MacRea's Amateur Fight Training (Boxing, conditioning, lifting)

[Brando]

JANUARY 31st

Kicked ass on my exams today, I have a feeling.

AM:

shadowboxing warm-up
5 x 5 DB flat bench
5 sets standing overhead press
5 sets weighted dips (first and last high rep unweighted)

PM:

shadowboxing warm-up

4 x 3 minute rounds heavybag (jab, 1-1-2, hooks on the move, jab)
4 x 15 second punch-out drills
4 x 1 minute rounds power boxing (Ross Enamait style)

core circuit:
v-ups x20
medicine ball russian twists x20 per side
leg raises x20
medicine ball side bends x20 per side
repeat three times. no rest

dumbbell hold finisher to exhaustion (1:13)

Feel good. Felt like I was wielding artillery in my fists today.

 

[Brando]

FEBRUARY 1ST

Rest. Getting a cold but I wanna spar tommorow.

 

[Brando]

FEBRUARY 2ND

20 minute jump-rope warm-up

stretching including the following circuit:
30 seconds shoulder circles (fast, tight, elbows locked, small)
25 push-ups
repeat x3

2 rounds shadowboxing
6 rounds heavybag (alot of clinch work, body punches, flurries and short hooks - "fighting in a phone booth")
3 rounds sparring

Sparring went well even though I was sleep-deprived and fighting off a cold. I had a few shinning moments, a solid right hand to this guy Brian's face (the same guy who was thumping hooks into my head like a madman last time), a beautiful left hook that sort of put him off balance, and then against this Corey fellow, I noticed he held his right hand very high, so he jabbed at me and I side-stepped him and dug a really nice left hook into his belly. Got that nice wet slapping sound you get when you connect fully with your heavybag. Felt great.

Things to work on:
-Straight punching while advancing. I was getting my rythm interrupted quite often while trying to do this.
-Legs were a bit gassed after 3 rounds with 30 seconds rest. Roadwork, roadwork, roadwork
-Bringing my left back to guard more quickly. Rookie mistake, I know, and a habbit I'll change. It's not that I'm bringing it back lazily or anything, it's just that I'm bringing my hand back at roughly shoulder level where I should pull it back up way higher, above my eyes even.

Good night though! Sparring again on Saturday hopefully so I'll do a quick run and some bodyweight work tommorow to keep fresh.

 

[Brando]

was supposed to spar today but woke up sick so I had to take a shift later in the day and had to skip the boxing gym in the AM. Hoped to get some squatting in before work, here's how it turned out:

AM:

shadowboxing warm-up

backsquats 5 x 5 (deep as possible)

started on some frontsquats when I remembered my shift started VERY shortly. quickly fire out a finisher:

bodyweight squat tabata interval

off to work with a chip on my shoulder about this training session. Adding skill training tonight.

Also, going to be changing my strength training a little bit. 3 times a week, starting each session with a 5x5 structure on the 'core' lifts (bench press/OH press, DL, squat), then putting in 4-6 rounds of a sandbag power/conditioning circuit with full-body movements, with an emphasis on whichever movement I am training that day (pull, push or squat). See how that goes.

PM:

shadowboxing warm-up
6 x 3 minute rounds heavybag (jab, 1-1-2, 1-2-3, inside fighting, open round, jab)

pull-up pyramid
dip pyramid
(both done as a superset)

simple and lighter tonight, kicking this cold out of my system.

 

[Brando]

FEB 5th

Rest. Watched Gatti/Damgaard and Pac/Morales and generally just tried to recover. Feeling a bit better.

 

[Sinister]

First me then you, must be a Boxer thing. And I seriously hope Gatti retires, and Erik moves out of 130. Gatti is starting to sound like Meldrick Taylor.

 

[Brando]

I think our bodies are just punishing us for having punished them for so long, s'all.

About Gatti, I like him. He has heart, he's a puncher (though Buddy won't admit it, he won't ever be a boxer) - he's entertaining. He's been exposed as a B class boxer, but he is a warrior. However, it's because I like him that I agree that he should retire before he gets hurt. The welterweight division AMAZING, but there are some respectable fighters who could put the hurt on the aging Gatti... and now he busted his hand again. I'd say be thankful for all the money and easy fights he was handed, be happy with the great wars he's been through, and retire.

