Initial steps to becoming a great boxer:

1. Listen to your body and take it slow and easy when you’re loosening up or doing your warm-ups. Never, ever, discount an injury, no matter how slight.

2. Dress appropriately by always wearing loose, comfortable clothing and the proper shoes—sneakers for running and boxing shoes for sparring.

3. You do your roadwork six days a week, taking one day off and include intervals of sprints and uphill climbs. If you only have time for one exercise in a day, make that exercise running. You must run no matter what the weather is like.

4. If you start an exercise, you must complete it! You can lighten up or slow down but you can never quit. Once that bell sounds there’s no quitting.

5.  Each workout needs to be goal oriented.

6. Skill tasks should be done first, don’t let fatigue interfere with learning. In other words you do your conditioning last.

7. Take the extra time to insure that you wrap your hands properly.

8. Shadow box for form using the mirror – it’s the best coach in the gym.

9. You first work on your stance, which means chin down, hands up, elbows in, knees bent, weight on the balls of your feet and maintain the triangle.

10. Always keep in mind that speed and form are the most important considerations.

11. Workouts should be short and spirited. You never sit down during a workout – keep moving.

12. The use of the heavy bag is for working on combinations and developing power.

13. Supervised sparring should only be done when you’re fresh and can learn.

14. You spar with smaller men for speed, and the bigger men for power.

15. Always use the large 16 oz. gloves for training and sparring.

16. Always put Vaseline on your face before each sparring session.

17. There is a good reason for sparring for three minute intervals. It gives your mind an opportunity to develop a three minute, mental clock, the same time period they use for rounds in real competition.

18. Avoid dehydration by always having a sufficient supply of water on hand.

19. Never give in to your body, remembering that your mind is a million times stronger.

20. As quick as you throw a punch at your target, you quickly bring it back to the on-guard position.

21. Why they say your jab is so important? 1) The jab measures the distance between you and your opponent, 2) It is used to set up other punches and 3) You can score with it as a solid blow.

22. Since the Hook is the most difficult punch to throw properly, it’s important you perfect the jab and right hand first. The power of this punch is generated by body torque and turning the punch over. It’s thrown as if you are hitting your opponent with your shoulder.

23. You never make the uppercut the last punch of a combination. Likewise, you always follow the right with a hook and the left with a straight right to close you up defensively.

24. A good boxer moves their head, comes in and out, as well as circles an opponent, recalling that old adage, a moving target is always harder to hit.

25. Good footwork means your feet coincide with the movement and placement of punches. What you want to do is control the punching distance and keep your chin in the shoulder of the hand you just punched with.

26. Abdominal exercises should be done in every workout.

27. Always cool down and stretch after a training session.

28. Keep things consistent: sleep (a minimum of 8 hours), regular meals, and exercise, which excludes any use of drugs or alcohol.

29. Never lose weight unnaturally e.g. with pills or supplements. Make your diet a way of life.

30. After learning all the angles, all the tricks from as many coaches as possible, you then move on to the coach that makes you feel the most comfortable. The one you can truly trust.