Ever wondered what it takes to be a professional boxer? Apart from having the guts to step into the ring in the first place, it takes years of preparation, dedication, training and willpower to succeed.

Many fighters follow the »old school» approach to training that has been passed down from trainer to fighter to trainer etc… These comply with the essential principles of strength, flexibility, speed, endurance and explosive power.

Let’s start with endurance. Many say that boxers require the endurance of a marathon runner to keep going for a doable maximum of 12 rounds. This is achieved through punishing roadwork (running), often within the early hours of the morning when the air is obvious and there’s no-one around. There are totally different accounts of how far boxers really run. Some prefer shorter, faster runs (four-5miles at tempo), whilst others will run for longer distances (10 miles or more). I think a mix of the two is finest on your preparation – lengthy runs initially with hill work to build up stamina then shortening the runs and rising the tempo closer to combat night time finishing off with sprint periods for speed.

Speed, energy and explosive power are achieved by hours of gym work. A typical session will follow the basic rules of a common fitness routine – warm up, stretch, cardio, resistance work, cool down, stretch:

Warm up: This will involve 4-6 rounds of three minute duration of shadow-boxing with a 1 minute relaxation in between rounds. The aim of this is to have interaction your neuro-muscular pathways (rehearsing the activity to follow in order that your mind and body are switched on) and to increase blood flow and coronary heart rate in order that the body is ready for the extreme training to follow.

Stretch: An excellent stretch is necessary to help reduce the risk of injury.

Cardio: This will take the form of pad work with your trainer and will actually embody an element of speed, reaction time, hand-eye co-ordination and resistance work. (6 rounds +). This is then adopted by bag work using a mixture of heavy bags (if available in the gym). Speed balls and floor-to-ceiling bags are additionally used to help speed and reactions. This is then followed by skipping with a speed rope.

Resistance Work: This should differ and workouts ought to be altered so that the athlete can continue to improve by being «shocked» into doing things in different orders and intensities. Usually made up of ground work (circuits), weights, medicine ball workout routines and partner work.

Cool Down: A few rounds to «shake loose» within the ring with some light shadow-boxing adopted by an extended stretch period to help improve flexibility.

When a combat is approaching it can be very important to get some quality sparring as the pads and bag work can not simulate dealing with an opponent in the ring. This will assist focus the mind on avoiding punches and likewise train the body in taking a number of punches. It also offers you the ultimate polish in your technique and sharpness before combat night.

This is just a general guide and will vary depending on the combat ahead, accidents and whether or not or not the boxer has a full-time job as is the case for many boxers on the long road to success.

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