Texas Tyrant

Hey guys,

I know there arre a few newb threads going around but I wanted to start my own just to introduce myself and say hello. I am 23 and have always been interested in boxing (as long as i can remember) I have a martial arts background and even trained in some MMA. I started boxing over a month ago and i am learning very quickly. I have allready sparred a few times and have shown some improvment. I hope to have my first bout in about 3-4 months. Boxing is definitley alot harder than anticapated so respect goes out to all my fellow boxers out there it takes a certain person to just spar in the ring let alone compete!! So anyway theres my hello and now I have a quick question . In sparring I hesitate alot I normally only throw out jabs and am very hesitant with throwing anything else. Any pointers on this? thanks

JCC

I'm glad your here!

By the username you'd chosen I get the impression that your from Texas.

FORT WORTH, Texas is my hometown.

I have a 20 year old nephew, that has a some what similiar back grounds as yours.

He had taken up martial arts at a very young age, and in high school he had also taken up amatuer wrestling.

He's attending college now, and had continued in amatuer wrestling there up until just recently, and chose to take up boxing.

Unbeknowed to me until just recently, he like you since he was a kid was interested in boxing, and had wanted to take up amatuer boxing but just never did, for whatever reason.

Other than myself, there are and have been are few ex-fighters and boxers in our family, so maybe that could have had some influence in his decision to turn from martial arts, and wrestling amatuer now, to take up boxing, I'm not sure.

I visited with him some months ago, and in boxing in getting started, he's in about the same place in which you are now in getting started having now taken up boxing.

As for the question you asked, that is rather an common thing for a person to experience when that first take up boxing.

Experience will take care of that!

Martials arts, is a very different thing from boxing.

As for Free Style Fighting, or the MMA thing you mentioned. That's very different too.

In time, and as you gain more experience, and you continue to spar you'll become more conditioned to taking punches. That is, you'll get more use to taking punches.

The reason you are holding back now, is because your afraid of getting hit, taking a punch.

This is the reason, your holding back.

But you'll get use to it after a while, and as you come to learn more how to box you'll become more confident and overcome your fear of getting hit, taking a punch.

Most every body is like that when they first take up boxing.

Your jabbing, jabbing, jabbing, which is good, but your afraid to throw that right hand because you fear getting hit back if you do. This is why your holding back.

If your being over matched as for your sparring partners. I could even more understand you being fearful of taking a punch. Not saying you are being over matched, just saying if you are?

Actually, that's the problem with taking up martial arts bacically, the training is different, the sparring is different, and just like wrestlers they can't take a punch either. Only, because they aren't use to taking punches.

But of course, you got to be in shape for it, however. Being able to take a punch is as much physical conditioning to it as mental conditioning to it.

Boxing is good, its a great fitness and confidence builder. It will toughen you in body, and toughen you in mind.

JJC

__________________
"The more I sweated in the gym, the less I bleed in the ring."

Texas Tyrant

thanks for the response jjc. I am from houston. your are right boxing is a whole new ball game compared to martial arts. Now I know why they call it the sweet science!! Thanks for the advice on why i am hesitating. Ill let you guys know yhhow my first fight goes allthough you will probably hear from me before then

TommyGunn

hello mate and welcome to the board.

JCC

I use to live Houston.

There's much to know, much to learn.

Go slowly, don't get in a hurry.

That's great!

Get in the best shape you can, eat the right food, and don't keep late nights, and stay away from the negative stuff, so you can be of the right frame of mind to go out there and win.

JJC

__________________
"The more I sweated in the gym, the less I bleed in the ring."

Texas Tyrant

Hey JJC, just out of curiosity, what is a good diet for a boxer. Right now i just eat healthy stuff during the week and eat what i want on weekends. I try to read up on diets but once it gets complicated like counting stuff or anythin then count me out i hate that crap!! Do you have any ideas on a simple diet?-

JCC

Its important of course, that you eat the right food.

You want to careful in selecting the foods that will give brain speed and power, and that will increase physical strength and energy, and that will give you more and more power.

You want to just have a well balanced diet that's all.

I would suggest and only for just an example, in the mornings for breakfast you might have a poached egg, a dish of fruit and a glass of low fat milk.

For lunch, perhaps just a of bowel soup.

For supper, perhaps a steak and a salad.

Eat NO fried foods, or deserts, other than fruit.

