All boxing team candidates answering the coach’s first call should be expected to report in at a boxing fitness level high enough to go at top speed in workouts and the ring.

Early boxing fitness ideally consists of road work at least three times weekly for one month prior to the first squad drills. The boxer should be informed that the heavy roadwork is done before the season begins, and for a time immediately thereafter. Only infrequent roadwork sessions are necessary once the boxers have a ;evel of boxing fitness considered high enough. This means actually that during the regular competitive season the fighters do not have to devote as much time to boxing fitness routines as they did before­hand. They become increasingly engrossed in the details that fit into the mechanics and strategy of the game and boxing fitness training can be reduced to a lower level of importance. Dur­ing this process boxing becomes more a fascinating recrea­tion, and less a dull routine.

Boxing fitness - Road Work

There are many theories on how to do road work as a part of your oxing fitness routine. Some advocate the long tedious grinds of three to five miles. I have always contended, and followed the theory, that the long grinds possibly are necessary preparation only for the 1 to 15 rounds of professional fighting. For the high school or college boxer attempting to improve their boxing fitness, or any other amateur who will box three one-minute or two-minute rounds, running short distances, with wind sprints, will better prepare him for his type of contest.

During the month previous to the regular boxing fitness sessions he may increase his stamina and boxing fitness condition by jogging, preferably outdoors, for approximately one minute and 45 seconds, and then sprint­ing at top speed for 15 seconds. He should walk the next minute, thereby catching his wind, and repeat the per­formance. He should go through this boxing fitness routine about six times the first day of road work; then increase to 10 or 12 times when his condition warrants it. At the end of the first month of such road work, if he is a high school boxer and boxing only one-minute rounds, he should change to jogging 45 seconds to improve his boxing fitness, next sprinting at top speed for 15 seconds, then walking a minute, and repeat.

My theory and reasoning are that a fighter should do his road work in accordance with the length of the rounds he boxes, and in the manner in which he boxes. In an average round, a boxer is sparring around for an opening (this cor­responds to the jogging); the opening is found and the gloves are thrown fast and furious for 10 or 15 seconds (this corresponds to the sprints). Some boxers undertaking boxing fitness programmes find it more to their liking to measure their distances in blocks rather than by time. They will jog a third of a block, sprint a third of a block, then walk the last third, repeating this each block. I have found both methods of boxing fitness training successful and can promise that boxers following either of them will have a level of boxing fitness to go three fast rounds.

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