Floyd Mayweather started out his boxing training career holding the pads for none other than Orlando Romero who gave Ryan Garcia such a hard time in sparring less than one year ago.
Floyd looked sharp and slick holding the pads and he was in the right position to catch every punch perfectly as the American born Romero cracked the pads.
Romero himself is of Mexican heritage and is a big prospect in the Mayweather gym and he currently fights in the light weight division with 10 wins and no losses.
Floyd will certainly be looking to replace his late uncle Roger as one of the top trainers in the gym and it looks like we will be seeing Floyd in the corner for more and more fighters as we get back to action in the boxing ring after the pandemic.
Anyone who questions whether Floyd will be a good trainer should get their eyes checked. Floyds been around the game his whole life and this is just a natural progression for the greatest boxer of the modern era.
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Romero will look to replicates Floyd success as much as possible as TBE retired 50 and has looked sharp recently hitting the bags and training himself at 43 after what has been a difficult year for the champ.
We could see Floyd returning to the ring fighting this year once everything gets back to normal and
The Ufc and MMA is beginning to become packed with women showing the men that they have the heart and skills to put on great fights and look great while doing. Check out the Sexiest MMA fighters of 2020 right here:
1. Chrissy Blair
Chrissy is one of the famous and trending celeb who is popular for being a Model. As of 2018 Chrissy Blair is 29 years years old. Chrissy Blair is a member of famous Model list.One of the precious celeb listed in Model list.
Ford model and UFC ring girl known for her appearances in magazines like GQ, Maxim, and Cosmopolitan. She’s worked for brands like Sketchers, TJ Maxx, and Joico, amongst a substantial list of others
Brittney Palmer is a multitalented girl who is quite popular as a ring girl. She is also said to be a model, fitness expert, artist and also a host. With her stunning looks, she had grabbed the attention of people outside the ring.
UFC Octagon Girl, television presenter and model who was named UFC’s Ring Girl of the Year. For 6 straight years, she was named one of the 100 sexiest women in the world. She has won several “Miss” beauty pageants.
Fitness model who is widely recognized for her work as an official UFC Octagon Girl. This exposure led to her amassing more than 190,000 followers on her lucianaandradeufc Instagram account. Luciana Andrade is a well known Model.
Arianny Celeste is an American ring girl and model. She is best known for being a ring girl for the UFC. She is also a co-host on TV show Overhaulin’ and a model featured in Playboy magazine.
Best recognized as the ring girl for Bellator Mixed Martial Arts and spokesmodel for Monster Energy Supercross. Her beauty and charisma have earned her curbside sponsorships with Gifted Nutrition, Moto Gp, and Superbikes.
Logan Stanton is a former ring girl for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. She is by far the cuttest girl to ever walk around the octagon(TM) with a signboard above her head.
The British model Carly Baker is best known as a personal trainer who is also known as an octagon girl for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. She has participated in the Miss Great Britain competition.
Muay Thai and Weightlifting at two activities that I really enjoy. One is really intense cardio, good for building functional strength and getting in incredible shape and the other can be used to pack on a lot of muscle, become insanely strong and become irresistible to the opposite sex.
You can compete in both Muay Thai and Weight Lifting although Muay Thai is a little bit more dangerous and the risk reward ratio is a little bit higher.
Weightlifting to has it competitions from strongman to bodybuilding contest, which wouldn’t be my cup of tea but everybody has their own goals.
Combining Muay Thai And Weightlifting
These two exercises don’t have to be done exclusively and combining the two through the week maybe the most of most beneficial way to go.
Strength training for 1 or 2 days a week and then Muay Thai training 3 or 4 days a week is the optimum solution in my book. The strength training will make you more commanding and dominant for Muay Thai, and Muay Thai training will get you in more intense physical shape, with functional strength and also a ripped and lean physique.
If you can take on both of these disciplines, that’s the best thing you can do but if you only have time to focus on one, let’s take a look at the benefits of each:
Benefits of Muay Thai
Effective Self-Defence
There’s nothing like the feeling of confidence you have when you know how to defend yourself. Muay Thai is the king of stand-up fighting and from your very first class you will learn effective techniques to defend and protect yourself in any situation, even if you’re attacked by a group of people.