If you tend to gain weight easily, DO NOT eat pasta dishes and rich foods with spiey sauces and things such as that.

NOT good!

You told me that your in training for a fight!

You don't want to stop eating the right food, only because its the weekend.


You don't need to do all that!

Its only just people who are trying to make money selling dietary stuff that get people into thinking they have need of doing that kind of stuff.

You just have need to eat three square meals a day, and to have well balanced meals.

But you do want to avoid fatty foods, eat NO junk food. DO NOT eat in fast foods restaurants.

A boxer's body should be all muscle and bone.

As a boxer you want to have a body that looks like a dried rasin, not a grape.

I want to add to that DO NOT keep late nights! You want to be in bed by 10:00 pm, and no later than 10:30 pm. You need to be getting 8 hours sleep a night.

I hope your up at day break for roadwork (running), every morning, if your not you need to start.

JJC

__________________
"The more I sweated in the gym, the less I bleed in the ring."

Jetcar

Welcome Tyrant, lots of good people on this site.

Try and eat whole foods, and particularly, foods with a low glycemic index. (Google it, it's not complicated, really!)

Low glycemic foods release sugar slowly into the bloodstream, ensuring a constant flow of energy. Unlike the junk you eat on the weekends, this approach will provide you with steady energy and reduce cravings. You'll be able to eat more food if you make healthy choices.

It's a big mistake to deprive yourself of carbohydrates, so be careful. Depleting your carbohydrate stores can be dangerous if you are a high intensity athlete, such as boxers are.

Fruit= simple carbohydrate
Whole grains=complex carbohydrates.

You can't go wrong with chicken, fish and beef, lots of vegetables (raw, or steamed is best), whole grain foods (real oats, whole grain breads, milled flax--goes in the oats or a smoothie, adds fibre and protein)

Okay, so it's easy to remember this way:
Protein: (lean beef, chicken or fish -- egg whites are good, too)
Carbohydrates: vegetables, vegetables, vegetables!
Fruit before 4pm is best, so you don't have to deal with the sugar in the evening, and get a good nights' sleep.

Drink real juice and lots of water.

No condiments, except maybe a touch of mustard. No ketchup or bbq sauce, it's all sugar, basically. Mayo, well, it's all fat, and it's not really food.

Milk has a lot of sugar in it, (lactose) but you need your calcium...find another source if you don't want to drink a lot of milk.

A good multivitamin can't hurt either.

Texas Tyrant

Thanks for all the great advice guys. Eating is one of the hardest things for me, I love junk food. But I will cut it out on weekends. And yes I do wake up in the morn and do a 1 mile run it aint much but i just started. To be honest i am just really lazy so all of this workout stuff is difficult for me becuz i would rather grab a burger sit on my ass and watch tv. My ambition to be a pro fighter definitley outweighs my desire to be a couch potatoe though so i do get moving! Once I get this eating thing down though I should be good to go.
Heres what I ate today if you can please critique it.

I woke up and had a slice of bread with peanut butter before my run to give me fuel. when i got done i had oatmeal with peanut butter and a little splenda for breakfast. For lunch i had a turkey sandwich on wheat with lettuce and mayo only with chips. for dinner i had some chicken and corn and for a bedtime snack i had an apple with peanut butter. I also drink some sort of muscle milk before bed to help with hunger through the night. I only have one soda a day the rest is water or milk
I can allready see where some of this is bad due to the posts you guys left earlier but what exactly would you change? I am a simple minded guy if anyone knows where I could get a shopping list with meal plans or you want to post your own i would appreciate it. Thanks

Jetcar

If you are going to eat peanut butter, make sure it is natural...otherwise you are eating a lot of sugar for nothing. Check out a health food store or a grocery store that offers the "self-serve all natural" option. It's like a coffee grinder, except with peanuts. About the same price, too.

Soda is useless, it is full of sugar and sodium.

Anyways, here are some links that are helpful when determining what type of foods are best to eat. All bodies are a little bit different in how they handle fuel, so with a bit of useful information, you can start experimenting with your own engine to determine the best fuel for you.

The Glycemic Index (excellent reference site for simple and complex carbohydrates, the idea is to eat as many Low Glycemic foods as possible, to ensure sustained energy. Have a few high glycemic foods when in need of a boost of energy, like before your run...) Check out the GI Database tool, it's easy to use.

