In November 2015 Tyson Fury realised his lifelong ambition of becoming world heavyweight champion when he defeated Wladimir Klitschko at the Espirit Arena in Dusseldorf. What should have been a high point in the Gypsy King’s career instead became a dark turning point.
Struggling to cope with his newfound fame, Fury became engulfed in a state of depression which he futilely tried to escape through drink, drugs and food. Fortunately the Gypsy King found the mental resilience within himself to turn his life around.
Having weighed in at 400lbs at his heaviest, Fury dropped to 265lbs, becoming one of the fittest athletes on the planet in the process and the most backed fighter in the online betting markets. That massive transformation alone should be proof enough that boxing is one of the best ways to get in shape and achieve maximum fitness.
Still need convincing though? Read on to find out why you should be following a boxing training regime.
What is involved in a Boxing Training Plan?
The most obvious part of a boxing training plan is obviously boxing. You don’t necessarily need a partner or a gym buddy to do this part of the workout, all you need are some gloves and a punching bag and/or a speed bag.
Shadow boxing and hitting the bag is high impact cardio that will have you gasping for air and pouring in sweat in no time at all. The aim of this training is to recreate a real life fight scenario, so it’s no use just simply standing there and slugging the bag as hard as you can.
To practice you’ll need to think about your feet position and be constantly moving as if you were trying to evade punches and counter an opponent. You can build break periods into your workout, but try and keep them short and sharp.
After 3 or 4 rounds you may be ready to hang the gloves up and go home, but you’re not done yet, in fact, you’ve only just begun…
Running
To be a boxer you need to have a good level of cardio fitness to begin with and also an ability to push beyond those mental barriers. Running provides the basis to grow both of those abilities so it should be practiced as often as possible.
In the build up to fights, Tyson Fury would start his day with a 6 mile mountain running session up inclines that would send shivers down your spine. This isn’t just important because it recreates the heavy legs and shallow breathing that the fighter will experience in the ring, it’s important mentally too.
When you set out running there will come a point when your body is aching so much that all you can think about is quitting. If you ignore that nagging voice in your mind and push through the discomfort you’ll find that you can push way harder and way further than you ever thought possible.
That builds fortitude, it breeds confidence and strengthens your resolve to never give up, even when things are looking bleak. You’ll need every one of those skills when you’re on the ropes in the ring or on the metaphorical ropes in life.
Lower Body
Every tall tree you see has a complex network of roots under the soil anchoring it to the ground and providing it with the stability it needs to flourish. Whilst we don’t live sedentary lives in the soil, the principles are still the same for us as for trees.
In order to stand strong and tall we need a firm and solid base. That’s why the often feared ‘Leg Day’ is the staple of all good boxers. Rack up the weights for your barbell squat, feel the deep burn from the lunges and engage your hamstrings as you beat your Romanian Dead Lift PR.
Then finally, when you feel like your legs are about to explode from the strain end your workout with the heavy ropes. This will engage your upper body but also work on your coordination too, another skill that is vital to a top-level fighter.
Why is this cardio superior to others?
The vast majority of exercises in this plan are high intensity and will keep your heart rate beating faster than most other forms of cardio and for much longer too. This means you’ll burn a heck of a lot more calories than you would just simply jogging, swimming or cycling.
These exercises are also a great way to burn visceral fat, which is the fat found around the waist and belly that we all want to get rid of. Finally, this is a full body training routine that will have you feeling tight and sore from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.
Can your football training do that? We think not.
Leave a Reply