Insane Cardio Levels
Training for Muay Thai is an intense experience, it builds huge anaerobic conditioning and the dopamine rush you can get at the end of a workout is second to none.
If boxing is an intense workout, Muay Thai takes it to the next level. The pad work involves kicks that really take it out of you and that’s something that any athlete can benefit from highly.
Muay Thai Is Fun
When you train in the gym, it’s pretty much a team activity where iron sharpens iron and everybody gets better together.
There is a strong team mentality and everybody’s working hard to get better and this results in a lot of fun and camaraderie in the gym and you can make friends for life.
The Culture
Muay Thai has a strong culture of respect, for your gym, your coach and even your opponent that is unmatched in almost any other sport.
Taking on Muay Thai is something that might take you all around the world and if you do go to Thailand, it will be one of the best experiences of your life.
From visiting the authentic Muay Thai gyms and learning from the best coaches like Saenchai and Buakaw, to experiencing the insane culture and nightlife, it will be a trip you never forget and you can seriously increase your Muay Thai skills while you’re there.
Teaches Discipline
The tough training that is involved in Muay Thai, day in day out tough sessions, hitting the pads, sparring, doing circuits and drills can really build your character.
This is especially true for when you keep training through small injuries and when you don’t feel 100% but you push through anyway and get the workout done. This can help you to grow in discipline and an overall statue to become a different but better person.
There Is No Feeling Like Winning A Fight
If you stick with your Muay Thai and go through all the grueling character building training, you’ll eventually start the spar the better fighters in the gym and then you can go on to have amateur fights.
The feeling of going through 6-weeks of intense training, dealing with all the nerves and the thoughts about whether you’re going to win or not and then going out on the night and performing in front of all your friends and family is a rollercoaster of emotions.
Having your hand raised is a feeling like no other in the world and I don’t think that anything you could achieve in weightlifting could bring the same level of joy.
Benefits Of Weightlifting
Structure And Discipline
Weightlifting requires a regular routine, consistency and hard work in the gym day in and day out to get the results of strength gains, being jacked, having a lot of muscles and looking good for the opposite sex.
One of the hardest parts of being a weightlifter or a bodybuilder is that you have to have a specific diet. You have to eat a lot to bulk, you have to be strict to get a six pack, and you have to really measure your calories and have good nutrition to be a top weightlifter. And this can develop a lot of discipline.
Increase Confidence And Self Esteem
When you start to see the results in the mirror from weightlifting it can be a real shot in the arm in terms of confidence and self esteem.
You see your hard work paying off in the mirror and it makes you feel good and the good feeling manifests outward into the world.
Your new found confidence and self esteem can improve all aspects of your life outside the gym.
Attractive To The Opposite Sex
Increasing your muscle will make you more attractive to the opposite sex, once you don’t put on too much fat as well and this is probably one of the main reasons people start to lift weights.
Increasing your physique and filling out your t-shirts will see you getting plenty of looks on the streets from women and from men if you are a woman and this can help you to feel good about yourself too.
Physiques of Muay Thai and Weight Lifting
The physique of a Muay Thai fighter doesn’t have as much muscle but you can look ripped and strong which will also be attractive to the opposite sex. While you won’t be able to lift heavier weights, you’ll be a far more effective athlete than the weight lifter.
The physique of a weightlifter is big and strong with a lot of muscle and how lean you are and how big you get will depend a lot on your diet.
Lifting a lot of weights should make very strong with a big arms, big chest and a big back that you will be able to see from a mile away.
For Skinny Guys
If you’re a guy that’s skinny, you could possibly do a couple of months of weight lifting to increase your muscle and then moving to Muay Thai but keep on the strength training 1 or 2 days and you can have the best of both worlds.
