Endurance athletes such as runners, cyclists, kayakers and others engaged in outdoor exercise regimens recognize winter as one of these obstacles. Icy roads, snow covered trails, freezing temperatures and reduced hours of sunshine all make regular outdoor workouts dicey.

However, for many of these athletes, tapering off simply is not in their creed. They have worked too hard to watch their fitness levels slip away. They need an alternative that is both time efficient and effective in improving their fitness levels. It must also be challenging, motivating, provide variety and be convenient. In other words, it must meet the following criteria:

• Intensity – It must challenge both the aerobic and anaerobic systems.
• Strength gain – It must improve overall body strength.
• Injury free – It must provide intensity without battering muscles and joints.
• Calorie burn – It must help burn off any extra fat to help increase/maintain leanness.
• Variety – It must be challenging and non-boring.
•  Mental toughness – It must help the athlete or fitness devotee learn to cope with difficult challenges in their primary activity. (1)

Fitness Boxing is a whole body workout that meets the above criteria and more.

It takes the best aspects of workouts used by some of the world’s most finely conditioned athletes, boxers. It combines them into a fitness program that is safe for the mainstream exercise devotee. In other words, with Fitness Boxing, you train like a boxer in everything but full contact sparring. (That aspect of boxing is left to professional boxing coaches in the relative safety of a standard boxing ring.)

Fitness Boxing is definitely challenging. It works most of the human body’s physiological systems. The musculoskeletal system becomes stronger through specialized resistance exercises and boxing specific equipment drills. The cardiorespiratory and vascular systems become more efficient through workouts that are more than 60% anaerobic. The central nervous system is trained to respond faster and more efficiently to punching combination drills. (2)

Intensity is the trademark of a Fitness Boxing workout. As indicated above, it is more than 60% anaerobic. Many of the drills are made up of two or three minute rounds, with one minute recovery periods. You push through your current lactate threshold and improve it during the round, or anaerobic interval, by working at 85-90% of your maximum heart rate. (3) During the one minute rest period, you learn to more efficiently recover your oxygen debt while simultaneously stretching and reviewing proper technique.

Strength gain is a natural byproduct of the Fitness Boxing workout. Boxers work with weights, specialized boxing equipment and plyometric devices in a manner that maximizes calorie burn to increase lean muscle mass. The Fitness Boxing workout focuses on improving speed, strength, explosiveness and lactate threshold management while simultaneously keeping body fat at minimal levels. (4)

Remaining injury free while improving total body fitness is one of the major benefits of a Fitness Boxing program. As a cross training alternative, it provides a break in routine and adds variety to your overall training program. It distributes the load of training across various body parts. (5) For endurance athletes who do a lot of running, this means a break from pounding your knee and ankle joints, while still getting an intense training session.

Mental toughness comes from learning to cope with the demands of a challenging workout. The more you work through a series of rounds that push you into your anaerobic zone, the better you will deal with intense endurance training or other demanding exercise routines.

So, Fitness Boxing offers all these great cross training benefits. What does a typical workout look like?

Most formal classes at boxing gyms or health clubs are 60 minutes in length. A typical session is broken down into several carefully designed components to ensure a total body workout.

    * Warm-up – A complete head to toe warm-up. Its purpose is to safely prepare your muscles and tendons for the rest of the session. Approximately 5 to 10 minutes.

    * Conditioning – This is typically a transition from the warm-up into some boxing specific strength and conditioning exercises. These are resistance exercises that emphasize muscular strength and endurance, speed, tone and anaerobic conditioning. Typically without weights. Approximately 10 minutes.

    * Technique – One to two new techniques are introduced in each session. The objective is to build from the basics, such as fundamental punches, to more complex combinations and defensive maneuvers. Approximately 5 minutes.

    * Hitting Drills – These are the heart of the workout. Timed rounds are employed in a circuit training format that works everything from focus mitts to target shields to heavy bags and more. This is highly anaerobic, involving two or three minute rounds (work intervals) interspersed with one minute active recovery periods. After a series of these rounds, you will be refreshingly exhausted, de-stressed and invigorated. Approximately 35 minutes.

