A lot has happened in the last 48 hours since my first posting. I survived my first day on Monday. I wasn’t as sore as my trainer had anticipated. So I made it back yesterday for my second day of boxing training.
“Repetition is the Mother of Skill.” – Tony Robbins
Day 1: Monday 1/25/2010
I remember the gym is quite cold from Friday night. I don’t notice this at all Monday night because, when I arrive at 6:10pm the gym is already quite packed. Almost every bag or station is occupied and there are people sparring in the ring. There’s quite a few fellas and 2 females who seem to be quite experienced in the drills taught and practiced here. I could learn a lot just from observing and copying. I warm up on the stationary bike for about 5 minutes and my trainer let’s me know where to start. I’m excited to finally get to hit something instead of shadow boxing and fighting the air like Friday night.
The circuit seems to start in the dark and cold corner by the roll up garage door entrance. This is where the first speed bag station is. There are a total of 4 speed bags available. You always remember The First One. I had once thought I wanted one for Christmas but held off. I’m glad I did. I certainly don’t have the space and they can be noisy as heck. I think I’ve decided to name certain bags. I haven’t come up with a name yet for them but I’ve definitely noticed like in the Goldilock’s Fairy Tale that each bag has a very different character. You might say that a bag is a bag, but try hitting the thing a few 100 times and you’ll eventually notice a difference. It could be the texture, air pressure, the material, the label, the softness, or the hardness.
The initial speedbag drill is quite simple hit the bag with the bottom of your fist. Tap One…two switch to your left hand — one…two. Repeat. Keep going until you get to a steady rhythm then increase the cadence. I feel like a total spaz at this drill when the dude next to me is making this look super easy. I’m determined to get this drill down so that it eventually looks like this. Don’t know how long it will take, but I will get there!
Everyone knows when to stop and switch because there is a 3 minute timing machine in the opposite corner of the room which beeps and turns a different color indicating whether to stop or go (ie red or green).
After the speedbag stations, are two different bags that are held between two elastic cords, one at the top and the other at the bottom. This causes the bag to quickly slingshot back at you and you have to move out of the way. Again, more time will be needed at this drill.
After these first 4 “easy” stations come the heavy bags, this is where the drill seems initially simple. Left Jab Jab Right Cross. My mistake was giving it 100% at this first bag. There are a total of 8 (at least) heavy bags in a row and you get to practice at each for 3 minutes. What I didn’t know was that the bags get progressively heavier and “harder” to hit. I’d rate the first 2 as medium heavy bags but the 3rd is easily over 100 pounds and it feels like hitting a brick wall. This is “THE HEAVY BAG”. It’s seriously hard to move when you punch it – or at least when I punch it. Contact and impact are a completely new dimension to the relative ease of shadow boxing ie cardio kickboxing I was doing at Gold’s with Erik Wahlberg over the last 2 years. I’m glad I’ve had some time to practice the movement but the addition of gloves and impact are a brand new sensation.
I never got to the last bag on Day 1, I was too fatigued practicing just 3 punches – actually 4 (an uppercut on heavy bag 4 ~ “El Gordo”). The other factor was that I had wrapped my right hand improperly. The pinkie knuckle got all raw from the repeated impact and it being overly tight from the hand wrap. I’ll be paying for that for a few weeks.
Day 2: Tuesday 1/26/2010
Tuesdays, I’d normally have somewhere to be. I convinced myself to clear the schedule and just get in and train. I got new handwraps from my trainer. Unfortunately, these didn’t help much, I was feeling pain on the knuckle and in my right wrist. My old bones aren’t used to all the impact. Decades of sedentary activity have a way of showing itself when starting a new activity. I ended up spending most of my time at the speedbag stations and the standalone heavybags as I kept losing my spot in line. I guess if “you move your feet you lose your seat” at certain stations at the gym. I specifically avoided hitting “The Wall” or Heavy Bag 3. I did try to practice the uppercut on “El Gordo” but I was in too much pain to continue.
As a treat to myself that night I watched Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby”. Mo Cuishle! Mo Cuishle! Mo Cuishle! Hillary Swank makes hitting the speedbag look easy. Great movie but depressing and sad…
New Skills:
- hand wrapping
- speed bag
- heavy bags
- uppercuts on the Ringside bag
Tonight’s Wednesday session has a 3 mile run! I’m glad it stopped today. It’s been raining since Sunday. Today the sun actually came out and dried things out a bit. It will be my first time outside running in a long time.
Wish me luck! But then again, I’m supposed to leave the comfort zone…
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