Back to basics

So, just about recovered from Sunday Funday and the disappointment of my sparring efforts.

Not so much disappointed with my progress, I think its more the fact I realise what I'm doing wrong, which is frustrating.

Some of the other guys were saying similar things, so maybe its a case of expecting too much too soon. Everyone is obviously very keen to do as well as they can, so get very despondent  when they have, what they consider a bad session.

I think Ben must've been thinking along the same lines as tonight's session was sparring free.

No sparring, definitely didn't mean we were in for an easy night, getting us to go back to the basics, footwork, jabbing and crosses, Ben explained that this is what would get us through the fight on the night, and that we would see how much we had improved in the few weeks since we had done these drills.

Tonights session looked like this 4 X 3minutes shadow boxing, 6 x 1minute pad work and 4 x 3 minutes bag work, followed by a short but intense circuit.

During these sessions, I even tried out the new gumshield, I bought today and although we weren't sparring, it felt a lot better and my breathing was steadier all the way through.

As we worked away Ben and the other trainers, never gave us a minutes peace, keeping us working, giving us tips and taking us aside for padwork, some footwork or just general drills to improve on our weak points.

By the end of the bag work my shoulders were completely wiped out, looking round the gym, I don't think I was the only one feeling the effects os these punishing rounds.

After Sunday's weigh in, I have adjusted my diet too, not so much what I'm eating, as I have been eating really well,  but have changed the timings of what I eat, it seemed to work tonight, but will give more info on it after Sunday, see if its working, both weight wise and more importantly energy wise.

Another session done and I'm sure Thursdays will be here very quickly, and then we're nearly half way through !!

See you then

Craig :-)

A hard day at the office !

Sunday Funday has been again and week 4 is complete.

As always Sundays session was the toughest, in more ways than one !

Decided to go for a very gentle 20 minute jog this morning, as last week I felt very stiff by the time I went to session at 10AM, as I stat work most days at 6 am I wake up very early and when I sit about till 10, I find it hard to get myself moving, so decided to try out this new plan, it seemed to work, so will stick with it.

Todays session started of with half of us going for one of Ben's 'gentle' jogs, which was nothing like the one I had done at 7 this morning.

Ben's involved team hill sprints and carrying a partner up a hill on your back, before 4 sets of hill sprints, then sending us off on a hilly route which took us back to the gym, as I say felt really good on the runs and you can see a huge improvement in everyones fitness.

This as far as my story was concerned was where the good news ended !

Sparring, as usual on Sunday, was up next and I was put in against Craig and Miles, using the round robin system again, both of whom have been getting on really well and  I knew I was in for a tough time, this week the only limits we had was no shots to the body.

Now I don't really know the reasons for this, but I guess it can be expected during the 10 weeks, as we are still all just learning, but I  had a nightmare, it was like I had never been shown anything about boxing, I just couldn't seem to focus, move, punch or avoid punches, which are all quite important to boxing.

Miles in particular, looked although he was moving a lot better than last week, when we were sparring and he certainly hit me a lot more, the 2 x 2 minute rounds, seemed to go on forever.
In my head I knew it was just one of those days, which happen when your training or learning new skills, but it really deflated me, but as I say these days happen, so just need to refocus and get back on it on Tuesday, the fact I haven't lost any weight for two weeks either didn't help, as I feel I need to lose 5 kg, which should be easy for me, and will help me become faster and more mobile in the ring, without losing any power.

After the sparring, we did some bag and sprinting work in pairs, one person doing bag work, while the other sprinted round the gym (about 200meters).
Lastly Ben took us through an ab based workout, which seemed to last an eternity and judging by the groans coming from some of the other guys, I wasn't the only one who was feeling it.

So I have a few things to focus on and get sorted before the start of next week, as much as I felt really gutted about today, I know this will probably happen again, but everytime I have a bad day, I just need to learn from it, forget about it and move on to the next session, stronger and better for it.

Bring on Tuesday, but not more of the same !


Craig :-)

The Seven, yes, Seven year wait is over !

Hey there.
Thursday night already and another session out the way, which included a couple of minutes which I have actually been waiting for, for SEVEN years.

As its getting near the end of the week and both the boxing and the gym sessions are starting to take there toll, feeling a bit fatigued today, so looking forward to Saturdays rest day.
I have also ordered some post workout supplements, which will basically be a mixture of green protein powder, made up from rice, pea and hemp protein, (I try to stay away from whey protein) with a recovery drink, which will speed up the glycogen recovery in my muscles, helping my recovery and should give me better performance, if I'm training either later that day or the next day, so will let you know how that goes, when it gets here.

So, to tonights session.
Straight away Ben told us exactly what we were going to be doing tonight, as once we started there was going to be very little rest.

The session was as follows 6 X 2 minute rounds of shadow boxing, 6 X 2 minute rounds bag and pad work, 6 X 2 minute rounds skipping (with exercise in between) all these had 30 seconds rest in between.
This was followed by 2 rounds of a 6 exercise circuit.

Ben explained this would be something similar, to what he and other boxers, would do as a session on the run up to a fight.
Getting plenty minutes and practise in, while building fitness and endurance.

I definitely notice, that I now pick up or focus on my weak points and try to correct them, as well as the trainers giving you tips as they walk round. Doing the two minute rounds is really good for this as its too long to just keep throwing punches, so you can pace yourself better and throw less punches, but try and have better movement and stronger, faster punches.

