Jab seems to be the most tiring punch ! also getting bored on the bags...

[HerbM]

...
Weird thing is I find the jab tiring to throw, I'm not sure if this just a bad habit built up from nrly all my boxing training being on the heavy bags, I love throwing hooks and combinations (don't we all!) and I have some pretty good speed and power in my hooks and straight right, but my jab is limp and find it really tiring and boring and run out of motivation and go back to what I know.

I did fairly recently change my gloves from 14oz to 16oz but which made me a bit slower but I thought I'd be used to it by now.

Should I just bite the bullet and go for the sparring ? I am a bit worried my stamina and jab are going to let me down but can't seem to improve these on my own and need the motivation of training with other ppl.

Also anyone have any recommendations on headgear/gum shield for sparring ?
...

First, check all the stuff in Fran's post, that is all more important that what I am going to add. If you haven't got the mechanics right, that will not only fatigue you but will also ingrain the bad habit and might even INJURE your elbow, shoulder, or wrist.

I too noticed my (properly thrown) jab was more tiring, but the reason (in my case) was pretty obvious:

Coach wants us to always throw jabs when moving and to throw multiple jabs a LOT. The result was that I just throw a LOT MORE jabs than anything else. So of course those specific muscles would get fatigued.

Second, the jab is almost entirely an arm punch (some shoulder etc too of course) as compared the other punches which make far more use of shoulders, back, hips, and legs.

The jab is also the 'fastest' punch, so throwing several is done very rapidly.

So if you are trying to go hard and fast you will naturally fatigue the jab more quickly.

Third, if you are going hard, and try TOO HARD, you will be not only fatiguing the muscle more quickly but also putting extra tension into your body (which is much worse because it) actually holds your jab BACK AND USES MORE OXYGEN AND ENERGY from the muscles.

You must relax to throw fast jabs (to throw anything really, but especially this punch.)

Finally breathing: If you go fast with a jab there is even more of a tendency to hold your breath, breath shallowly, or otherwise mess up your breathing -- you must continue to breath fully and this may not time out WITH the jab but needs to be continuous across all of your movements.

The first problems (more jabs, arm punch) will likely take care of themselves as you gain conditioning.

The others require you to consciously train to hit with deep relaxation and breathing while not trying to go any fast or harder than you can stay relaxed.

On relaxation, recognize clearly that there is a STRONG tendency to tighten the entire arm when you throw a "hard" punch. That means that no only the triceps (etc) tightens to extend the arm, but the BICEP (etc) tightens sympathetically at the same time.

If your bicep only tightens 20% you will have to overcome that with part of the ability of your tricep -- you are losing 20% of your speed and strength to unnecessary opposing tension. Not only that, but you are burning oxygen and energy in a muscle that SHOULD be doing NOTHING.

But it is worse than that: On the return (retracting your fist) you will be doing the same thing: the bicep should fire alone, but the tricep is resisting. Not only the stuff above happens, but now you are actually TIRING the tricep while retracting when it SHOULD be getting a (brief) rest (uptake of new oxygen and energy).

Also, tight muscles inhibit blood flow, so not only are you using up more oxygen, you are making it more difficult to get more blood, and therefore new oxygen, into there.


If you want to go faster, try to concentrate on RETRACT SPEED -- I think it is mostly psychological, but this makes the whole punch speed up for me without seeming to add tension. It seems to keep you from "trying too hard" to HIT but the HIT still is improved. It's also a very good habit to have your hand back rapidly.

Relax and Breath, concentrate on the return speed rather than directly on the punch speed.

At worst the above ideas will give you more stamina and staying power even if they don't make your jab any better (they do that also for me.)

This also impact on your question about sparring: If you are already fatiguing and gassing out, despite your being in decent shape, you ALMOST CERTAINLY NEED TO RELAX and/or BREATH more thoroughly and smoothly.

Fatigue is always about using up the oxygen and the energy molecules in the muscle. Use less, and you have more available to go longer and harder.

Another advantage: A relaxed punch hits both HARDER and FASTER (no resistance from opposing muscles). You only tighten the fist/arm RIGHT AT the MOMENT of IMPACT, for just a fraction of a second.

So if you are going to spar you are going to be REALLY GASSED, unless you can relax. Why?

For most people sparring is a tension producing exercise (anticipation, excitement, apprehension, fear, etc all help produce TENSION). If you are already tense (or not in condition) then adding even more tension during sparring just zaps you and is generally "bad training" (it just trains you to be tense instead of training you to RELAX.)

It's a feed back loop. The more tension and failure to breath the more fatigue the more apprehension (or fear) the more tension and the poorer your breathing.

Turn it around relax, breath, and HAVE FUN and you will find it easier to RELAX and BREATH while moving and hitting more easily and harder.

I like my BrainPad mouthguard. It's the 'best' one for impact sports. http://www.brainpads.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44:br ain-pad-protective-mouth-guard-line-up&catid=49:brain-pad-all-styles-mouth-guard- info&Itemid=54 (I think this model is even newer than mine, I paid about $30 on eBay).

Have FUN!

--
HerbM