    * Cool Down – This gets your heart rate down while you stretch out and improve your flexibility. It can also serve as a Q&A and planning session with your instructor. Approximately 5 minutes.

In addition to formal classes, complementary strength, plyometric and medicine ball training are commonly utilized to improve overall conditioning as part of a Fitness Boxing program. Strength training employs resistance exercises involving weights that improve overall strength with a particular focus on speed strength, or the ability to activate fast-twitch muscle fibers for explosive punching power. Plyometric and medicine ball training consist of a series of exercises designed to enhance starting speed, acceleration and power. (6)

Ok, it sounds like a great cross training alternative. How do I get started?

If you want a great Fitness Boxing workout, but have no desire to become a competitive boxer, you might want to stay clear of the more hardcore boxing clubs. If this is the case, check out a local health club or look for an upscale boxing gym that caters more to the workout than to the competition. Many health clubs now have some sort of boxing program geared more toward the fitness aspects of the workout. (7)

Personal trainers with prior boxing training experience can also offer comprehensive Fitness Boxing workouts. Just make sure the trainer you select is certified by a nationally recognized certification organization and has the appropriate experience and personality to meet your needs.

By Mike Bresnahan – Published in 2003

References:

   1. Anderson, Owen, Ph.D. (2002) “Cross-Training” [Online] Available: http://www.runnersworld.com/home/0,1300,2-78-82-358,00.html [2002, December 6].
   2. Dumas, Andy and Somerville, Jamie (2002) The One-Two Punch Boxing Workout. Eds. Contemporary Books. The McGraw-Hill Company.
   3. “Lactic Acid” Sports Coach. (1997) [Online] Available: http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/lactic.htm [2002, December 4].
   4. Enamait, Ross (2002) The Boxer’s Guide to Performance Enhancement.
   5. Stamford, Bryant, PhD (1996) “Cross-Training: Giving Yourself a Whol-Body Workout” The Physician and Sports Medicine Vol 24, No. 9, September 1996
   6. Enamait, Ross (2002) The Boxer’s Guide to Performance Enhancement.
   7. Mascartolo, Jason (2002) “How to Find a Good Boxing Gym” [Online] Available: http://www.boxinggyms.com/findgoodgym.htm

I have received several inquires regarding the relationship between genetics and boxing ability. One question read:

What shall I do, I am nowhere near as tall as the other fighters in my weight class?

Boxing is not a height, weight, or strength sport. If the tallest man were always victorious, the National Basketball Association (NBA) would lose athletes to professional boxing. If the strongest man were always victorious, power lifters would dominate the sport. Oscar de la Hoya recently knocked out Fernando Vargas who later tested positive for steroid use. No disrespect intended, but Fernando is proof that the stronger man does not always equate to the better man.

Boxing is a skill sport, first and foremost. Past champions have been short and tall, fast and slow. Just as no two boxers are identical, no two champions are the same. Each champion possesses his own unique blend of boxing ability, speed, power, and fortitude. One common denominator however is often described as heart. To be successful in this game, you must be willing to fight with courage and intensity. The most naturally gifted athletes will not last without the will and desire to win.

There is no path to the top of the boxing mountain without heart. To those fighters who are hung up on physical deficits, my advice is to focus your energy on factors within your control. Adapt a style that best suits you as an individual. Hard work and determination will often defeat the more skilled fighter who lacks the same resilience. Regardless of styles, there is no excuse to enter the ring out of shape. Kostya Tszyu once said that he was an average kid growing up who simply outworked the competition. He devoted himself to hard work and intense training. He refused to accept anything but victory. At present time, Kostya Tszyu is one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world, and a future Hall of Famer.

Do not harp on some perceived lack of natural ability, instead focus on becoming the best that you can be. Do not put limitations on your ability. Many aspiring fighters choke their potentional by assuming they lack the natural tools to succeed. Consider Micky Ward, perhaps the most courageous warrior in boxing today. He does not enter the ring as the slickest or fastest boxer. He developed a style that was successful for him. Is he the tallest boxer, with a jab that could hit you across the ring? Of course not, but he's proven his ability to succeed with the genetic hand that he has been dealt.

