Angelo Dundee's "Run only 3 miles" rules

He doesn't know what he's talking about.

Distance running is pretty useless to most fighters, though.

 

Depends on what else the fighter does in actual boxing training. Roadwork helps more than just stamina. All the old school greats like Dempsey, Marciano, Fitzsimmons, Jeffries, etc. ran upwards of 7 miles when training. Now don't forget that they trained down in weight back then but nevertheless these guys had flawless stamina. Never saw them gassed out. Another thing not to forget is they ran at a very high pace. Fitzsimmons ran 6-9 miles at a rate of 6 minutes per mile. Running slow won't do anything for a fighter and they also ran in steep terrain. Dempsey used to run up mountains and all type of **** in the forests of California.

Running on a flat surface is detrimental for a fighter because it doesn't properly build the leg muscles. When I can't get out to run up hills I put my treadmill on 7% incline and start running. Roadwork is great for overall cardiovascular health and is not something that should be neglected. No fighter ever had good stamina from just running sprints which is idiotic if you are running miles at a high pace.

 

Running is like anything it takes science because like lifting on heavy/light training day...you need to know not to overload the body,boxers get the cardio necessary anyway with running/sparring/swimming/lifting ..etc....fighters are different. With Dundee he had Ali so he was a bit spoiled but one should do what the style requires..meaning long running can be benneficial to long steady fight or long short /more work rate would benefit the faster starter mote pressure fighter. I would advise running 5 miles once every week though.

 

I think if you run more than 25 minutes as an amateur you are overdoing it. For a professional I can see why you might want a longer distance/time. The running won't help you THAT much in the fight though. You could do some interval training that simulates rounds. (Have lots of burst runs or a circuit of sorts)

Running seems to make it so that I can recover very quickly after using a burst of energy. But it won't make your bursts any more energetic. You need to do interval training for that.

 

I like fan sprints of 3 minutes on, 1 minute off for however many rounds you are fighting + 1.

 

froch swore by running, that's what helped him find that last surge against taylor

 

You can ask ten different trainers/athletes, and get ten different opinions; science says one thing (not really specific to the sport/activity), experience says another (all the greats did it - if it worked for them, you need to do it). Do what works best for you - if you really like running longer distances, go for it; but realize there's a point of diminishing returns, and if it's impacting your sport-specific training, i.e. sparring, bag work, etc, it's poor return on your time/effort investment.

The interval stuff makes a great deal of sense in terms of specificity, but I think there's something to be said for the ability to stay on your feet continuously for 36 mins or so, which is as long as you'll ever go as a pro. Three miles seems to be a good compromise - YMMV.

 

But even then you really only need to stay on your feet 3 minutes at a time, for 12 intervals (at most) with 1 minute rest intervals.

 

Then by all means, run intervals if you think that's what works best for you - and please understand, that's not meant to be snarky. Forty years of training, and thirty years of working in rehab have taught me that when it comes to training, there are no absolutes; anyone researching to find that perfect regime will find arguments for and against, and both will make perfect sense. You have to find what works best for YOU, and are most likely to stick with. If one or the other is a little less effective, but you're consistent with it and you're getting good results, it's better than the ideal program you dread and question every time you step into the ring.

Personally, I'm a big fan and proponent of intervals - but once in a while, I'll throw in a cycle of distance running just because I feel like the ability to go long taps into resources the shorter stuff doesn't.

 

I was suprised to hear him say you can walk it. That can't be doing much for the heart and lungs?

 

Actually you would be very surprised. As someone who has had to walk across a big college campus to get to class I can verify that 3 miles of fast walking can really get your heart rate up.

 

That's a terrible running routine.

 

He doesn't know what he's talking about??

Angelo Dundee?

Hahaha keep trollin'

 

If that blanket advice is targeted at every boxer, then absolutely, when it comes to this subject he doesn't know what he's talking about.