Fitzsimmons engaged in interval training!

The great Finnish runners in the 20's- known as the Flying Finns- ran what is called "Farlek" or speed play. It was essentially the same thing in a cross country context. I saw Lennox running intervals once. Not the fastest guy in the world.

 

Yeah, I've heard this one before.

Not absolute literal modern HIIT, but pretty damned close.

Smart way to work out, really. Boxing matches ebb and flow activity wise, why just walk or just sprint, right?

 

I can't answer your questions, but it just shows you that the more things change...the more they stay the same.

 

I will say that Fitzsimmons had one of the toughest training regimes that I have seen for any fighter of any era.

We are talking Rocky Marciano teritory.

 

Fitzsimons has some unusual training methods.

To develop his hand speed, Fitz would snatch falling ropes with his bare hands.

Fitz would stand with his hands on his hips and his eyes closed. He would do this near water well with a rope and bucket. As soon as the other person let go of the rope, Fitz would open his eyes and grab the rope after it passed through the knob, but before it hit bottom. Fitz says he would pretend he was falling down the well and only had one chance to grab on to the ropes. The papers of the time said Fitz had cobra like hand speed.

To develop his power, Fitz would pound metal with a hammer. The result was strong shoulder and back muscles that produced paralyzing type of punches.

 

Max Schmeling used to train for speed by driving nails through planks with the palm of his hand.

 

From a running perspective, true interval training was 'formally' pioneered by the coach Hans Reindell. Legendary middle-distance runner Rudolf Harbig used it to smash the 800m world record in 1939.

It is interesting that Bob used a form of fartlek training earlier than this, but in reality you can go back a long way and find evidence for varied pace training...

 

It is freaky how far ahead of their time some early boxing trainers were.

They seem to have understood the effectivness of rowing for cardio, via old wives law, long before it was understood in sports science.

 

Examples?

Was he as dedicated as Maher?

Weird way to train for speed.

Think it would have more to do with the power you could hit the board with, how hard you were willing to hit it without hurting your damned hand.

 

Old wives law?

 

I am saying that the science wasnt there yet, but that some trainers worked it out either by experience or word of mouth.

 

See my previous post, Janitor?