For Heavy Guys
If you’re a guy that’s over weight, Muay Thai is probably the best option. If you can get 3 gold sessions a weekend and you should burn a lot of calories and that will help you to get your weight down. Once you could take up to 2 days of strength training as well as you can put on some good muscle, get ripped and be in great shape.
For Average Guys
If you have an average physique, for me Muay Thai is there more fun activity. You’ll be able to do circuits and strength and conditioning work that will tone your muscles and make you look good, the self-defence element for me is much better than being strong and the rewards of hard training can bring you titles and acclaim locally and even further afield.
Try Both
My advice would be to try both for at least a month, see which one you like more at the end and see what your goals are after being involved in both sports and go with the one you like the most.
I Choose Muay Thai
For me personally combining strength training with Muay Thai is the way to go, it’s what I have always done and strength training can definitely help you to get better results in Muay Thai. Strength training needs heavy weights for low reps and lifting combo moves that involve more than one muscle group which just makes you an overall stronger person and then they might I will turn you into a lightning athlete.
If I had to take between one or the other it will be a hard choice but I would go with the Muay Thai!
Having a personal heavy bag in your house or garage is probably a dream for everybody who’s interested in fitness and especially boxing.
For the brave few who actually take this a bit further and look into doing it, we have compiled a guide for the best way to do it. You can either hang the bag from a wall or the ceiling or you can get a heavy bag stand.
All bag stands come in all different shapes and sizes and the biggest problem with them usually is that they restrict your movement around the bag so you can’t work on your foot movement.
The title double trouble heavy bag stand has topped the list as the best budget option on the market and one of the main reasons is that the design allows you to move freely around the bag.As the name suggests, it also holds two heavy bags of 120lbs each are you can choose a combination of a double end bag and a heavy bag, and aqua bag, an angle bag or whatever suits you the best. All in all, it’s a really good purchase.
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Design And Specifications
The design of this bag stand is what makes it so special. It has a cross design at the bottom, with four legs holding the stand steady when weighted down properly. Most other designs have two legs protruding at the front and one at the back and this stops you from circling the bag, creating angles and using your footwork.
For me that’s one of the key parts of a good heavy bag workout and if I cant use my footwork I am not too interested in that bag.
The title allows this free range movement I want to start as effective as something like the Century Cornerman or the Onslayer bag stand, it is by far the best we’ve seen at this price point.
Adjustable Heights
You can adjust the height of this bag to suit your individual needs, it goes up to 90 inches which will suit almost any height of fighter and the other options are 84″, 78″ and 72″.
The design is square at 60 inches long and 60 inches wide. at the bottom.
The stand has D rings at the top and the bottom for mounting the bag and keeping it securely tied. These are welded on and if the stand does degrade over the years this is probably the first thing that will go.
The other two sides have weight pegs on the ground. They are designed to put weight on to hold the stand in place. We find that the pegs are not useful as you don’t want to put expensive plates onto a $200 stand. Getting bags and filling them with sand is a much better option.
Once you ensure that you have enough weight in the centre of the stand, it shouldn’t rock back and forwards and make a lot of noise.
Two Options
You can buy this on its own with just the stand and it will cost you only $200 are you can get it with a 70 lb title heavy bag and they’re double end bag for $300 which also represents great value.
Pros of the Double Trouble Bag Stand
Excellent design allows movement all around the bag
Holds two bags when most only hold one
Can be secured with Sundays away place so it doesn’t rock back and forth
Best Value Stand Bag on the market at this price
Cons
Bag is quite close to the stand
Need to use a lot of sand bags to hold it down
D Rings are welded on and might degrade with heavier bags overtime
Music
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Do We Recommend Buying The Title?
If you were on a budget and you want to get the most bang for your buck, there’s nothing coming close to this unit for $200 or even for $300 with the two bags.
The best option for you will usually be a ceiling or wall mounted heavy bag. That is the cheapest way and what you usually find in commercial gyms, so it can give you a fully professional setup for less money. If you’re renting your house or don’t have permission to drill into walls this won’t be an option for you.
