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lHowever, running at a slow pace is in vogue right now. “Zone 2” conditioning, as it is now widely known, has been linked to all kinds of health and performance benefits, from boosting cardiac output to increasing the quantity and efficiency of muscle cells’ powerhouse mitochondria.
These are desirable traits for a boxer – no athlete would argue against a more efficient fuel system during a fight. But is Zone 2 the most efficient way to achieve these goals? Certainly not.
“Zone 2 offers these benefits, but you need eight to 10 hours on the road, which you don’t have time for. [as a boxer] – It’s about being efficient with what you have,” says Dr Rhys MorrisSenior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University and specializing in strength and conditioning coach boxing,
This opinion is confirmed by Danny Wilson, founder of the coaching company boxing science and strength and conditioning coach Mirafit athlete fabio wardley,
“Punch outputs are low in the heavyweight division – that means a lot of the heavyweights use longer, slower conditioning methods,” he says. “However, they need exactly the opposite: to be adapted to repeatedly generating high amounts of force.
“So, for our conditioning, we do very short, intense sessions that create strength-endurance conditions.”
Below, you can find an example of the session Wilson used with Wardley to achieve this.
Fabio Wardley’s ‘Brutal’ 14-Minute Conditioning Workout for Strength Endurance
Complete four rounds in the following order:
- maximum effort 30 seconds
- three minutes of recovery
,[Our conditioning work] This involves a 30-second maximum effort session,” says Wilson. “When boxers train that hard, they only need to perform four repetitions, with three minutes of rest between each rep.”
The key point here is that, to improve fitness, the work period should be maximum effort – you cannot stop at any reps. This stimulation can be achieved through any means, whether it’s running, cycling on an exercise bike, using a rowing machine, light weight conditioning exercises like burpees or thrusters.
The common denominator is that your chosen activity allows you to move fast enough and get your heart and lungs up to the testing site. For this reason, activities like skipping are unlikely to cut it.
It’s also worth considering your recovery. The extra load placed on your body during burpees and thrusters, as well as frequent braking from running, will tire the body and may interfere with your sport-specific training. For this reason, the fan bike is a popular choice among boxing strength and conditioning trainers.
Read more: Expert-approved workout that can help boxers build fight-ready fitness
What else does Fabio Wardley do in the gym to improve his performance?
“A major component of punching power is the kinetic chain,” says Wilson. “Thus the power is transferred from the foot to the fist.
“We need to coordinate the body so that it can work sequentially, and we also need to make sure there are no ‘weaknesses’ in the chain.”
To achieve this, each of his strength and conditioning sessions with Wardley involves a combination of lower body, upper body pushing, upper body pulling, single-leg and core exercises.
“The rep range depends on the training phase, but we generally go between three to eight repetitions,” says Wilson. “It’s relatively low volume, allowing us to focus more on force and power development.”
lower body training
One of Wardley’s favorite exercises for the lower body is the trap bar deadlift. This movement places less stress on the lower back than a traditional deadlift, but still allows an athlete to recruit all the major muscles of the legs to lift larger loads.
“To be explosive, we have to train for maximum strength, speed, and power,” says Wilson. “We do trap bar deadlifts because it’s a key compound movement for maximum strength, and then we do jumps for speed and power.
“For the trap bar deadlift, we attach a gymaware Device for reacting to lifting velocity. This makes our training more accurate. This encourages Fabio to lift the bar faster, making our strength training more explosive.
Wardley also likes to use banded weight squats to improve strength and power output through the legs. This ensures a stronger starting point for the kinetic chain, which can translate into a more powerful punch.
“I prefer explosive movements that can translate directly into the ring to increase power and strength,” he says. “The banded weighted squat is a challenging but rewarding exercise that forces me to remain explosive throughout the movement, as resistance increases as I move upward. Strong and explosive legs are essential in the ring, helping me maintain strong balance and footwork during the fight.”
upper body training
To press the upper body, Wardley favors the explosive landmine press.
“Not only is it great for building and maintaining strength, but it also increases power, which is exactly what I need to deliver a knockout blow,” he says.
striking a balance
The hardest part of any pre-fight work out Wardley says he’s looking for the right intensity of training to trigger adaptations without pushing himself to the point of injury.
He explains, “During fight camp, every session has to count, and I’m constantly aiming to increase my strength and explosiveness.” “It’s about being smart and combining intense workouts with adequate recovery elements. After all, the last thing any boxer wants is to be injured on fight night.”
recovery
Another key element of Wardley’s Parker preparation is his recovery. Improvements in performance are more likely to occur when a fighter is able to train at his or her full potential, and that means bringing the best version of himself to the gym and to the ring every day.
“As a professional athlete, I understand the importance of recovery-focused days, so I prioritize them accordingly,” he says. “On days with minimal activity, I use my sauna, which not only helps me relax but also promotes recovery by reducing muscle tension between workouts.
“Additionally, I love massage on recovery days, to help prevent stiffness that can lead to injury. Beyond that, I usually try to just switch off and enjoy my rest days.”
feeling ready for battle
Motivation has never been a problem for Wardley: “I love what I do, and performing at the top of my game is what keeps me on track.”
However, he says that having the right people around you is an important part of the puzzle of boxing success.
“Thankfully I have a supportive group of friends and family who keep me grounded and remind me why I’m doing it on the more challenging days,” he says. “A support team is very important, and having the right people around you can really make a difference. At the end of the day, I know what’s waiting for me on fight night, and that’s the motivation I need.”
Wardley also has full confidence in his coaching team to make sure he feels prepared to battle for Parker on Saturday night.
“My training camp is designed to give me all the tools I need to be successful on fight night, while also ensuring I am at my peak the week of my fight,” he says.
“As a result, I always feel prepared because I have confidence in my training camp and I can see clear progress in strength, speed and explosiveness.”
Read more: The Daily Non-Negotiables That Changed Connor Bain’s Health and Mindset in 70 Days
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