Too tight

[sukhenkoy]

My gym recently got a new head trainer, and yesterday, as he was watching me shadow-box, he kept telling me that I was too tight and that I needed to relax. I've been told this by every single other trainer in the gym before that, and when I asked this trainer exactly what he meant, he just asked me, "Do you lift weights?" I told him that I used to more than a year ago, and that I only do bodyweight exercises now (mainly pushups and pullups). After some thought, he told me that I needed to stop doing those exercises for now, and work on loosening up and getting the boxing technique down. He says that I have the power to do damage, and that we need to start focusing on boxing technique to take full advantage of the power in the ring.

Right now I'm about 5 foot 9 inches tall and weigh around 159 pounds, although I can easily drop down to 147 pounds and have done so before in the past. I think it might be my natural build that makes the trainer feel that I'm too tight and not relaxed, as I'm pretty short and stocky, but my main problem is that I psychologically have trouble not doing the pushups and pullups everyday because I feel like I'll begin to lose strength if I don't do them.

What are all of your thoughts? I will talk to the trainer about this tomorrow to see maybe if I can continue my daily bodyweight exercises, but just train more in terms of boxing technique and stretching out my upper body to relieve some of the tightness. Thanks for your responses in advance.

This has really been bugging me....

[snoopy360]

I box and lift weights.... Never been told to loosen up though. I'd have to see a video of you boxing in order to really give you some insight. Next time you hit the bag take note of your shoulders. If they are high then your tensing to much before you launch your punches and its tightening you up and slowing down the delivery. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed, before you begin take a couple of deep breaths and relax your body befor you begin the bag work. Also do you clinch your fists really tight? That will also slow your delivery down some, I like to leave my fist loose and tighten right before impact. When you hit the bag do you hear a snap or a thud? Thuds mean your putting power into the shot but not enough speed, If you hear a sharp snapping/wacking sound then your on the right track. Also work on combo's with high speed med/light power delivery. This will help to loosen you up and get your punches flowing. Power is nice but its nothing if it doesn't have any speed to it.

[sukhenkoy]

I box and lift weights.... Never been told to loosen up though. I'd have to see a video of you boxing in order to really give you some insight. Next time you hit the bag take note of your shoulders. If they are high then your tensing to much before you launch your punches and its tightening you up and slowing down the delivery. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed, before you begin take a couple of deep breaths and relax your body befor you begin the bag work. Also do you clinch your fists really tight? That will also slow your delivery down some, I like to leave my fist loose and tighten right before impact. When you hit the bag do you hear a snap or a thud? Thuds mean your putting power into the shot but not enough speed, If you hear a sharp snapping/wacking sound then your on the right track. Also work on combo's with high speed med/light power delivery. This will help to loosen you up and get your punches flowing. Power is nice but its nothing if it doesn't have any speed to it.

My shoulders are pretty high, yeah. I don't really clench my fists tight, no. Most of the time I hit the bag I hear a thud, but I think that's more because of lack of technique, not so much being tense.

Like I said, my trainer said I was too tight when he saw me shadowboxing, not really hitting the bag. He says he wants to perfect the basics of the jab and right cross (in shadowboxing) before moving onto the bag, but he just noticed that I was too tight and needed to stop doing pushups and pullups for a while.

I guess my big question is can I keep doing the bodyweight exercises that I am doing, and the amount that I am doing, and eventually loosen up by working on technique in the boxing gym, or should I tone done the bodyweight exercises for a while so I can focus on technique and speed, and, when those two are at a decent level, begin working on power again?

Thanks for the advice, snoopy. Karma coming your way.

[Domey]

Being able to relax and be comfertable comes with time and experience. Atleast 95% of fighters that I have seen come down the gym, even after being there for a while, are still very tight and stiff.

Do some warm up before you hit the bag and spar and what not. Some light shadowboxing, speed bag, skip rope, bike. If you notice you are getting to tense try just dancing around the ring, bouncing around.

[J4YBE3]

My gym recently got a new head trainer, and yesterday, as he was watching me shadow-box, he kept telling me that I was too tight and that I needed to relax. I've been told this by every single other trainer in the gym before that, and when I asked this trainer exactly what he meant, he just asked me, "Do you lift weights?" I told him that I used to more than a year ago, and that I only do bodyweight exercises now (mainly pushups and pullups). After some thought, he told me that I needed to stop doing those exercises for now, and work on loosening up and getting the boxing technique down. He says that I have the power to do damage, and that we need to start focusing on boxing technique to take full advantage of the power in the ring.

Right now I'm about 5 foot 9 inches tall and weigh around 159 pounds, although I can easily drop down to 147 pounds and have done so before in the past. I think it might be my natural build that makes the trainer feel that I'm too tight and not relaxed, as I'm pretty short and stocky, but my main problem is that I psychologically have trouble not doing the pushups and pullups everyday because I feel like I'll begin to lose strength if I don't do them.

What are all of your thoughts? I will talk to the trainer about this tomorrow to see maybe if I can continue my daily bodyweight exercises, but just train more in terms of boxing technique and stretching out my upper body to relieve some of the tightness. Thanks for your responses in advance.

This has really been bugging me....

be like water and flow! best advice ever!
my trainer use to tell me i needed to relax more as it helps you loosen up and releives this tightness you are talking about. ever watched any mma and heard of fedor emelianenko? best heavyweight mixed martial artist ever! i know this is boxing and not mma that were talking about but try watching some of his videos and try to emulate that cool calmness that he brings to the ring helped me no end to become less tighter in sparring
also possibly do u think you may have alot of built up tension in ur muscles and joints which are keeping you tight? if so possibly investing in the occasional massage may help

[DJ QUIK]

Being able to relax and be comfertable comes with time and experience. Atleast 95% of fighters that I have seen come down the gym, even after being there for a while, are still very tight and stiff.

Do some warm up before you hit the bag and spar and what not. Some light shadowboxing, speed bag, skip rope, bike. If you notice you are getting to tense try just dancing around the ring, bouncing around.

yeah but i get fatigued also while tense and that makes me more nervous and ****. how do i beat that?

[Domey]

It all comes with experience.

[PunchDrunk]

This trainer sounds like he doesn't know what he's talking about. Being tight during shadowboxing is a technique thing, and has nothing to do with whether you do pushups or bench presses. 99 boxers out of 100 are too tight, or could at least be even more loose. The newer you are, the tighter you're likely to be. This is something you work on while you're in the gym, not doing something, anything, else has no effect on this.
It's like getting told to stop running because your footwork is bad - it makes no sense, and stems from ignorance/arrogance. Blaming a problem on something unrelated is a cop out.

[Domey]

It's like getting told to stop running because your footwork is bad

Funny stuff.

[Barndog]

I THOUGHT THIS WAS A THREAD ABOUT YO MOMMA!!

(pwn)