This is a short explaination of carbohydrates:
You've probably seen ads for low-carb foods and diets, but kids and adults need carbohydrates (say: kar-bo-hi-draytz). Most foods contain carbohydrates, which the body breaks down into simple sugars - the major source of energy for the body.

Two Types of Carbohydrates
There are two major types of carbohydrates in foods: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates: These are also called simple sugars. Simple sugars are found in refined sugars, like the white sugar you'd find in a sugar bowl. If you have a lollipop, you're eating simple carbohydrates. But you'll also find simple sugars in more nutritious foods, such as fruit and milk. It's better to get your simple sugars from food like fruit and milk. Why? Because they contain vitamins, fiber, and important nutrients like calcium. A lollipop does not.

Complex carbohydrates: These are also called starches. Starches include grain products, such as bread, crackers, pasta, and rice. As with simple sugars, some complex carbohydrate foods are better choices than others. Refined (say: ree-find) grains, such as white flour and white rice, have been processed, which removes nutrients and fiber. But unrefined grains still contain these vitamins and minerals. Unrefined grains also are rich in fiber, which helps your digestive system work well. Fiber helps you feel full, so you are less likely to overeat these foods. That explains why a bowl of oatmeal fills you up better than sugary candy that has the same amount of calories as the oatmeal.

So which type of carbs should you eat? Both can be part of a healthy diet.

How the Body Uses Carbohydrates
When you eat carbohydrates, the body breaks them down into simple sugars. These sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream. As the sugar level rises in your body, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is needed to move sugar from the blood into the cells, where the sugar can be used as a source of energy.

When this process goes fast - as with simple sugars - you're more likely to feel hungry again soon. When it occurs more slowly, as with a whole-grain food, you'll be satisfied longer. These types of complex carbohydrates give you energy over a longer period of time.

The carbohydrates in some foods (mostly those that contain a lot of simple sugars) cause the blood sugar level to rise more quickly than others. Scientists have been studying whether eating foods that cause big jumps in blood sugar may be related to health problems like diabetes and heart disease. You're probably already on the right track if you are limiting simple sugars (such as candy) and eating more complex carbohydrates (like vegetables, oatmeal, and whole-grain wheat bread).

A one mile run is a good start, and be sure to up the amount of distance on a regular basis, set a goal for yourself...every two weeks, add a half mile or so.

Try to have five small "meals", and avoid snacking before bed, it can upset sleep.

Personally, my body doesn't like me to put anything in it after about 7pm. I drink water or non-caffeinated tea, instead of eating.

When you eat whole foods (non-processed, not full of additives and preservatives) you can eat a lot more because they are all "good" calories, and your body will break them down as energy, use them to repair depleted muscles and NOT store it as fat.

Personally, I eat oatmeal in the morning (7 am)with a sprinkle of raisins for flavour/sweetener, as well as two heaping tablespoons of milled flax seed. I take a multi
vitamin and drink a glass of skim milk.

Around ten am I have a protein shake mixed with water. (4-5 oz of water...I find this snack prevents the cravings mid-morning)

Lunch is always protein and vegetables. Usually chicken or tuna with mixed lettuce and some peppers, brocolli, and cucumber. A couple of drops of oil mixed with lemon juice instead of salad dressings from a bottle.

Around 2:30 in the afternoon, I'll have a piece of fruit, usually a banana or an apple.

Supper (6 pm usually) is always vegetable / protein / complex carbohydrate.

Usually brocolli, carrot, zuchinni, yams, carrots, cauliflower or snowpeas. I usually have beef or fish (4-6 oz) and a small portion of whole grain rice or pasta.

I do this six days a week, and take one day off a week. I may eat the odd "unhealthy" food, but I make reasonable choices and eat reasonable portions. (ie.: pizza or a burger, a few chips or a dessert)

I do cardio in the morning (30 minutes) and other workouts in the evening before supper. (skating/ice hockey -- bag work/calisthenics/stretching -- weight lifting)

Yes, horror of horrors, I lift weights! Not a good idea if you are boxing, so disregard the weights. However, I do circuits with my weights, and a lot of compound movements to imitate sports, as opposed to "traditional bodybuilding excercises".

The following link will help you with workouts for fitness without the use of any weights… Calesthetics Workout Creator It’s all interval training, and you can specify the lengths of rounds and rest as well. Check it out.

Send me a private message if you want to communicate via e'mail regarding nutrition...

Good luck and stick with it!