INPUT ARTICLE: Article: It's perfectly safe to cook salmon straight from the freezer without thawing it. However, fatty fish tend to be limp and soggy when they're not slowly thawed. For flaky, crisp fish, thaw your frozen salmon slowly in the fridge for at least 12 hours. If dinner's in an hour and your salmon is still frozen, your best option is to thaw it in hot water. Fill a container large enough to hold the salmon with hot water. Place the salmon in a zip seal plastic bag, then submerge it in the water. The water should be steaming hot (not boiling), so just turn on the hot water on your kitchen faucet. Check it after 5 minutes. If it's not soft and flexible, dump the container, refill it with fresh hot water, and thaw the fish for another 1 to 2 minutes. You shouldn't thaw salmon at room temperature for a long period of time. A quick, 5 minute hot bath isn't a food safety concern, but sitting on the countertop for a few hours is not safe. Set your oven early in the process so it has time to come to temperature. Then prep an oven-safe baking pan with cooking spray, or use a paper towel to lightly coat it with olive oil. After patting the fish with paper towels, season the salmon using your desired ingredients. Lightly seasoning the salmon with salt and pepper is simple and delicious. Other great seasoning options for salmon include lemon, minced garlic, and fresh or dried herbs, such as dill or thyme. You could brush both sides with an even coat of oil, place the fish skin side down on the baking tray, then sprinkle salt and pepper over it. If you don't have a basting brush, you can just use your hands or a spoon to spread the oil. For more complex flavors, try mixing 1/2 stick of melted butter, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 minced garlic cloves, and a tablespoon of dried dill. Brush the salmon with this mixture, then sprinkle it with pinches of salt and pepper. Before you put the salmon in the oven, measure its thickness. Bake it uncovered for the appropriate amount of time for its thickness. For instance, if a fillet is 112 inches (3.8cm) thick, check it after 12 minutes. The best way to tell if something is finished cooking is to take its temperature. Insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the fillet, and check for a temperature of 120F (49C) for wild salmon or 125F (52C) for farmed salmon. If you don't have a thermometer, use a paring knife to check the color of the thickest part of the fillet. Bright pink is rare and an opaque, pale pink is medium. Medium-rare falls in the middle. Take the salmon out of the oven and let it sit uncovered for 3 minutes. Serve it over a fresh salad or with side dishes such as rice, roasted potatoes, or steamed or sauteed veggies. You can store leftover salmon in the fridge for up to 3 days.

SUMMARY: Thaw salmon in the refrigerator overnight for best results. Thaw salmon in hot water for 5 minutes if you're in a rush. Preheat your oven to 450F (232C) and oil a shallow baking pan. Pat the fish dry and season it. Bake your salmon for 4 to 6 minutes per 12 inch (1.3cm) of thickness. Use a thermometer or check the color for doneness. Rest the salmon for 3 minutes, then serve it immediately.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Complete a series of timed rounds (8 rounds x 3 minutes, with 1 minute rest in between) and focus on your footwork. In rounds 1 and 2, circle the bag to the right, feeding a jab for every one to two steps you take. In rounds 3 and 4, circle the bag to the left, feeding a cross punch, a straight lined punch with your dominant hand, for every one to two steps. In rounds 5 and 6, circle the bag to the right and feed a 1-2 combo per every one to two steps. In rounds 7 and 8, circle the bag to the left and complete a 1-2-3 combo per every one to two steps. The goal of footwork drills is to practice moving with the bag instead of waiting for it to return to you. Walk with the bag--move with it and stay loose to avoid hopping around the bag in a stiff stance. Keep the bag an arms length away from you. Complete a series of timed rounds (6 rounds x 3 minutes, with 1 minute rest in between) while focusing on improving your speed. Stand 23 feet (0.60.9m) distance from the bag. Divide each round into 15 second intervals. In rounds 1 and 2, explode forward towards the bag in a lunge motion and jab the bag for fifteen seconds. Rest for 15 seconds and repeat until the round is over. During rounds 3 and 4, execute the same drill but substitute the jab with a 1-2 combo. Complete the same drill in rounds 5 and 6, substituting the 1-2 combo with a hook punch. Don't focus on your technique during speed drills--work on contracting your muscle quickly instead of perfecting your form. Bend your knees throughout the drill to avoid locking your joints. Focus on your breathing. Short, small breaths will help increase the speed of your hands. Another way to improve your speed is to use a speed bag, a small punching bag. Stand less than an arm's length away from the speed bag with squared shoulders. Adjust the bag's height until the bottom is level with your eyes. Keep both hands near the bag. Hit the bag with an open hand--this affords you more control over the bag--and move your hands in a small circles. Hit the bag twice with your right hand, followed by two hits with your left hand (RIGHT-RIGHT-LEFT-LEFT). Continue this pattern for an entire round. Speed bags rebound after you hit them. Before hitting the bag again, let it rebound three times--FORWARDS-BACKWARDS-FORWARDS. The power behind your punch is derived from good technique. Complete a series of timed rounds (3 minutes each, with 1 minute rest in between) and focus on punching the bag with power. Circle the bag and execute combos (1-2 combo or 1-2-3 combo). Try to hit the bag with 80% to 95% power output. Focus on the power of delivery and back it up with as much momentum and weight as possible. Repeat this drill as you feel fit. Complete a series of timed rounds (15 rounds x 2 minutes, with 1 minute rest in between) while working on enhancing your stamina. Find someone to hold the bag for you. In rounds 1 through 5, stand 12 feet (0.30.6m) distance from the bag. Explode against the bag with a combo of continuous jabs. During rounds 6 through 10, repeat this drill and substitute jabs with crosses. In rounds 11 through 15, repeat the drill. Substitute crosses for 1-2 combos. Don't hit with too much power--instead of working on how hard you can hit focus on increasing the number of punches you can complete in one round. Breath with every punch. Keep your knees bent and your shoulders square.

SUMMARY:
Practice your footwork. Work on your punching speed. Use a speed bag. Improve the strength and power of your punch. Enhance your stamina.