As usual a few of the guys got a chance to spar, having been through the last few nights, I managed to avoid it, which I had mixed feelings about, as I'm not that keen on getting hit in the face (the bags don't hit back) I also know that sparring is what will get you better quicker.
But everyone has to get there shot and Ben makes sure everyone gets as equal an amount of time as possible.

We had completed the shadow boxing and we were into he second or third round of bag work when it happened, I still actually can't believe it now, Ben came over and did some pad work with me !
'Is that it I hear you say, whats special about that ?'

Well let me explain, what is special about that.
For those of you that don't know, I first met Ben 7 years ago, when he came to Glasgow to do his Personal Training course, which I was also on. It turned out where his Gran lived was near my house, so we travelled to the course together everyday and thats where we became friends.
During this spell in Glasgow, Ben did some boxing training and had  a couple of fights (boxing, not your usual Glasgow fights) I said I would like to do some pad work with him as I had never tried it, no problem he said ! But being a very intense course, we never got round to it.

About six months later, Ben let me know there was a job vacancy in Jersey Fitness First, which I applied for and got.
After settling in for a few weeks, I asked Ben if we could do some pads some time ? Yeah, no problem, we'll sort out a time.
We never did !
So its taken seven years and I have actually had to put myself up for a real boxing match, before I got to do some padwork with Ben, even then its still taken nearly 4 weeks of that.

So no matter what happens from now on in, I can always say, I achieved something I set out to do seven years ago, a big thanks to Ben then, for helping me with this !

So another very tiring session has gone, improvements are still being made, and Ben even noted that between 22 guys we have lost a total of 48kg, not bad going at all.


Next up, funday Sunday, always special !!

Craig :-)

I thought I was surrounded !!

Hello again

We are now into week 4 and the sessions are coming round very quickly, had a very relaxing day after Sundays hard session, then did a short but intense workout yesterday, focusing on strength and speed work, using my multi yoke.

Today as always, starts with my spin class which I felt good taking, think my fitness must be going up now.

Also on the second day of my eating clean regime, based round the Elimination Diet and my training sessions.  Have slight sore head today, which will probably get worse tomorrow, this is due to my body starting to detox, which is not nice, but I know I will feel better for it in a couple of days.

So, onto tonights session, which to be honest I wasn't in the mood for when I left the house, but soon got into it, when I was there, which I know happens with a lot of people, but you should always make the effort if you had it planned, 95% of the time you will always be glad you did it.

First up was 3 x 2 minute rounds of shadow boxing, a good way to warm up and focus on your hands and feet positioning.
Then we moved onto 6 x 2 minute rounds on the bags, while a few of the guys headed to the ring for some sparring, was a little relieved not to be chosen, as I had done it on Sunday and wanted to focus on some of  my technique on the bags,  so pushed myself during the 6 rounds, which included some one to one padwork with Tony (who still hits me a lot) Sam (who doesn't, I like Sam) and Alan (who hits me, even when were not doing pads).
Just as we got to the fifth round, the sparring guys came back and finished off with us.

6 rounds done, sparring done, whats next I wondered ? Then I saw Gerry (trainer) moving towards me, 'Craig have you been in sparring, tonight ?' my head said, says yes, my mouth was too slow for a change and said no !!

So headguard on, myself and Kevin followed Gerry through to the ring, where we found out we were going to do 3, 2 minute rounds sparring against Gerry, 2 minute rest in between, while Kevin sparred him.
Up until this point, we had only sparred each other, and the difference was certainly noticeable, but training with, or in this case against someone who is better than you, is one of the best ways to learn and improve.

So in I went, Gerry giving instructions as we went, the first thing I noticed was how much Gerry moved, not necessarily around the ring, but just bobbing and weaving his head, making it very hard to hit him, although he did let me get a couple of shots in, while giving me a couple of taps back, just so I knew I was unguarded, mind you I did notice if I got him, with a half decent shot, he always got a better one or two or three back.
By the end of the 2 minutes, Gerry was hitting me that many times, I did actually think I was surrounded ! Also by this time I was really struggling with my breathing, which along with the obvious work I was doing, I still think is down to my gumshield, either the fact I'm not used to it, or as Gerry suggested, it maybe a little big and moving about too much.
So I am going to try and train more, while wearing it or/and buy a different one to see what helps most.

After the three rounds, which is what we will do on fight night, but less rest, I was absolutely wiped, which I hope is a lot to do with gumshield and the fact Gerry was hammering me.
Overall I was pleased with how it went, considering, it was the third time I've been in a ring in my life, I did feel at times I was moving well, although a lot of the times I was just dazed and confused, but I'm sure all this will get better with more sparring.

The sparring is weird, as its not really enjoyable at the time, and I know some of the guys are struggling with getting hit, as they have never been hit in the face before or not for a long while anyway, where as I have played sports, football etc and been hit in the face with footballs, elbows etc, so not as much of a shock to me.
Hopefully, although I don't think you ever do, these guys will start to get used to these punches.


So another good session complete, bring on Thursday (Gerry I'm coming to get ya)


Craig :-)

Sunday Funday !!

