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Alright, weird title, I know. But, I figured I'd share a little knowledge and insight with some of the guys (or gals) that are newer to endurance training and conditioning. So, Ringo's tip of the week is to follow -
A lot of talk is done about conditioning when it comes to boxing. Guys run, jump rope, go for endless rounds on the bags, and some even swim - all to build up muscular (and thereby) cardiovasuclar endurance. The simple idea behind conditioning is to train your heart and CNS to operate more efficiently under stress. That way, when you start putting your body through rigorous activity (like punching someone in the cranium), your muscular instincts have been "conditioned" to mitigate energy expenditure.
Wait, what?
Translation - you train so you can go 12 rounds and still have something in the tank.
Now, your body's most important muscle is the heart. It dictates how the rest of your body functions in terms of efficiency.
So, here's a way to gauge and improve your cardio training - Resting heart rate. This is not a new concept, but it's one that combat athletes often overlook. Resting HR (RHR) is a great tool to measure how well a routine or training split impacts your body's energy efficiency. Typical RHR for healthy adults is between something like 60 to 90 beats per minute (bpm). However, individuals that train (properly) in endurance sports (other health problems notwithstanding) can lower RHR all the way down to the 40's. Some even lower.
Lowering your resting heart rate is a great way to oil up your body machine (please ignore the fact that the sentence sounded dirty). A lower resting heart rate means you process input energy (food) more effectively, deliver nutrients to your muscles more effectively, and your capacity to expend energy (do work) goes up. All of these things are good for boxers, I think you'd agree.
Okay, I'm interested, how do I get there, right?
For one - hit the road. Whereas continual long-distance running can be counter-productive to testosterone (in some cases, that's another study) and can play merry hell on your joints, getting in some good road time forces the cardio system into a state of prolonged stress. This is good as long as the stress comes from musculo-skeletal exertion.
Two - DE-FREAKIN'-STRESS. A lot of boxers use the gym as a way to dump their stress and relax. To really pour out the energy so you don't have a choice but to sleep that night. Awesome. BUT - implementing some stress-reduction strategies outside of the gym can have beenfit INSIDE the gym. Grab a stress ball for your desk, distract yourself in class (don't stop paying attention to your professor, though) - in all, learn some method that helps you "let it go." Eliminating stress can have profound impacts on your RHR.
Three - Correct your posture. Stooped posture, pelvic tilt, general slouching - all of these things are bad, and not just because your mom told you so. An interruption in skeletal alignment (bad posture) contributes to compression of muscles and organs. When you effectively choke off an organ, nerve group, or muscle, the muscle is starved for necessary blood - EVEN if it is by as little as 5%. Our bodies being what they are, if you compress one area, you are compressing more than one area, savvy? Correcting your posture has repercussions with body mechanics, and proper body mechanics allow your heart to function better.
Four - Eat well, and often. What happens when you exercise? Your heart rate oscelates with output, right? Well, your muscles are responsible for that, and your organs follow suit. E.g. - you start throwing punches with your deltoids, triceps, etc - and your lungs and heart start to work harder to supply oxygen. Simple. Well, when you eat, your organs do the leading, and your muscles follow. Increased organ function is an increased load on the heart. When you sit down and eat 3 massive meals in a day, you've created a large spectrum of up-and-down activity for the organs to initiate and the heart to respond to. Eating healthy (obviously) meals in smaller increments narrows the bandwidth of how hard your organs have to work to process food. Organs working less = heart working less. It's a good thing.
The bottom line - RHR is an indicator of overall health and general body efficiency. A low RHR can lead to a longer life, in fact. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go all hippie on you. RHR applies directly to the sport we love. If you can control how your engine room regulates it's output, you will have a great return in the form of more endurance. Also, if you need to evaluate a program you want to try, take your RHR in the morning BEFORE you start your program for a few days - to establish a baseline (say, Monday through Friday the week before you start), and then do so again AFTER you've completed a training cycle (5 to 6 weeks). If you are exercising well and paying attention to what you put in your body, you should see some results.
