Hello, I am writing on this forum because I want to learn to box, and to get in boxing shape. My motivation to learn to fight is that I've followed boxing, watched it and other martial arts, idolized the determination and discipline of those who practiced it for so long, that I am sick of sitting on the sidelines. I want to know what it is like to develop those traits, to fight. However, I am coming from a beginner's position. I am not obese, but I am 23 years old, 5'11", a flabby/weak 178 lbs, can run only maybe 15-20 minutes straight, very little upper-body strength, etc. You get the idea. Even worse, I'm coming from all kinds of bad lifestyle habits, including constant junk food (milkshakes/chips/fast food) and pretty poor self-discipline about constantly exercising. I've tried "just stopping" all this stuff, and inevitably I fall back into old ways very quickly (these habits have been going on for a while). I am incredibly frustrated. I have signed up for membership at a boxing gym with a pretty good reputation, but I know that without discipline, without making myself cut back seriously on the junk food, without going to the gym during the week 3-4 times a week, without supplementing it with proper roadwork, I will just be shooting myself in the foot. I don't know what I'm asking for. I guess I want to know if anyone of you have had similar transitions you've had to fight through. If you know anyone else personally who has had to fight through a similar transition. What are your experiences which might help get over this hump? Thank you for your time. Any help you can lend is appreciated. -AWK
In terms of getting your diet into gear, go to a website like www.fitday.com and start recording everything you eat there. Aim to consume 30% of your calories from protein, with carbs and fat each making up 30-40%. Go here to calculate your base metabolic rate - that's the amount of calories you need to consume, if you do no activity, to maintain the same weight. You might need up to 3000 calories on an active day - eat more on days when you train. Straight after a good workout, get some protein and fast carbs (sugar basically) but not fat into your system as quickly as possible. Take a multivitamin. That'll be a start. With regards to fitness, start a fitness journal. Plan a realistic amount of exercise, including boxing sessions, and record what you did. Track your progress. Set goals for, say pushups, and work towards those goals. Time yourself running a certain distance and set goals for running. Find a bar to do chin-ups. Dips would be good also. I find that structure is the key for me. I have a plan for the week, and I stick to that plan because I dont want to be a *****.