Hello

So, the guys are now finished week 3 and having chatted to a lot of them, most can't believe how fast it has went, how much we have learned and how we really don't like Ben on a Sunday.
Sunday sessions are definitely the toughest, think its a combination of being hungover (only joking Ben) no seriously, its a combination of having a little bit more time, than we do during the week, less people in the gym and Ben just being an evil f...er ha ha.

So todays session, which we already knew would involve sparring in the ring, although I thought it would be mainly sparring (not sure which I would've liked more ?), looked like this -

Most of the guys now turn up earlier than the 10 A.M. start to either get a bit of one to one advice or to get a bit of pratice in on their own.
So we were all warm when Ben took us for a gentle jog ! Which involved the following - Hill sprints, both individually and in pairs, linking arms and sprinting isn't as easy as it sounds ! Before moving on to some stair sprints on the 3 different sets of stairs on the route Ben picked, before finishing off (finishing off being an apt term) on the now very familiar Fort steps, the lactic acid build up on those last 20 or so steps was almost unbearable, I also thought my lungs were going to burst out of my chest as I reached the top of that last set, looking at the other guys, I think we were all in the same boat.

But again the one thing that did stick out was the togetherness and the determination of all the guys, no matter their fitness levels everyone pushed themselves to their own limit, while encouraging the others as we passed each other on hills and stairs.

So easy bit over !!

Back into the gym and on the Sundays, we have use of two rings, so there can be six guys, working on the round robin system, we had used on Thursday, 2 guys working 1 resting, 2 minutes work 1 minute rest. The rest of the guys were on bag and pad work, then another 6 got a chance to spar.

'Luckily' I was in one of the first groups to spar, this time with Miles and Mark, whom I had never paired up with let alone sparred so it was into the unknown for all of us, although this is the best way to learn different styles of opponent.

This time we stepped it up again, using headguards (which are a lot easier to get used to than I thought they might be) and  groin guards. We also put a little vaseline on our faces and gloves, just to help prevent injuries if we got hit, sorry when we got hit ha ha.

First up it was myself and Miles, we were only allowed to throw two punches at a time, which helped you focus and stopped it turning into mayhem.
First minute, we both were a little tentative, me probably more than Miles who seemed very comfortable in the ring, then Mark stepped in for Miles and I started my second minute a bit better, throwing better punches and blocking or just getting out the way of Marks punches.
Mark did seem a bit nervous but, like all of us, he improved as the rounds went on.
During your rest minute Alan would give you tips on technique and strategy against the other two, which really helped as I caught Miles a couple of times in our third round, by which time we were allowed to throw three punches, but no body shots.

Although still making a lot of mistakes, which is cool as its all still very new to me, I do feel that I am getting a little better every time, thats just after 3 weeks, still 7 to go, so who knows how good we will all become ?

The actual hardest part for me is breathing with the gumshield in, so I am going to try wearing it a lot more when I'm training, not only at boxing sessions, but my Strength and conditioning sessions during the week, to see if that helps as losing my breath quicker than I should be, will be a major handicap on my sparring and on fight night.

After sparring, we moved through to gym, where we had 5 X 3 minute rounds of skipping, followed by a 'every ounce of energy we had left sapping' circuit, 2 laps, 9 exercises, first lap 30 secs with 10 secs rest, second 20 secs with 10secs rest, again it was everyone who got everyone through it.

Job done !

As I said Sundays are definitely the hardest sessions now, but everyone knows this is what we need to do, the better our fitness the better we will be on the night, so deep deep deep deep deep deep deep deep down, we appreciate what Ben and his guys are doing to us.

Starting new nutrition regime based round my training tomorrow, as I feel although I've been eating well, i now need to focus on what and when I'm eating foods in relation to my training. So I can have maximum energy during sessions, while also speeding recovery and repair. And also shifting excess bodyfat and inflammation.

Will keep you posted how its going.


Bring on Tuesday

Craig :-)

Into the Ring

Hey

Luckily enough I never woke up with a black eye yesterday, just a slight bruise on my nose, which I told Simon tonight was from where he tried to gouge my eye, with his thumb. He offered to show me a real gouge mark !
So as you can tell the banter and togetherness is really starting to gel, everyone is still helping each other through these sessions.

I was looking forward to tonights session, after doing some VO 2 Max work with kettlebell snatches and some plyometric work this morning,  I had recovered well enough to feel fresh for this session.

Decide to get there early so I could do some shoulder mobility work with my Indian Clubs as I felt I was too tense on Tuesday, it definitely helped.

We started with a little bit of shadow boxing. Nice and easy and a good chance to focus on my footwork and stance.

Next up, Ben said the dreaded words, which I feel will become a every session saying ' Craig go and get your gum shield and follow me', ' 'your going to do some sparring in the ring'!!  EH !?!? I thought.

So myself and 2 of the other guys headed into the unknown (not for long) ring area of the gym.
Ben explained, we were just going to do the same drills we did on Tuesday,  blocks and jabs, but this time in the ring, to give us a feeling for what it is like moving around the space, getting used to the ropes etc.

We did a round robin session, which involved, 2 guys working for a minute, then one rests and the third guy steps in, so your doing 2 minutes work, with 1 minutes rest. Ben used this time, to talk you through your round and what to focus on in the next round.

