Personal Trainer NYC | Free Fitness Blogs

Well last night I thought I was going to party hardy. So instead of a disco nap hubby and I decided to catch the re-run of the first two episodes of The Contender on ESPN. This show is sooooo much better than WORKOUT on Bravo.

Actually the best part for me (besides the fight) is to listen to the trainers. Tommy Gallagher spits out priceless info everytime he opens his mouth, and I wish they’d show more in depth footage of him working with each boxer. Jeremy Williams is AWESOME in the corner. That guy knows how to keep a guy focused and keep him on task when the fight gets hairy.

And Sugar Ray? There’s only ONE for a reason. I hope they show more of him talking to the athletes.

The fights are BRUTAL and fast. Though only 5 rounds it really does show who the better athlete is. It’s not like anyone is used to the environment they’re in, they have to handle the ‘group house’ dynamics, the ‘team’ dynamics and stay on weight and if they’re smart, ready to fight at all times.

Since fighters are used to having control over what happens before they fight it’s interesting to see them deal with very little control and how they handle all the mental BS. I haven’t had time to check out all their records yet…but once I do it will make it more fun to watch.

Earlier in the evening I watched a 12 round welterweight bout on HBO, where one fighter was having his first fight at a weight 7lbs heavier than he was used to - and the other fighter was used to being at that weight and very comfortable. The difference was obvious right from the beginning - even though the fighter new to the heavier weight was doing much better than in his previous bouts where he’d be so depleted and drained from the weight loss that it affected his performance negatively, he still wasnt able to have his punches land with the impact he’d hoped. He was used to hitting smaller dudes, and it was pretty obvious that he didnt have a back-up plan for that - he lost. They did do an interview with the guy’s strength & conditioning coach - the trainer had good stuff and works in heavy intervals, which I love.

Now back to the Contender, the second fight had a younger taller heavier guy Rudy fighting a serously seasoned veteran at thatweight class. Rudy had some great moments…that kid can definately FIGHT, and he can think well while he does it, and once he got focused, he stayed focused. BUT he had to cut 12 pounds the night before the fight. I don’t care if it’s part of the sport or not, it’s got to be a factor if you lose. The other guy Bravo, was thrown off his game for a little while, but he basically pummeled this kid, there were so many uppercuts to the chin that at one point I couldn’t watch.

But I watched, and was riveted. I’m hooked now too. Maybe I’ll get out to dance tonight :)

posted by Personal Trainer NYC :: TW Training NYC @ 8:41 PM