Elite boxers run long distance. Why?

Discussion in 'Boxing Training' started by Beau Geste, Dec 24, 2009.



  1. Beau Geste

    Beau Geste Active Member Full Member

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    Dec 24, 2009
    It seems that every elite boxer in the game today runs long distances almost every day in training. We know all the old school greats ran long distances to get in shape.

    So why do so many on this board say long distance running is not applicable for boxing?

    What do the champions know, that the internet trainers do not?

    Here is a short list of current elite's and their daily roadwork routines.

    Floyd Mayweather - 6 to 8 miles
    Joe Calzaghe - 6 miles
    Tim Bradley - 8 miles
    Paul Williams - 5 miles
    Arthur Abraham - 6 miles
    Carl Froch - 5 miles
    Lamont Peterson - 8 to 12 miles
    Manny Pac. - 6 miles
    Bernard Hopkins - 3 to 6 miles
    Fill in most other elite fighters today and it will be similar
     
  2. lefty

    lefty Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Because they need to keep their weight right down and fight for 12 rounds. Most guys here fight amateur and it's a totally different game, 3 rounds at a faster pace. These pros would be doing strength training and plyometrics aswell for their boxing fitness and explosiveness, the long running is just to make sure they have a strong aerobic base aswell because of the length of the fight and as I said to make sure they keep their weight down, also the mental factor of focusing for long periods of time. Boxing tends to lag behind the rest of the world sports when it comes to sports science. Unless you're fighting 12 rounds and you're willing to lose some speed then don't go for long runs.
     
  3. RightHooker

    RightHooker Active Member Full Member

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    Those top pros fight for 12 three minute rounds, compared to amateurs (most of the boxers on this forum) who only fight 3 or 4 rounds.

    The top pros will usually do intervals and sprints as well, mixing it up. A few days per week with long runs for overall endurance and weight loss, and a few days per week of sprints and intervals for more intensity.
     
  4. Beau Geste

    Beau Geste Active Member Full Member

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    Thanks. This response and the one before makes sense.

    However, most elite boxers today run these distances every day, not just a couple of times a week and if they are doing plyos and intervals they rarely mention it when asked about their rountines.

    Verify this by reading Gary Todd's book where he interviews loads of fighters about their routines, or looking at the Boxing News website where many elite fighters are interviewed. In addition, countless articles on this site and over the years are also sources.
     
  5. BITCH ASS

    BITCH ASS "Too Fast" Full Member

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    Yeah the mother ****ers run. Tell me when one of these mother ****ers that say don't run becomes a champ.
     
  6. LJB

    LJB Member Full Member

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    david haye apparently doesnt do long distance running
     
  7. ripcity

    ripcity Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    If their running 5 or 6 minnuet miles those distances are not that long. Also they can be doing diffrent kinds of speed work within those distances as well.
     
  8. brown bomber

    brown bomber 2010 Poster of the Year Full Member

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    Long slow distance work is a totally different thing to not ruinning, or sprints, or intervals, or Fartlek, or temp bursts, or cross training. Internet trainers? You mean trainers with access to the internet? The same ones in the gyms? Is your sport aerobic or anerobic- or is it both? When do you perform the running action in the ring? What is the goal/objective of a boxers run?

    Juan Diaz doesn't run. He achieves the nessacary heart, lung and mind effect from swimming.
     
  9. Johnboy2007

    Johnboy2007 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Like jeff said all about your goal. Thats their regime not yours. You try and copy what a pro boxer does without the same team support, nutritionists and conditioning coaches ect and im sure you will end up injured.

    And not to throw a spanner in the works. But i would not say that is long distance running. Might be compared to what you are used to but 5-8 miles is not a long distance. I would consider long distance to be over 8 . Or maybe thats just me :huh

    I have trained hard for the past year, but i have realised recently i trained wrong! I was doing 6 miles everyday and on a sunday doing 10 miles. Plus i was doing workouts 7 days a week. I thought i was training really well and now realise not only have i trashed my body and its now caught up with me ( im injured and having to take complete rest) but also that it was completely wrong for my sport. My intesity wasnt enough and although my aerobic capacity was great ( and looks wise i was ripped to hell lol) my anaerobic was pathetic. I realised this when i was asked to spar 2 rounds in a row with not break and i was absolutly screwed. So for my goal iv pretty much wasted my time through ignorance and although iv learnt my lesson now i learnt it the hard way unfortunatly. I will still be running when i return but no where near the ridiculous amounts i was and will be focusing on sprints somedays and interval training.

    Sorry that was a bit long winded :yep
     
  10. GregDempsey

    GregDempsey Guest

    i think in the amatures..when your only fighting..at most 12 mintues..even if you include between round time 15 minutes..anything over 3 miles is dumb (3 miles should take you 18 minutes or so, give or take. but really, i remember holyfields trainer saying how the old time distance running was all wrong..and how one should do more interval training...slow jobs..then sprints..all that...then i read jack dempseys book "championship fighting.." and he said some days he would go out and do a long slow run..other days he would run slow..then sprint..then run slow..then sprint...then shadow box..then sprint....." so dempsey knew about interval running as well..he just didnt call it that...just like they knew about polymetrics...they just didnt call it that..they called it medicine ball work and callastics....we tend to discount what the old times knew...just because they didnt have scientic names or have some homo with a sports degree drawing up their "conditioning" workouts.
     
  11. itrymariti

    itrymariti CaƱas! Full Member

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    Carl Froch? "Elite"?

    Please.
     
  12. brown bomber

    brown bomber 2010 Poster of the Year Full Member

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    More elite then jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell and chad Dawson- who happen to be amongst the beat athletes in the world.
     
  13. scrap

    scrap Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Every individual is Different, what isnt is Gravity giving Impact that is constant. Theres got to be a way round it :patsch.
     
  14. KillSomething

    KillSomething Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    They run distance because their sport demands a high level of aerobic fitness. AMATEUR boxing is mostly anaerobic, which means that long distance runs don't have as much of a place.

    Pro title fight: 47 minutes
    Amateur fight: up to 11 minutes

    6 minute miles for 47 minutes is around 8 miles. Same speed for 11 minutes is about 2 miles. That's why pros run farther than amateurs.

    Most pros do a few days of speed/interval work, with a longer recovery run the day after. Amateurs do recovery runs as well, but they don't have to be as long, because their speed/interval days are shorter as well. Basically, amateurs don't need as big of a gas tank, they just need a better quality one.
     
  15. Beau Geste

    Beau Geste Active Member Full Member

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    Dec 24, 2009
    David Haye also gasses early in most of his fights. In his "winning" effort against Valuev he hardly threw any punches. He would be better off I think if he emulated the fighters that do lots of roadwork.