My 4 week conditioning program (weights)

I’m now coming to a finish with my current weight program.  I’ve never really liked weights, but I’ve actually really gotten into this.  I keep myself pretty busy with a 4 day program, however I do it 2 days on, one day rest, then two days on again.  It’s pretty intence as I end up training about 5 days/week, but I enjoy it.

I also do sprints as my cardio, rather then doing a long cardio session.  I find this gets my heart rate up and keeps it high for my whole workout.  Because I’m trying to burn fat I do cardio first but if you want to build muscle you should do it after weights (if you’re not to tired).

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Fighting through the Pain of Injury

Jaime Ward at the 2010 Winter Sugoi shoot running on a very sprained foot

My physio once said to me “It isn’t the best athletes that make it to all these big competitions, like the Olympics. It’s the athlete’s who aren’t injured.” Well man, am I ever hearing that! I’ve always thought of myself as a walking accident, but for some reason I can pull it off in the ring and manage not to get hurt or do something stupid that will lead to injury. Unfortunately out of the ring is a different story.

You see the problem with boxing is that most of the time you’re on your tows, moving left to right and doing lots of skipping. There are also alot of plyometrics and calisthenics involved in boxing cross-training, not to mention the fact that I run almost every day anywhere from 7 -18km! So foot problems are almost unavoidable. In the last six years I have had two knee surgeries and steadily suffered stress fractures, overly tight calf muscles and just recently suffered a very bad stint of shin splints (which is the worse, I’d rather have knee surgery a third time). This summer has been particular bad for injury as I had these shin splints for about six week – which inconveniently showed right at the seasons start. So what to do? Well everyone had their suggestion, rest, ice, new shoes… Ya, ya, heard all that, NOT WORKING! So finally I sucked it up and went to see my physio. We did a series of treatment that involved ultrasound, laser, message, acupuncture, massage and finally taping (which was the saving grace!) He had me up and running within a week! Thank God, I though… Read more

Be accountable… to someone else

I have spent the last three years of my boxing career being ONLY accountable to myself. Now, I’m not saying this isn’t a good thing, because it really is! I am pretty strong willed and I can push myself pretty hard and be pretty strict with myself. I’ve got way to much drive and I’m also probably the hardest person on myself. But sometimes I slip up, and because I only have to answer to myself it can happen more often then I like.

Most people find it much easier to be accountable to someone else rather then themselves. This is because when you’re accountable to yourself you can justify almost anything. “Oh, it’s okay if I have a WHOLE box of cookies because today is my cheat day and really I did an extra 3km on my run and I’m going to be sparring tomorrow so it’ll make up for it”. And then what do you go and do? Eat a BOX OF COOKIES!! (yes I’ve done this… and I had to go run on my day off and I felt really guilty). When you’re accountable to someone else you don’t have as much room to screw up of justify things because you have to answer to them – and I guarantee they will NOT buy your cookie story. Read more