Any Boxers on here that can help

[ldhall05]

Hey guys I'm starting to get into boxing and I'm looking for someone to discuss workouts/nutrition with.

I'm currently 230 pounds and I'm trying to lose weight and find the weight division I would want to aim for. I started at 256 and have lost 26 pounds. I'm pretty muscular build already... I can take picture if that would help.

I guess I'm just wondering if there are any boxers on this board that would like to help out and chat.

[dannyboy9]

I haven't been training for long but nevertheless I definitely would like to aid you in any way that I can.

It's up to you if you want to take that picture and post it up. You have to be personally comfortable with doing so and congratulations on the weight descent. By the way, do you know if those 26 pounds you lost were of muscle or fat? If so, how do you know?

What would you like to discuss as far as workouts and nutrition goes?

[ldhall05]

Thanks for your response man... I know that alot of the weight is fat because i've been monitoring my body fat %... but also I know some of it has to be muscle...that's just the way it goes when cutting I guess... I'm trying to eat right and give my body plenty of fuel so that I minimize muscle loss. Really after thinking it through and talking with some other people i've come to the conclusion that muscle loss to some degree is going to be a necisary evil for me. I got to get down below 200. Just for endurance purposes of boxing. I just want to lose the weight slowly so that I minimize muscle loss. I'll start keeping a log asap... I'm going to start a new boxing class later this week at a new gym and will start my log after I see whats up with that.

As far as workouts go... My cardio is in check... I do running/jump rope/ 3 minute round sparring/stairmaster for leg endurance. But what should I be doing as far as weights?? high reps low weights??

[Jamiel]

The best thing you can do is go join a real hardcore boxing gym.

[Papasmurf]

jamiel said it man- boxing isnt about building huge muscles- its about maximizing the power of your body frame. Very rarely will you see super jacked boxers, and they usually arent that good.

[ldhall05]

Dannyboy,

last night ater sparring with my brother and cousin I had a slight headache... I took maybe 3 or 4 decent shots from my cousin to the upper left side of my head... for some reason he always finds a way to slip right hooks on me...there is a break in my defense obsiously. I took some advil and the headache went away fast. Probably just brain damage LOL... I've been reading your boxing log and it looks like you are training like a boxer just for the fitness benifits...do you have any ring experience?

[dannyboy9]

Anyways...

As far as workouts go... My cardio is in check... I do running/jump rope/ 3 minute round sparring/stairmaster for leg endurance. But what should I be doing as far as weights?? high reps low weights??[/quote]

I'm sure a significant portion of your weight descent has been due to muscle loss but that is not something that is "necessary" whatsoever, my friend. You might want to do some research on the amino acid leucine. Leucine would be a great idea to incorporate into a diet when attempting to lower body fat. It all comes down to calories in and calories out. Calories are the key. One thing you want to remember when you're trying to lose INCHES is that you want to preserve 100% muscle mass to help keep that metabolism burning those calories, not to mention the extra amount of calories you'd be burning considering you're working out. Leucine is VERY effective in the preservation of muscle and makes it very difficult for muscle catabolism to set in. Losing weight is at a rate or 1-2 lb. per week is the safest way to go but since you're going to be engaging in intense exercise you can expect to lose a bit more than that a week.

I saw "stairmaster" in the mix - you can drop that. As for weights:

Taken from my log...

I'm definitely not going to be incorporating much if any weight training, solely strength training. There is a definite difference between these two phrases. Strength training involves the use of resistance exercise in the pursuit of increased strength. Resistance can come from several sources such as bodyweight (ex. pull-ups), free weights, medicine balls, odd-objects (ex. sandbags), and resistance bands. Each tool is simply a means to an end. No tool will guarantee results. No tool is better or worse than another. Each tool offers value if used correctly.

A fighter has no business following a BB'ing routine. Bodybuilding emphasizes aesthetics. . The activity involves posing various muscle groups for a panel of judges. There is no concern for athletic qualities such as speed, power, and endurance. An athlete trains for function. A fighter will not gain points on the judge’s scorecard by crafting a symmetrical pair of pectoral muscles. To compare strength training for a fighter to bodybuilding is like comparing a fresh orange to an artificial apple. Please note that this is not to serves by any means as a method of downplaying bodybuilding. Bodybuilding is simply not the ideal strength regimen for a fighter. No hard feelings?

With that being said I'm going to be spending more time performing drills and related exercises than pushing the bar. The strength workouts are just small pieces to the puzzle. I will not benefit from any more than two brief strength workouts per week, three at absolute maximum

If you're going to box then box. You want to lift weights, go ahead and do it but weights are not of much importance in the boxing game.

Did you wear any protective gear when you were sparring with your cousin? You have to be careful when sparring and I wouldn't spar unless I was under professional or licensed supervision. Many things can go wrong in an unsupervised sparring match. That headache you got is evidently from those nice blows you took to the side of your head brother

Are you right handed or southpaw by the way? I have sparred about 4 times in a ring when I was 15 and I did pretty well. I came out with a pounding in my head and maybe a few bumps on my head but nothing serious. As you realized, I'm only training for the fitness benefits, not to actually contend.