Myself and another Craig, were first up and we started like Tasmanian devils, feet everywhere, throwing crazy jabs, not blocking, its amazing how being in the ring, gets the adrenalin going, we did settle down a bit in the last 30 seconds, Craig stepped out after the first minute and Gavin came in, I then did the exact opposite of what I did in first round, hardly threw any punches and sat back keeping out of Gavin's reach.

After Ben talking me through my 2 minutes work, I re entered the ring with a bit more focus, better pace and trying to time my punches better, although I did notice with Gavin, who has a longer reach than me I did stay away a bit more, Ben said this was one of the reasons he swapped us around, so we would get used to fighting different size and styles of fighter.
The three of us definitely benefited from this drill.

Back to join main group now, where we focused on bag work, while randomly getting taken aside to do pads with Tony, Sam or Alan. This is when you really start to notice your improvements and weaknesses as you get the odd whack from a pad on the head or body, revealing your hands are dropping or leaving yourself open, but also blocking some of these keeps you motivated that you are improving.

Next up, 3, 3 minute rounds of skipping, which surprisingly, I found a lot better tonight, its never been one of my talents. Good session tonight I thought.

'Gloves off guys, we're doing the stairs now' I honestly used to like Ben !!

So outside we wen,t for 3 sets of the Fort steps, which if you've never been to Jersey are quite steep and numerous.

Back indoors, for a cool down, Good session tonight I thought.

' Right into the press up position' said Ben, I'm not sure now, if I actually ever liked Ben.

A small circuit of 15 Press ups, 20 V sit ups, 10 burpees,  20 sit ups, 1 minute high knees, 1 minute (in pairs) 1 person in plank, 1 person jumping over them, 10 press ups, 15 squat jumps, 1 minute plank.

DONE

'Right everyone over here' 'well done guys good session tonight' I knew I always liked Ben


So another top session tonight, everyone is moving on really well and still focused and determined to do their best.

No hits to my face tonight, Alan must be getting slow (ha ha) or he has taught me well.


Looking forward to a big session on Sunday, just need to get through spin and conditioning tomorrow and Saturday rest day.


Craig :-)

Blocking and jabbing

Hey
Not had much time to write blog in the last week, but I am now back and ready for the eight full weeks before the actual fight.

Last Tuesday, was the last white collar session, I actually did, due to a stag weekend (not mine) and my Birthday, both of which I had made plans for before the White collar boxing was finalised.
Although before setting off for the weekend, I did extra training on Wednesday and some hard pad work and conditioning session on the Thursday.

This, you maybe thinking is not ideal preparation, but it actually worked out really well. The fact I knew it was coming up, meant I could push myself a little bit more (more sessions, less rest) than I normally would.
So the weekend, which involved some alcohol (tiny amount, as you can imagine !!!) but also some kayaking and coasteering, which helped, rather than being just a full on weekend of 48 hour drinking.
So I have in actual fact, came back ready to get stuck into these 8 weeks coming up.

I took my Tuesday spin class this morning, which helped sweat out the weekends damage and get me going again.

So was really looking forward to tonights session.

Once there, Ben took us for a warm up, then some team sprints, which looked easy, but certainly got everyone looking very exhausted in a short time.

Then we headed back inside and got the gloves on.
Myself and Paul (a fellow white collar participant) who had missed the weekend, got a chance to go over what we missed, while the other guys worked on the bags.

Blocking and jabbing were the main components of tonights sessions, which involved one of us throwing a jab, while the other one blocked it, so we didn't get hit in the face (allegedly !)
This started promisingly, I threw 5 jabs, Paul blocked, Paul threw 5, I blocked, easy peasy !

Then we had to step it up, and the words, 'it maybe wise to put your gum shield in if you have one' came flowing out of Alan's mouth !
That doesn't sound good I thought.

So next 2 minute round, involved 1 minute of blocking and 1 minute of jabbing, not knowing when a punch is coming, certainly adds to the fun and gets your concentration levels up.

After a hesitant start, we both seemed to be getting better at both elements.
Then we changed partners and went into blocking and jabbing sparring, both people can throw jabs, during the 2 minute rounds.
I teamed up with Simon, a guy I know from the gym and off we went.

This is the time when myself and I'm sure a few others actually were hitting someone that was actually going to hit us back, not just hold pads.
Within 10-15seconds Simon had sent his jab straight through my 'defence' and caught me on the cheekbone, although we were wearing big gloves (16oz) and holding back a bit, its still very strange receiving that first blow to your face, but as I have played sports and been hit in the face with footballs etc, it wasn't too much of a shock.

Right, concentrate I thought to myself (and throw a punch back) this is starting to get 'boxing like'.
Both of us, were a wee bit tentative, although Simon seemed to be throwing more than me, 2, 2 minute  rounds of this and Simon had caught me at least 4 or 5 good shots, with me landing maybe 2 on him, which didn't really disappoint me as it was my first time and highlighted, things I need to work on, rather than starting well and thinking I'm Rocky.

May even have my first black eye tomorrow, will keep you posted on that.

So a very good session and a huge eye opener (nearly an eye closer !) and good to be moving towards actual boxing, which is a little scary, but exciting.

Back on the Elimination Diet today, which will make a huge difference to my energy, weight and probably my speed. So I'm expecting big leaps forward, from not only me, but all the guys, who all still seem to be really focused on task ahead.


Craig :-)

Jab, Jab, Cross

Back into the gym tonight, amazing how quickly each session is coming round, I have a feeling these ten weeks are going to absolutely fly past.