If you have a bit more money, we would recommend that you look at the Century Cornerman unit
The Century Cornerman
If you have more budget and you want a more professional setup, Century Cornerman is what you’re looking for.
This has a unique design, with two legs that extend out horizontally 7 and a half feet each and a centre unit that hangs the bag away from it.
It raises to 100 to inches so it’s perfect for taller Fighters and it can hang a 100 lb heavy bag.
The design of the Cornerman means you don’t have to put any additional weight on it and it doesn’t rock back and forwards making noise.
It can hang a full length Muay Thai bag but we always recommend the ringside 100 lb heavy bag as our number one choice. It is soft filled and it is the bag that Floyd Mayweather uses.
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The other option you have if you don’t want to hang the bag is a freestanding heavy bag. We’ve compared freestanding vs hanging in this article.
Ringside Elite FreeStanding Heavy Bag
The best freestanding bag that we’ve seen is the ringside elite.
It is 6ft 4″ tall and no matter how hard you hit it it won’t fall over like other free standing bags once you fill the base with sand or water it will sit steadily on the ground.
The bag is not too overly responsive so you can hit with combos as well as hard and explosive punches and Kicks.
It doesn’t take up too much space and you can store it away afterwards.
Number 1: Our number one option is the wall mounted or ceiling mounted heavy bag
Number 2: will be the Century Cornerman but it costs $450 plus the cost of a bag.
Number 3: If you’re on a budget number three will be the Title Double Trouble Stand Bag with the bags included for $300. It’s not a high-end set up but it is the best available at that price.
Number 4: will be the ringside elite, it cost $400 but it’s the only one who’s seen that doesn’t fall over and it can stand up to heavy workouts, I really like that back too.
Freestanding Punching Bag Vs Hanging Heavy Bag – Are They Any Good
When it comes to starting your own home gym, the heavy bag is one of the coveted pieces of equipment.
With so many different types to choose from, creating the right setup is not exactly a straight forward process.
Free standing punch bags, hanging punch bags and even heavy bag stands are all options that you will need to consider.
It’s important to know the pros and cons of each type and the best options in each category and that is what we are here to help you with.
Hanging Heavy Bag
This is the most popular type that you will see in boxing gyms and it is usually the optimal solution, if possible.
You drill a couple of holes in the wall to hold your mount and you attach the bag, simple as that!
Another option is to find a supporting Beam in your ceiling and hang the heavy bag from that.
the thing about a heavy bag is that you have to drill into a wall or ceiling and if you are renting the property you might not want to do that.
If you don’t have a good supporting wall to hold it, you don’t have the space or you just don’t want to drill into the wall, this is not going to be the option for you.
Pros Of The Hanging Heavy Bag
It’s the most realistic option for simulating a fight.
The way the bag swings back and forward allows you to work on your footwork, forward and backwards as the bag moves.
Used in momentum of the bag to land with power. As the bag swings back towards you, you can nail it with a big hook or a kick.
They are heavy as the name suggests so you can hit them more power which can build up your strength and endurance.
Probably the cheapest option, you just need a cheap wall mount and a good quality bag.
There are plenty of different styles, each one allowing you to work on a different aspect of your game.
Cons
You need to drill into your wall or ceiling, which isn’t always always possible.
If your bag is to light it will swing around too much and you won’t be able to punch it as hard or with combos.
Needs space, the wave swings around will require space in your room.
A lot of choices and decisions to make.
Free Standing Heavy Bag
Free standing heavy bags at the easiest option, there is no messy installation involved and you can usually just fill the base and you are good to go.
Free standing heavy bags come in all different shapes and sizes and some are a lot better than others.
One of the biggest problems with free standing heavy bags is finding one that you can hit with your maximum force and it won’t fly all over the room or topple.
That being said, they are better for speed, stamina and fitness work as opposed to getting more power.
Pros of Free Standing Punching Bag
No installation, just fill it with sand or water and you’re good to go.
Good for cardio and high paced workouts
You can move it into storage when you’re done
Perfect for working punches and kicks
Cons
Can be too light, if it’s swings too much after you punch it, you won’t be able to get into a good rhythm.
