TOO strong for your opponents already? Got a record with a high percentage knockout rate?
Maybe you feel that don’t need strength and conditioning then?
Boxing Science feel that the knockout kings still need strength and conditioning, probably even more than other boxers.
Here’s why S&C is important for even the biggest punchers in the sport.
Reduce likelihood of injury
Through observation, boxers are very anterior dominant, this makes them at risk of injury either through overuse of muscles/joints or weakness down the posterior chain. This is mostly around the shoulders and hips.
Boxers that had poor shoulder mobility with low scores (1.62 out of 3) during a functional movement screen (FMS). Poor shoulder mobility often creates overactive anterior deltoid and upper traps, causing the middle and lower traps become weak which affects the natural movement of the shoulder and arm. This can also cause shoulder impingement, rotator cuff weakness/injuries and lower-back injuries.
These risks are greater for the ‘Knockout kings’ as they are throwing punches at high speeds and have to absorb large impact forces, therefore can become more susceptible to injury.
Check out this shoulder mobility circuit we did for central area super-bantamweight champion Muheeb Fazeldin.
It’s not just about avoiding injury when punching…
High intensity interval running is our primary way to condition a boxer, however a boxer that has not done any movement or strength training may find muscular imbalances. This can determine how a boxer runs, subsequently affecting the training load achieved in a session or increasing the likelihood of injury.
The video below are observations of a boxer who complained of a pain in his left Achilles was limiting him from running at high speeds, therefore restricting the time spent in the red zone. You can see that there is a greater angle created from the left foot to the right, increasing the pressure on the left Achilles tendon. Although the analysis tool is not the most accurate method of analyzing running technique, the video shows a small variation that can make a big difference to someones training performance.
