I was watching ESPN Classic a month or so ago. They (Brian Kenney, Burt Sugar, Ray Leonard, and Emanuel Stewart) were discussing the Holyfield-Bowe trilogy. Stewart said Holyfield hated roadwork and just didn't do it. Rarely did Holyfield run according to Stewart. Instead Evander lifted weights to get ready for a fight. Stewart then went on to say once Holyfield-Lewis 1 was signed he made Lewis run more than he's ever made any of his fighters run. Sometimes even twice a day and Stewart would run with Lewis just to make sure he was getting the extra roadwork in. So did anyone know about this? Its just hard for me to believe that a fighter didn't run before fights. I'm having a really hard time believing Stewart. But then again...what the hell do I know.
I remember an interview where Holyfield was talking about a big part of his working out was dancing..lol..no shit. He had a dance studio in his house and he hit the clubs almost every night. He also did a lot of rope work. Holyfield was too damn bouncy to not have done something of an aerobic nature while training.
I heard something about this on "In this corner", Russ Anber was saying that Holyfeild barely ran at all, and that his conditioning consisted of mostly lifting weights. I don't know about that, but a few heavies in the gym i go too don't run at all either.
There's some things you just have hard times believing. I always thought Holyfield's "no run" policy was insane. Shannon Briggs also never sparred before any of his fights up until the Sergei snooze-fest. Hell , this is a good topic in and of itself, what other odd training practices can we come up with. Oniel Bell used to fish by the lake . Carlos Baldomir straight hops on a deep sea fishing boat on his off season , like straight "deadliest catch" type shit. (which is ABSOLUTELY NUTS).
John Hackelman, MMA trainer, has his guys do some weird, unorthodox shit. You should check out some of the training at The Pit, interesting stuff.
The non-running/non-long distance running thing seems to be an emerging practice among "new" school training. Some believe all the conditioning is gotten by the boxing training itself- sparring, hitting bags/pads, various conditioning exercises. Sprint/interval training is one of the various tools that replaced the long slow distance run.
yeah i think the long jog is on its way out... a lot of boxers are doing the interval treadmill runs...where you jog for 1 min - run for 2.
Yea through reading training logs here on Sherdog the elite trainers still want their guys to run but not to run too much. KK knows the ratio...I think it's something like 1/2 mile for every round? But I could be wrong I'm actually pretty sure I'm wrong.
tyson when being trained by cus as a young man never sparred with headgear on. the reason being is when u got headgear on u think u can take a shot or two but without headgear ur more defensive. unless of course u have a cut or a injured eye. in tysons early career and in his initial run as champion he seldom got hit with clean shots. a testament to this training practice
I think long distance running can be replaced by longer rounds of jump rope and bag work. Running is easier than jumping rope anyways imo. I think Roy Jones and Naseem Hamed both had some unique training regimes. They each had to dedicate a portion of their sparring without the use of their hands when they were younger. I think that helped them learn to draw people in and really see their counter opportunities. I think people pull the trigger in anticipation of a good counter shot way too often. It was a good way to allow a fighter to really observe a counter opportunity and teach him to allow it to develope before striking imo.
I want to know how Salvador Sanchez trained. I read somewhere that his recovery time in between rounds was something like 30 seconds to get back to a relaxed heart rate.
