Becoming an Athlete

Man, it is so good to have a group of regulars who walk in the door and ask "Are we running or jumping rope?"   They know the warm-up.  They know what will be expected of them, and they show up ready to push themselves. I do all the preliminary work with them: jog or rope, bodyweight / mobility drills, shadow boxing. When it is time to work heavy bag,  I do a lot less work and a lot more coaching. The thing I practice most during coaching is smiling.  Since I'm new to coaching kids, I'm probably saying what others have known for decades or generations, but its new to me. A kids will light up when a coach smiles and says "Great work! Just like that!" There is one heavy kid, and he works HARD!  At the end of every class he's smiling with pride in himself and fist bumps me and says "Thanks, Coach!" I can't even explain how I feel afterwards. Humbled, maybe? Awestruck? Overjoyed, certainly. The lesson I'm learning is the more I gi...

Thank God and our earth's tilted axis that it's getting warm again.  Its so great to get out and enjoy the sun. On Saturday morning I went to the gym and did: decline situps: 100 total bosu-ball situps: 100 total plank: 4 minutes total side planks: 2 minutes total per side Saturday afternoon I got to goof off outside and run around Lake Georgetown Sunday was church, then a 3 mile walk/jog with Simon.  Kodi is good for walks these days, but can't jog more than about a mile. My abs and calves are sore today, but just a little.  Enough to make me hungry for more!

I've lost track of how long I've been at the boxing gym.  The class sizes are picking up.  There are some really cool kids who are eager to soak up everything they can.  There are a handful of adults, too.  Its amazing.  I'm learning to see who wants the coaching, and who wants to just do their own thing.  Either is fine by me; I'm just here to help. I'm there 3-4 nights a week.  Every class runs about the same: cardio warm-up either a 2 mile run or 5 rounds of jump rope (3min / 1min) Some form of calisthenic circuit e.g. 4 x 10 each of Walking lunges / Pushups / medicine ball slams Some form of Ab circuit e.g. 3 x 20 each of crunch / flutter kicks / leg circles / side-to-side crunches Shadow boxing: 3 rounds Heavy bag: 6 rounds Mitts: 2-3 rounds This runs about an hour and a half.  Its freaking amazing!!!!!  The time flies by and I forget that I'm both coaching and training.  By the end of it, I'm covered in sweat and utter...

Great evening.  I got to coach two people and really focus on skills, while participating. Warm-up:  5 rounds of jump rope 3mins on / 30 seconds off.  TIRING!!! 3 rounds of shadow boxing, emphasis on footwork, body position, balance 5 rounds of mitt work 5 rounds of heavy bag. I snuck in a copuple rounds of kicking, just to dust off the Kajukenbo rust.

I got to coach a cool kid last night.   Freshman football player who wants to learn boxing.  We started from ground zero.  I love coaching!!! Warm-up: 3 rounds of: 20 situps 15 pushups 10 sprawls Stretched with Agile-8 3 rounds of footwork / movement drills in the ring 3 rounds basic jab/cross technique and combos 3 rounds hook technique and combos 2 rounds on the wrecking ball (round heavy bag that allows for uppercuts, shovel hooks, and all sorts of fun)

I was sick for over two weeks.  I tried to get eat well, stay hydrated, and let nature take its course, but it wasn't getting any better, so i went to the doctor last week and was prescribed antibiotics.  What a massive difference!!!!!  I'm going easy in the gym for three reasons: its been a month since I have lifted consistently I'm now training in the morning and have to get used to this I'm still taking antibiotics and not fully recovered That said, here is today shabby little day1 workout nice long warmup, including Agile-8, and Turkish  Getups with a 30# KB alternating box pistols: 14, 16 split squat: 85 x 10/10, 10/10 straight leg deadlift: 155 x 12, 12, 0 a. pushup: 10, 10, 10 b. TRX row: 25, 15, 17 a.  Arnold press: 25s x 12, 12 b. supine grip pulldown: 105 x 12,12 Just some movement with very little load to break off the rust and loosen up my joints. Boxing will be much more intense than this tonight.

I've been volunteering for the last month or so at a boxing gym in Round Rock.  Its run by a church and is targeted towards kids who need guidance and a way to stay out  of trouble.  The program doesn't officially launch till February, but there are already a few kids there.  I've been going just to get my skills sharp, practice my old coaching techniques, and just getting back into fighting shape. I'VE MISSED THIS!!!!!   I'd forgotten what it was like to train for fighting.  Whether boxing, MMA, wrestling, judo, jiujitsu, or any other full contact fighting sport, the deadly seriousness of training is like nothing else.  Sure I push hard in the gym, but working the heavy bag, or working mitts with a coach is in a realm of its own.  I was breathing so hard after 1 round of punching mitts that my already-sore throat went dry and I could hardly breathe.  I had to rest for a bit because I was on the verge of throwing up. I'll be doing this...

I took a 3 week break because of overtraining which led to a two-week flu.  I'm headed to the doctor on Tue 1/6/15 to see if I can get some antibiotics.  I'm pretty much over it, but the sinus / lung grossness is old already. My lifting session was pretty ppathetic, but it puts me on the board.  1 for 5; 360 to go. Alternating box pistols:  20, 16 Split squats: 75 x 10/10, 10/10 Straight leg deadlift: 135 x 12, 12 unilateral leg press calves:  180 x 10/10, 8/8, 8/8, 8/8 a: dips:  bw x 3, 3, 3 b. snatch grip high pull:  135 x 5, 5, 5 That's all.  Skipped the rest and went home.