We cannot blame our lack of height or speed for failure. The only cause of failure is a lack of motivation and hard work. Do not impose limitations on your ability. The mind can either help or hurt you. We have heard that styles make fights, so do styles make fighters? The answer is no. The fighter himself is responsible for his development as a fighter.

Whether your opponent is tall, a slugger, a runner, a southpaw or a speedster, there is a way to beat him. Each style has its own strengths and weaknesses. Do not allow your mind to play tricks on you. Pernell Whitaker was one of the slickest boxers ever at only 5’6". Mike Tyson was one of the most dominant heavyweights of all time at only 5'10". The list goes on and on.

Mark Twain once said, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

This line speaks volumes for the sport of boxing. Take these words to heart when training and accept nothing but victory.

Make your style a champion style!

By Ross Enamait – Published in 2003

By Ross Enamait – Published in 2003
 

The speed bag can be used creatively to enhance all your punching skills, including:

1. Hand-eye coordination
2. Rhythm and timing

You'll need both to deliver faster and powerful repetitive punching combinations while moving your fists shorter distances than for "normal" punching. The key to this is understanding how the bag works and how to learn it faster. First, is bag height. The belly (fattest part) of the bag should be close to your mouth or nose. Many people have it way too high, which leads to bad form or improper and ineffective punching technique. Next, change the name from "speed" bag to "control" bag. As you gain control of the more efficient, short arm and fist movements necessary, (by starting SLOW), then speed will come automatically with practice. The primary goal is to keep the bag going, no matter how slow that is – Even if you have to count the rebounds at first. (You will quickly hit faster than you can count). CONTROL is the key. In fact, the BAG is never out of control – YOU are. Once you can control the short punching, circling movements needed – - then the bag will simply be in the way of your fists (and elbows) and do whatever your fists tell it to. A tip is to make very small circling movements with the fists, no matter what "punch" you use. Say your repetitive jabbing motion is a 12-inch circle. Keeping power or force the same, if you can shorter that 12-inch movement to 6-in, your fist will arrive at the target site in half the time. Viola! A faster punch by shortening the movement. To get faster, swing smaller. Speed is often a function of distance. With PURPOSEFUL practice (i.e. Not slamming away at the bag) you will increase your punching POWER along with the increased fist speed. The speed "control" bag is simple to understand. If you hit it only from the FRONT, as most boxers do, the next punch should arrive after an ODD number of rebounds (1, 3, 5 or 7). Most people know the hypnotic "triplet rhythm" of the speed bag being hit. The basis for this cool "beat" is the accents of the sound. The first rebound (off the fist) is the loudest, the second rebound (by your face) is a little softer, and the third (away from you is barely heard, and runs into the returning fist which quickly adds the next accented punch as the fist connects. 1-2-3, 1-2-3… it's the sound we all love. It is the same sound done slower or faster. Try and feel that beat, but if three rebounds is "too fast" for you, (or you refuse to slow down or hit softer…) than use 5 rebounds. The bag will be in the same position after 5 rebounds as it as after 3, in position to be hit from the front again. Most jab, straight punch and crossing combinations can be practiced with FIVE rebounds as well as THREE rebounds. Hooks are a little different. To practice Repetitive Hooks (i.e. Left Hook, Right hook) combinations, Use an EVEN number of rebounds (two or four). Four is best to start off with. This works because "the next punch is coming from the opposite side from the last punch", and the laws of speed bag rhythm demand it. To mix hooks with other punches, the number of rebounds needed may vary, depending on the angle of bag rebound and the angle of your fist as it connects. As and example, a "left hook" may follow a "straight right" after 3 or 4 rebounds, depending on the bag angle established by the right fist, and the angle your left hook enters. Practice this slowly and watch how the bag angle changes! Also, after a left hook, the left fist can return for a left jab on either 3 or 4 rebounds, depending on the rebound angle. Either way, the speed bag will force you to keep you hands up for combinations. By the way, the "hands up" ready position is also seen in most other sports. For conditioning, the speed bag "pumps" your shoulders and arms. You will quickly feel the outer deltoid burn with repetitive punching. Also, if you can do it long enough, you can also get cardiovascular benefits, raising your heart rate and breathing harder. (You need to be able to punch it for several minutes to really get this benefit, but with time you can punch for long periods of time). For a total body workout, join the speed bag with a stationary cycle. Talk about coordination! Punch and ride at the same time! With a little patience and practice, you will quickly find the speed bag helps you pick off moving targets a foot or less from your face very quickly. But watch out… if you happen to play any other sport that requires fast, efficient hand speed (softball or volleyball anyone?) than it will also help in those areas also. Train often and safely The writer of this story is the founder of the Speed Bag Central