Even though my whole body was a little tired I still managed a good outdoor session, focusing on strength and some speed.

My main pieces of equipment were a multi yoke (hopefully have videos of this and some workouts later) 2 kettlebells, a powerbag and a rope !

As the gym was closed and the sun was shining, I took myself and my 'toys' outside, luckily I had a training partner with me, which always helps you do a bit more and keep you going.

First up was double  Kettlebell Clean and Jerks, 5 reps, starting every minute for 10 minutes,  followed by powerbag deadlift throws, a nice wee warm up!

Then supersetting 8  yoke squats straight into a  40 metre sprint, walk back, with 8 yoke deadlifts and 40 metre sprint walk back X 3

Next up some rope pulls, basically thick rope wrapped round pole, pull one end, till you get to the other and start again, so as the rope gets shorter it gets easier, but then you start again, did 3 full lengths, (about 3 minutes work, before swapping with partner, X 3.

Last superset, involved chest pressing the weighted yoke 40 metres then dragging it back to start, reverse flying !? it 40 metres and pushing it back X 2

JOB DONE !! and easy rest of the day.

Had to take a spin class this morning too, which although I started tired, pick up my energy as I got warmer.

Plenty of water and good nutrition today, getting myself set for tonights session.

Wasn't sure what to expect tonight, but was glad whenI heard it would be mostly technique based.

Focusing on footwork, jabs and crosses, we worked on the bags, while Ben and the team walked between us and picked out corrections we needed to focus on. Tonight we had also been split into two different sessions, so there is more time for one to one teaching.

Being taken out individually was a great eye opener and really helps you focus on the little things, you aren't quite getting.

Amazing how frustrating this can be, even though I have only been 'boxing' a week,  i still found it tough when I wasn't getting things, especially when I could feel I wasn't  getting it, but I know it will all come good with the guys coaching.

Although my fitness is reasonable., its amazing how a couple of minutes, one to one with pads, can completely wipe me, focusing on the punches, the footwork, the instruction, especially getting out the way of there 'taps' (for those keeping score I think it must be Alan 8-0 now).

We finished off with some skipping, well we had skipping ropes, how much actual skipping I managed is questionable, I even suspected we were given this task, just to brighten up the coaches night !!

All in all, the sessions so far have been brilliant, progressing everyone really well, and apart from the frustration, I can feel my technique slowly getting better.

Also once I get a bit of weight off and clear up any joint inflammation I have, due to diet, I will move easier and quicker, which obviously will be a benefit.

Craig :-)

First Sunday Session and peer pressure

So, last session of first week this morning and boy, did they save the worst (or best, depending how you look at it) to last.
Before I go on to that, just wanted to talk about last night, I had arranged to go to watch Jersey's first cage fighting night and a friends 40th Birthday party.
A good night you may think, and so it was, the only problem is not drinking, not the fact I don't enjoy myself without a drink, it doesn't really bother me.
Its my 'friends' who seem to have the issue with this, the just have one, it won't make any difference ! EXACTLY, so whats the point in having one ?
Or even you still have 9 weeks to go, you can stop drinking after tonight ??

I'm not sure why people do this ? Whether they would like to see me fail,  because they can't enjoy themselves unless drinking, or even because I'm doing something, that takes me out my comfort zone, which they would never do, so would rather drag me back, than encourage me onwards and support me.

Anyway had a good night out, home reasonably early, but at least went out, so woke up fresh this morning.

AND BOY DID I NEED TO BE !!

Ben was away this weekend, so it was left in Alan's capable (evil) hands to take the session (Ben maybe banned from going away after today).

Had my banana omelette and amino work capacity, before getting ready for short cycle to the Fort.
After realising, I never had my bike at the house, I had no choice but to jog there (about 15 minutes) at least it would be a good wee warm up.

Once there Alan got us to do some stretching and warm up, as he thought we should get ready for the 'fun' that was coming.

After getting split into two teams again, we were reintroduced (not for the last time I imagine) to the Fort steps, from what was a workout on Thursday, is now our warm up, four sets later, we were back in gym, gloved up and 'ready' for the torture workout.

Getting us to focus on improving the techniques, we had learned on Tuesday and Thursday, while trying to kill us, cardio wise.

 Alan gave us 5 rounds of 1 minute, bag work, 1 minute, toe taps or step ups, 30 seconds bag work, 30 seconds toe taps, or step ups, each round finishing with what I think were 45minute planks, Alan said 45 seconds, but seemed more like minutes.

After what appeared to be 3 seconds rest, we worked in pairs on the bags, doing one of those exercises that looks ok, but actually destroys any ounce of energy you have left, combining push bag against partner then a combination of punches, repeated for a minute, before changing with partner.
This was finished off with 10 press ups, 10 V sit ups and 10 squat thrusts again 5 rounds of this.

Last up we completed more core work and a stretch.

All the guys seem to be really focused on the task ahead and working as hard as they can, again everyone pushing each other when you notice the tiredness kicking in.
At the moment we are all in this together, being a team, will be interesting to see what happens once we start sparring and then get paired for the actual fight.

But that seems a long way off now.

Even managed not to get any hits from Alan today, or maybe he did and I was too tired to notice, so still 2-0

Thankfully Ben is back on Tuesday ha ha, back to technique based session, looking forward to it.


