Training regimes from around 1900 inside

Willard the boxer was no way the athlete Lennox/Vitali, to suggest otherwise shows a complete lack of knowledge of sport as a whole, he was a comparitive oaf

 

I used to run a circuit I thought was a hilly mile, I got my time down to 3:50 on it, I was gutted to find out it was only 1200m

 

Willard did a sh1t load of endurance training before the Johnson fight.

His strategy was basicaly to outlast Johnson.

I will try to dig up the details.

 

No problem mate.

 

I don't think people realise how many injuries you get from running long distances wearing protective/supportive/cushioned running shoes, without that - no chance of them doing 10miles a day, especially the heavier bodyweights

 

Yes I noticed him bouncing on his tip toes throughout the fight, continously moving, throwing none stop punches

No he wasn't he doesn't have 1/4 of the workrate on the top guys today

 

That is partly because he had to do it for a much longer period. There is probably a much bigger diference between 15 rounds and 20 than there is between 12 and 15.

This is what Fleischer said about Willards training regime quoted by Monte Cox.

"Jack Curley and Tex O’Rourke devised a plan to take advantage of those assets in order to defeat the black heavyweight champion. First they made it a finish fight scheduled for 45 rounds in Havana, Cuba under a hot sun. O’Rourke prepared Willard for a lengthy bout by strengthening the challengers legs by running him up hills and over rough terrain. By the time of the fight he was a match for any man in terms of endurance"

 

Most running injuries are caused by poor technique rather than actual atrition.

I would also add that just because you cant do it dosnt mean that sombody else cant.

 

Gebressalassie the greatest runner of all time with some of the best technique ever had some serious feet injuries at times. All runners get injuries

 

Indeed ultramarathonrunners have to sustain multiple injuries to complete a race but they just put up with it.

 

Its also because hes not as physically fit.

Willards plan was to absorb Johnsons shots, let him get tired, lean on Johnson until Johnson got tired, he wasn't outworking Johnson or doing much, it was more like the Simpsons episode where Homer gets punched in the face 100s of times until his opponent gets tired and he pushes him over

 

That is a little bit unfair.

If you watch the whole fight you will see that Willard took a good few rounds.

 

Might I suggest a few things you should be looking for.

Tom Cribbs training regime in the runup to the rematch with Tom Mollineux. This is basicaly the first ever training camp as far as I can see. The first organised atempt to bring a fighter to the peak of possible condition.

You might also want to look at the training regimes of some of the mid 19th century bareknuckle champions like Yankee Sullivan and Jem Mace. This is where you start to see something recognisable as a training regime today emerge.

Although weightlifting became mainstream around the 1980s there have always been fighters who used dumbells here and there. I think the article on George Dixon and Joe Walcott makes reference to it.

At some point in the mid 20th century pasta seems to have replaced potatoes as the principal source of carbohydrate for training fighters.