By Alan Kahn – Author of The Speed Bag Bible Published in 2003

1. Speed Drill – Throw your punches as fast as possible. A minimum of 4 punches per combination. Develops speed and anaerobic endurance.
2. Outside Drill – Throw your jab and straight power punch combination. Circle and jab. Throw your combination and move. Circle in both directions. Develops footwork and staying power.
3. Inside Drill – Get in close with hooks and uppercuts. Slip, bob and weave. Develops inside power and stamina.
4. Change Directions – If you usually circle left, circle right. Throw jabs while mixing in combinations as you move. Develops coordination, endurance and change-up ability.
5. Jab – Do an entire round with only the jab. Snap out single, double and triple jabs. Mix in feints. Move in both directions. Develops quickness, stamina and coordination.

The are an infinite number of possibilities in terms of round time, interval time, recovery time, work intensity and punching combinations. Check out the “The Boxer’s Guide to Performance Enhancement” for additional combinations. Sounds great! How do I get started? Your number one priority has to be SAFETY. Find a good coach or certified trainer with the appropriate experience. Make sure the coach or trainer you choose emphasizes the importance of proper technique and appropriate body mechanics. Learn how to wrap your hands. Get a good pair of well-padded bag gloves. Study proper body mechanics with your coach or trainer. Repetition is the key to success in learning proper technique. Be patient with yourself. Build up slowly. Do not try to kill the bag. Odds are that the bag will always win anyway. Like other forms of intense exercise, heavy bag work stresses your joints, bones and muscles. It is especially tests the resilience of your connective tissues, your tendons and ligaments. So, avoid over-training. Allow plenty of time for recovery between bag sessions. (6) Again, concentrate on skill and proper mechanics. Power comes from speed and speed comes from smooth technique. So, work on your form and build up your intensity gradually. Your motto should be “no pain, no pain.” You will make greater gain, if you avoid injury and pain. Good luck! Have a plan. Build up slowly. And, have fun! Hitting the heavy bag is definitely a blast. Works Cited

By Mike Bresnahan – Published in 2003

   1. Wilcox, B. J., M.D., Wilcox, D. C., M.D. & Suzuki, M., M.D. (2001) The Okinawa Program. New York: Three Rivers Press.
   2. “Active Options for Stopping the Stress Spin Cycle” (1997) [Online] Available: http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1997/07jul/stress.htm The Physician and Sports Medicine, Health Track July/August 1997 The McGraw-Hill Companies.
   3. LaHaie, R. (2002) “Heavy Bag Training for Fun, Fitness and Fighting” [Online] Available: http//www.protectivestrategies.com [2002, December 10].
   4. Enamait, R. (2002) The Boxer’s Guide to Performance Enhancement www.rossboxing.com.
   5. Enamait, R. (2002) The Boxer’s Guide to Performance Enhancement. www.rossboxing.com
   6. LaHaie, R. (2002) “A Cure for Bag Pain” [Online] Available: http//www.protectivestrategies.com [2002, December 10].

The Specificity Principle is a fundamental training principle. As an athlete, you must move from general training towards highly specialized training as a final objective. For example, suppose you have 12 weeks to prepare for a bout. Your first 3 weeks may emphasize conditioning. You will first develop a foundation before focusing on more specific (and intense) boxing training.

