Today's mailbag covers power training tips, gaining weight, shadowboxing & hitting the double-end bag properly, and penetrating your opponent's defense.
First mailbag for the year 2011. Here goes:
What are the best combinations to open up your open's defense? – Jose
- 1, pause, 3-2. In the time that you pause, your opponent will try to jab back at you.
- 1-2-3, then 1-2-5. The first time you throw it quickly, so the opponent only covers up. The next time you throw it, the opponent will expect a left hook and not a left uppercut.
- Jab, step in real deep. Throw 2 or 3 wide hooks to the body and head, and then be ready to step back and land a counter if he tries to counter you.
Do you have any power training tips for boxing? – Porter
- Yes, work the legs. Plyometric exercises!
- As for techniques that build power, learn to punch with your hips and not with your upper body. Feel the rotation in your hips when you punch. Also drop your hips when you punch.
What are plyometric and weight training exercises for boxing? – Darrell
- Get a medicine ball and put one hand on it as you get down into push-up position. Do a push-up but shift your weight to the side so that you land on your other hand. Quickly do push-ups back and forth switching hands. 2 sets of 20 push-ups would be good. Try to do it fast so that your hands spend the least amount of time touching the ball.
- Clapping push-ups are also very good. Again, you don't have to worry about perfect form and going all the way down. Just try to do 2 sets of 15 push-ups very quickly. You want your hands to spend as little time as possible touching the ground.
- Box jumps: start at the top, then jump down to the ground and quickly back up. When you're pausing in between jumps, make sure you're pausing on the box and not on the ground. Again, make sure your feet spend as little time touching the ground as possible.
- High-skipping: This is exactly what it is, you're skipping but try to skip really high. Up-up-up! Think vertical, not horizontal.
How do you gain weight? – Anthony
- It's funny that you asked. Most people start boxing to gain weight, not lose weight. I would suggest a 2:1 carb-protein diet ratio (your body may require more carbs or more protein). Do lots of squats and leg exercises. It's hard to gain weight boxing but it's possible.
How do you box a southpaw? – Jacob
- Work on your right hand. Learn to throw that right hand in every way possible–right cross, right uppercut, right hook, right jab (it's like a straight right but shorter and quicker), overhand right. Throw to both the head and body. Learn how to lead with it. Also learn how to throw double rights. Try to keep your front foot on the outside and make sure you watch out for the southpaw's dangerous left hand!
- Southpaws are a tricky bunch, everyone has trouble with them–including other southpaws!
How do I use the double-end bag properly? – Malik
- The double-end end bag is about timing first, and speed second. Don't try to hit it hard. Get a little closer to it and hit it with quick fast little tapping punches. Breathe sharp and punch sharp. Again, don't try to knockout the little bag.
- I'll write a guide on this later, I promise.
How do you shadowbox properly? – Daniel
- Punch fast and sharp with sharp breathing. Get use to throwing fast combinations at the air. Do it regularly. It's one of the most important aspects of boxing. It's great for warm-up and practicing your technique.
I am 66 years old. Is it too late to start boxing training? – Tony
- Is it too late to have fun, get in sharp, and keep your mind sharp? I would say no. Go out there, have fun, and make sure to keep the sparring LIGHT!
Punching Power
Is it true that one of the aspect of punching power is timing that as you turn your body there is no other muscle involve other than the hips,core,back and biceps as you pull it back into starting position. And using the momentum of your body than your hands by means of relaxing the punch by letting it fly off without using any arm muscle?
Yes, your description is correct. Put to focus on the lower body muscles. The arm is simply a connector, it doesn’t really generate the punching power.
Looking forward to purchasing your shirt Johnny
I dont know, Johnny has a plan like that, but i also would buy the expertboxing T-Shirt if it happens. Also T-shirt design contest can be done, between the followers of the site. It would be fun.
Radd, that’s a great idea! I should probably do something like that on Facebook. I’ve been wanting to design a shirt but kept prioritizing other things first.
