I plan to fight in the ToughMan contest locally on January 17, giving me 9 weeks to prepare. I’ll fight at 190 and currently weigh about 193. The fights consist of 3 one-minute rounds with 45 second rest periods. I won’t be getting any actual boxing training (due to time constraints), but I’ve had some boxing training in the past. My main questions concern what type of lifting and conditioning I should undertake. I feel that my strength is fairly good. Not sure of what I max (because I work out at home with no spotter and with limited weight), but I can dead 465 for 6 and bench 300 for 5. My conditioning is poor, though. My thoughts now are to jog 2 to 3 miles M/W/F, and on T/R/Sat run 1/4 miles at the local track, doing pushups and burpees and whatnot after the laps. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
If you are serious about this then undergo RENEGADE TRAINING!!! Just read Coach Davies old articles and email him and purchase his workout! YOu will be in great, outstanding, shape and be a whole lot better of an athlete! I box in the amateur level and have increased my endurance and coordination greatly in just two months with Renegade training.
Renegade, baby, renegade. You need to at the very least, devise a training regimen that mimics the athletic event, namely 1 minute bursts of all out effort with 45 seconds off. I’d hit a heavy bag, I’d power clean, (time factor in learning explosive lifts). Sprints. I think MWF, I?d do power cleans to start your workout, start with a decent weight, and aim to crank up the reps to about 12-15. 45 seconds off. When you hit the goal, crank up the weight. Actively rest when this is done and then get to a circuit of 3 or 4 exercises. No rest, station to station. I’d suggest a push press, deadlift, chin circuit. You may have to use the abominable pulldown to get to a rep range of 5 sets of 10. On these lifts, starting with 5 reps, add a rep each of the next 5 days and get to 10. Then I’d add weight and drop to 8 reps. throw in a few sets of full contact twists, (EASE INTO THIS) and some hanging leg raises. Bike for 15 minutes or so to cool down. T and Th I’d jog, with variant paces. If at a track, fast paced jog on one side straight away, slower paced the rest of the way. Saturday I’d do the same type, but at a much faster pace. Sunday rest. Eat clean and a lot. You are not doing this training to create a huge calorie deficit, rather to increase work capacity. Hit the heavy bag daily. (I wouldn’t drink at all during this time, BTW) If you come into a local ToughMan with 7 weeks of the training I outlined above, the opponent will be so gassed that a knockout or several knockdowns is likely. remember this, too. You don’t fight once, if you win. If you can dictate a pace to the opponent, especially in the later rounds, both of each fight and as the tourny progresses, fatigue will be your friend, not foe. I wouldn’t discount the heavy bag at all, nor shadow boxing.
Yeah, Renegade Training! I would begin ASAP. BTW: strength in the gym matters little in the ring. What matters most is punching power/technique, ring prowess, conditioning.
And you say you're conditioning is poor. Therefore, Renegade Training would be the route for you to take! Also, I wouldn't jog. Save that time for heavy bag training: perform several one minute rounds. That'll condition you more so than jogging. ANY type of HIIT (high intensity interval training) as a matter of fact, would do better (sprints, jump rope).
I’ll echo the statements already here. You’re definately strong enough as it is. Now you need to make it more ‘functional’ for your upcoming fight. That means specific drills, ie bag work, etc. Renegade would be perfect for increasing endurance and work capacity.
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Jump rope and heavybag/focus pad work. Since they are only one minute rounds, you have a limited time to work, and you need to land some good punches. Your legs/lungs should not be that much of a factor. Work your punch combos, especially the bodyshots (HOOKS!!!). Everyone headhunts, but no one goes to the body,and I have seen some very soft bodies in the toughman.
WHY ARE YOU JOGGING? Jogging is sport specific to walking the dog, and that is why I have a bike. JUMP ROPE and GPP for 3 minute rounds with 15 second sprints at the end, take care of your shins, watch for shin splints. You have to buy a program if you are serious. But eight weeks out…you might need to contact coach personally. If he doesn’t have time ask him for my addy. You’ve got to drop the weight and focus on explosive lifts, plyos and GPP. In the fight game conditioning can mean everything. Renegade Boxers needn’t worry about conditioning that is a given, but it sounds like you need to do some skill work also. we can get you in much better shape in 8 weeks but that is barely phase 1 level 1 for the Renegade. Hope your fighting a tomato. Start today. You haven’t any time to waste. Let us know if you need more help.
Box and learn combos. No one in Toughman uses or expects them until the later rounds. For conditioning, GPP is right on, sprints 3 times a week too. I would also go to Berardi’s page and look at "Gladiator Training Pt.II, and do their lactic acid conditioning. You (hopefully) arent just fighting once. You could have 3 in one night, and the downtime between fights is when lactic acid really starts to build up, not just in between rounds.
I have a specialized boxing strength program b/c I box (duh). I can’t post all 14 weeks here, but it’s basically Bill Starr’s OTSS, with O-lifts 3 times/week, plyos, rotational work, and medicine ball drills, for 12 weeks. Then 2 weeks of heavy back/front squats, clean+jerk, snatches, and the Westside speed bench (no more than 3 reps/set), with all the same plyos, rotational work, and medicine ball drills to fine-tune the CNS. This really helps a puncher like me, and probably you too if you’re strong as hell but dont have much ring time.