Title explains it all tbh. Hooks are my favorite type of punches, but I just can't throw them that often 'cause they make my shoulder hurt a little, and it annoys me a lot. The jab is a little different — it makes my shoulder feel a bit sore and tired, almost like I'm throwing some kind of haymaker arm punches. Uppercuts are the same thing to a lesser level. However, my straight right (cross) feels good and snappy. I consulted my coach about this, and she told me to get in a fighting stance and throw punches to her palms. She said I had the right technique and it must’ve been some kind of injury I picked up. She told me to boil some water, soak a towel in it, and put it on both of my shoulders. I'm currently doing this and I feel better, but I still have concerns about what else could be causing it (if it happens again). My trainer is a world champ (Ana Pascal) and has trained a lot of people. There are people at my gym way more experienced, with incredible technique, who don’t have any shoulder issues or complaints — so I’d personally rule that one out. What are your thoughts? Can you help me? Thanks in advance.
It sounds like your coach is experienced and would probably know if you're doing anything directly in training causing this problem. It could be something caused elsewhere that's being aggravated by training, or even simply an overuse issue that you need to rest on stuff that aggravates it for a bit.. Many times I'd train one handed, or only work on footwork and defense to train through an injury. It's part of the sport, or any sport sometimes if you want to be your best. There's a smart way to train through an injury (like the stuff I mentioned above) and a dumb way (constantly toughing it out and being in a constant state of pain/perpetually making it worse). Don't get wrapped up in comparing yourself to others when it comes to stuff like this. People's bodies are different, some techniques work better for different people, and people are also simply more or less injury prone. Here's a couple suggestions though: Keep your elbow more DOWN when throwing your hooks, see how that feels or if it helps... Also make sure you are generally keeping your shoulders/traps relaxed and away from your ears. If you notice any shrugging with your punches (or other techniques), that's asking for injury for some people. I'm also a fan of incorporating some pulling exercises to strengthen the mid and upper back muscles (rows, Ys, Ts, trap raises) to balance out your boxing training.. A well rounded strength routine with pushes, pulls, and some lower body work each week is ideal, but id at least be getting some rows in. I think the greatest benefit of strength work for a fighter is "body maintenance" and bringing some balance to our body because we train a sport that typically has us training in a specific and uneven posture.. The getting stronger part is just kind of a nice bonus..imo..of course..
Definitely listen to your coach, but try slowly practicing hooks against an exercise band that's anchored to something at chest level. Go light, and gradually build up resistance if you can do so while being pain-free. As a powerlifter, the best way I know to rehab an injury is to do what I can with no pain and gradually increase resistance levels.