Hi Johnny i just wanted to say that expertboxing.com is a true treasury,for boxers like me the most succesful page in the internet.many thanks for it keep it up!! 🙂
Thank you Dimitrisz! You’re very welcome.
maybe you should let us come up with the ideas just so you dont have to worry too much about it
I agree. I’ll probably put something together and announce on Facebook.
if you had to pick, would you rather be have A+ cardio and D- technique or A+ technique with D- cardio? only if you had to pick what would you prefer?
J, that’s like asking me if I’d rather have a car with tires or an engine. You need both to be a fighter. But sure, I would guess that have skills is more fun than only having good cardio.
interesting Question
The cardio – technique would be no use if you could only sustain it for half a round – then you are toast.
With the cardio you can advance, keep out of the way , get your opponent tired and perhaps land a lucky one. Plus you can keep a barrage of punches going all fight.
Hello johnny im having trouble making a decision, my first gym i ever trained at is a good gym, i just have some ifs with my trainer but we all have flaws he got my form to where i wanted it, i was wondering if i should bite my teeth and ignore his personality, and stick with him or should i move on to other gyms to check them out, i would dearly appreciate your feedback to help me with this decision it will be highly appreciated sir.
This is your life and your career so you have to decide this for yourself. What is more important to you in a trainer? Knowledge or personality? Which one is more important for learning? Anyway, there are always good trainers out there with good personality.
Great advice, i appreciate your raw honesty buddy thank you
is it ok to bend the techniques slightly making it more natural for me? such as taking a small step to the side to slip or to pivot, or just basically using proper technique at the same time, making it my own natural way? and when a coach or instructor shows me a technique can i do it so it can be more natural for me especially in a strategic situation?
Well yes of course. That’s what advanced fighters do…they know how to adjust their techniques over time to improve their fighting ability.
In some situations will it be ok to throw the right cross in a slipping motion? such as using the slipping technique to the outside and throwing the backhand punch? and i noticed fighters like to somewhat duck when they throw a leading cross whats the motive for that in your opinion of course sir?
Yes it is! That’s what the best fighters do, they counter while evading instead of waiting until after evading. Some duck after throwing a lead cross in under to avoid a counter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCMF_KAaj_8
CAN THIS ALSO IMPROVE CENTER OF GRAVITY TOO? AND IS THIS A GOOD STRATEGY WHILE DOING BURNOUTS ON THE BAG? BURNOUTS AS IN FAST AS POSSIBLE FOR 30 SECONDS OR SO
The focus of the video wasn’t to improve your gravity…but if it helps you, good.
is it a bad idea to have the wrist relaxed before punching?
I always have the entire arm/body relaxed before punching.
or dangle from relaxation so to speak
The wrists are relaxed without being “dead” or “limp”.
i let my friend use my headgear for fights, and i wore it, i got a huge bump on my forehead, i went to the gym and the swelling kept getting worse, by the day, i finally went to the doctor and they said it was ‘staff infection’ is this something i should bring up with my trainer? since i was training in his gym with this infection? today is friday and the gym is open monday i sure hope you read this soon i need your advice fast! by the way i threw my headgear in the wash machine drenched it with soap, hopefully that will help
i never been in this situation before i need your help
Wash the headgear, put some anti-fungal cream on your face and yes, let your gym owner know about it (especially if you’re doing MMA and rolling around on a dirty mat).
i seen your video on closing the distance, but when i come in my opponent always gets my nose, and it bleeds, he has trouble hitting me until i come in, maybe i have to be quicker move my head while in the inside? any suggestions?
It takes strategy and technique to come in. It’s not an easy thing to do even if you how to do it. Being faster help but knowing the right timing for every opponent is very important. You have to know exactly how and when he likes to punch and then you get around that.
You can drill stuff on the focus mitts but overall you need more practice and more sparring time.
ive learned sparring is a great teacher, alot of improvement comes from just sparring alone, but if i may ask whats your intake on womans boxing? why isnt it promoted as well as mens boxing? not enough controversy and drama? like the male boxers bring to the table?
Women’s sports in general just isn’t as popular and I’m guessing it’s because women are not as athletic as men and don’t appear to be as exciting from the outside? Take women’s basketball for example. The guys run faster, jump higher, and dunk more.
Or maybe it’s society’s psychological image that people don’t or can’t see women as fighters.