Okay, so today I decided to really get down to it in the gym. Had Floyd Diaz on my mind, you know, that young energy and speed. Figured I’d try and channel some of that into my own routine.
Started off just getting the body moving. Didn’t wanna jump straight into throwing punches cold. Spent a good while loosening up. Did some stretches, focused on the shoulders, hips, legs – the whole nine yards. Then I got the jump rope out. Put in about 15-20 minutes there, just getting the rhythm, getting the heart rate up a bit. Gotta wake everything up first.
Working on Handspeed
After the warm-up, I really wanted to focus on getting my hands moving quicker. Watched Diaz fight, and man, his combinations are fast. So, I went over to the speed bag first. Just worked on keeping a steady rhythm, getting that tap-tap-tap sound consistent. Tried to gradually increase the pace without losing control. It’s harder than it looks, keeping it smooth when you speed up.
Then I moved to the double-end bag. This thing really tests your accuracy and timing when you try to go fast. Threw a lot of jabs, one-twos, and tried adding quick hooks. Really focused on retracting the punches just as fast as I threw them. Lots of misses at first, haha. But started getting the feel for it. Tried putting together three, four-punch combos, keeping them short and sharp.
- Jab-Cross-Hook
- Double Jab-Cross
- Jab-Body-Head
Did rounds on that, like 3 minutes on, 1 minute rest. Felt the burn in my shoulders, for sure.
Footwork and Movement
Next up was footwork. Can’t just stand there, right? Especially thinking about that sharp movement Diaz uses. Laid down some tape lines on the floor. Practiced moving along the lines, side-stepping, pivoting quickly. Did drills moving in, throwing a quick combo, and bouncing straight back out. Tried to stay light on my feet, not planting too hard unless I was throwing.
Spent some time just shadow boxing around the ring space. Visualized an opponent. Moved laterally, cut angles, practiced slipping imaginary jabs and coming back with counters. Really tried to mimic that in-and-out style, controlling the distance. It’s tiring work, constantly moving.
Putting It Together (Sort Of)
Finished off with some pad work with my buddy. Told him I wanted to work on quick combinations and moving after punching. We didn’t go crazy hard, focused more on the flow and speed. He’d call out numbers or show targets, and I’d try to react fast, throw the shots, and then immediately move off-line. It felt good when it clicked, felt awkward when I got tangled up.
Did a few rounds of that, really pushing the pace in the last one. Was breathing pretty heavy by the end. It’s one thing to drill it alone, another to react to targets.
Wrapping Up
Cooled down with some more stretching, shaking the arms and legs out. Felt pretty spent, but in a good way. Trying to get that kind of speed and sharpness Diaz has is tough work. Definitely not there yet, obviously, but it felt productive. Focusing on those quick bursts and constant movement was the goal. Just gotta keep practicing it, build that muscle memory. Another day in the books.
