Recently started boxing, some questions about gym.

[DIB42]

An hour on the heavybag? or an Hour working with the various bags in the gym, (double end, speed, heavy, etc?)

I'd let them know you're interested in competing, that'll get you more focused attention.
That way they'll also know that you're serious and not just doing boxing for fitness.

[Ray Corso]

Get in touch with "The Authority" he's on this forum and is in England! PM him (private message) and he can help you out! Working 12 rounds on a bag without technique being taught is ridiculous!! I've had Champions of the World in my gym and we NEVER work 12 rounds of anything!!! Ray.

[TheAuthority]

Hey, am based in England. And it was around a hour straight on the bags which I don't know could be longer then 12 rounds haha. Condition isn't great although with the 3 miles 3 times a week and circuits I've been doing the last month I feel like I've improved. Am 6'2 and about 190lbs.

What club are you at mate?

Unfortunately your story sounds very familiar.

I see this every night in my own gym. I'm a coach, and like most other coaches we would love to be able to spend time with everyone who shows interest, but the fact is, most gyms in the country are short of coaches.

It's always a bit of a dilemma for me. Do I spend time with a new lad who may decide boxing isn't for him next week or do I spend my time with the lads who compete and have bouts coming up?

I know that some of the new guy's are going to leave simply because they aren't getting any time spent with them, but if they genuinely want to box, they will stick it out, work hard and take responsibility for their own training.

In time I'm sure the coaches will give you more attention if you show your committed.

We always try to give a new lad at least a couple of rounds on the pads on his first day but again sometimes this just isn't possible.

There's plenty of good videos on youtube demonstrating basic techniques. Have a search and get practicing. It's not ideal learning from a video but it's much better than nothing at all.

Good luck.

[TheAuthority]

I'd let them know you're interested in competing, that'll get you more focused attention.
That way they'll also know that you're serious and not just doing boxing for fitness.

Yes. Forgot to mention this.

Definitely let the coaches know you want to box !!!

[TheAuthority]

Get in touch with "The Authority" he's on this forum and is in England! PM him (private message) and he can help you out! Working 12 rounds on a bag without technique being taught is ridiculous!! I've had Champions of the World in my gym and we NEVER work 12 rounds of anything!!! Ray.

Yeah, would be happy to help.

[frosty-g]

Hey, am based in England. And it was around a hour straight on the bags which I don't know could be longer then 12 rounds haha. Condition isn't great although with the 3 miles 3 times a week and circuits I've been doing the last month I feel like I've improved. Am 6'2 and about 190lbs.

our good old English boxing gyms...

[DIB42]

What club are you at mate?


It's always a bit of a dilemma for me. Do I spend time with a new lad who may decide boxing isn't for him next week or do I spend my time with the lads who compete and have bouts coming up?.

This is always a rough one, especially when everyone's paying the same rate. You'd like to give time to everyone, but certain guys have looming bouts and need some one on one time, as these people will be representing you and your gym in a public event. But you also don't want to be "That coach" who only pays attention to his favorites. However, i have put a lot of time into guys who I thought were serious, only to have them give it up after their membership runs out. And sometimes theres the guys that don't get a lot of attention but really want to learn, but they leave because they're "being ignored."

One thing I found that helps, is group everyone together by skill level, and have them run drills, if you have a skilled enough guy pair him up with a beginner. Then while the drills are going on, periodically grab one guy, show him one thing you want him to work on or one mistake he needs to correct, then move to the next guy, etc etc. Everyone gets a little attention, then you can go back to one on one with the guys in competition.

[TheAuthority]

This is always a rough one, especially when everyone's paying the same rate. You'd like to give time to everyone, but certain guys have looming bouts and need some one on one time, as these people will be representing you and your gym in a public event. But you also don't want to be "That coach" who only pays attention to his favorites. However, i have put a lot of time into guys who I thought were serious, only to have them give it up after their membership runs out. And sometimes theres the guys that don't get a lot of attention but really want to learn, but they leave because they're "being ignored."

One thing I found that helps, is group everyone together by skill level, and have them run drills, if you have a skilled enough guy pair him up with a beginner. Then while the drills are going on, periodically grab one guy, show him one thing you want him to work on or one mistake he needs to correct, then move to the next guy, etc etc. Everyone gets a little attention, then you can go back to one on one with the guys in competition.

Yes mate. I know what you mean.

Also, I have set up "circuit" type sessions where the lads work with a partner for a round at one station then move to the next, i.e station 1, rolling under slip line, station 2, A head movement drill, station 3, A footwork drill etc, station 4, A specific heavy bag drill.

This can work well and everyone can go home feeling like they have improved in some way - still it's difficult to correct everyone.

Also, lost count of how many lads I know that didn't get the attention they deserve so have left our gym and gone to another local club. When you see them competing for another club you realize they were serious after all. The opposite is true also i.e. lads moving to our club from other clubs saying that they never got any instruction.

I think one of the major issues in our club (and many others) is that we have everyone trains together (except the 7-11 year olds). It's difficult to set up a session to cater for all experience levels / age groups.

Our head coach is retiring very soon so I will be taking over running the club. I'm considering running sessions at different times for different stages of development i.e. splitting the lads into groups and training them at different times / on different days.

I think in most cases the problem is time. Most coaches are volunteers and have full-time jobs and other commitments. I'm in the gym 6 days per week as it is, plus I have to take boxers out to bouts once or twice a week on average but sometimes more. I would love to be able to spend 3-4 hours per day in the gym running different sessions for differing abilities but simply don't have the time.

[DIB42]

I don't think anyone ever took home a paycheck from our gym. I assisted there because I loved it, and a good friend of mine was the head coach, oh and of course when its fight night, you get the best seats in the house. But at the end of the day, the gym brought in just enough to keep the lights on, and upgrade some equiptment here and there.

[TheAuthority]

I don't think anyone ever took home a paycheck from our gym. I assisted there because I loved it, and a good friend of mine was the head coach, oh and of course when its fight night, you get the best seats in the house. But at the end of the day, the gym brought in just enough to keep the lights on, and upgrade some equiptment here and there.

Same at our club.

In fact it actually ends up costing me quite a bit of money to coach - mainly fuel cost to and from the gym and also when taking lads sparring.

Edit ... and I have bought plenty of equipment / training aids from my own pocket too.

I don't mind though - I enjoy it !!!