I have been sparring with my old roomate who also is into boxing for a few months and i have a few questions. first off is sparring twice a week safe? we wear headgear but we go after each other and fight pretty hard. How often do you guys spar becuase some of my friends are telling me im gonna get brain damage sparring twice a week. I also keep getting really tight shoulder muscles from whenever i throw hooks or sometimes even from crosses. I get real sore from bag trainging or sparring. Is this normal? I am thinking i should start stretching my arms out more before i throw punches but i was wondering if anyone knows why throwing hooks is so hard on my arms. another question. i usually fight out of a left side stance. (left foot in front with left hand throwing jabs with my right hand back ready for crosses.) is there any reason to ever start a combo with any punch besides a jab? Also if anyone knows any good online videos i can watch for information on boxing technique i could use links becuase i dont live in an area that has boxing gyms or coaches. any advice you got for a new boxer would be much appreciated. also are the gel gloves that are suppose to replace hand wraps any good? thanks dave
i spar everyday 4 2 weeks 3 weeks b4 a fight and wen not fightin 3 times a week ppl sayin ur gonna get brain damage is a loada shite ur stance is called orthadox the only reasons 4 ur shoulder hurtin is if ur throwing it wrong or have a problem and need 2 see a doctor u should always warm up and stretch b4 training and sparring hope this helps.:!:
i think your right that im am throwing it wrong becuase i think it hurts most when im hitting the heavy bag and it is swinging away from where i aim when i start the punch. if the bag is swinging high when i hit it, it feels like i am staining my shoulder muscles more then if i throw a slow good hook against a bag thats not moving. I dont think im really hurting myself because it doesnt hurt that bad but it hurts enough for me to think i should take a few days off. i am going to make sure i stretch out really good from now on before i box. but i am also taking whey protein and lifting trying to put on some muscle. any advice on making sure i am building flexable muscles.
Can't answer all of them, but: 1. Sparring twice a week or even more is fine. Just make sure you're using the right safety gear. 2. If you've only been doing it a few months, your body would still be adjusting, which could be the cause of the shoulder soreness. A hook is a strenuous movement on the shoulder. Unless you're sure the problem is tight muscles (which should go away with time, proper technique and stretching), it could be tendonitis, particularly if it hurts more to lift your arm higher while on a horizontal plane, or something else altogether. I'd probably try to work through it and do exercises to mobilise and strengthen the shoulder, and see if it goes away gradually, then get it checked out if it doesn't.
Sparring means controlled "fighting". You take it easy when you see someone's hurt. The goal is to learn, not beat someone up.
A good stretch for your arms is to stand in a door way with your arm at a right angle so your bicep is parallel to your shoulder and the floor and your hand is pointing up. Place your forearm on the door jam and take a step forward with your inside foot and hold for 30 seconds.
Amateur sparring with headgear and 16oz gloves is certainly safe to do twice a week. Thats too much...3 times a week is more than good enough. For the amateurs sparring sometimes gives a false sense of conditioning. Id spar 30 rounds a week for amateur fights and not feel tired during any of those sessions...get in the ring for a real fight and I'm huffing wind after 2 rounds. Sparring in the gym sometimes doesn't account for the pacing and intenstiy of an actual match. Plyometrics/explosive training for short periouds of time is crucial to incorporate in to training along with sparring . It will prepare you conditioning wise far more than just focusing on sparring would.
Thank you for the advice. I am also wondering what the average weight class is for a 6' 1" fighter? Also does anyone have any advice on how to deal with fighting someone who throws alot of fakes to get me off gaurd and find openings? thanks, dave
It depends on your build. How much do you weigh? The US Olympian at 152 pounds is 6'1, and a lot of middleweights these days at the national level seem to be 6' or 6'1, at minimum.