Slow beating heart can lead to fast moving hands. Efficiency is king in the world of 12 rounds.
Train hard.
A lot of talk is done about conditioning when it comes to boxing. Guys run, jump rope, go for endless rounds on the bags, and some even swim - all to build up muscular (and thereby) cardiovasuclar endurance. The simple idea behind conditioning is to train your heart and CNS to operate more efficiently under stress. That way, when you start putting your body through rigorous activity (like punching someone in the cranium), your muscular instincts have been "conditioned" to mitigate energy expenditure.
Wait, what?
Translation - you train so you can go 12 rounds and still have something in the tank.
Now, your body's most important muscle is the heart. It dictates how the rest of your body functions in terms of efficiency.
So, here's a way to gauge and improve your cardio training - Resting heart rate. This is not a new concept, but it's one that combat athletes often overlook. Resting HR (RHR) is a great tool to measure how well a routine or training split impacts your body's energy efficiency. Typical RHR for healthy adults is between something like 60 to 90 beats per minute (bpm). However, individuals that train (properly) in endurance sports (other health problems notwithstanding) can lower RHR all the way down to the 40's. Some even lower.
Lowering your resting heart rate is a great way to oil up your body machine (please ignore the fact that the sentence sounded dirty). A lower resting heart rate means you process input energy (food) more effectively, deliver nutrients to your muscles more effectively, and your capacity to expend energy (do work) goes up. All of these things are good for boxers, I think you'd agree.
Okay, I'm interested, how do I get there, right?
For one - hit the road. Whereas continual long-distance running can be counter-productive to testosterone (in some cases, that's another study) and can play merry hell on your joints, getting in some good road time forces the cardio system into a state of prolonged stress. This is good as long as the stress comes from musculo-skeletal exertion.
Two - DE-FREAKIN'-STRESS. A lot of boxers use the gym as a way to dump their stress and relax. To really pour out the energy so you don't have a choice but to sleep that night. Awesome. BUT - implementing some stress-reduction strategies outside of the gym can have beenfit INSIDE the gym. Grab a stress ball for your desk, distract yourself in class (don't stop paying attention to your professor, though) - in all, learn some method that helps you "let it go." Eliminating stress can have profound impacts on your RHR.
Three - Correct your posture. Stooped posture, pelvic tilt, general slouching - all of these things are bad, and not just because your mom told you so. An interruption in skeletal alignment (bad posture) contributes to compression of muscles and organs. When you effectively choke off an organ, nerve group, or muscle, the muscle is starved for necessary blood - EVEN if it is by as little as 5%. Our bodies being what they are, if you compress one area, you are compressing more than one area, savvy? Correcting your posture has repercussions with body mechanics, and proper body mechanics allow your heart to function better.
Four - Eat well, and often. What happens when you exercise? Your heart rate oscelates with output, right? Well, your muscles are responsible for that, and your organs follow suit. E.g. - you start throwing punches with your deltoids, triceps, etc - and your lungs and heart start to work harder to supply oxygen. Simple. Well, when you eat, your organs do the leading, and your muscles follow. Increased organ function is an increased load on the heart. When you sit down and eat 3 massive meals in a day, you've created a large spectrum of up-and-down activity for the organs to initiate and the heart to respond to. Eating healthy (obviously) meals in smaller increments narrows the bandwidth of how hard your organs have to work to process food. Organs working less = heart working less. It's a good thing.
The bottom line - RHR is an indicator of overall health and general body efficiency. A low RHR can lead to a longer life, in fact. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go all hippie on you. RHR applies directly to the sport we love. If you can control how your engine room regulates it's output, you will have a great return in the form of more endurance. Also, if you need to evaluate a program you want to try, take your RHR in the morning BEFORE you start your program for a few days - to establish a baseline (say, Monday through Friday the week before you start), and then do so again AFTER you've completed a training cycle (5 to 6 weeks). If you are exercising well and paying attention to what you put in your body, you should see some results.
Slow beating heart can lead to fast moving hands. Efficiency is king in the world of 12 rounds.
Train hard.
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