The swinging motion doesn’t represent the real fight
Can’t build power and endurance in the arms.
More suitable for fitness workouts then professional boxers and improvers.
Heavy Bag Stand
This is another option that makes sense to many people. You get all the benefits of the Hanging bag without having to drill into a wall or ceiling.
They do cost a bit more and you have to buy a bag as well, but if you get this set up right it’s definitely a viable option.
The main problem with these will be that they can impede your access to move around the bag, so you can’t work on your footwork and if you go too cheap, they might rock back and forward and make a lot of noise.
Pros Of The Heavy Bag Stand
Can offer the Hanging bag experience without drilling into the wall.
Allows 180 degree access to the bag if you get the right one.
Different styles and types to suit any space.
Perfect for working punches and kicks.
Can fit any style of bag.
Cons
Can be expensive
Poorly designed stands won’t allow you to move around the bag.
Cheaper designs need to be weighted down with sand bags and eeight plates.
Can be noisy, if you go with a cheaper stand, it will rock back and forward when you hit it and it makes a tonne of noise.
Different types of free standing punching bag
Traditional Cylindrical Bag
The traditional cylindrical freestanding bag has a base that you can fill with water or sand and the rest of the design is like a traditional heavy bag.
The goal here is to find one with good stability that doesn’t move around when you hit it. If you hit it with a good punch, you don’t have to wait for a 2 or 3 seconds for it to come back so you can hit it again.
There are some good options on the market but don’t go too cheap as these will usually be designed for kids. To get a good one you will usually need to spend $250 to $300.
Bob Style Freestanding Bag
The Body opponent bag is a solid option for any home or commercial gym.
It has a large base that you can fill with sand and water and the upper portion of the bag is shaped like a human body. It will also have a skin like texture covering it and should be soft but firm to punch.
You can hit this hard and it won’t move around once you have the base filled with sand or water.
The biggest problem I find with these is that it doesn’t offer the same swing that you get with a traditional hanging a heavy bag.
The other thing with the Bob bag is that you cant practice low kicks, but you can kick to the body and head and that’s also something to consider
Reflex Free Standing bag
These freestanding bags are another good option worth considering. It turns the disadvantage of movement into an advantage.
When you get the reflex bag it will swing back quickly so you can work on your defence and head movement when it comes back.
Ryan Garcia is the king of the reflex bag at the moment and he uses a cobra style reflex bag but they do come in many different styles.
The Cobra style is built for flexibility in the middle of the shaft so it bends halfway down making the action much quicker.
I prefer this than a standard reflex bag where the whole shaft moves because it takes too long to come back and it doesn’t offer the same speedy workout.
Different Types Of Heavy Bag
There are also tons of different types of heavy bag you can choose from, each one has their own advantages and disadvantages and in an ideal world you can have a setup with many different types of bag.
Traditional Heavy Bag
These are long and cylindrical like the freestanding bag. You can fill them with either sand or cloth depending on how hard you want it to be and how much you want it to weigh.
With a mounted bag, you get the move around the bag 180 degrees, working on your footwork and creating angles. If you get the hang and weight right you can develop a nice pattern and rhythm with the bag as it moves back and forth that you can’t really get with free standing bags.
Most of these bags come pre-filled to specific weights like 75 lbs or 100 lbs.
The traditional style is great for a straight punches, hooks and combos.
Angle bag
This one has a narrower face and gets wider towards the top. The design makes it perfect for throwing uppercuts and it offers a good distinction between body and head.
You can still throw straights and hooks on the angle bag and is more suitable for trying a variety of punches.
Muay Thai Style Bag
These bags are similar to a standard punching bag but it is often 6 feet long and perfect for practicing your low kicks and combinations.
Traditionally weighing 100 lbs and they won’t move around as much when you hit them so you can’t develop as much of a rhythm as with the standard size heavy bag.
Wrecking Ball Style Bag
The Wrecking Ball Bag is built in a circle and perfect for throwing powerful shots.
