Expert: Jack Rose - 6/7/2008

Question
hi im 24, and i currently box for my local club and i was wondering if you can give me some advice on movement when i am sparring/fighting as i cant seem to get the hang of it.and can u suggest a diet plan i can stick to as i am told so many ones that i dont know which one is the right one to do. thank you so much in taking time out to answer my questions. clare

Answer
Hi Clare,

When sparring you should change directions often. Never cross your feet over or bring your feet together. You want to have leverage at all times in the ring so you can move or throw a punch at will. Knees should be slightly bent and you should be relaxed. Never move straight back. Lateral movement is the key. You don't have to dance around the ring, your movement needs to be practical. Only move enough to throw off your opponent's rhythm. It is possible to move too much and you can easily waste energy and valuable punching time by running around the ring too much. Be effecient. Work on this when you have the ring to yourself. Always imagine an opponent in front of you when you do footwork by yourself. If you don't you'll get into a rut and just be going thru the motions. Also, start punching off of your movement. What I mean by that is using your movement to creat anlges and opportunites to be offensive. It is something that will seperate you from the masses when you perfect it. Not many can do it well. Be patient and work diligently. You will see benefits once you become effecient.
You do not need a full fledged diet in boxing, you need guidelines. Your boxing workouts will take care of half the battle. Always eat breakfast but don't eat before bed. Eat small frequent meals instead of 3 regular meals. Cut back on the bread. No soft drinks. Drink water between meals when you feel hungry. Eat one banana a day.
Stick with it and you'll reach your goal. If your weight reaches a sticking point then increase your running distance. But once your bodyfat % gets down to around 13% or so then your body is at or very near it's limit and you will start losing muscle which is bad news. So your body will tell you when to stop losing weight because you will become weak and dehydrate easy.

best of luck and thanks for the question,

Jackson