IBF European middleweight champion Joe Mullender discusses winter training
English and IBF European middleweight champion, ‘Smokin’ Joe Mullender (11-2) is known for his all-action, relentless style of fighting, which is complemented perfectly with his no-nonsense, straight-talking, brutally honest persona.
The 31-year-old from Brentwood, signed to Frank Warren, gives BBN an exclusive insight into his uncensored opinions every week with his popular column, ‘Straight Talkin’.
The Winter Blues
Winter is the hardest season to train in but it’s also the best, because the cold weather makes your body work harder to maintain its core temperature, allowing more calories to be spent.
Calorie burn is higher in the cold because the body has to use more energy to stay warm. The flip side of that is that it’s harder to get going and to motivated to train when it’s so bloody cold outside.
A lot of people I know don’t like training in the cold, but, to be honest, I don’t find training in the winter any harder at all.
The only thing I really don’t like is walking into a freezing cold gym and having to get out of your clobber.
I would definitely agree that it takes longer to get going in the winter, especially on the roads or in a cold gym, it takes more time to get yourself going and it’s definitely harder to get warmed up.
We train in converted squash courts, so it’s freezing cold in winter and baking hot in summer. We don't have the luxury of a purpose built facility with air con or heaters in.
There’s always more chance of injuries in the cold weather, so you’ve got to prepare properly. I warm up for a long routine anyway, because I’m like a piece of lead, I’m always tight.
I know should do more stretching, but it bores you tears don’t it. I’d much rather be doing heavy strength work than stretching.
I’ve done hot yoga before, but it’s one of them, ain’t it, if I told my mrs I was going yoga every week, she’d probably think I was going the other way, if you know what I mean! I can’t get myself motivated to go when I train two to three times a day already. Maybe if I didn’t have kids and family at home and had more time for myself, I could do it regularly, but the other lads in the gym would soon take the piss.
I know fighters in my stable that absolutely hate the cold so don’t wanna’ train. We got one of the lads in the gym, Chrissy, that just can’t bear the cold, he gets on with it but he’s fucking moaning the whole time!
I’m not one of those that like to go to Tenerife for training in the heat, I prefer to stay at home in my routine and just get on with the cold conditions, it doesn’t bother me.
As soon as I’ve got a fight date that I’m heading towards, then it’s head down, training hard, and just getting on with it, despite the conditions.
To follow Joe on Twitter, click here @joe_mullender
For tickets to the next fight, please call 07904 719 639
Joe would like to thank his sponsors LMAC Construction, J.Ebsworth Brickwork Services, Grilla Fitness, Alexander Rhodes Associates, AB Salute Gym and Agent Tim Rickson