[ldhall05]

Danny,

To answer some of your questions... I'm a right handed fighter... and we don't use any protective headgear when we spar...other that a mouth piece our only defense is blocking...<---lol ... probably not good right. I know.

Also I bought some amio acid leucine in pill form from GNC... So will this supplement really reduce the loss of proteins after extensive cardio...??

[dannyboy9]

Definitely not the most intelligent thing to do: spar without protective gear.

Teeth are replaceable (but it's still a good idea to wear a mouthpiece) but brain damage is irreversible.

Send me a link to the GNC product you bought. I'd like to take a look at it. You have no clue if what you're putting into your body is even being absorbed. Not all products are created equal but I'm positive I can find you something better that you can know without a doubt in your mind that you will fully absorbing.

As for that right hook that keeps sneaking in on you, does he sneak them in from the beginning or is it towards the end of the round(s) that he starts getting the hooks in?

[ldhall05]

Yeah we need to where headgear I know.... We try to be as careful as possible so that we don't knock each other around too much. We had boxing practice tonight and no one got hurt or anything... Whenever someone drops there defense we pull back on our punches and tap there head just to let them know they messed up. So we aren't trying to knock each other out or anything. The worst case senario is if you step into a punch that is already in motion. We use mouth guards but thats it. I know we should use head gear but we don't. I'm gonna start using it next tuesday...I picked up head gear tonight at Dick's sporting goods.

here is a link to what I bought from GNC...Whatayah think?

GNC - Amino Acids: Other Amino Acids: GNC Pro Performance® Branched Chain Amino Acids 1800

As far as when he slips the hook in...I see where your headed with that I think. Are you thinking that at the end of the round I'm getting tired and slacking on keeping my gloves and defense up? I've thought of that...also I realized tonight that I always seem to be circling in the same direction often...I think I need to switch up the way I'm moving to keep him guessing more. Does any of that make since to you?

[dannyboy9]

Use headgear - period. As safe as things are, circumstances can still be hazardous and even deadly so start using that headgear ASAP.

I was looking over what you bought @ GNC. Each serving consists of six softgels - that's serious. On top of that, you would think you would be getting ample amounts of a product when you're taking six soft gels, capsules, tablets, etc. but each serving is only 1800 milligrams worth of BCAAs - less than pointless. You only get 40 servings per bottle so even if you were to consume two servings a day, it would last you no more than 2 weeks and a couple days. Even then 3.5 grams of BCAAs is futile and won't contribute much to what you're trying to use the power of BCAAs for.

Based solely on the label, on a scale of 1-10, it seems a 2 or 3 at most is what would describe that product. Not to mention, you don't even know if you're actually absorbing what's on the label. The product could score a point or two more if there was a guaranteed absorption idea involved but evidently you're doing what the majority of people do with dietary supplements: pop and pray.

In regards to your sparring, I'd have to see a clip of you in action to tell you what your problem is but I'm just using common sense and trying to envision what could be your problem. You tell me: are you getting tired and dropping your defense as the round progresses?

There are many things you have to keep in mind and they all come naturally as you progress further into your training (if you make it far enough), you have to keep mixing it up. Never leave your head motionless therefore, constantly bobbing it - left to right. I'm a lefty so if I'm fighting a right handed person, it's going to be in my favor to keep circling to my left (the opponent's right) so I can use my "leftiness" to my advantage. Your opponent is always going to have something that he does (I'm not going to bother saying s/he because I hope you're not fighting girls lol) so if you're going to be sparring with the same person, it would be to your advantage to study them and see what it is they do, or don't do.

It all makes perfect sense my friend.

[ldhall05]

Danny can you reccomend anther supplement.... you said you think that the amino acid pills I got from gnc are pretty crappy right?? What would you reccomend?

Have you had a good experience with another brand?

[FeehanShamrock48]

Originally Posted by ldhall05

Dannyboy,

last night ater sparring with my brother and cousin I had a slight headache... I took maybe 3 or 4 decent shots from my cousin to the upper left side of my head... for some reason he always finds a way to slip right hooks on me...there is a break in my defense obsiously. I took some advil and the headache went away fast. Probably just brain damage LOL... I've been reading your boxing log and it looks like you are training like a boxer just for the fitness benifits...do you have any ring experience?

I'm currently training for the New England Golden Gloves and I was reading the post's that you two have been gonig back and forth on, first of all, sparing with noone there to supervise is not an intelligent thing because sparring can turn into a brawl of haymakers once someone gets pissed off if there is no trainer there. Also when you are getting hit with right hooks, if you are a righty it may be because you are dropping your left hand after the jab, it should come right back to your face as if it were on a string and not drop after being thrown or you have left yourself wide open. Also make sure to always give your opponent the least possible amount of target you can. you dont want to square up and fight you want to be turned to the side so there is a limited amount of area for him to punch. Also wear headgear, the only ones who don't are pro's becasue they are good enough to know not to get drilled in the skull. You don't want to end up with puglist Demensia (punch drunk synodrome).

[Papasmurf]

Everyone wears headgear, the exception being professionals in a prize fight. There is no reason to not wear headgear during sparring. Also, why are you sparring without a trainer there? Thats just as pointless. If you are looking for something to do outside of boxing practice, set up a heavy bag or something and work on your boxing that way.