Training Methods of the Old-time Boxers

[Sturmgewehr]

very useful thread.

I enjoyed the long reads

 

[TexasDrugAddict**]

hitting the heavy bag

 

[The Fan Man]

As a frame of reference, here are some daily routines I've found online of heavyweight champions

Bob Fitzsimmons

6:30 AM - Rises, bathes, dresses.
7:00 AM - Sherry and eggs
7:05 AM - Rides on bicycle (15 Miles)
8:15 AM - Breakfast
9:30 AM - Goes 15 miles afoot
11:30 AM - Has rubdown and rests
1:00 PM - Dinner
3:00 PM- Works in gymnasium
5:00 PM - Shower, bath and rubdown
6:00 PM - Supper
8:00 PM - Bed

Ken Norton
4:15 AM - Stretch, 3

 

[Radical Jack**]

Ken Norton
4:15 AM - Stretch, 3

 

[The Fan Man]

Ken Norton only ate two fatty meals a day with 12 hours between each meal? He also only slept less than 6 hours at night? I know there have been a lot of advances in Sports Science and nutrition since the 70's, but Jesus Christ I would think even back then the trainers would know better than that.

He did go back to sleep after his morning cardio work. But yeah, his breakfast looks like something from Man vs. Food.

 

[Sock Puppet]

i'd say its a combination of better training techniques and much better diets now.

 

[lukewall]

i'd say its a combination of better training techniques and much better diets now.

Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit. You think the HWs of today are more conditioned than the ones from the 70's that fought 15 rounds? What in the last 30 years of training has improved to create better and more well conditioned boxers? Boxing is boxing. Fighters have been doing the same shit for the past century: roadwork, bag work, rounds on the mitts, sparring, body conditioning.

 

[Beautiful Bro**]

Jack Dempsey​

Wow, look at that bacne, he obviously was on the juice.


















No, but thanks for the thread and people who contributed, I love reading about history, especially prizefighting history.

 

[TexasDrugAddict**]

I was just reading up on old Jim Jefferies and saw something strange.(by todays standards anyway)

On Friday, June 9th of 1899, heavyweight champion Robert Fitzsimmons once again tipped the scales at 167lbs as he entered the ring for his second title defense. Challenger James Jeffries had slimmed down for his big shot at the title in anticipation of having to keep up with the smaller champion and weighed in at a career-low 206lb. Still, the physical difference between the two men couldn't have been more striking; Fitzsimmons, owning the physique that defied all traditional concepts of the athletic form, against Jeffries, whose anatomy conveyed the appearance of a classical Greek statue come to life. A curious crowd filled the Greater New York Athletic Center near Coney Island, braving torrential rains and oppressive summer humidity to see the heavyweight champion of the world make his first "real" defense.

I didn't realize that he was so much bigger than Bob Fitz when they fought. i thought by that time bob was already around 200lbs, not 160. i mean to give up a 40lb weight adv. take balls to me.

 

[TexasDrugAddict**]

Roy jones jr.

5 mile runs in the morning followed by squats
* Basketball after lunch
* Boxing Routine:
o 1) Several rounds of warming up and press ups
o 2) 12 rounds of boxing (pads/sparring/bags)- 4 minute rounds all the time
o 3) 16 minutes each on speedball and floor-to-ceiling ball
o 4) 1200 reps on the abs (he had gradually increased total amount of reps on the abs over time)
o 5) 16 minutes of skipping
o 6) Stretching
* Training took up 6-7 hours of his day.




Roy's nutritional plan:
Breakfast- fruit
Lunch- Chicken Salad, Vegetables, Pasta
Dinner- Protein source like chicken

He never had any alcohol or drugs enter his body ever.
Supposedly during training with his father, he never womanized or masturbated to keep his aggression levels high.

 

[mozfonky]

fascinating thread guys, however, i don't believe everything i see read about training routines, people have a way of exagerating or minimizing things. Not to say that the old timers are lying but on the whole, I just don't usually believe everything. Herschel walker has said he does thousands of pushups and situps each day and rarely sleeps more than three hours and only eats soup and bread, that's all too much for me to believe, however, he is correct when he says he lives like his ancestors who "worked hard all day" and "lived a long time". Everything is just so hard to gauge from anecdotes and stories. Jeffries saying he got stronger from not eating is interesting, maybe he just felt stronger because he was lighter. I also don't put too much credence in diet either, as americans we all get tons of protein and the majority of us are not that muscular or healthy looking, and in my case, no diet really helped to make me develop muscles or really get super super lean, our genes shape a lot of things as well as our habits. Some of the strongest biggest guys I've known never exercised, welll.,, i guess, the main point is everyone is different and we have to find what works for us.

 

[amhlilhaus]

the fans of today's 'superior training and nutrition' remind me of the liberals, they just say something without backing it up and assume the case is closed.

not one can name a new exercise or technique that today's fighters use in the ring that can be truly said to be revolutionary