Page 11 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 39

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Strength and Conditioning for Boxers and Athletes
Should boxers lift weights? Do boxers lift weights?
By Jorge Luis
seem to have a reputation as an old
I school guy and trainer. In fact I
am. So, should boxers weight train
or to use the more popular term,
do strength and conditioning? The
answer to that is -Yes! Simply put, a
stronger athlete is a better athlete... and how much they move during
Period. However the strength
training has to be functional to the
relative sport and must meet the
demands of the sport. I hear, all
the time, cardio is overrated and
not necessary. Weight training
will cover everything. Not true.
Anyone who says that has never
been inside a ring or cage and
actually fought. Trust me, if you
have no cardio you get defeated
and quickly. As the old adage
goes “fatigue makes cowards of
us all”.
A boxer cannot strength train
like a body builder. A boxer does
not want to have flaring lats and
monster traps and big bulging
biceps. It looks good and you
do get bigger and stronger, but it
is not applicable to boxing nor is
it functional. If your opponent
is going to make your heart rate
accelerate and make you gasp for
air, it only makes sense to make
this happen in training. Cardio
is not only running or cycling or
swimming but performing the
activity you’re training for at a
pace and rate to make you feel
the stress; stressing the athlete
mentally and physically the way
he will be stressed in an actual
bout. Train hard = fight easier.
I personally advocate for power
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lifting movements for boxers work the bag because he was too roadwork to ensure you will be
like heavy squats, bench press, sore and tired from strength and able to endure and go the distance.
and dead lift all in an explosive conditioning. Emanuel cut the Strength and conditioning are
manner. Olympic-style lifting, like weight training to 2-3 times a supplements to the overall
clean and jerk and snatch as well. week, roadwork “outside” became picture, not the focus of training.
They are explosive and use many regular 3-4 times a week and Remember “perfect practice
groups of muscles at once. They training in the boxing gym was 5 makes perfect performance”.
increase tendon strength. I also times a week 1.5 - 2 hour sessions. Strive for perfection.
quite like sledge hammer work for One day off in the week, 1 day In closing...I want to wish all
fighters. It works the grip, hands, off on the weekend. Evander sports and fight fans a Happy,
forearm, core, and legs...and taxes fl ourished, actually gained weight,
Healthy and Fulfilling New Year.
the cardio. Flipping tires, pushing and regained his title against Reach for your dreams and never
and pulling a weighted sled, and Riddick Bowe. Emanuel was
of course body weight exercises partial to the old school ways but give up. Be all you can be and
such as pull-ups, pushups, squats, felt a stronger athlete was a better strive to be the best. You will
burpees, etc. work strength and athlete. never know if you don’t try.
cardio. Many feel running does not Find out what you are made of
However strength training does and how far you can go. Many
transfer its benefits over to the ring
or cage. Well next time you watch NOT take the place of actual thanks to the City of Cornwall,
a boxing match or MMA match skills training and practise on our great City Council, and the
watch how many steps they take targets and in the ring; using your Parks and Recreation Department
muscles the way you will use for extending Champs Eastside
them in the ring or the cage. And Boxing’s contract. Thank you,
the course of the match. Running
prepares the legs in a functional roadwork is Road-Work...meaning for giving us a chance and our
way that cannot be duplicated by working out on the road, jogging, youth an opportunity to excel. To
any machines. stopping to shadowbox, doing my recreational members strive to
some sprints, some pushups, and be your best, to my competitors
I advocate training with free sit-ups, then continuing running, reach for your dreams, don’t be
weights, not machines, as much running backwards, forwards, side afraid to try. Let’s make it our best
as possible, unless you have a to side. Use your legs in training year ever. To Tony, my son, may
particular weak muscle group the way you will use them in your dreams come true. Let’s win
you want to isolate and develop. the ring. Makes sense!? Guess a World Title and not just fi ght for
I was once or twice told that what, the old time boxers like Joe one. To my friends and family
weight training would cut my Luis, Rocky Marciano, and Ali all many blessings and thank you,
boxers’ training in half. In other trained like this. Many old timers and last but not least Thank You
words more time in the weight dug ditches, hauled bundles of to my wife, Elaine for putting up
room translates to less time in shingles, chopped wood, and used with me and this crazy life boxing
the boxing gym....Not true. A a hammer and a saw. They worked is.
fitness guru once told me a boxer by day, trained by night, jogged in Just a short addition- Jorge, it
should only run 1 maybe 2 times the morning before work. One may be a crazy and hectic life at
a week; train on techniques 2-3 example of this was Marvelous times but one that I embrace and
times a week, max 1 - 1.5 hours Marvin Hagler, who worked truly enjoy...it isn’t only my love
and weight train 3-4 times weekly construction by day and trained for you that keeps me involved
1.5 - 2 hours. Is something wrong at night ‘til he became World but my passion for combat sports
with this picture? The emphasis is Champion. He built functional (which was there long before you
on weights and strength. strength and was built like a brick came along) and for making a
The great trainer, Emanuel house. difference in the lives of those we
Steward, of Detroit MI, who Remember weights are great, train. There is nowhere I would
ran the famous Kronk Gym and but not the only way to build rather be - looking forward to
produced 7 or 8 world champions strength. Improvise; get stronger the year ahead and many more
from scratch, told me when he doing what you’re doing. Strength adventures.
trained Evander Holyfield, that’s training helps but does not replace
how he trained. Cardio was done technical skill training and practise Happy New Year
on machines; strength training with partners, bag and mitt work, One and All
was done almost daily. Evander and shadow boxing to correct Yours in youth
sometimes came to the boxing mistakes picked up by the coach in and all combat sports
gym and refused to spar and sparring and shadow boxing, and Jorge Luis and Elaine Luis