The Specificity Principle states that once the foundation is established, your training must reflect the specific competition that you are preparing for. As a boxer, you are training to fight. Your training program must reflect this objective. You are not training for a weight lifting competition. Boxing must form the backbone of your routine. You MUST train according to your desired objective. In boxing, the ultimate goal is to win fights. To adequately prepare to box, the Specificity Principle tells us that you must box.

Running and weight lifting are designed to enhance the condition of the boxer. These activities will not replace boxing, they are simply a supplement to a well-rounded routine. To improve as a boxer, you must step inside the ring to box. Sparring is the most important aspect of boxing training.

As a youngster, I once learned a heavy bag drill from my former trainer, Harry Figueroa. After working the drill for several rounds, Harry looked at me and said, “OK, now that you have learned the drill, let’s see if you can use it. Remember, the bag does not hit back.”

These simple words speak volumes for the importance of sparring. No matter how hard you hit the bag, you must apply what you learn through live sparring. Sparring will improve timing, reactions, and combination punching. It is excellent to work the focus mitts one-on-one with your trainer, but even mitt work does not take the place of sparring.

In addition to the obvious physical benefits, sparring teaches the boxer to overcome the nervous energy experienced on fight night. Nerves can play a major factor in the outcome of a boxing match. Nervous feelings can leave a fighter out of gas before the fight begins, their legs tired while walking towards the ring. The only way to overcome these feelings is through experience. The more you box, the easier it will be to overcome pre-fight anxiety.

All boxers have been nervous at some point in their careers. Whether before their first fight or first title bout, all fighters have had to quell their nervous energy before entering the ring. Through experience, you will put your anxiety to rest. You learn to rely on your skills and hard work in the gym. This is all part of the development process of a fighter. You must first learn the game, and then develop confidence and experience. Boxing is not a sport that is mastered over night. It takes several years to learn this sport.

Approach each sparring session as an opportunity to improve some aspect of your game. You may choose to work on your jab, counter punching, or strictly on defense. I recommend sparring with different opponents as often as possible. The more sparring you have under your belt, the more experience you will have boxing against different styles.

Conditioning drills will always be important to the boxer, but this game cannot be mastered on the track, it must be mastered inside the ring. Boxing is a complex sport. Most will never understand the true complexity. Boxing requires physical conditioning, courage, mental toughness, power, speed, and ability. You must integrate several forms of training to truly optimize your performance. You must focus on developing strength, stamina, and boxing specific skills.

Do not neglect the mental and physical benefits associated with proper sparring. Without sparring, you will never truly be in fight shape.

By Ross Enamait — Published in 2003

The heavy bag is one of the oldest, most recognizable pieces of training equipment. Unfortunately, due to its commonality, the bag is often overlooked when searching for speed, power, and endurance. Fitness manufacturers continually develop and market new products catered towards today’s combat athlete. As new products are developed, old training tools such as the heavy bag are often forgotten.

This is unfortunate, as the heavy bag is perhaps the most sport-specific and effective training tool available.

Consider a typist who wishes to type more words per minute. To increase her typing speed, she types away at the keyboard. To type fast, one must type.

This logic also applies to the act of punching. To punch with speed and power, one must punch. What better way to enforce this simple analogy than hitting the heavy bag?

To increase speed and power, one must hit the bag hard. Regular practice is required to develop efficiency of movement when punching. Unfortunately, it is common for fighters to coast through a heavy bag session. These individuals stick with a few basic combinations, flicking out an occasional jab while grunting and groaning to impress onlookers.

A common heavy bag workout consists of three or four rounds on the bag. Amateur boxers compete with 2-minute rounds while professionals compete with 3-minute rounds. These work-to-rest ratios are often followed when hitting the bag. Certain trainers intensify bag sessions by reducing rest between rounds to 30-seconds. Another common means of progression involves increasing the length of the round. For example, certain professionals hit the bag for 4-minute rounds. The reason for the increased round length is to “over-condition” the fighter for a traditional round. If a fighter can hit the bag for 4-minutes, a 3-minute round should be easy.