I snaked this from Bodybuilding.com's write-up on the subject. Bodybuilding.com - SportSpecific.com - The Right Way To Train For Boxing! An Anaerobic Sport A boxer must train in a sport specific manner if he wishes to be successful inside the ring. Many old-school trainers continue to preach the importance of long, early morning roadwork sessions. The great majority of boxers today still run 4 or 5 miles on a daily basis. These long aerobic running sessions do little to prepare the boxer for the physical demands he will face inside the ring. Boxing is anaerobic in nature. The sport has been estimated as approximately 70-80% anaerobic and 20-30% aerobic. Anaerobic means to conduct an activity without oxygen. Anaerobic exercise, like boxing, stresses the muscles at a high intensity for short periods of time. A perfect example is a fast combination that a fighter throws in the ring. The aerobic portion of the match takes place when the boxer circles the ring, perhaps catching a quick breath. Aerobic exercise is defined as low intensity activities performed for extended periods of time. It is quite clear that a long slow distance (LSD) running is not a sport specific form of conditioning for boxing. A fighter must pattern his training after the physical demands of the sport. Why spend 100% of your time running in an aerobic manner when the sport is primarily anaerobic in nature? There is no answer to this question. Intervals Rather than wasting valuable training time with LSD running, a fighter should make more valuable use of his time by training in a sport specific manner. One of the best ways to condition the body for boxing is through interval running. Intervals consist of intense, sustained running for a set distance or time. Common intervals for boxers consist of distances of 200, 400, 600, and 800 meters. Amateur boxers fight two-minute rounds. These boxers must be prepared to fight hard for the duration of the round. The 600-meter interval will closely mimic the anaerobic demands imposed upon the body during the bout. Professional fighters fight for three-minute rounds. The 800-meter interval is perfect for these boxers. A general rule of thumb is to run one more interval than the number of rounds you will be boxing. For example, if you are fighting a four round bout, it makes sense to run five intervals. Sample Interval Routines Let's look at a sample routine: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-mile warm-up 6 x 600 meters - 1 minute rest period between each interval 800 meter cool down - light jog -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is important to run the intervals at an intense pace. You must maintain this pace for the duration of the interval. Interval training should bring your heart rate to anaerobic levels. Over time, you will gradually lower your heart rate, improve recovery time between intervals, and improve your running times. Let's look at another sample routine: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-mile warm-up 2 x 800 meters - 1 minute rest between intervals 4 x 400 meters - 1 minute rest between intervals 4 x 200 meters - 30 second rest between intervals 800 meter cool down - light jog -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interval running sessions should not be conducted on consecutive days. It is best to run intervals 2 or 3 days per week. These workouts are intense in nature. Your body will need adequate time to rest and recover. You should not run intense intervals on days that you will be sparring. It is best to save interval sessions for days when you do not box. You want to enter the ring with a fresh pair of legs. A sample routine that you can use for non-interval days is listed below: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two mile run (moderate to fast pace) Sprint 100 meters Shadow box 1 round (3-minute round) Run backwards 200 meters Sprint 100 meters Shadow box 1 round (3-minute round) Sprint 100 meters Jog with hands up throwing punches 400 meters Shadow box 1 round (3-minute round) Sprint 100 meters Run backward 100 meters Jog 400 meters Walk to cool down -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This sample workout integrates shadow boxing, sustained running, and 100-meter sprints. A similar program has been used at many US Olympic training camps. It is important to recognize the difference between sprints and intervals. Intervals require a sustained effort for extended distances. Sprints typically consist of 200 meters or less. Sprints require an all out effort, but last no more than 10-30 seconds. Both forms of running are important. A boxer must maintain his strength and explosiveness for an entire 3-minute round. It is not enough to sprint for 10 seconds at a time. A weekly running program should consist of intervals, sprints, and an occasional aerobic run. One or two distance runs per week are recommended as active rest, to give the boxer a break from the intense running sessions. Bring The Anaerobic Theme To The Gym The anaerobic nature of interval running must continue in the gym. It is recommended that a boxer perform his roadwork in the morning. By running early in the morning, the boxer has all day to rest and recover before conducting his boxing workout. The actual boxing workout will consist of two primary forms of training - skill training and conditioning. Boxing is a skill sport first. It is also a sport that requires tremendous conditioning. The most skillful fighter will have difficulty contending with an opponent who has superior anaerobic endurance and power. Boxing is not an easy sport. The road to the top is a long journey, which requires many long nights in the gym. While at the gym, the fighter must work to develop his skills and physical condition. Both areas must be emphasized. A well conditioned fighter without skills will be unsuccessful, and vice versa.
QFT! If I was a pro fighter I would do WHATEVER he did. He never stopped forcing the action and never seemed to get tired. great read GJ.
Let me say from a very personal perspective, that while i am sure Tyson did in fact spar with headgear on, that others have not. The Quarry family was legendary for not wearing headgear while training for matches. I say with the utmost respect that i feel it ruined these great men (My hero's) far before their time was due. When i first learned to box as a child, this was still a common practice throughout the Bakersfield gyms. I saw many teenagers and adults rendered unable to continue to train because of it, and am proud to say the practice is finally considered foolish. Aside from a few places where individuals still strive foolishly for that "Throw-back" moniker, most have come to realize the repercussions are too extreme for the benefits they render. Tua still does it, and I can't help but think it catches up to him someday.
While there are truths to anaerobic training for boxing, long distance running is still valuable. Rocky Marciano ran 5 miles a day. He rarely, if ever, gassed. He never even gassed enough that an opponent took advantage of. With the advances of fitness, fighters should be able to go much longer. There is no excuse for any pro athlete to gas. Unless heavy damage has been dealt and it cripples the bodies entire system...
I agree with everyone saying that LSD runs shouldnt be replaced. They can be supplemented with sprints, intervals, weights or what have you, but distance running should play a core part of a boxers training regimen.
