Tuesday

Night boxing

OK I haven't really got a structure for the week in mind specifically. I intend to go by how my body is feeling a bit also using my resting heart rate and the feeling of my muscles after warming up to decide what kind of session my body is ready for - hard and explosive, moderate or easy.

I do however have a structure for what i expect to have in every workout for the next few weeks - starting off with some cardio and core work to warm up, then some stretching - enough to get a little benefit but not enough to cool down - then the main workout - either running or boxing - followed by more core work and stretching.

Core here meaning not only ab work but back work, a little hamstring and bum stuff and hip raises (stand on edge of ring or curb with one foot, hold body straight and raise and lower the other hip). I have noticed that sometimes when i do the hip one my back clicks and I'm sure that having one side weaker than the other might contribute the back issues I tend to have.

So that's what I did, main boxing workout involved shadow and bag work. I like how my power is much better when I have my core engaged and my lower back sort of straight. I got the idea from Judo feeling how much easier it is to carry the weight of another person on the correct part of your back and feeling the way you automatically hold your back and hips to brace for the person you're throwing (so they can pull on the ghi to slow their descent). Early days yet but I think the same applies to getting power in boxing.

After boxing a quick feed and some water and the same format for a run. The main workout consisting of 30 mins run - 6 min warm up, then minute on and minute off for the remaining 24 minutes. I'm limiting all my runs to this short, demeaning pidly time for a while because I have to admit I pull up with a sore back from longer runs because of the poor posture I have over longer runs. I need to improve my core before I can build my mileage.

So that's the plan - no swimming or heavy weights until after the national - a decision made partially due to economic factors (aquatic centre membership has expired but I need to pay for flight to the nationals as first priority) aswell as time constraints. It makes sense to me though - it's too late to build a lot of muscle before the nationals and if I work my core properly and stretch properly I should be able to get a good cardio workout from running without hurting myself.