I wasn't planning on going to the gym today because I only got like 4 hrs of sleep and didn't eat much (it's so hot lately I'm having trouble sleeping at night + money's kinda tight this month so I had to cut back on my food budget). I decided to go anyways and just do a light training session. It was no surprise I was struggling through my workout. It didn't help that the gym was a lot more crowded than usual, which means a lot more hot/humid than usual too. Anyways, I got in a decent workout of jump rope, shadowboxing, and heavy bag (3 rounds each), and my coach asked me if I wanted to spar halfway through my speed bag workout. I was already exhausted before stepping in the ring, and this was the first time I've ever sparred with no energy from the get go. I took this opportunity to focus more on my blocking/slipping. I was able to avoid most of the other guy's punches, but I also got hit with more shots than I should have simply because I was too tired to block or too slow with my reaction time. And the times I did engage I was noticeably slower and sloppier than usual. I wasn't too worried about the guy cuz he hasn't sparred that much, but this got me thinking: Are there any special strategies that people use when they're tired, or do they just try to box how they normally do? I read THIS ARTICLE and it seems pretty helpful. Just curious if there are any other helpful tips you guys know of or have used while fighting tired. (I'm sure the obvious tip is to work on conditioning so you don't get tired, but I'm curious about what to do in the unfortunate event you do get tired.)
I'm a fan of that site. I have read many of the articles before, including this one. In my opinion (and shared by many others) is that the state of being tired, is one part physical and one part mental. The physical part is difficult to control, although the mental can definitely influence your physical tiredness. For example, when i'm tired, I try mask it as much as possible, to never let my opponent know how tired I am. I know this is sometimes easier said than done. But often, you have some opportunity to mask it, and not let on. For example, try not to shrug your shoulders too much to take deep breaths, this is a dead giveaway. I do this, between rounds, when i'm not facing my opponent and he's hopefully not noticing. I try to keep my movements crisp, even though I feel like slumping over. I stare at him before the start of the round and bounce a couple times (as if to say, "let's get it on") even though i'm dreading the start of the bell. During the round, always posture and move like you're in "attack" mode - even though you're actually taking a breather. These are tricks that 'demoralize' your opponent, and can make him weaker mentally thinking "man, this guy's got more juice than me" even though I am "dying inside" lol... Sometimes, it can actually give you a second wind too, hence the influencing the physical part.
