Performance Edge Chiropractic PC: A boxer's workout

Are you an aspiring boxer or maybe a pro looking for that added edge? Well, your training is a big part of how far you’re going to go whether your goals are recreational or professional. The training needed in boxing is second to none among athletic sports. In other words, no one trains harder then a boxer. The important thing is to train smart and hard. A good training program should include cardio, strength training, flexibility, balance, and nutrition.

CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING:

Cardio is the part of training where you’re going to gain the most wind. The boxer with a better cardiovascular endurance is going to win the 12 round fight. A good workout program incorporates 30-45 minutes, 3-5 days a week. This is similar to the time spent during a 12 round fight. A good way to see if you’re working hard enough during a cardio session is to do a talking test. You should be working hard enough that you can “just” keep a conversation with your training partner. Or if training alone, check your heart rate. A good estimate for a targeted training pace is to calculate (220-age) X 75-85%. This will let you know how hard you’re working. It’s a good idea to switch the cardio up so the joints don’t get over taxed. Try rotating between the treadmill, stationary bike, rower, elliptical machine and jump rope. If the weather is nice, try running and cycling outside adding hills to make sure you hit the body from different angles.

Another important part of boxing is the last 10 or 20 seconds of a round. You want to be sure to finish each round strong so the round come your way. Once or twice a week you should be sure to add interval training to your routine. This will help you power through those last few minutes of the round when you usually get tired. After a good warm up, you should do 8-12 X 30 second intervals at a high pace. Make sure your feeling the burn after each repetition. Or, you can once again use your heart rate, (220-age) X 95-110%. Give yourself 30 seconds to a minute between repetitions. This can be accomplished on all your cardio machines. Plus, add the upper body Ergo meter/ upper body crank (looks like a bike for your arms) at least once a week, twice if possible, with the same method of training.

STRENGTH TRAINING:

Strength training is the next step. Now that you can take punches, we have to make sure you to give them. There is no need for individual body part specialization. A good old circuit 3-4 times a week is all you need, tapering down to 2 and then 1 a week as you reach the fight date. Work each major body part, 8-12 exercises total. Alternate upper body and lower body exercises to give the body some rest; 8-12 repetitions works very well or you can do a minute on each machine. Speed is not the important thing during strength training. You want to go slow and allow the muscle to work. No momentum. No cheating. If it’s easier, count 2 seconds out and 4 seconds in, always holding at the top for a second.

A sample work out would be as follows:

Bench press

Squats

Seated rows

Dead lifts

Shoulder press

Leg extensions

Bicep curls

Leg curls

Triceps’ curls

Calve raise

Do one minute on each machine. No resting in between machines. Run through the workout 3-4 times per training session, 3-4 times a week. Taper down as the fight nears. If you’re looking for a little extra zing, do a similar workout, but starting with upper body and then ending with lower body exercises, adding a 1 minute sprint on the cardio machine in between exercises.

FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE TRAINING:

Now that you have endurance and strength, what about making sure you can handle yourself when things get unsteady or you start to feel tight? This is something I would add at the end of your training day. Balance exercises take a lot of core strength. If you use these up first, you will notice your lacking something during the first two parts of training. Balance exercises can be done by simply training on a Wobble board or a BOSU, anything that will lead you to focus on your abdominals, lower back, quads, and hamstrings. Learn to stabilize on the Wobble board first. I like doing these exercises barefoot. This will allow more information to pass from your toes to your head. Once you have mastered punching, ducking and medicine ball training while unstable, try doing this with your eyes closed. Have a spotter near by for safety. You will find that this adds an edge to your training. I also recommend doing some ankle strengthening. Good ankles mean you will have better foot planting to help keep the power behind punches. Simply walk on the inside and outside of your feet, on your toes, on your heels and with feet pointed in and out. Twenty five yards each after training will help keep ankles strong. Or go for a bare foot run in the sand or grass. 5 minutes a day will give you those ankles strong and stable.

Following balance training, you should stretch. Stretching is a good way to help keep muscles strong and long. When training muscles, they are constantly being torn to some extent. If you keep up a good stretching routine after workouts, you will be able to maximize the healing of these damaged muscles. If you chose a stretch for each muscle group and hold it for 15 seconds and do 3 repetitions, your bases will be covered.

NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENTATION:

Last but not least, nutrition is very important. Remember the saying, “You are what you eat.” Each and every meal should be pre-planned. What you eat before training is different then what you should eat after training. I usually suggest starting the day with a balanced breakfast. Oat meal is fine. I like whole eggs with toast and fruit. An hour or two before training have a bowl of oatmeal or some brown rice with vegetables. This will slowly burn in your body so you will have enough energy through out most of the training day. After training, I recommend a big glass of whole milk. Milk is a great source of protein, plus the carbohydrates and vitamins will help with your recovery. One to two hours after training you can have fish, chicken or steak with vegetables. A sweet potato works great also.

Before bed have another glass of milk. The body rebuilds while you sleep, so having some energy in your system to help with the process is always key. Snacks are also very important. Snacking on a fruit or some vegetables every few hours will help keep blood sugar and energy stable though out the day.

As for supplements, I would recommend some sort of multi vitamin as well as a B complex. The food that we eat today is not the same as what we had 20-50 years ago. We have sucked the soil dry and modified foods extensively. So, supplementation is a must. I would also add 3-4 grams of Omega 3 fish oils or flaxseed. Omega 3 is great for keeping inflammation down after training as well as keeping the heart running at full steam and decreasing cholesterol. Glucosamine and Chondroitin is another important supplement to keep joints and ligaments happy. And lastly, a good Creatine supplement will help power you through intervals, strength training, as well as those last 5-10 seconds in each round.

Remember, anyone can get in the ring if they work hard enough but only those training with Performance Edge will fight their way to the top.