FIGHTERS can often over-train, try to train through illness or injury and cause a deficit in their progress. This post examines one of the techniques employed by a fighter to know when to rest.
To begin, it is very important to keep track of your results so you can monitor improvements. It is also a good idea to keep a daily record of resting heart rates. Make sure to keep these readings consistent however, as a regular time and state of rest (lying down or sitting in a chair) will provide for more accurate comparisons. I recommend recording your resting heart rate upon waking whilst lying in bed. *There are many free-to-use apps available for your smartphone to measure heart rates.
A rough guide for resting heart rates in beats per minute is as follows; 45 and below Elite Athlete, 46-55 Excellent, 56-65 Good, 66-70 Average, 71-76 below average, 77+ poor. As your training, diet and sleep patterns improve, so too will your resting heart rate. It is a simple and effective way to gauge improvements and track progress.
Once you have established a baseline resting heart rate, you can use this information in times of doubt. For example if your heart rate is 5-8 beats above average and you are feeling lethargic or tired, then take a lighter training day or recovery period until it resumes to normal. Athletes and fighters especially will try to ‘fight’ through illness and injury, which is of course imperative to success, but only when there is no other option! Preventing injury, illness and maintaining quality is certainly more important.
Click HERE for the Part 1, getting back into training
World title challenger Frank Buglioni will box next on March 26 at the Wembley Arena, a show featuring the Nick Blackwell vs Chris Eubank Jnr British title fight
