I'm frustrated with pursuing a sport.?

[Lois]

Since I was 13 years old I was into lifting weights. Now that i'm 16, I stopped lifting weights to do something more physical. So I want to start boxing. But growing up I haven't been around sports at all and I feel very uncoordinated.

This bothers me because I guess i'd consider myself a workaholic and I work out excessively, in safe amounts though. Though I can't help but feel being fit and strong will make up for what I feel is uncoordination. I'm miserable at catching and I guess I feel like catching is so basic that if you can't do it well, then i'm doomed.

But yet I can hit the speed bag pretty well. I've tried throwing the tennis ball against the wall and catching and that isn't a big problem, but catching a football or a peice of candy has given me a hard time.

Alot of boxers grew up on the streets, I saw Roy Jones Jr and Bernard Hopkins in a documentary and they played some basketball, and so did Tyson and alot of boxers pursue sports in Highschool and then later do boxing. Is an athlete overall good at any sport? Can you excel at one sport and still be bad at others?

I hate getting such high expectations because i'm physically suited for an athlete and leaving people turned off by the idea of me on there team.

 

[Lisabelle]

A lot of people are put off sport for similar reasons so don't feel bad.

You would be fit from lifting weights, however lifting weights wont go a long way for playing sport because sport requires the use of specific muscles in a specific way. In fact if you work out in a certain way, then go to play a sport which uses the opposing muscles, you will be hindering your performance.

Also before you can start to gain muscle in the appropriate areas to start getting really good at your sport of choice, which appears to be boxing, your neuron transmitters (the signals to your muscles) will need to adapt (this is why you feel unco-ordinated and unfit, they havent been trained in that way before) and this will usually take about 8 weeks! So you will need to be patient.

I highly recommend that you see a personal trainer at least once, just to get some ideas and recommendations on what and how to train for boxing if this is what you wish to persue.

I recommend working the biceps, triceps, deltoids, pectoralis, latissimus dorsi and trapezius (upper arm, shoulder, upper back, abdominals, side abdominals and pecs).

As boxing is a dynamic sport (it is quick sharp bursts of activity) you need power, power is a combination of both speed and strength. Speed being very important. So train for speed, instead of using huge weights and lifting slowly, use lighter weights that you can lift quickly. Train using a motion similar to that of boxing. So hold weights and jump and punch with them.

Also plyometrics is a good one of boxing (google that or ask your trainer).

But just be patient, give your body time to adjust, just keep reminding yourself it takes about 8 weeks, and don't give up.