what is you all's opinion of distance runs and new school training for boxing?

[chris5]

I know manny and floyd still incorporate distance runs in the morning but what i've been reading...which makes sense, is that distance running is all AEROBIC. while boxing is mainly ANAEROBIC. Meaning that in a true fight most of those 3 minutes you are going all out and exploding a lot then resting, using a lot of anaerobic energy. but when you are doing distance runs, it is purely aerobic. So their theories is that distance runs are just making you lose lean muscle and don't condition you for an actual boxing match.

My question is, i know the distance running must have a positive effect on boxing otherwise the elite fighters wouldn't do it. Does anyone know how they incorporate the distance runs w/ the training program. Ex. do they just do the distance running 3x a week in the morning in the first mesocycle of a training program then drop it. or do they just do the distance running in the off season? Any help would be appreciated seeing as i am an aspiring amateur boxer and i've already dropped down to 155lbs at 6'0 tall and was wondering if I should cut out the distance runs to preserve more lean muscle. Thanks.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

You need both. Aerobic endurance is definitely needed because you need to be able to go the full length of the fight.

Anaerobic is also needed because you do exert yourself in moments of the fights.

What I do is include sprints into my long distance running. Off and on and that helps with that explosion.

[Prince Mongo]

Really good post. There is a lot of research that a lot of old training methods in sport in general are inappropriate and counter productive due to over training.In swimming Mark Foster (Colin Jackson's gay partner) cut down the marathon pool sessions doing far less distance and focused on less laps of the pool but at a faster tempo.His performance improved massively and he was doing less than half the work. There is no point in a sprinter training like a long distance runner.It is counter productive. This no pain no gain type of thinking can be taken to the extreme and is a mind set of people who OVER TRAIN.
Stefan Edberg e tennis player cut distance running out of his regime and worked on fast sprints. His thinking was that you never run around the court at an even pace like a distance runner so why train like one.
It has to be the same in boxing. Your training should really replicate your sport which at professional level is 12 intense 3 minute rounds with a small break between rounds.Some distance running to get some core fitness will add benefit but you must be better off with higher intensity shorter sessions that replicate what is going on in the ring than long distance runs which bear no relation to real boxing.

[The Surgeon]

I think u need to be doing both really. Just another point here, hard road work over distance is as much a mental thing as anything else and tests your will, its also when i personally do my best thinking and get my mind on the task

[Prince Mongo]

. Just another point here, hard road work over distance is as much a mental thing as anything else and tests your will,

This kind of thinking is unsound. It is in line with life's kicks to the bollox are good for you and build character. Nadal's uncle who trains him is into this kind of thing. Part of his training ideas are to train Nadal in the sun and not give him water to get him used to performing under stress of dehydration.That is rediculous there is a lot of research that shows your performance levels drop dramatically when dehydrated and no amount of training when you are dehydrated is going to make you perform better. This kind of training is just getting used to take schite.

[*OG Wenger*]

Here is an explanation of the energy systems for you...

You have the Anaerobic energy systems which consist of....

Creatine Phosphate - This is the fuel your muscles use for short, high intsensity exercises that last 1-10 seconds.

After this your muscles switch to Lactic acid for fuel. This will last for around 10 seconds-3 minutes.

Then we have the Aerobic system that is used for slow instensity and/or long duration exercises. The muscles use oxygen and carbohydrates as fuel for this (for longer durations fat is also used).

So on the face of it i would say all 3 are vital for 12 x 3 minutes rounds of boxing.

Hope this helps.

[chris5]

great replies here. does anyone have any info on when and how often the distance runs should be incorporate into the training cycle?

[Sugarj]

There is a load of good stuff here. One thing I think a few folks need to understand and read up on is heart rate zones and the true difference between anaerobic and aerobic exercise.

Often a boxer's distance run will actually be at an anaerobic pace. Wilkipaedia has a great page on 'Anaerobic exercise' as well as a diagram of what heartbeats per minute constitutes anaerobic training vs aerobic training.

Believe me, most boxers will have a higher beat per minute than 140BPM when doing their long run, which is actually anaerobic.

Below 140BPM is aerobic training and might constitute light shadowboxing, warmup skipping, very light pad work or low intensity floorwork.

I'd advise at least a weekly long run (8-13 miles) to a boxer simply because it helps keep weight down, builds stamina and brings the resting heart rate down. It is so useful to the boxer as the rounds go by to have this fitness base.

The other days of the week could be used to incorporate sprint reps, hill reps, lower mileage time trials, sparring, pad/bag work, floorwork, HIIT and skipping.

In creating the perfect boxer/athlete you really do need to cover all corners.

[Spartacus Sully]

anarobic threshold is also known as lactate threshold.

lactate threshold is when your muscles are producing more lactate acid then they can break down.

the main muslces for creating lactate acid are fast twitch

the main things responsible for breaking down lactate acid are red blood cells, your liver, lung muscles, heart muscles, and slow twitch muscles.

so essentially your arobic capacity is directly related to your anerobic capacity.

really all you need is long distance running, as HIIT training on the heavy bag shadow boxing, sparring, pads, double end bag, speed bag and jump rope are all just as good if not better then sprinting.

[mushahadeen]

I know manny and floyd still incorporate distance runs in the morning but what i've been reading...which makes sense, is that distance running is all AEROBIC. while boxing is mainly ANAEROBIC. Meaning that in a true fight most of those 3 minutes you are going all out and exploding a lot then resting, using a lot of anaerobic energy. but when you are doing distance runs, it is purely aerobic. So their theories is that distance runs are just making you lose lean muscle and don't condition you for an actual boxing match..

I will defend old school running.

There is something to be said for getting your ass up and going for a long ass run day after day after day when you don't want to do it. There is something to be said for being alone when nobody can see you, and it's REALLY REALLY REALLY super easy for you to cheat. To just say "**** it nobody's around to catch me, i'm going back to bed..."

It builds a mental toughness and gives you a huge edge over that a-hole he goes on messageboards and reads "omg i can get the same benefits from only 20 minutes! yippeeeeeeee!!!!!"

NO. JUST NO.