You can get an angle for every type of punch and hitting this one as hard as you can should be a lot of fun.
It’s not built for long combinations with a lot of straight punches but you can certainly throw straight punches as part of a short explosive combo.
Different types of heavy bag stands
There are two types of heavy bag stands we need to consider. 1 Style is going to have its foundational legs coming out the front which will stop you from moving around the bag and can stop you from throwing kicks.
Some companies have looked at this limitation and have developed some quality heavy bag stands that allow all the freedom of a mounted bag without any drilling required. The legs will instead shoot off to the side, allowing the bag to hang unimpeded, giving 180 access and a quality experience.
Hanging Bag Vs Freestanding Bag – Which Is Better
The way the Hanging heavy bag swings, is a better simulation of a real fight. You can hit that bag head with Combos and work on your footwork following the bag around as it swings.
Hanging heavy bag is what you see in Commercial gyms all the time and it’s the best option if you’re serious or improving your boxing. It’s also better option for increasing your punching power, arm endurance and building some muscle.
The only real problem, is you need to drill into a wall, buy an expensive stand and choose the right setup.
Conclusion – Which Type Of Bag Should I Choose?
Free standing bags are much easier to set up but they don’t offer the same stability, they move around a lot after you punch them and you can’t get into as good of a rhythm.
These are more suited for fitness workouts and cardio where you want to hit the bag with light and fast punches. You can load up your shots, but you’ll probably need to wait for the bag to swing back towards you afterwards.
Different styles like the cobra reflex and the Bob varieties offer something different and can be a good compliment to an existing setup, but, if you have the choice between a hanging bag and a freestanding bag, the Hanging bag should be the winner every time.
If the Hanging bag is not an option, consider a heavy bag stand and if that’s not possible you should consider a freestanding heavy bag.
Best Heavy bag
The Ringside Leather 100 lb Heavy Bag
This is the best heavy bag we have seen in any boxing gym. It’s the bag that Floyd Mayweather uses.
It comes soft filled, but you can easily add a heavier filling like sand through the zip opening at the top.
You can get the 100lbs or 150lbs version and 100lbs should be good for almost anybody except real heavy punchers and physically bigger guys.
You get the chain and the swivel with this one all you need to do is get a quality mount.
This is a serious bag for professional Fighters and it will cost you around $190.
Ringside Elite Freestanding Boxing Punching Heavy Bag
The ringside elite is one of the only free standing bags we’ve seen that can stand up to heavy punishment without falling over.
We tried out the century Xl and the Wavemaster and they can’t stand up to heavy punishment without falling over.
The ringside elite is tall enough to suit any fighter, it never falls over and the base never moves.
The one drawback is that it costs $400 but if we have to recommend one free standing punching bag this is it.
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Ringside Cobra Reflex Bag
Ringside have the best Cobra, free standing bag as well. It’s smooth, it doesn’t make excess noise, it doesn’t move around on the ground and it’s got an adjustable height.
This is great for working on your speed and reflexes and I will cost about $250.
Best used in combination with a heavy bag so try and aim for the best setup that you can.
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Best heavy bag stand
Century Cornerman
The century cornerman is our favourite heavy bag stand by far. It has got a unique design where the leg stretch out horizontally and they run parallel to your wall, so it takes up minimal space.
The heavy bag hangs out from the centre unit and it allows full access all around the bag.
the stand doesn’t move around or make any noise if you pair this with the ringside heavy bag you will have a serious setup in your home.
Century cornerman cost $450, it’s easy to set up and you can change the bag easily as well.
It’s got an adjustable height an ideal option if you can’t use a wall mount.
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Overall
Try to go with a ceiling mount or wall mount if possible, it will offer the most realistic and most intense workout. You can hit the bag as hard as you can and create a rhythm with the way the bag swings.
The heavy bag stand is the second best option although it is quite expensive, you can offer a perfect heavy bag experience if you get it right.
Free standing bags, they move around a lot and it’s hard to develop a rhythm with them. If you get a cheap one, it will fall over easily and a good one will cost you about $400.
