I start boxing tonight

[Remember Me?]

I've been boxing at home just with my brother, cousins, friends etc. I decided to join a gym to really learn the technique and get better. I start tonight and I just want to know how to tell if a gym is good or not. This place does classes like this: There's 3 minute rounds doing different thing. You do speed bag for 3 minutes, heavy bag for 3 minutes, all kinds of cardio, and you spend 3 minutes training with the coaches with focus matts. Theres usually 2 or 3 coaches there, so you spend 9 minutes total on actually doing the punches and working on technique. I dont know if this is enough. They usually spar once a week too. Does this sound like a good gym??

 

[Zankou]

IMO they are working you way too light. You should be sparring 2-6 rounds every time, hitting the heavy bag 3-5 rounds, hitting the speed bag 3 rounds, etc.

It depends what you mean by "good" though. These sound more like general fitness classes than real boxing training. Nothing wrong with that.

It's possible you may be reading the description wrong, and they have you do multiple rounds of each thing, which makes much more sense to me.

 

[possenti]

I've been looking into the only 2 gyms in my area. One is a Billy Blanks-TaeBo-type thing where it's just a glorified aerobics workout. The other is a gritty traditional Irish-run gym. I'm thinking about checking it out this weekend. A friend of mine who's a cop goes there and loves it. He can throw hands well too.

I'll keep an eye on this thread for input - since I didn't really have anything useful to say... :redface:

 

[mmahamzah]

there is no point doing those boxercise stuff i think it would be best to do the proper thing as it helps you a lot with motivation and other aspects of physical and mental life

 

[KGloves]

IMO they are working you way too light. You should be sparring 2-6 rounds every time, hitting the heavy bag 3-5 rounds, hitting the speed bag 3 rounds, etc.
.

I dont think he should be sparring that much if this is his first time in a real boxing gym. Back when i started boxing you didn't get to spar for about a month into your training.

In my gym, You do conditioning for about 30 minutes. Then you do about 30 minutes of bagwork (punch outs, etc). Then you can either work with the coachs on technique and form, or you can do your own training of whatever you want cardio, bagwork, shadowbox, conditioning, whatever. i usually put in 2 or 3 hours there monday, wednsday, and friday

 

[triso]

Zankou is correct way to light. 9 minutes of overall technique training = boxing "class".

If you are looking to just use some boxing techniques to help your cardio or get in shape, that's one thing, but you are not learning to box. It sounds to me from your post that you are a little more serious about boxing. Find a boxing club (if you can), not a gym that teaches boxing class.

The thing that confuses me is that you said they spar once a week? Usually those classes don't do sparring at all. You have me curious for an update now.

I don't know where you are from, but CLICK HERE for a list of some boxing clubs near you

 

[dapunisher]

Your just starting, your probably in a beginner's class which is a good thing, as for true sparring you probably wont do any for a few months. Plus beginners classes usually have the dual purpose of teaching you the basics while at the same time focusing on getting you in better shape so you'll be able to handle the more advanced stuff later.

 

[Remember Me?]

Ok here's how it went:

First, the whole class does 3 minutes of shadowboxing. There was about 10-15 people in the class. After shadowboxing, I started out working with the main coach on focus matts. He showed me the proper stance, technique, etc. (I already knew most of this though) He had me do jabs and crosses on the focus matts, correcting my mistakes. For example, when I dropped my guard, he corrected me. So, I was learning stuff. I spent 3 minutes doing the focus matts with him, then we rotated.

I went to the next spot, which was these big rubber straps that are attatched to the wall. You put them around your hands and practice punching, but it's hard because the straps pull your arms back, so I'm guessing this is for arm strength. After 3 minutes we rotated agai.

Next was 3 minutes of speed bag. I was already good at this because I have a speedbag at home.

The next spot was an open mat where you pretty much do anything. Crunches, jumping jacks, push-ups, whatever. There was also a medicine ball to work with. I didnt use it, I just did crunches and push-ups.

Next was 3 minutes of jump rope. Not bad at all, cuz I jump rope at home also.

After that was the heavy bag. Actually, there were two different heavy bags. Everyone spends 3 minutes at each, so theres 6 minutes of heavy bag. There were all kinds of bags. I dont know the real names for the bags, but there was one that swings back at you when you hit it, to practice dodging and blocking. There was also the one which is like a big hanging ball, which was used to practice uppercuts. There was also one that was attacthed to two sets of ropes that swings back at you when you hit it also for dodging and blocking. I'm sorry I'm really not good at explaining this.

After all these bags, I did 3 minutes of freeweights. Then the whole class got together and did crunches, push ups, and jumping jacks, and worked with the medicine ball. And that was the class.

So yeah, there was a lot of cardio. But with all the bags and the focus mats with the coach, there was some actual boxing. I think I'll do more and more as time goes on. I'm new so it's probably just a matter of getting in shape now, but I think when I've been there a while I'll do more. All the advanced people were sparring and the coaches were watching them and giving them advice, so it does seem like a pretty good place for a serious boxer. Plus, we compete a lot so they must be teaching them something.

 

[Zankou]

IMO it sounds like you are in a good cardio boxing class in a real gym. You're not going to learn much about boxing, but you will get in shape to start boxing. Usually you would need a couple months to get in decent enough shape to start boxing anyways, so it's not at all a bad idea to start out with a more cardio-centered workout.

As long as there are lots of people sparring, it sounds like a solid gym that will let you progress. I say keep at it, and jump to sparring when you feel ready.

 

[Remember Me?]

Yeah it seems good to me. The main reason I think it's good for a serious boxer is because the people who have been there a while compete a lot. They get into pretty much any competition around our area.

 

[Kamehameha]

sounds like the boxing class my dad teaches (i'll do it when he can't) at our local Golds Gym, which is geared for people wanting to get in shape. Those serious go to the actual boxing gym in town where our team trains at. But his class is notorious for being super tough and all posers and goofs are weeded out after one class (usually it just takes half the class for them to take their tired asses out the room) so it's no Tae Bo crap that people hop and skip out of. He does do alot of technique stuff which is enough for them though.