In boxing you can overtrain and peak early in the gym, how come othersports train nearly everyday and dont burn out over long periods? Is it because the intensity of boxing training the body adapts to training harder in short bursts rather than a lesser intensity over a long period?
Good question. Any training, especially high-intensity training can become stale after a while. Boxing is very hard on the wrists, elbows, & shoulders- the joints as well as the muscles. In tennis you can get tennis-elbow as a form of repetitive strain injury & I doubt any tennis players hit the ball as many times per minute as boxers land punches (on bags, pads, people) - let alone hit as hard; maybe except for serves. If you're not careful with your tools, you're gonna need time off. Also, boxing relies on explosiveness - both for intensity and duration. You need hone max output as well as max intensity over time. It's like trying to be an olympic sprinter/lifter and a distance runner at the same time. The training for this can take a lot out of you. On top of this, toss in the wear and tear on the body from being pounded on by another guy and you've got a surefire recipe for grinding down the body in a relatively short period of time. Of course there's a lot of skill work you can do in the gym that doesn't require this level of intensity; but truth is a lot of boxers don't enjoy training. I think BHop's spartan lifestyle and sheer love of daily training is a great contributor to his high level of skill. He's in the gym constantly, so he's not rushing to get in shape in 6 to 8 weeks, and he has a lot more time to focus on the finer points instead of just putting his body through hell to make weight. just my 2 cents; I'm sure someone will correct me if i'm wrong.
Very good point. I think it makes a difference if you enjoy training. I find myself putting in a few more rounds on the bag sometimes just becuase im having fun.
I keep it simple I just take 1 week off every 8 to 10 weeks of training, No training at all in that week just rest.
You can literally drain yourself. If you drain yourself in training then your brain and body will not work as well. It boils down to that I believe. Some boxers, even heavyweights, will try to save themselves after the weigh-in and 'carb up' whilst resting, not realising that they have cut their time too short.
Ah, hang on. I think here in lies much confusion. Many trainers that 'believe' in over-training will actually explain that the problem is that, in boxing, you don't have the luxury of a season. You have to get it right on the night.
