Boxing is a physically demanding contact sport. Boxers must be able to move, block and punch continuously throughout a fight, and therefore must have high levels of stamina to perform these explosive movements on a continuous basis. Endurance training is a vital ingredient of a boxing stamina training program. Fighters must be prepared to fight for up to 12 three-minute rounds.
Types
Boxers need to develop both aerobic and anaerobic stamina when training for a fight. Road running is a popular aerobic stamina training exercise. Jogging for 30 to 60 minutes on three or four days of the week can develop a good aerobic fitness base for a boxer. Anaerobic fitness can be developed through interval training. BoxingTraining.net recommends jogging for one minute and 45 seconds, then sprinting at top speed for 15 seconds and walking for one minute as active rest. Repeat this cycle for 20 to 40 minutes.
Effects
Aerobic training will force a boxer to breathe quickly and more deeply. The Mayo Clinic states that aerobic training maximizes the amount of oxygen in the blood. Interval training, on the other hand, increases a boxer's tolerance to lactic acid. Boxer who develop high lactic acid tolerance will be able to consistently throw punches throughout a fight, maintaining their speed and power. High tolerance to lactic acid will also allow a boxer to recover more fully in the intervals between rounds.
Significance
Speed, strength and power are of little value in the later rounds of a fight unless a boxer possesses the stamina to maintain his level of performance. Tiring in the later rounds of a boxing match can leaving a boxer without punching power, unable to hurt his opponent and throwing punches that are slower and easy to avoid. Tiring in the later rounds can also lead a slow boxer at the mercy of heavy blows landed more easily by a fresher and fitter opponent.
Time Frame
Stamina training is most effective when done on an ongoing basis. Boxers will often intensify their training in the months leading up to a boxing match. Boxing trainer Ross Enamait explains that it is common for a fighter to use 12 weeks to prepare for a fight. A boxing stamina training program is a vital component of any pre-fight preparation.
Considerations
Boxers need to perform a thorough warm-up and stretching routine before any stamina training session. Boxers must also make any stamina training as sport-specific as possible. Running and interval training are good, but do not prepare the entire body. Sparring in high-intensity rounds with an opponent or hitting moving pads is a necessary addition to fight preparation.
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