The Boxing BLOG of EricB

Hey everybody,

I just recently joined a gym (yesterday). I have been doing a little training on my own, but wow! was i doing things wrong. Well, not really wrong, but not in great technique. the Gym I joined is ROCKYS DOJO AND GYM, out in Sugar Grove, IL. I checked out a few other places i seen on the internet, but this one seemed to be the one most suitable for me. There is a ring, a couple heavy bags, speed bags, double end bags, all equipment and weight room.

My first day...

We went over the basic punchs and stance, then they threw me right on to the heavy bag. Had me show them what i was doing and what not. then i progressed throgh the circut, 2 double end bags, another heavy bag, jump rope, shadow boxing and speed bags, then to sit-up and pushups.

It wasn't until i finished through all of these that i met with the 2nd of the 3 trainers. his name is Willie, and he did some training with the focus mitts. I really had no idea what i was doing until i began throwing some jabs w/ him. Although my jab was pretty weak by this time, after going through all those rounds, throwing them wrong. he helped me see what a jab is REALLY supposed to look like and helped correct mine. also he kept on me about having my hands up, i THOUGHT i was, but now i understand what HAVING YOUR HANDS UP REALLY IS.
My JAB really sucks but he said i have a solid cross, which i feel gives me hope.

After i got home last night, my g/f wanted to "keep me up". which drained me.... I couldn't get up this morning to do my road work and slept in. I really need to get that done today, maybe after work. I just need the disciplen to wake up at 5:45, and get my day started regardless...

This entry just goes to show that you really do need a trainer if you are going to start boxing... just like what you guys have been saying in every other topic post on this website.

Classes are tues + thurs 6-7 but i plan on getting there early and staying a lil late.
Please feel free to comment in the blog and or ask questions.

Till next round...
EricB

cool idea for this blog

1 hour 6-7 sessions sound pretty short tbh :o

Some people can't get a trainer, they usually live in small towns.
Living in a city, it's a HUGE plus to know a trainer.
If you can find a good trainer, then you will learn so much more.

If you want to fight, spar, compete, having a trainer is a MUST.

If you want to start off, by yourself, and you live in a small town, so there is no trainers... then learn by yourself. heh, Thats what I did. Everybody told me not to, but I did. It turns out, my jab is very good, not powerful, but fast (I have been complimented by some good boxers at the gym).
I just loved watching boxing and I had a great learning book too, so I could imitate many of the techniques learned. So that by the time I went to a gym, many of the stuff, I learned myself. :) I'm also getting almost as fast as my buddie, who has 5 years experience.

Hey, Joe Frazier had to teach himself when he first started. Hung up a homemade heavybag from a tree branch, at his family's ranch. 8)

Monday March 20, 2006

Friday i took it a little easy. I have just really been workin on my jab, and my left shoulder has been feeling a little pain, whenever i raise my elbow. One of the trainers at Rockys, Willy, said my jab is showing a little improvement. but i still need to work on it ALOT!

Friday workout:

10 minutes of stretching

2 rounds of jump rope

3 rounds of shadow boxing, Jabs and 1-2's

2 rounds of sit-up routine
40 crunches
30 left oblique
30 right oblique
30 crunches + curling up my legs w. them

Also, i went out and bought FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 3. THIS GAME ROCKS. Went 8 and 0 with 2 KOs then finished up by watching MILLION DOLLAR BABY. Thought it was a good movie and can compare myself to a mixture of the girl and "DANGER" while in the gym. :laugh:

Saturday.

Woke up and took the title in FNR3! BOO-YA!

After claiming my victory, i hit the gym.

Saturday work out.

10 minutes of streching.

4 cycles on the circut....

shadow boxing

Speed bag

Sit-ups

Heavy Bag

Jump Rope

Double end bag

Then finished up with a 1/2 mile run to cool down.

Felt great afterword. I improved dramatically on the speed bag. I can now keep a rhythem and switch hands and keep it going. I really didn't know i had to shift my weight, like frankie showed maggie in million dollar baby. it really helped. My focus of the work out was to slow everything down and just practice good form and technique. It definately helped and i left the gym with a good workout and some confidence that i can learn to box.

Monday Morning

OUCH. I woke up and had an sharp pain in the middle left of my back. It definately hurts and took 20 minutes to get out of bed. I didn't work out or strech on sunday and my body is feeling it. Im gonna let my muscles relax and warm up to do my workout when i get home from work today.

Next round tomorrow.

Eric B

Monday March 27, 2006

It's been a little while since my last post here on my blog.

Thursday workout.

1 hour cycle at Rockys.

Friday workout

1 hour at home cycle.

Saturday

1 and a half hour circut at rockys then
hit the weight room for a half an hour.

my shoulders/ chest/ triceps/ (everything i did in the weight room) are soooo sore. I also have a pinching pain in my right shoulder, which i also experienced in my left shoulder when i first started throwing jabs. This week i felt like my jab was getting pretty good so i started working on my right. Kind of sucks that there was no trainer(s) around to help me out this week. It really disappoints me that my gym said they have trainers and they are mostly around, THEY WERENT EVEN THERE DURING SCHEDUALED "CLASS"! so i think i will finish out my 3 months there and hit a gym in the city like WINDY CITY.

