Complete beginner - Any tips?

[trevez]

Hi all,

Im Trev, 23 from UK. Just about to go to my first circuit training boxing class. I weigh about 14st and im 5ft 6'. So you can prob tell im overweight!

The main reason for starting was to lose weight but i really love the boxing side.

Now as a complete 100% beginner..where do i start??
do i keep turning up to the classes (3times a week) or join into the proper boxing class? i do need to get the weight off and then tone up.

Are there any good websites anyone can recommend to buy kit from?
or shops in the UK?

thanks for reading
Trev

[JayCoe]

Overweight but not necessarily fat. If you consider that you need to cut a lot of fat then PERSONALLY i'd say;

Forget about lbs, get a body fat % scale which are only about £20 from Argos, and keep record of your body fat. Go to the circuit trainings, 3 times a week, and train at home an additional 2 times a week. Get your body-fat to a MAXIMUM of 18% and radically increase your fitness. Then consider joining a boxing club.

Boxing is incredibly tough, you have to be incredibly fit just to do a regular session. I wouldn't say it's a good idea to just join off the cuff when you wouldn't consider yourself at least "moderately fit" and certainly not if you feel you need to attain levels of fitness and lose real levels of weight.

When in boxing the intense exercise will further cut body fat and you'll probably find yourself maintaining around 12%, on a standard. I'm sure many people on this board have higher or lower % than that but I'm just working off my % and what other's around me tend to roughly be while just training.

The reason I keep going on and on about body fat and lbs is because you have to first attain a good body fat % and physical fitness before you find your boxing weight. So let's say you're 15 stone and quite fat, it's doubtful you'd be boxing at 15stone, let's say 13 stone or whatever. When you have a rough guide of what you weigh when fit then you start to consider lbs.

DO NOT QUIT. You can do it, everybody can do it if they put their mind to it. It will be hard as ****, especially if you're not fit now but you WILL get fitter, strong, faster. You'll feel better and have more energy, you'll love it.

Are there any good websites anyone can recommend to buy kit from?

The best idea is to shop around when you have something specific in mind. I always tend to look at the big stores like;

http://www.sugarrays.co.uk/shop/

And choose what it is I want from there and then google them within U.K results and find a good price. Sugar rays is good but sometimes a little pricey and not always predictable. I remember once ringing up to order my gloves, luck should have it that I off the cuff asked if they are in stock. They checked and then replied no, they can't tell me when they will be, could be between 1-2 months! But saying that I bought my boots there and they came in a few days.

http://www.lonsdaleuk.com/

Is a good store for the lonsdale stuff, funny enough haha. It actually has good prices and with gloves you get free hand wraps.

http://www.fightgloves.co.uk/

Is another good shop, albeit small. I get the impression they change their product range depending on what's on offer from manufactures so you get a good deal - as the gloves always seem to be changing. Just looking now they aren't stocking any lonsdale, everlast etc. stuff, but keep an eye on that store, it can be pretty good.

Basically, just look about in google.

shops in the UK?

I tend to do mine online, then again i'm pretty lazy I guess because I used to do my clothes shopping and even food shopping online haha. From what I can gather there isn't that many decent boxing stores about, it depends where you are and if you can find them. However, stay away from the massive sports shops like JJB etc. That SportsWorld or whatever prides itself on boxing but it's all complete ****. Get it from a legit boxing or martial arts store.

[trevez]

Cheers Jaycoe great info for me.

As a complete beginner i needed that advice!

I will get down to a good weight and then join thanks alot mate

[Malik]

im 190-200 pounds. 6'3. Im overweight. Do you have any good beginners workout plan that I could be fit to join a boxing gym and begin training in 2-3 months?

[Leakbeak]

Never go for that 'lose weight' then tone up ****e. It is a bad way of putting **** off, just like when people say I'll get fit then get back into sparring. Never happens! Throw yourself into the deep end and do all three sessions. The days in between are for running. No matter what other **** people say that sounds more palatable, running is the best way to lose weight.

[bbos]

Never go for that 'lose weight' then tone up ****e. It is a bad way of putting **** off, just like when people say I'll get fit then get back into sparring. Never happens! Throw yourself into the deep end and do all three sessions. The days in between are for running. No matter what other **** people say that sounds more palatable, running is the best way to lose weight.

I disagree, if a guy can't perform 10-15 push ups, 30 situps, and can't even run a mile, then he has no business in a boxing gym. Its like the army AFPT, it sets the bar for the bare minimum of physical fitness for participation.

[BennyST]

Never go for that 'lose weight' then tone up ****e. It is a bad way of putting **** off, just like when people say I'll get fit then get back into sparring. Never happens! Throw yourself into the deep end and do all three sessions. The days in between are for running. No matter what other **** people say that sounds more palatable, running is the best way to lose weight.

That's actually not a very good way to do it. If you are not fit and haven't exercised for a long time you will kill your muscles and be sore for two weeks afterward and not be able to do anything anyway.

Start slow and build up gradually but quickly. Start out with say... three 30-60 minute sessions that are light each week. Do brisk walking into light jogging for the first 1/2 hour to forty mins along with fifteen minutes of push-ups, squats etc etc and then stretch for ten-fifteen minutes.

After a month or two up the time and intensity, then after another month up it again, then go join a boxing gym after that and start out light. The trainers will help you out with that anyway once you get there. Good luck mate. Hope it goes well. You only get out, or take off, what you put in, so put in everything! Just be smart about it and make sure you think of it as a long term investment not a short, quick fix that will work in one or two months.

[RightCross94]

With the "when to join a gym" question, it all depends on the individual circumstances. I mean, if you are quite overweight, very inactive and unfit, it's a better idea to build some basic fitness first, just so you can learn basic techniques effectively in the gym without getting really tired.


But if you are a regular person, reasonably fit, maybe playing a sport, not too overweight, just join the boxing gym straight up.