El Terrible, please leave 130, that is all.

TODAY:

shadowboxing warm-up, thorough stretching

4 x 3 minute rounds heavybag (broken up similiarly to KK's Heavy Rounds 101)

grip circuit:
wrist roller x5 (up and down = 1 rep)
axe levering x5 per hand
repeat x3 no rest (was doing towel pull-ups but they were irritating my 'war wound' so I stopped)

core circuit:
v-ups x20
med ball russian twists x20
chinnies x20
med ball side bends x20
superman x20
repeat x3 no rest

bodyweight circuit:
5 dips
5 pullups
repeat x4 no rest

stretching
neck exercises and shadowboxing to cooldown

Easy day today. FUCK YOU COLD, I'M FINISHED WITH YOU. My cold WAS the heavybag. My fists were my immune system. I beat the living shit out of my cold today. One of the best heavybag sessions I've had in awhile. The grip/core/light bodyweight work was just to get the blood flowing again. Going to the gym tommorow, either going to work my ass into the ground with some focus pads, or do some sparring. Wed, Fri and Sun will be my strength days this week.

edit: no rest for any of the circuits ever, but about 20-30 seconds of rest between heavybag rounds. nothing major, just enough time to grab a sip of water and reset my timer.

 

[Brando]

FEBRUARY 7TH

20 minute jump-rope warm-up
stretching, push-ups, light core work
2 rounds shadowboxing
6 rounds heavybag work
4 rounds conditioning drills
3 rounds uppercut bag
2 rounds shadowboxing

Couldn't get padwork or sparring tonight, no coaches at the gym, they're all away in Brampton for a show. I'll be fighting within the month and I'm anxious to work out some kinks.

 

[Sinister]

You should opt for the Amateur Fighter Tag. PM me if you're interested.

 

[Brando]

Thanks for that, KK

FEBRUARY 8TH

power training (pull)

shadowboxing warm-up

deadlift 5x5 and 3 singles

power/conditioning circuit:
pull-ups (all variations) x5
sandbag power clean/shouldering x10
sandbag rows x10
sandbag side loading x10
rest 1 minute. repeat x4.

Sparring or some heavy focus pads tommorow if the coaches show up at Motor City.

 

[Brando]

FEBRUARY 9th ...no time tonight gotta study and work around the house but I squeezed this in. couldn't get a ride into Motor City

shadowboxing warm-up

4 x 3 minute rounds HARD heavybag work

core work:
v-ups x20
russian twists x30
chinnies x20
russian twists x20
no rest repeat x3

mini circuit:
pushups x20
axe levering x10 (5 per side)
repeat x4 no rest

Looks easy on paper but I made those heavybag rounds pretty hellish. Again, wielding artillery in my fists today. Tommorow some strength training and light skill work methinks

 

[Brando]

FEBRUARY 10TH
Rest. Did some light bodyweight stuff - chins, push-ups, etc, but nothing worth going into detail about.

FEBRUARY 11th

15 minutes jump-rope warm-up
thorough stretching
2 rounds shadowboxing
6 rounds heavybag work
3 rounds focus mitts/body shield (worked on working inside, the liver shot, and clinching)

light core circuit:
20 medicine ball sit-ups
20 medicine ball russian twists
30 second left plank
30 second right plank
repeat x3

5 minutes jump-rope cool-down, sprint finish

Those 3 rounds on the mitts were great. Amateur boxing generally neglects body shots because they're tougher to score with, so if you go downstairs, you should be throwing with BAD INTENTIONS, trying to take their wind and their legs, because odds are you won't. Threw all of my shots with authority and was huffing and puffing, 30 second rest period are great.

 

[Brando]

FEBRUARY 12th

4 x 3 minute rounds heavybag work [30 seconds rest periods]
4 cycles of the 10 x 10 drill (one round heavybag, followed by one cycle of the 10 x 10 drill)

sandbag circuit of paaain:

sandbag rows x10
sandbag deadlift x10
burpees (full push-up and tuck jump) x10
sandbag clean and press x10
zercher sandbag squats x10
lateral jumps over sandbag x10
rest 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

I hereby vow that I shall include the 10 x 10 drill or some form of punch-out drills ATLEAST 3 times per week.

