EVER wondered why the big punchers use strength and conditioning? Or do you believe that having knockout power is something you are blessed with?
It is true that the ability to throw devastating punch is highly dependent on skill, technique and genetics. However, Boxing Science feel that the knockout kings still need strength and conditioning, probably even more than other boxers.
We explain the main reasons 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 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 former British, Commonwealth and European Super-Bantamweight champion Kid Galahad:
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.
For instance a boxer who complained a pain in his left Achilles was limiting him from running at high speeds, therefore restricting the time spent in the red zone. There was 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, it shows a small variation that can make a big difference to someones training performance.
Click below for part two
This week we are highlighting the importance of strength and conditioning for the knockout kings, even if you don’t think they need it.
Anthony Joshua has often been criticised lately about how much work he does in the weight room, being too bulky and just doing it for the scales. We don’t agree with this as we have already explained that strength and conditioning is much more than throwing weights around.
There are always questions whether ‘AJ’ will carry his punching force when stepping up to the world scene, fighting the likes of Haye, Klitschko, Wilder and Fury.
So far so good, and that’s because Joshua is a forward thinker, with the next fights in mind. Perfecting his skills as well as being a huge advocate of S&C to help boost his performance and accelerate his progression through the ranks.
This article will explain how S&C is important for those stepping up through the ranks.
Stepping up through the ranks
So you have knocked out most of your opponents so far, but have you reached the top of your weight division yet?
What’s going to happen when you step up to a higher level of opposition and you have the same punch force as before? What about if they can take your punches with ease?
If you have experience in blowing your opponents away, you probably have lightening hand speed and great technique, something that S&C might not improve massively.
However, a boxer can improve ‘effective mass’, this is the stiffening of muscles upon impact of a punch that can be improved through strength and punch specific training. This exercise here is a great way in improving effective mass.
The Best Way Of Improving Effective Mass is…
Developing the strength and relative muscle mass of the core muscle…
And the most effective way to develop that is heavy compound lifts!
Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press … Eventually moving onto Olympic lifting.
This Takes Time…..
You can’t just walk into the gym and get strong over night. A lot of boxers seek the ‘magic wand’ effect by taking up strength and conditioning when they are stepping up to a higher level, expecting a massive change in just 10 weeks.
S&C is a journey…. just like Boxing
So we say why wait? The earlier you start strength and conditioning the better.
We encourage boxers as young as 10 years old to develop a range of movement patterns to prepare for future training that focuses on strength development. Learning and improving fundamental movement patterns will lead to increased muscular force production and overall motor skill proficiency.
Wouldn’t you want to go through these stages as early as possible so you are prepared for more advanced training methods when fighting at the highest level?
Click below for part three
Dependent on ability and length of bout, boxers can throw between 100’s or even 1000’s of punches in a single contest. Carl Froch threw a massive 1034 shots when he faced Mikkel Kesslerfor the 2nd time in 2013, 135 of these were deemed as ‘Power Punches’ (Compubox 2013).
This shows that boxers are required to perform repeated explosive actions over an extended period of time to be successful.
Rounds 10-12 are often defined as the championship rounds, where a fight can either be won or lost. So wouldn’t you want to be hitting as hard in these rounds as you were in the first?
In this article we will explain the benefits of strength and conditioning on improving the ability of punching harder for longer.
Take Your Power To The Later Rounds…
There is limited data on strength training and the ability to punch harder for longer, however we can use findings from other athlete populations and adapt it to boxing.
There is an abundance of research suggesting that strength training can lead to improved endurance capacity in top-level endurance athletes.
The enhancement in endurance capacity appears to involve training-induced increases in the proportion of type IIA muscle fibers, maximal muscle force and rate of force development (read more here).
Good for boxers: Having the fitness in the later rounds so you can stay focused on the game plan, concentrated during combinations and energy to throw powerful shots.
It’s hard to mix the two
Training for strength and aerobic fitness can be difficult as the training types conflict. A reduction in strength adaptations could result from neuromuscular fatigue limiting the maximal muscle force that can be produced. A converse reduction in aerobic capacity from concurrent strength and aerobic endurance training has been reported.
But we need to train both to be fitter, faster and stronger in the ring.
To make sure we are ticking all the boxes, we strategically use Concurrent Training.
Concurrent Training
There has been a lot of research supporting the benefits of concurrent training. This is the combination of strength and endurance training within the same training phase. Concurrent training has seen improvements on muscle strength, muscle endurance, and maximal aerobic capacity.
These findings suggest that when performed strategically with athletes, concurrent strength and aerobic endurance training has complimentary effects, rather than contradictory.
Practical Applications
This is like opening a can of worms as there are many things to consider from a generic view, but everything needs to be tailored to the individuals needs. What is their current training status? When and how often do they compete? What is their training schedule?
Here are a few general tips when structuring concurrent training plans.
- A range of tests should be set to determine an athletes strength diagnostics, aerobic and anaerobic capacities.
- Low rep ranges during strength training to reduce muscle soreness and fatigue.
- Target your HIIT training to develop aerobic capacity to reduce lactic acid accumulation.
- Structure strength and aerobic training on different days, as well as progressive overload and de-load weeks.
Low load mobility / strength circuits performed at slow tempo, this promotes muscle protein synthesis to maintain muscle mass.
For more information on Boxing Science training programmes click HERE.
