|
WHAT MOTIVATES A BOXER TO TRAIN HARD
I can only speak for myself, perhaps what you read here will help motivate you.
Back in my boxing training days, there were two main thoughts that I always kept in the
back of my mind. The two kept me hungry & motivated on a daily training basis:
1) When meeting your opponent in the ring or even if sparring, wondering if the other guy
trained harder than you.
2) The fear of not winning, having to face defeat, or, at the least, did I perform at my
best when it was all said & done.
Fear is a good thing, it causes you to rise to the occasion. It will get you up early in the
morning, it will get you out there to jog, or whatever is necessary in not allowing the other
guy to beat you. Mental is as important as physical training. I would always talk to myself
& set up physical challenges for myself. I would beat myself down in my head, always on
my case, always asking myself "Are you a warrior or are you weak". I would set up imposs-
ible demands. For instance, jump rope for 20-30 minutes or it might be 4-5 minutes straight
of heavy bag training.
I always believed (at least in my head) that it is better to be a quiet deadly weapon. Guys
that have to walk around shouting how they are all that, usually means they are nothing
(to me). I use to love taking them down in the ring. To hear these types in the gym
boasting, would motivate me like nothing else would. They made me train harder, I couldn't
wait for their day in the ring. When you behave like a lion, keeping to yourself, it keeps the
opponents guessing. It's like you have some big secret, others try to figure you out but
can't.
Arrogance & self assurance are two different types of athletes. The arrogant type are the
same as the talkers, they go down in the ring easy. I carried myself proud, always lending
a helping training hand to those that were pushed around by the loud mouths. This will
give you more respect than trying to demand it. I was always the 'deadly weapon' in any
gym I trained at, & never once had to tell anyone, I proved it in the ring.
Visualization is also very important. My wife Renene used it when competing in powerlifting.
After she was done with her training for the day (on heavy days), she would sit down in a
quiet corner & picture herself doing the lifts. If is was the squat, she would count out the
steps to take walking the bar out, see herself descending, popping back up, walking the
weight back in & racking it. Then the final visual would be the judges giving the green light
& the crowd roaring. She was extremely focused & never once red lighted at a meet.
Power Lifters have a lot to take from, they are true mental animals. Think about, how else
can some of those guys bench over 600 or squat more than 1000 lbs. Sure you might say
they have supplementation assistance, but their body must still rely on their mental.
When I trained, I always told myself "there is no 'Time Out' in the ring, my conditioning must
be at 100%". Fear of failure is a great motivator, it will keep you coming to the gym every
day, to only train harder every time. If you have a bad day in the gym, then get back in
there the next day & train even harder. Demand more of yourself!
It is important to have your training life organized, making goal sheets, planning out your
workouts on a weekly basis. Same goes for your personal life, keep your lifestyle, your
home, clean & organized. By doing such your training will not be distracted. When your
environment is not positive, it's hard to get motivated about anything. Arnold Schwarzen-
nager once said, it didn't matter if he had a fight with his girlfriend, he still would go to the
gym. Once he would walk into the gym, all his problems were left behind. Then afterwards
he would deal with the problem.
A simple life is the way to live, life can be set up to live it quite easily. Don't stay focused
on the negatives, pick yourself up, give it a kick & move forward. Every day I remind myself
of those that are less fortunate. Doesn't it blow you a way when you see a guy with no
arms & legs go on to become a wrestler, or the guy that lost his leg to still run track. What
motivates them, it is what you tell yourself, it is positive thinking, it is what's inside of you.
Anyone can overcome anything, you must be strong willed.
I no longer compete in boxing, but I still live my life as an athlete. I now am concerned with
living long & healthy. My diet is very healthy, I eat the same thing every week. It's simple,
just as I mentioned before, keep life simple. I lift weights 4 times a week, I ride the
stationary bike twice per week, & on Saturdays I go to the track & do conditioning drills. I
run the cones (sprints), I push the football dummy around the field, I run the stadium stairs,
plus. Also, I keep up my boxing skills by doing several boxing drills 2-3 times a week.
It just feels good to be in great physical condition & be the best I can be.
Joe Leinhauser
|