Was really happy to get through session and done for the day, until I walked out the gym ! Oh yeah, no bike !!! The jog home was 'interesting' shall I say.


Craig :-)

Second Session and my pre training Meal

Second boxing session tonight, after Tuesdays, 'easy' session I suspected this maybe tougher, I wasn't wrong  !


After a quick run through of what we had covered , Ben split us into two groups, one stayed in the gym, the group I was in were sent for a run, thats nice I thought, beautiful night, gentle jog to get us started ! 


WRONG !!!
After heading down the hill outside the gym (the Fort Regent in Jersey, for those that know it) we found ourselves at the bottom, of what turned out to be a rather large (in number and gradient)set of steps, greeted, as if by magic, by Alan (Ben's Dad) who informed us we were to 'sprint ' up these, where at the top, Tony would give us further instructions, which turned out to be press ups and squat thrusts, 4 sets later I was beginning to regret the leg workout i had done this afternoon (I'll explain this later), we got some strange looks as we rubber leggedly (a new word i think) walked back to the gym.


Once back, the second group were sent out and we focused on technique, footwork, jabs and crosses, until they wobbled back.


Next up, still in two groups, we were put through some circuit work, 30 seconds work, 10 seconds to change stations, this included, tyre flipping, rope work, bag work with medicine ball and plyometric jumps, before switching groups and doing 2 minute rounds on the punchbags, focusing on the techniques we had learned earlier.


And that was it, simple, but highly effective.
All the guys looked tired, but have really noticed everyone seems to be up for it and pushing themselves, while encouraging the others through the sessions.


We have already been warned, Sundays session will be tougher again !!


Back to my leg workout today, I feel doing my strength work on the same day as the boxing sessions is the way to go, although it will be very tiring, it makes sense.
If I had done a leg workout yesterday, they would be stiff and sore today, going into tonights session, if I waited till tomorrow, they would be tired from tonight, so the same day seems to work, but that may change (for those interested I did 10 sets of zercher squats today).


The other major element that will help me get through these days is my nutrition, if I am getting the proper food into my body it will repair and recover a lot quicker, so helping me through these tougher days.


Here is a look at what I eat before tonights session, and most sessions.


Some people really struggle with what, if anything, to eat before the train, anything too heavy and it won't get digested in time, nothing or very little and you won't have good energy levels to get you through session.


My answer to this, is something I have used a lot for pre workout meal, and that is banana omelette with cinnamon. (usually about 60-90minutes before session)
Which may sound strange, but is delicious and works. 
There are a few reasons, I choose to have this combination.
Firstly the banana, a very good, natural energy source containing, which is obviously good for getting me through the session.
They contain potassium, which aids muscle contraction, digestion and aids the kidneys, so can help prevent kidney stones.
They contain tryptophan which is an amino acid which are building blocks of proteins, and helps the body to produce serotonin - which has a calming effect on the brain (creates a stable mood) and acts as a mild sedative. 
 Bananas are one of the highest sources of naturally available vitamin B6 which  helps to convert carbohydrates to glucose and thereby maintains proper blood sugar levels. 
They are also a very good source of fibre.


Eggs, a very good natural source of high quality protein, about 6g per egg, also they contain about 5g of good fats.
They will also slow down the absorption of the sugars from the bananas, so giving  steadier energy levels for the session.


Cinnamon has loads of health properties including, help lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar levels, an anti clotting effect on your blood, plus a good source of fibre, iron and manganese.


I also have a pre workout drink containing amino acids and a product called brain talk (I will mention these again later) this I take about 30minutes before session, and helps flood my blood with amino acids, aids the production of ATP, which your body uses for energy. The brain talk, helps clear my head and improves my focus and concentration levels.


I can safely say if it hadn't been for this pre-workout routine, I would've really struggled to get through tonights session, so have a look at what you do before your workouts, if you get this right, you will notice massive differences to your workouts and results.


I also managed to get through tonights session, only getting hit once by Alan, so its currently 2-0 to him, a score which will probably never turn in my favour !


Craig :-)

The Elimination Diet and my training

Hello

No training for me today, Wednesdays are going to be one of my rest days, where I will either do nothing or go for a 30 - 45minute aerobic jog, just enough to slightly raise my heart rate, flood my body with oxygen and so help aid recovery, without further tiring already tired muscles, setting myself up for the next session.

As I have no training to report today, I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about, with the exception of the actual boxing technique sessions, what is probably the one thing that is going to make the biggest impact on my body shape, weight, fitness levels and recovery times.

NUTRITION


The plan I have chosen to stick to, for these coming 10 weeks, and beyond is Dax Moy's Elimination Diet.
Now I know its called a diet, but this isn't some quick fix (although you will shift bodyfat faster than you can imagine), this is a lifetime nutritional plan.
Aimed at restoring you to optimal health, which in turn leads to massive fat loss, as you cannot be healthy and fat, its impossible.

This is not something I have been given by a work colleague, who lost 4 stone in a day.
I have actually been on Dax's Elimination Diet Coach course, and hopefully once I have finished my assisgnments, will be a qualified Elimination Diet Coach.
Dax is one of the UK's top Personal Trainer/lifestyle coach/mentor  (the list goes on) to both individual clients and trainers throughout the world.
His Elimination Diet has been downloaded (free)by more  than 100,000 people and is now in its 4th Edition, as Dax constantly tweeks and improves on it.
I have also been through the 30 days myself before and lost 16lbs ! Increased and maintaining my energy levels, improving my skin condition, while also building my strength levels in the gym.
This time I will be sticking to it, after the 30 days as I now realise how bad I feel, when i let my nutrition slip.