Overall recommendation is the ringside heavy bag with a wall or ceiling mount.
Training And Preparing For Your First Boxing Match -Ultimate Guide
Preparing for your first fight can be a big deal. All of your friends and maybe your family will be watching and you will be eager to perform and get the win.
The absolute best thing you can do to give a good account of yourself on the night is to have the best preparation possible. That old Muhammad Ali saying ” the fight is won far away from the bright lights” couldn’t be more true. If you and your opponent are both equally skilled then the one who is in better condition will win the fight.
By the time the fight comes around, you will either be ready or not, so start early, train hard, train smart and follow the advice of those people who have been there and done it before, especially your coach.
Don’t Fight Too Early
When you start training you might be thinking about getting a fight straight away. I would recommend to train for at least 6-months before you think about having an amateur fight. This will allow you to protect your techniques and drill your combinations into muscle memory.
If you keep fighting, eventually you’re going to be matched against better and better opponents so you should wait until you have a good base level of skills before jumping in the ring so you don’t get over matched too early.
Give Yourself 8 Weeks To Get Fully Ready
In an ideal world, 8-weeks is the perfect time frame to get in the best shape possible for a fight. It will allow you to develop all areas of your conditioning so that you are in peak condition when the fight rolls around.
3 Energy Systems To Prepare
The Aerobic System
This is your body’s ability to fuel itself with oxygen during exercise. Steady state cardio like running or jumping rope is perfect for developing the aerobic system. Aerobic exercise usually lasts from between 1-minute and 60 minutes.
A good aerobic base is like a foundation for building your boxing fitness. The system should be built as far away from your fight as possible and you should move to more intense training as the fight gets closer.
The Anaerobic System
This is intense exercise, between 5 seconds and 1 minutes in duration. During anaerobic exercise, the muscles can’t refuel with oxygen which causes lactic acid to build up in your arms and this is why your arms feel tired during boxing.
The anaerobic system is going to be the most important in your fight and you should spend the most time developing the system with exercises like pad work, bag work, sparing, drills, circuits, sprints and strength training.
The Alactic System
This is the amount of force you can generate, is your one rep max. It’s short duration, 1 to 5 seconds like throwing a knockout punch or combo to finish the fight.
This refers to your power and heavy strength training will build a base for increasing this power in the boxing gym.
Running
Running is the best way to build your aerobic system and from weeks 8 to 4 we should be looking at Long runs of 10K at least once a week with maybe another 5K run if you can fit it in.
This will build your lung capacity and condition your legs for moving around the ring. As the fight gets closer, you should be doing fast 5K runs and transitioning to sprints/hill sprints in weeks 4 to 1.
Swimming and spinning classes are also good choices for building aerobic conditioning.
Jumping Rope Or Skipping
Not only does jumping rope build aerobic capacity it also increases the coordination between your hands and feet which is crucial for boxing. That makes jumping rope important, especially for beginners.
Roger Mayweather even said that jumping rope was the key to being a great fighter.
Jumping rope also builds the calves and leg muscles and increases arm endurance for throwing punches. If you could do three, 3 minute rounds every day leading up to your fight, even at home, that will be great preparation.
Pad Work
Working on the pads with an experienced coach is one of the most important things you can do in the build up. They should be able to correct basic flaws in your game like dropping your right hand when you throw a left hook and not keeping your hands up in general.
They can also guide you through the rounds, teach you the proper footwork and pivoting and let you know how to move your head.
They can teach you how to throw good counters, build up your defence and avoid your opponent’s counter punches. The pads are also a great workout increasing your conditioning, stamina and endurance.
Shadow boxing
Shadow boxing can seem awkward at first, but all the top fighters put a lot of emphasis on it. Shadow boxing is not only great to warm up but it’s also perfect for visualising yourself in the ring against your opponent and landing your favourite combos while perfecting your technique.
You can work on your footwork, your head movement, pivoting after the left hook and perfecting any new skills and techniques you’ve been learning. You can even shadow box with light dumbbells, under 3 lbs to increase your arm endurance, punching power and speed.