Unfortunately, this theory rarely works in the real world. As round length increases, many fighters learn to pace themselves throughout the longer round. Rather than maintaining an intense pace, these fighters conserve energy for the longer round. This style of training is detrimental to a competitive fighter. During competition, these fighters will be unprepared for an opponent who maintains an aggressive, furious pace.

Rather than increasing round length, I recommend increasing intensity through short, yet highly intense punch-out drills. A punch-out drill simply consists of a string of all out punches thrown in rapid succession without rest. Common punch-out intervals range from 15 to 60 seconds. During these drills, the fighter will throw non-stop punches. I recommend straight punches during this drill to reduce bag movement. For example, you will throw a non-stop 1-2-1-2 (1 = jab, 2 = cross).

These drills are extremely intense. You will essentially be performing high intensity interval training on the heavy bag. This style of training will prepare you to throw explosive combinations with maximum speed and power.

Punch-out drills are commonly referred to as the Olympic Drill. These drills have been used at several Olympic boxing camps. You will not find many drills that can match the intensity and effectiveness of these brief punch intervals.

Not A Replacement, An Addition

These drills should not replace traditional heavy bag work. The heavy bag is ideal for drilling and reinforcing new combinations. Skill training and conditioning are not the same. You can however supplement a traditional heavy bag routine with a brief punch-out sequence.

Sample Workout

• 4 x 3-minute rounds – Skill emphasis
• 4 x 30-second punch-out drills
• Finish with 1 x 3-minute round

This routine will begin with four traditional rounds of bag work. Your focus should be on skill development. Throw combinations, moving left to right, and right to left. Integrate head movement, feints, and combination punching. Rest one-minute between rounds.

After four rounds are complete, proceed with four punch-out drills. Each drill will consist of one non-stop combination, thrown with maximum speed and power. Allow one-minute of rest between drills.

Finish with one round of traditional bag work. At this point, you will be forced to fight through fatigue, as if you were in an actual competition.

Variety

I recommend variety when performing punch-out drills. In the preceding example, the routine called for 30-second intervals. You can also perform a punch-out sequence with shorter, more intense intervals. For example, perform 10 x 15-second punch out drills. Allow 45 seconds of rest between drills. This brief 10-minute sequence is much more challenging than it appears. By reducing the length of the drill, you are able to maintain a true max effort from start to finish. These drills are excellent when training to improve speed, power, and anaerobic capacity.

Power Boxing

Another option to traditional heavy bag work involves brief full-speed, power boxing rounds. Each round will last 60 to 90 seconds. You will throw combinations with an emphasis on maximum power. This is no time to be practicing your jab. You will work solely on power punching. Each round should involve a max effort. Each punch will be thrown with bad intentions.

Integrate a variety of punches (ex. hook, uppercut, cross). As you can see in the sample video clip below, I throw multiple punch combinations, all with maximum power.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YFfy9lXFGE

Sample Workout

• 3 x 3-minute rounds – Skill emphasis
• 4 x 1-minute power boxing
• 5 x 30-second punch out drills

This routine will begin with three traditional rounds of bag work. Your focus should be on skill development. Throw multiple combinations, moving left to right, and right to left. Integrate head movement, feints, and combination punching. Rest one-minute between rounds.

After three rounds are complete, proceed with four power-boxing rounds. Each round will be “fought” at full throttle with an emphasis on maximum power punches. Allow one-minute of rest between drills.

Finish with five punch-out drills. Each drill will consist of one non-stop combination, thrown with maximum speed and power.

This brief bag workout integrates skill work, power boxing, and punch-out drills. You will start with a skill emphasis while the body is fresh. You will proceed to power boxing, and finish with a brief conditioning sequence via punch-out drills.

Another Sample

• 10 x 1-minute power boxing

Once again, you can incorporate variety into a power boxing routine. This workout will equate to 10-minutes of max-effort punching. These workouts provide obvious benefits when training to increase power and anaerobic endurance. You will train the body to throw power punches round after round. Increased punching power plus increased punch output is a dangerous combination.

Summary

Boxing is not just about getting into shape and mastering the tools of the sweet science. An equally important aspect of the fight game is having the mental fortitude to succeed. Boxing is unique from other sports, as a fighter must stand alone inside the ring. Even legendary trainers such as Eddie Futch and Angelo Dundee would exit the ring during rounds.

