I noticed Janitor's post about boxing trainers in the Calzaghe/Kessler thread, and it got me thinking. Obviously training and strategy are a vital part of boxing, yet it is rarely covered in this forum, especially comparisons between training techniques and motivators of today, and the past. Are the boxing trainers better today than any single era in the past? What training techniques have been lost, that would still be effective today? Is the fitness/strength level of todays top level talent better, qual or worse than a past era? Just a general topic really, so talk about whatever is relevant.
It is not so much that trainers from one era are better than another. Just as the best fighter could be born in any era so could the best trainer. I do feel that there are less good trainers today and it is harder for sombody to get the chance to use them. Back in the day a great trainer would somtimes have to train whoever he could for a meagre sum. That ment he was available to fairly low level fighters.
That's true. I think another part of the difference between older/newer trainers is the training itself. Training should be unique to the individual being trained. That's in contradiction to the big argument about "old-school vs. new-school" training methods, in which many people favor a certain method of training above all others for ANY boxer. What it comes to is that certain things work for certain boxers. Just cause Marciano or Johnson did it doesn't mean that Lewis or Holyfield should've done it - and vice versa. A good trainer is one that can adapt to the needs of his athlete.
I talk about trainers every now and then. The old time trainers focused more on conditioning, body punching, feints, and in-fighting in comparison to their modern counter parts. The modern trainers focus more on more on the jab, combinations, accuracy of punches, spacing, and defense. Some punches such as the uppercut, and over hand right ( which differs from the right cross) are rare these days. Body shots are less common in the modern era. The biggest difference between old timer corners and modern corners is the cut men / Enswell / Vaseline techniques are mostly modern techniques. The wrapping of the hand has evolved significantly as well. Many old timers used their bare fists, and that was it. Modern fighters can have their fist wrapped by as much as 3/8” of tape, which add to the hitting power, and protect the hands a bit better.
Boxers don't have a fraction of the competitive experience they used to have, and the 15 round time limit has been abolished, opening the way to much greater steroid use, and less emphasis on conditioning and strategy over a longer distance.
The trainers in the past seem like they had all the information on every fighter in the game. Now things seem like they're very specific. I'm just going from the looks of things, but Futch looked like a guy that had his fighter tailored to their physical limitations so during their peak, they looked like real champions and could perform in as many situations as possible. With Steward he seems intent on having a few point specific plans to accentuate their best punches, and it just seems like some of his fighters seem more robotic instead of fluid. I'm aware there are a few exceptions, but isn't this a decent summerization?
I think training regimens today incorporate a significant more emphasis on weight training than it did in the past. At one point, it was thought that weight lifting slowed reflexes, but modern studies have shown this not to be true. From a nutritional standpoint, fighters are given diettary regimens which focus on paying particular attention to x amount of grams of protein or Y amount of grams of carbs. Stretching and flexibility techniques may have changed a bit over the years as well. I think some fighters have even been known to incorporate such disciplines as Yoga and pilates into their routines. Strenghtening of the core muscles, which involve the abs, low back, Glutes and several other enitities is essential in all sports training now. Abdominal strengthening has come along way since the days of repetitive traditional sit-ups and nothing else. Plyo metiric exercises such as box jumps, sprints, and power lifting exercises have been incorporated into some training routines to give fighters explosive power, and increased speed in short bursts. Of course boxing is an endurance sport, but modern studies have shown that it's possible to develop power without compromising endurance, if a training routine is well designed.
