Gym Diary: Oct. 26, 2011

Training:

• 8 rds shoulder and arms w/dumbbells
• 2 rds isolated twists
• 1 rd seated twists
• 2 rds seated leg circles
• 1 Rd single leg crunches
• 8 rds shadowboxing
• 7 rds on the pads

Consumed:

• 12 Oz Mountain Dew
• 2 12 Oz Gatorades
• 2 lemonades
• ½ lb moist brisket
• Side of pickles

No jumping rope today, Rodriguez likes to change it up one day a week and do a completely different routine to work on new areas while we build speed and power. Most boxing purists hate weights because big muscles make you slower and your punches less fluid, but today we used small dumbbells to work the shoulders and chest. Neither of us has done these exercises in a while so we were both struggling; Rodriguez could still barely last the rounds even after trading down for lighter weights.

I like timed rounds because you can focus on proper form as opposed to reaching some arbitrary number of reps. My abs and chest area were still pretty stiff after yesterday’s marathon session but we went back to it with similar exercises designed to build up the obliques. I know I will be grateful when I’m getting pounded to the body by a shorter fighter in the near future.

The leg circles are pretty brutal as well, especially for someone with a bony ass like myself. I would probably be able to do a lot more crunches if my tailbone didn’t get so sore from grinding against the floor constantly. Not the first time I’ve wished I had a little more natural seat cushion to work with.

We threw in some neck rotations before wrapping my hands because I need to build up that area or risk getting seriously hurt if a punch turns my head. Then it was eight rounds of shadowboxing focused mostly on throwing feints with either hand and following quickly with the double jab or straight right.

Rodriguez said that once you start landing regularly you can throw the feint to freeze your opponent and then drop the boom with the right hand. After a couple rounds the fake jab-straight right felt more natural than the basic one-two, so I’ll probably try and use it during sparring next week.

Padwork today was mostly about slipping punches and coming back with counters before your opponent can step off. My slips are improving but it’s one thing to do it in an empty gym with the coach and another when you’re wearing bulky headgear and facing someone trying to take your head off. My head movement is nothing special, in fact I tend to forget to move it at times when in the ring so Rodriguez had me spend an entire round just bobbing and moving to avoid my (imaginary) foe’s jab.

Good head movement can be one of the best forms of defense since your opponent never knows where to punch, but if you’re too predictable then you can get timed and hit cleanly in the face. I’ve improved at keeping my hands up quite a bit but my back and forth movement is still a little bit too predictable. Still, even a subtle shift of the head can take the edge off a punch and keep your chin out of danger long enough to throw your own counter.

And yes, I had BBQ for lunch twice this week, but I’m at my fighting weight right now so it’s not really a huge concern. A little smoked meat won’t kill you and I’m convinced the fat helps keep my joints from creaking. Plus, with the amount I work out I should be able to eat pretty much anything I want.

Vanity will take you so far but everyone needs a little self-indulgence. If you can’t find a way to reward yourself then it’s almost impossible to maintain the motivation needed to keep up with such grueling training. I used to push through the worst part of my workouts by planning what sort of salty, calorie-laden monstrosity I would consume immediately afterward.

Counterproductive? Probably, but then again it’s the easiest way to get that extra butt padding I’m after.