Regardless of your abilities, the time will come when you must battle fatigue. You may be hurt or injured, yet forced to continue. Boxing is not like other sports where you can look to the referee to call timeout. Instead, you must fight until the bell rings. You have the option to quit, but real fighters never will. Real boxers fight regardless of the adversity faced inside the ring.

A strong mind can help during these difficult times. The mind is a powerful tool that some never learn to control. For example, all boxers understand the importance of running, watching their diet, and training hard in the gym. Why then, are some fighters in amazing shape, while others only mediocre? Why do some fighters have difficulties making weight, while others weigh in perfectly every time? The answers to these questions lie within the mental discipline of the fighter. It is easy to cheat on your diet and easy to skip your roadwork. Unfortunately for many, boxing is not an easy sport.

A day in the life of a fighter consists of an early wakeup, followed by a morning session of running. Many fighters are up by 5:30 and running by 6 AM. While most people sleep soundly, boxers are out running the streets. Roadwork often consists of hills, sprints, and torturous intervals. The morning session is far from enjoyable, yet because of its importance, a fighter commits himself to it. There will be days when you are tired, perhaps you stayed up late, perhaps it is raining outside, or the wind is blowing feverishly in the winter. Boxing is different from other team sports, as many of the decisions must be made on your own.

Your coach is not there at 5:30 in the morning, reminding you to wake up and hit the roads. It is easy to hit the snooze button on your alarm and drift back to the dream that was abruptly halted by the annoying buzz.

What makes you decide to run, while others may choose to sleep? The decision often comes from deep inside. The man who wakes to run, runs not to look nice on the beach, rather he runs to inch himself closer to victory. He may be preparing for a regional amateur tournament, perhaps the nationals, or even a professional world title. At some point, you must decide on your own, how bad you want to win.

There will always be fighters who sleep, and others who wake. There will always be those who mess around at the gym, and those who train until the lights go out. You will have days when you’d rather not train. On your way to the gym, you consider driving past, yet you stop and turn towards the gym parking lot. Mentally, you must be strong to succeed in this sport. No one can make the decision for you to train. The decision must be made at the individual level. The best trainers in the world are only as good as the students they train. They can provide motivation and advice, but ultimately, the decision still rests in the hands of the fighter.

When you decide in your heart, that you want to succeed, your mind will take over. You begin to make boxing your sole purpose in life. You have to eat, sleep, and dream boxing to be the best. If you don’t, rest assured that someone else will. This is not a sport you play. This is a sport where you can get hurt. Boxing is a sport for warriors, those that are strong both mentally and physically. We will all face fear and doubt, but with dedicated training and experience, we learn to quell these feelings.

Consider the wait in the locker room before the bout. You are often left by yourself, while your trainer works with other fighters. You try to envision the fight in your head. There are times when you doubt yourself, even question your conditioning. Thoughts race through your head, but you remain calm showing no visible expression. You must hide your concern from the fighters around you. You shadow box to loosen the tightness fashioned from your nerves. When fight time comes, these thoughts quickly vanish. You rely on your training and fight your heart out. Through experience, you learn to overcome the anxiety. You realize that you are not alone, rather one of many who have faced such feelings.

The wait in the locker room is enough to break the average man. Most men have never been involved in a fair one-on-one fight. Most have never been punched in the face. For this reason, most cannot comprehend the feeling of sitting and waiting to do battle with another man, whose soul purpose is to knock you out. He has sweat and bled in the gym for one reason, to hand you defeat. You must face this challenge alone. Your friends and family can only watch from outside the ring.

The mind can play tricks on you. It may convince you to doubt yourself and your training. For this reason, you must train the mind to work for you, not against. The only way to achieve this state of mind is through experience and hard work. Experience comes from actual competition. You must fight and continue to learn.

If you lose, you must make the decision to get back up and fight. When a boxer loses, many are quick to call him a bum or over the hill. These people don’t realize that boxing is just like any other sport. It takes time to learn and master the techniques. You must learn from your losses and live to fight another day. No one can instill the mental toughness and work ethic required to become a champion. You must dig down, deep within and find these qualities on your own.