So what exactly is the ELIMINATION DIET (ED)??
Well basically it involves eliminating groups of foods, which the human body isn't really meant to consume or are known to cause intolerances, place a huge burden on the digestive system, or be that far away from their natural state, the body doesn't actually know how to deal with them.
Which in turn can cause bloating, weight gain, bad skin, bad sleep patterns, mixed energy levels and many more problems.


Here's what it entails, how it works and what you can expect from it.

The first 30 days are the strictest and most important, this is where you cut out the following foods from your diet, some of which maybe introduced after the 30 days.
The idea behind the 30 days, is to give your body a chance to push it's reset button, getting everything including organs, digestion, inflammation problems under control and heading back to optimal health.


WHEAT  Most people eat wheat in some variety, everyday and most don't think they have any issues with it. But in fact you can have a lot of issues, which you may not put down to wheat, weight gain, IBS, digestive problems, to name a few.
Until you actually cut wheat out, and then slowly reintroduce it, you may never know.
Reintroducing the banned foods after 30 days, your body will definitely let you know if you have an issue, if so, you will either need to stay off them for a bit longer and try test again, or stay off them for life.
Wheat products include, Bread, cakes, pies, breakfast cereals, cous cous, ready made sauces, gravy sauces and most foods containing 'starch' 'MSG' and flavourings.


DAIRY Dairy (especially milk) is probably one of the overrated, biggest hyped 'Super foods' its what you are given as a baby, if your not breast fed ! The trouble is milk from your mother and milk from another animal are in no shape or form the same product, its designed for a calf not a human. Even then by the time it actually reaches you, it has been pasteurised and  homogenised, removing all of what nutritional value the raw milk contained. Did you know coconut milk contains near enough the exact same biological make up as breast milk ? And can be bought in its natural state.
As with wheat, more people will have digestive issues, with dairy than realise, due to the lack of enzymes to help break it  down.
Some, but not all the problems that can arise from dairy intolerance are Eczema, diarrhoea, IBS, asthma, runny nose, mucus build up and hives.


CAFFEINE Now this can be a major one for a lot of people, who 'need' that energy kick, either first thing in the morning, or mid morning or mid afternoon, or all of these.
But does it really help ?
Well if you were only having the occasional 'pick me up' it probably isn't too bad, but people rely on it too much and it can cause the following problems, Insomnia, anxiety, increases, risk of heart disease, increased heart rate and suppresses the immune system.
Caffeine products include Coffee, black and green tea, drinking chocolate, energy drinks, to name a few.


SUGAR  Most people know too much sugar is bad for you, the problem is people don't realise just how much 'hidden' sugar there is in their food.
Which can be found in a host of foods, including burgers, sausages, ham, bacon, chicken, cakes, pies, fruit juices, breakfast cereals to name a few.


ALCOHOL Being drunk is also known as being intoxicated for a reason. Alcohol is a toxin to your body and should only be drunk in moderation, as I'm sure you know :-) Now I like a drink, but know I can go without it for 30 days, do not tell yourself you can't.


PROCESSED FOOD Avoid any foods, that are in a packet, have been processed in some way, try and buy everything in as near its natural state as you can.
You have no idea, what chemicals, preservatives, etc are in these products and what effect they are having on your body.
If you can, buy as much organic, fresh produce as you can.


SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO EAT I HEAR YOU SAY ??!!


PLENTY, is the answer to that. And I mean plenty in two ways
Firstly, there is no calorie counting, no points to add up, no high carb, low carb, high protein, etc days, there is food you can eat and the banned list, thats it, simple eh ?
The foods I can eat, and can eat as much of as I like are Fish, Chicken,  Meat (in moderation) Fruit and vegetables, I'm sure you don't need a list of the hundreds of fruits and vegetables there are ?
I will be having as varied a diet as i can manage, trying to ensure I am getting a wide source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
Now, to blow, the eat less to lose weight myth out of the window, the last time I did this, I actually eat more as the 30 days went on, Once my body started functioning better, I could not get enough of natural wholesome food and the fat (not muscle) kept falling off me. Your body does not want to carry excess body fat around with it, so will get rid of it as quickly as it can, once it is getting the proper nutrition.
Do not believe this 'you should lose 1-2lbs a week ' nonsense. Trust me the fat will fly off.


For your copy of the complete 112 page Elimination Diet, you can download it for free here
http://eliminationdietchallenge.com/


This may seem a little too simple and non gimmicky to work, but thats the way it should be, its simple, eat clean, organic if you can, fresh wholesome food.
I will be keeping you up to date on some of my meals too.


So how will this make such a huge difference to my training ?
Well apart from the obvious eight loss, so less weight to carry around during the sessions. Because my body will be functioning better and not having to waste energy on digestion and other issues, it can focus its energies on regeneration and repair.
So during and after sessions my body will be ready to go again faster and hopefully better than the previous session and come the actual fight, faster and quicker than my opponents !