Today (monday) my girlfriend told me she is going to talk to her friend John, who has been boxing all his life, to see if he will help me out a little bit in training me. Atleast getting me on the right track.

Also today is day 2 of NO SMOKING. Thats right everybody, i am 21 and have been smoking a pack a day for 10 years now. I guess i really wanted to be one of the "cool kids". Let me tell you it was really stupid. I am determined to quit now, and i feel really good about it.

Im gonna take it easy with my sore shoulder so i won't be working out till tomorrow night.

Feel free to post any questions and comments.

Thanks for reading everyone!

EricB

hey, congratulations on trying to quit. smartest thing a person can do for themselves, and their body.

April 2, 2006

This past week has been re-named THE WEEK OF PAIN! My body has been so sore it's not even funny. For the most part, because i added weight training this week. Also, i think i have shin splints or somthing because my shins get an unruly pain in them when jump rope, running, or doing foot work around the ring. but im stickin throught it and training hard.

On thursday, i learned another valuble lesson. I hadn't eaten anything all day, the only thing i put in my body was COFFEE, and ROCKSTAR (energy drink) after going out and drinking the night before. When it came time to train that night i was so dehydrated and out of gas. It only took a half an hour to exhaust myself. I felt terrible. But now i know how important it is to eat and drink plenty of water throught-out the day.

My jab's are pretty good at this point, that is all i have been workin on thus far. They are getting quicker, more powerful, and the technique is there also. So this week i started to work on my hooks. My hooks are decent, but i have to remind myself to keep my guard up, and not cock back the punch, just throw it from my stance. it's only been 3 days working on them and i am sure they will be better by next post.

EXCITING NEWS! I have been at this gym for 3 weeks now and next week i get to spar. I have been thinking about out the past couple of days, and i have been putting a little more time into footwork. The only problem i foresee coming is i HAVE NO DEFENSE. All they have taught me is how to throw punches and not really defend my self. I guess i have to get my feet wet to learn though.

Thanks for reading my blog. If there is anything you feel you want to know or that i am leaving out just let me know. I am writting this to keep track of my own journey from DAY 1 boxing. And i know alot of other NEWBIES are on here, maybe i can help them out because i am in their same shoes.

Anyways,

Eric B

anyone know of any other boxing related blogs on the net that are worth viewing? sometimes i like to se where others are at mentally when they are training... i know of one on blogspot called ropeburns... it is about boxing and muay thai rather interesting but small site... can be found at [ftp]http://ropeburns.blogspot.com.

Nice blog topic. Like me I can't find a trainer or gym. 150 miles is the closest one.

Hey Everybody.

Sorry i haven't posted in a while. I was REALLY sick with the flu, even had to go to the hospital.. anyways, don't feel bad im all better..

Well you could feel bad for me because (a little embarrassing) i had a BAD case of the runs with that flu and it left me with my first, and hopefully last HEMEROID. This thing hurts like hell and prevents me from geting my work out in. It's going down now and i can lightly work out.

I didn't get to spar last week because of my illness but i had spoke with them and if i am feeling better on tuesday, i will get my chance.

Other than that there is not really any news.

Although i have been watching alot of ESPN's Wednesday and Friday night fights. They are making me think more about what i am doing whlie doing bag work and foot work.

thanks for all the feedback. especially ICEMAN i will check out those blogs and maybe i can incorporate more into what i write.

LAST THING!! PRODUCT PROMOTION - I swear and stand by this, for all of the posts on more stamina, and power yadda yadda yadda. You MUST TRY CHASER 5 HOUR ENERGY. it's a little 2 oz bottle that will keep you GEEKED like a FIEND WITH A KILO. Read the lable, it has an outrageous ammount of b-vitamins and enzymes. For me it makes me train longer and harder, you can go ALL DAY.

Thanks everyone,

EricB

Long Time No Post....

Sorry everyone, but they took my internet away at work and i am now
not working there anymore.. been busy...

anyways, lots of big things have been going on.

I have just been hitting the weights hard, but havent been doing much cardio. Still have bad shin splints and cant bring myself to run. I an currently looking to buy a bike to help out.

Sparring is going great. I got a chance to read some of the defensive strategies/how to's on here and incorporated them into my sparring. I was pretty amazed at how many more punches i moved out of the way from by using the hook/right movements. Also, there has been alot more instruction and teaching in class. But i stil have some things i need to work on.

I get so concentrated on things in the ring i forget to breathe sometimes.. REALLY tired me out.

Variety of punches.. I mainly throw the jab.. about 90% of the time i am jabbing. i have to switch up my punches more when i am in there.

But that is about it for now. know i have been away so if there are any questions or anything i will try to post once or twice a week and ill respond.

Till next time everyone

Eric B

still got shin splints? what are your trainers like?

If you can't run, try a treadmill and build up your bag work... brilliant cardio.