Heavy Bag
The heavy bag is great for increasing your punching power and arm endurance. It’s also great for practicing your combos but it can teach some bad habits, like keeping your hands low because it doesn’t hit back. Remember to keep your hands up and bring your punching hand back to the chin just as quickly as you threw it.
Heavy bag is also great for speed and power drills which can be a pivotal part of getting in fighting condition.
Speed Bag
The speed bag is great for building endurance in the arms and shoulders and it’s also really good for increasing hand eye coordination and just becoming an all round better boxer.
Circuits And Core
Circuits are great for building muscle endurance, conditioning and increasing core strength. Building a solid core that can take a punch is also quite important. Circuits can build your anaerobic threshold by making you work continuously on different stations for 3-minute rounds. It simulates how hard you have to work in a fight but it also increases you’re all around muscle conditioning and endurance.
Work the core separately at home if you have to, with planks, sit ups, mountain climbers in sets without taking a break.
Sparring
This is your chance to practice all of your offensive and defensive skills. This is going to be the most important practice before your fight. Remember not to go full force in sparring but work at 80% with your partner so you can both improve your skills.
If you’re fighting for 3 rounds, spar for at least 6 or 12 round once a week to make sure you are in the condition for 3 hard rounds on fight night. Pick up the intensity in the last couple of weeks to 90% or even 100% if both fighters want to go all out.
Strength Training
Outside the gym there’ll be other things that can really help. Strength training at least twice a week as far out from the fight as possible will increase your punching power.
Strength training involves compound lifts, with heavy weights for a low number of reps. Five by five training with deadlifts, squats, bench press, military press and pull-ups will increase your strength and allow you to develop your power for the ring without building useless muscle.
Sprints & Hills
Sprints are great for increasing your anaerobic threshold and make you able to sustain a flurry of punches for longer and with more power. You should be looking at adding sprints increasingly with about 4 weeks to go to your fight. Hill sprints are even better for getting you in peak anaerobic condition.
Sled Runs
Loading up a sled with weights and pushing it back and forth across the gym floor is a great way to build your anaerobic capacity, leg strength and overall strength for fighting.
The Diet
You want to use your diet to get as much nutrition as possible. Good lean meats, eggs and plenty of vegetables will give you all the nutrition and protein you need to recover and repair your body. Starchy carbs like whole wheat pasta and spaghetti are perfect for fuelling intense workouts.
After training, your body will be low in glycogen levels so having a protein shake or smoothie afterwards will help you to recover as quickly as possible.
Rest & Recovery
Remember to get good rest after every intense session. Try to get a good night sleep every night of at least 8 hours. Go for a massage when your muscles are sore and try to avoid alcohol.
The Week Of Your Fight
Try to have your last hard sparring, one week before your fight and that should be the end of your hard training. You can still go to the gym and lightly hit the bags or do some very light sparring just to move around the ring but all the hard work should be done with 1 week to go.
After that, it’s all about fuelling your body with the proper nutrition, making sure you make the weight and trying to remain as relaxed as possible.
Staying Calm And Relaxed
Every fighter feels edgy and anxious the week before a fight so you need to do your best to deal with these nerves, visualise victory and keep yourself occupied with watching movies, going to the cinema and playing the PS4 or however you would like to keep busy.
Have A Game Plan
You should know what your strengths are in the ring, if you’re tall it might be straight punches, if you’re short and stocky you might want to get inside and throw powerful hooks.
However you like to fight, you should have a game plan and you should be visualising how you are going to execute it.
The Day Before & Fight Day
The night before the fight, try to stay calm and relaxed and get a good night’s sleep. When you wake up you should be focused on enjoying the fight, doing your best and hopefully getting your hand raised.
When You Get In The Ring
During the fight, make sure to stick to your game plan, keep your chin protected at all times, do your best and just enjoy it.
Win, Lose or Draw, you have achieved something that everybody wants to do, but not everybody has had the balls to actually achieve. Give yourself a pat on the back and even if you lost you can always go again.