Another part of my nutrition plan will be to eating an alkaline based diet.
Todays modern, highly processed diets, are very acidic to your body and particularly your blood, which needs a Ph 7.4, if it becomes too acidic it will thicken and become less oxygen rich.
So the more alkaline your diet (which is basically eating, plenty fruit, vegetables etc) your blood will flow better, be more oxygen rich and alkaline.
This will help my muscles by getting oxygen to them more efficiently and delaying the effect of lactic acid. So enabling me to last longer and recover quicker.

I will go over this in a little more depth, when I talk about supplements in another blog post.


Back to training tomorrow, only 29 boxing sessions to go !!


Craig  :-)

The First Session

So the journey has begun !
First session tonight, with the group of 22 guys, varying in size, shape, age and fitness, but all seem very keen and ready to go.

Tonight's session was lead by Ben Murray, one of Jerseys top boxers (in his day, ha ha only joking Ben). Firstly explaining how the sessions would progress through the 10 weeks.
Then taking us through a quick warm up, followed by foot work techniques, explaining the ins and outs of moving around a ring.
Ben and his team of trainers, were soon guiding us through footwork practise sessions, correcting and adjusting us, without interrupting the flow of the session.

Ben even kindly (!) threw in some press ups, squat thrusts, sit ups and planks, to stop us getting bored.

Then we moved onto some bag work, more for the fitness aspect than the technique, those sessions will come soon, even so, Alan, Ben's dad and right hand man, still managed to slap my face and tell me to keep my hands up, he also assured me this would be the first of many assaults on my unguarded face, hopefully I will be a quick learner in this particular area :-)

The session flew past and wasn't as tough as I feared, as I had already taken a spin class at 6.15am and trained chest and completed some chin ups in the afternoon, but as my nutrition was spot on today, I felt good, plus tomorrow is one of my rest days.
I felt these sessions,tied in well together and were far enough apart not to impede me.

I will go into training frequency and how I have set out my week, in a future blog.
I did still leave session covered in sweat and pretty exhausted, the session itself was set at the perfect level, to judge every one's fitness and not to scare anyone too much.

Looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into it now.

Next session is Thursday

ROCKY

Craig :-)

Starting photos and measurements

Hello
So did one of (for me at least) parts of this whole process today, took my starting measurements and photographs.

Usually I'm ok with this, but I know recently I have let my nutrition slip and got myself a little over what I should be.

In saying that 'before' measurements, no matter how bad they are, can be a very powerful incentive to keep you going and also once you have achieved your goals, they can become a source of great pleasure and pride in comparing where you started out, to where you are.

So here are mine, we used body calipers for the skinfold measurements and only selected 4 points.

BICEP 6mm
TRICEP 7mm
SCAPULA 20mm
ABDOMINALS (love handles) 15mm

This worked out at 23.3% body fat, although this is probably not the most accurate method we could've used, it will certainly show any decrease in bodyfat from these areas.

BODY WEIGHT  80Kg

Measurements (cm)
UPPER ARM - L 34cm  R 33cm
CHEST 102.5cm
HIP 99.5cm
WAIST 92cm

Will certainly be looking for vast improvements from the above photographs and very quickly, now I am back 100% Elimination Diet friendly.

Will measure again in 2 weeks

I am now off to first actual White Collar Session, will post later, letting you know how it went.

Craig :-)

The Adventure begins

Hello
And welcome to my new blog.
As from tomorrow I am taking part in Jersey's White Collar Boxing, which for those who don't know what that means, I shall explain.

The origins of White Collar boxing are often debated, but Gleasons Gym in New York is widely regarded as the original gym, to start these events off.
White Collar Boxing was started when businessmen began boxing training for fitness, but some wanted to do more than 'just pads', but were unable to get an actual fight, due to age, ability etc.

So bouts were set up, where they could 'enter the ring' and compete against someone of similar skills and weight, allowing them that one off experience.

So why am I doing it ?

Basically, I need a challenge and something to train for (a goal) which I feel is important for anyone, without targets and goals it can become hard to stay focused on your training and nutrition, when it doesn't really matter.

Also I see it as a massive challenge for me to do something I have never attempted before, although I have already heard people say it will be easy for me as I'm a Personal Trainer, which somehow makes you brilliant at any physical activity ?!?! (I wish)
Learning a new set of skills, from highly skilled people is something I'm really looking forward to, plus the fact I get the chance to make a ring entrance in front of 600 people at the end of it (and hopefully win) appeals to my non shy side.

So as from tomorrow I will have begin 10 weeks of 3 times a week, boxing training, learning and honing as much boxing skill as I can.
But I will also be looking to set myself up with a Strength and Conditioning program, which will work alongside the boxing sessions, getting myself as strong (in the right areas) and in top physical condition as possible, before entering that ring.


Along with the training I will be keeping you up to date on my nutrition as I go, as this is as important (if not more important) to my results as the actual training.

I will be sticking mainly to Dax Moy's Elimination Diet, which I have followed before and lost 16lbs in 30 days, while increasing my health, strength and fitness as I went (this isn't some quick fix diet, but a lifelong nutrition plan) I will speak more about this as I go, but it is available to download free, here http://www.londonpersonaltrainingstudio.com/eliminationdiet/

I will be posting 'before' photos with weight and body measurements tomorrow, with a report from first session and training from earlier in the day.


Looking forward to the journey and sharing it with you

Craig :-)