Sleep too. If you have a rough sleep and only get about 4 hours in, you are almost definitely not going to perform as well the next day as you would have done with 7-8 hours of good sleep. Besides what I mentioned above with nutrition, a lack of sleep also leads to crankiness, which can make the mind less open to learning and developing. Sleep also gives the body a chance to recover so that you perform better the next time as well. If you have trouble falling asleep, there are plenty of healthy, non-narcotic options out there, like counting or thinking about boxing combinations as mentioned earlier. You just have to explore.

Of course everyone knows that eating and sleeping are crucial to our well-being but we can't just flip a switch and start eating better and sleeping better.  These things require time and discipline, not things we all have in spades. Instead of trying to do a total 180 with your self-care habits, start small. Maybe go to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual for a while. Take one day where you normally eat something like pizza and go with an even slightly healthier alternative. Baby steps. This does not have to be a major life change. Every little bit matters and besides making you generally healthier, it makes you a better boxer too.

What about other, non-boxing exercises? Will lifting/running/etc. help you become a better boxer when you're away from your training facility? This is yet another thing I have talked about before in an earlier post - https://theboxingmanifesto.blogspot.com/2021/06/weight-training-for-boxing-this-is-big.html#comment-form - but my short, pithy answer is that there are plenty of good reasons to perform other basic exercises but they likely won't make a huge difference in your boxing ability, with the exception of skipping rope. There are boxing benefits that come from skipping rope beyond the general fitness/cardio aspect, like timing, rhythm, learning how to turn off certain parts of your body while engaging others but for the most part, if the goal is simply to get better at boxing while not boxing in a gym, you would be better served practicing your footwork, head movement, and shadowboxing. You could do sprints and tempo runs for better cardio and weight loss, if this was an area you really wanted to focus on too. Most of us only have so much time for exercise though, and obviously you are going to get the best boxing bang for your buck by actually boxing. But when you can't box, at least there are some other options that don't really require any physical exertion.