Train hard and believe in yourself. Through hard work, you will gain confidence in your training. Boxing is a sport that does not involve luck. Boxing is a sport that rewards those who work hard and overcome obstacles.

Make the choice. Train like a champion and you can become a champion.

By Ross Enamait – Published in 2003
 

While I am not suggesting that you become an avid gambler, a fighter can certainly learn from concept of the poker face.

A boxer must also conceal emotions throughout the competition. If he is hurt or fatigued, he must mask these feelings from his opponent. The idea behind the poker face is to present a specific image to your opponent. For example, entering the final round of a bout, there is a good chance that both you and your opponent are battling with fatigue. Your arms may feel heavy, the legs unsteady. It is during these times that you will look to identify a weakness within your opponent. Is he also tired? Is he breathing heavy? What can you read from his body language?

The last thing that a tired fighter wants to see is a look of vigor and energy from his opponent. A tired fighter is hoping that his opponent is equally tired, or perhaps even more exhausted. You have likely seen or experienced bouts where both men essentially draw a mutual ceasefire. The two athletes will hold on the inside, neither man punching. Each man is completely exhausted, and trying to buy a few moments of rest, hoping that his opponent is in the same situation. Don’t buy into this storyline. Don’t let anyone know that you are tired. If your opponent is offering a momentary ceasefire, rip an uppercut on the inside. There will be no ceasefires until the final bell rings.

Seeing your opponent gasping for air and looking to hold will often add fuel to your fire. You will quickly gain a second wind, sensing that your opponent has run out of gas. During such times, you will put your fatigue aside, as you capitalize on your opponent’s weakness
 

Masking Fatigue

Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” No man is immune to fatigue. The best fighters in the world will eventually battle with exhaustion. Great fighters learn to box effectively through fatigue.

The ability to mask fatigue must be developed, just like any skill. This is not something that you can expect to do without preparation. A fighter needs to train with the look of strength and vitality. No matter how hard you train at the gym, you should maintain composure.

For example, suppose you are hitting the mitts with your trainer. Now is the perfect time to work on this unique skill. Don’t let your trainer know how tired you are. At the end of the round, take deep breathes and relax. Do not slouch over as if you are about to pass out. No matter how tired you are, now is the time to mask the fatigue. Apply this mentality to all aspects of training (ex. bag work, sparring, conditioning drills).

You may be running intervals or sprinting hills early in the morning. No one is there to see you panting on the side of the road. This is no excuse to let your guard down. In between intervals, stay calm, maintain composure, and keep the fatigue to yourself. You do not need to put on a show, by falling to the ground in agony. Walk around, shadow box lightly, and focus on being a fighter.

Masking fatigue is just one of many forms of deception, similar to feinting. Feinting is defined as “A mock blow or attack on or toward one part in order to distract attention from the point one really intends to attack.” For example, a boxer may fake the jab, and then step in with a short left hook. Feints are used to keep your opponent guessing and off balance. You are essentially deceiving him, in preparation for your next attack. Feinting can also help you buy time when fatigue sets in. You may be in need of a quick break in the action, so you can temporarily freeze your opponent with effective feints.

Masking fatigue could even be considered a form of feinting. You are deceiving your opponent, by giving him the impression that you feel fresh and ready for action.

Hiding your fatigue can also be useful with the judges. Judges are human beings, capable of being persuaded and manipulated. Don’t show the judges that you are completely exhausted. Show them that you are in shape, and ready for more action.

Furthermore, you should hide fatigue both during and in between rounds. Many trainers will glance over at the other corner in between rounds. If they see you slumped over the stool, gasping for air, it will often provide that much needed spark for their fighter. You’ll often hear a trainer say words such as, “Look at him, he’s out of gas! He’s all done. Jump on him!”

Don’t give the other corner this ammunition. Sit up in your stool and maintain your poker face. Let everyone know that you feel strong and are ready to fight.

Maintain your poker face inside the ring.

By Ross Enamait