Boxers, identify and work on your “weak” points, when it’s time to fight it’s too late!

After more than 25 years of working with boxers (physical preparation programs, training and coaching), I have often noticed weaknesses, even big gaps, on the physical level.

The first weakness is in the legs: there is a flagrant lack of power and explosiveness in the legs. This is due to two things:

– Endurance workouts based on long run: this type of work, if it is done too often, leads to a lack of solidity and explosiveness in the legs, and therefore loss of power!

– Unsuitable weight training: quadriceps extension, leg curl are isolation exercises that build muscle outside the context: the boxer does not build muscle to be muscular, he does not build muscle for aesthetic reasons! He must only look for what will be useful to him. Exercises like the squat or the deadlift will be much more effective, but be careful with technique. You may use some bodyweight exercise like the one leg squat… Be specific is the solution, use kettlebells, they are great.

– The best, by far, of all the leg exercises are the sprints, turn yourself into a sprinter and you will improve your punching power!

The second weakness, and I will surprise many, is abs! It is not enough to have great abs, they must be functional. Let me explain: abs are only worked in isolation and on long series, exercises lying on the ground like crunch and its variants. With this type of exercise you strengthen the muscles in toning and endurance. A boxer needs much more: when you box you must use your abs in the standing position because they are completely integrated into all your movements, combinations, punches, they transmit the power and explosiveness from the feet to the upper body. So you have to train them for power and explosiveness too!

Give up your endless sets of abs right away, work on them standing on short and intense sets: for this use a pulley or an elastic band (be careful, not the ones used in fitness classes, it will be too easy). An excellent exercise is the woodchop. For explosiveness, use a medicine ball.

An advice: if your last season was not perfect, do not start again on the same basis, modify your preparation, find solutions… the key is you! And don’t wait for your next fight…