Are there any T-Nation training plans that would best suit someone looking into doing boxing? I am also considering looking into doing wrestling at uni, and may be doing both at the same time depending on how much time I have, and when the training sessions are?
I have looked at a couple of online programs but they don’t have much leg work in them, and I feel I need more leg work, and if I do end up doing wrestling as well as boxing having a strong pair of legs would be essential.
This might be kind of a generic answer, but you could try WS4SB and manipulate it to fit your needs.
check out www.rosstraining.com. Ross Enemait knows his stuff when it comes to boxing. WS4SB is not bad either, might need to make a few tweaks for your situation, but my friend who boxes on the amatuer level lifts with me, and we generally follow a westside type template. He has gotten a lot stronger without putting on weight at all.
I box 5 days a week and do a full body strength program about once every 3 days depending on how much I am sparing. I mostly focus on 1 full body explosive lift (clean and press or snatch) 1 pulling movement 1 pushing movement and a lower body movement. Usually 3 or 4 sets of each and I keep the reps around 5-8. On days I don�??t lift I�??ll do a set or 2 of pullups, dips and squats with a weighted vest after I box.
Also check out www.rossboxing.com
Do a search for “Hammer Down”, it was a series of articles written on tnation a while ago for MMA fighters.
DB297 is pretty right on I think. I’m a MMA guy, but similar enough to your training esp if you do wrestling. Hard thing is you have to count volume of boxing and wrestling into your training. Wrestling, at least to me, is esp hard to recover from if you lift too much.
All the shots, sprawls, and picking up your opponent is great work. So full-body a couple time/wk, focus on your weaknesses. If you feel like you need to get stronger, train for that, if you feel like speed is an issue, train for that.
like shadyniner said go read all of ross’s stuff combat sports are all about strength-endurance training
Whatever you do,include Oly lifts.
Also lots of ab work,oblique strengtening and tons of neck work.
Stay strong!
[quote]EG wrote:
like shadyniner said go read all of ross’s stuff combat sports are all about strength-endurance training[/quote]
Hmmm…better work on speed-strenght than strength-endurance.There are tons of average boxers with great strength-endurance,but great boxers are quick and explosive.
I do boxing, I find just hitting the bag pretty much takes everything out of any lifts I do. I feel weak as shit, I find if I lift BP while I’m training that, I don’t have anything left for pushups when I get to the gym, thus I look like a little bitch.
I think the hardest thing is balancing recovery.
Steroids anyone?
That seems like the only way to balance a TRUE boxing routine with serious lifting at this point.
If you go 5 rounds a day, whaling on the bag, I don’t know how you’d have anything left for a heavy bench after that. It kills the shoulders if you’re really giving it your all. Forget about sparring.
[quote]eigieinhamr wrote:
Are there any T-Nation training plans that would best suit someone looking into doing boxing? I am also considering looking into doing wrestling at uni, and may be doing both at the same time depending on how much time I have, and when the training sessions are?
I have looked at a couple of online programs but they don’t have much leg work in them, and I feel I need more leg work, and if I do end up doing wrestling as well as boxing having a strong pair of legs would be essential.[/quote]
If you are wanting a training plan for any of the combat sports, I would not get into the “weight lifting” mind set. Look at it as a sports training program. Because, while weights will be involved for sure, it shouldn’t be a primary focus.
You will want a workout that will focus on several things, and one that changes alot. Most of the time, they are difficult to design and publish, because they usually are so different from day to day.
You need to focus alot of power, agility, mental and body awareness and reactions.
For lifting, focus on explosive exercises - Olympic lifts and core movements. Seek out kettlebells and medicine ball workouts as well, there are many benefits in these workouts for combat athletes. (one of our favorite workouts was to beat a tractor tire with a heavy sledge hammer or dragging weighted sleds up the street).
Utilize a lot of endurance type training - military style GPP work (burpees, shuffle splits, jumping jacks, mountain climber), jump rope, running, swimming.
You will also want to work alot on body awareness. Agility drills and reaction drills are great. There are a lot of commercial items available to help you, or you can get creative. But do things like agility ladders, barrier drills, cone drills, plyometrics etc…
Balance and flexibility are huge in combat sports as well. Yoga, dynamic and static stretching, stability ball workouts etc will also be benificial.
The last thing you will want to seek is exercises that will help with mental toughness. This is not something that can be taught, but it can be enhanced. You will need exercises to push you to the limits, things that would make most people quit and go home. Workouts that make you want to cry and/or puke, and then push through them. This is the only to build that characteristic. (Caution - this can push you dangerously close to injury and/or over training as well - so do with caution and never close to a fight).
Research guys like Coach Davies (renegade training), Taku, Scapper (trainforstrength.com) and Pavel for some great fighter and athlete specific training information.
Hungarian Oak. Use it for conditioning, not for leg size.