 

[Brando]

FEBRUARY 13th - active rest

some light circuit training amounting to:
50 pull-ups (all variations)
50 medicine ball push-ups
50 v-ups
50 russian twists per side
50 bodyweight squats

shoulders are a bit fried, hoping to do some lifting tommorow morning though.

 

[Brando]

FEBRUARY 14th

4 rounds heavybag work

was going to move onto some benching, OH pressing and dips but I hurt my hand (felt like I pinched a nerve or something, couldn't even grip the bar).

Called it quits. Very frustrating after those 4 heavybag rounds, which were probably the best I've done in awhile.

 

[Brando]

FEBRUARY 15th

active rest in anticipation of tommorow's sparring.

-countless pull-ups
-light core work (sandbag sit-ups, russian twists, etc)
-shadowboxing and some pretty rewarding skill work
-balance training for about 10 minutes
-very thorough stretching and hand "treatment"

Hand's feeling alot better, I feel energized in spite of the paaain. Tommorow I'll be sparring.

 

[Brando]

FEBRUARY 16th

2 rounds shadowboxing
6 x 3 minute rounds heavybag

burpee pyramid 2,4,6,8,10,8,6,4,2 [full push-up and tuck-jump]

core circuit:
v-ups x20
medicine ball russian twists x20 per side
leg raises x20
medicine ball side bends x20 per side
1 minute plank

repeated this 2 times, no rest between exercises.

finisher:
2 minute overhead sandbag carry (very taxing)

I hate February. The snow is just clearing snow, but all of Ontario is getting blanketed with freezing rain. Snow day (ice day), so no school, but also no roadwork. Family barely made it home doing 15mph the whole way, and had trouble opening the car doors because a film of ice had covered the car. Couldn't make it to the gym. Again. Saturday is my only shot for this week. LAME.

Tonight's workout was great though, I must say. The heavybag rounds, particularily the 5th (which I planned as a free practice round) were extremely demanding, all the speed and power I could muster on each and every hit and combination. My jab is reaping the benefits of so much practice, and I can see some real improvement. The finisher was great, worked my entire core/grip/shoulders and I blaster through those burpees. I'm still itching for roadwork. GO AWAY WINTER.

 

[Brando]

FEB 17th

Rest

FEB 18th

am:

15 minute jump-rope warm-up
stretching
2 rounds shadowboxing
4 rounds heavybag work
3 rounds focus mitts/body belt
3 rounds speedbag

8-10 minutes core work (med ball crunches, russian twists, chinnies, side planks)

 

[Brando]

FEB 19th

short and sweet today:

shadowboxing warm-up and some stretching

4 x 3 minute rounds heavybag work (start and end each round with 15 tuck-jumps - 120 total)

light pull/push/squat circuit:
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
20 bodyweight squats

rest 30 seconds. repeated 5 circuits.

10 minutes axe levering (all directions)

finisher:
2 minute attempt sandbag overhead walk (made about 1:45ish)

Feeling drained, punches were lacking a bit. Gonna take tommorow off, I think, maybe try hitting the roads, weather allowing

 

[Brando]

FEB 20th

Rest

FEB 21st

20 minutes jump-rope warm-up

stretching
conditioning drills:
5 minutes jump-rope (alternating sprint-speed and normal, push-ups, crunches)

4 rounds of the following:
30 seconds shoulder circles (fast, tight circles, elbows locked straight)
25 push-ups

2 minutes squat-tuckjump finisher
hug puke bucket and pray for death to take me x1

core work:
50 partener leg raises

2 rounds shadowboxing
6 rounds heavybag work
4 rounds speedbag

Today was a bad workout. I had eaten a tasty meal of whole grain pasta with lean meat and veggie sauce and a glass of 100% OJ. Thought it was a great meal full of complex carbohydrates, protein and fibre. Then I went to the boxing gym and realised how hard training was with a FUCKING BRICK IN YOUR STOMACH. God dammnit that took forever to digest, I finally controlled myself and got my second wind nearing the end of my heavybag work. Just felt crappy, even the drive home I felt sick. From now on, oatmeal and eggs will forever be my pre-workout meal. It's never failed me in the past. Thursday I'll be sparring and Saturday I'll be hitting the body belt. Other then that, I'm hoping for some roadwork, skill work at home and some lifting this week.