The plan was straightforward: train hard for seven weeks, rest for one, and finish with five weeks of sharpening. It didn’t stay simple for long.
I followed a focused but demanding schedule:
- Mon: Club
- Tue: Gym Strength
- Wed: Club
- Thu: Club
- Fri: Gym Explosive
- Sat: Rest
- Sun: Footwork & Technique
At DCU Boxing Club, Derek, Colin, and Terry run the sessions. Between them, they’ve decades of experience, working with all levels, from novices to Olympians. Derek likes to say, “Boxing shows you who you are.” Colin likes to test your limits. And if you ask Terry what he thinks of boxing, he might say, “tough sport”. They’ve a real passion for boxing and are dedicated to helping us develop our skills.
Club sessions followed a familiar pattern – warm up, shadow boxing, technical skills in school sparring, and drilling combinations with (seemingly endless) rounds of bag work. Finally, we put it all together in open sparring. “Finally” you thought? Oh no, do your skipping and core work first, then you’re free to go.
For me, club sessions were a high priority. I aimed to show up well-fuelled, ready to work, and with a positive attitude.
This plan was more intense than I was used to. Managing stress and training load, both inside and outside the gym, became critical. Each week, I’d look ahead at what I had planned and see if I needed to make any adjustments.
I set myself one rule: no more than two hard spars a week. But it was tricky; on good nights, I was eager to get in and on bad ones, I didn’t want to look like I was ducking out.
I logged each session after leaving the gym. I learned early that writing out each session was gruelling, so I switched to ChatGPT voice notes. I’d ramble through each session and ask it to give a breakdown of what worked, what didn’t, and a focus for the next session.
The gym work was simple but deliberate – everything needed to transfer to boxing. Tuesdays were for strength: squats, deadlifts, pull-ups and shoulder press, keeping reps low. Fridays kept the movements but swapped weight for speed, incorporating jumping squats and deadlifts, sternum-to-bar pull-ups, and the landmine press, which I liked, especially for improving foot, hip, and torso coordination.
Sundays were at my own pace. I explored and played with new techniques and footwork, and finished with cardio. Early in camp, I did steady-state, and later on, I’d perform sprints.
After each session, I always stretched for at least 5 minutes. The small habit made a big difference, I felt looser and less sore across the week.
The first few weeks went to plan – six sessions a week, knocking them off one by one. I felt stronger, my skills were sharpening, and I started using mental visualisation during sparring with mixed success. The training load was heavy, but I believed I was managing it.
Things kicked off in week 4 with our first external spar of the year – a chance to blow off the cobwebs. External spars are of a higher intensity. They’re not real fight intensity, but there’s no friendly familiarity. Most gyms ban filming to protect boxers’ privacy. It’s a pity, you can learn a thing or two from watching the spars back. The night before, I did a deload gym session to make sure I was fresh for Cabra. I usually avoid small tweaks, but external spars were a priority.
Wednesday, January 22nd, 19:30, we arrived in Cabra BC. I stepped through the ropes and looked across the ring at a stocky 80+ kg lad, staring me down and ready to rock— Oh Jaysus, here we go. From the get-go, he switched between throwing bombs on the inside (nearly took my head off) and gliding around on the outside.
The second opponent was taller and longer, someone I’d fought before. He had a high work rate, and his shots were clean. I stayed composed, blocked plenty, but it was clear my conditioning needed work.
As I left, I noticed my second opponent still on the bags, practicing combinations. For him, the session wasn’t over yet.
The very next day at the club, I sparred again. Third spar of the week – breaking my rule. Two rounds in, I was sluggish, static, and getting hit far too often. I felt angry at myself over the decision to get in. But after talking with the coach, I realised that while sparring mightn’t have been the best call, you don’t always get the luxury of perfect conditions.
A week later, on Wednesday in Mulhuddart BC, I felt sharper. Two bigger opponents, but both at my weight – one dangerous on the inside, the other slick and elusive on the outside. I controlled distance better, countered cleanly, and spotted openings I’d missed before. I left happy, and my coach was too.
Cherry Orchard BC was a different story. The following evening we were melting getting into the ring. The ceiling heating turned the place into a sauna. I was first in, switching between one southpaw and one orthodox opponent. Each change confused me, and I took too long to adapt. But with the southpaw, when I finally parried his jab and fired mine through, it landed. Afterwards, my coach told me to stop waiting – take control early, dictate the pace, and don’t let the opponent settle into a rhythm. Throw first and throw often. I left the ring wrecked, but still finished the session with three rounds on the bags and four rounds skipping.
Coming into the February Bank Holiday weekend, I was drained from the two external spars and heavy training during the week. In my explosive session on Friday, I focused on speed by halving weight. After resting Saturday, I was back with the footwork and cardio on Sunday, followed by a late-night event, where I didn’t get home until 3 am. Still, I trained Monday as usual and had a strong strength session Tuesday, hitting new weights on all lifts.
In Mulhuddart on Wednesday, I sparred with the same two guys. One had figured me out – closed the distance fast and kept the pressure high. Against the other, I worked the body and added second-phase attacks. While I caught most shots on my guard, I took a few hard shots as well.
By the end of Week 5, I’d banked 30 sessions: 7 club, 4 external spars, 8 technical/footwork, and 11 gym.
On paper, things looked great! In reality, I was edging towards the red. My plan to mitigate the risks of overtraining had held so far. But as Eisenhower said,
Plans are worthless, planning is everything.
Or in Mike Tyson’s words
Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the face.
And I, had been hit in the face. Tune in next week to see how that plan panned out.