How Pro Boxers Get Fighting Fit

Have you ever wondered how pro boxers get so ridiculously fit before matches? In this guide, you’re about to find out. We take a look at some of the things that they do to dramatically transform their physiques and get into the proper weight category. Here’s everything that you need to know:

They enter the red zone

Pro boxers get fighting fit primarily by entering and staying in the red zone when it comes to their heart rate. This means they’re working at over 90% of their maximum as part of high-intensity workouts.

Many boxers use high-intensity interval training and have done so for decades, even before it was popular. This type of training pushes the heart to its upper limit because boxers exert maximum energy into a specific activity, like sprinting or box jumping, for a given period of time. Even though high-intensity interval training is unpleasant for most people who try it, it’s over quickly and it improves oxygen delivery to gasping muscles. As a result, it sends a powerful signal to the body that tells it that it needs to adjust and adapt to survive the new demands being placed on it. This is one of the reasons why boxers can turn around their fitness in such a short space of time.

Even punching a punching bag can be exhausting for many untrained people, especially if you do it for a minute or more. It takes up a lot of energy, and it’s a movement your body isn’t always used to. Once you develop that skill and reflex, it completely changes your fitness level. All of a sudden, you’re able to do things you never imagined you could do before.

They do core conditioning using rotation

Boxers use rotational core conditioning to improve their fitness and get fighting fit. This means they are not doing sit-ups like most people in the gym. They understand that punching power comes from the trunk, not the arms. It is the way their abdominals transfer force through the body that allows them to explode and defeat their opponents. Because of this, boxers’ cores are completely functional. They do not do standard floor crunches, but instead:

rotational medicine ball slams
heavy planks
They also do a range of exercises you do not often see people doing in the gym, like:
bicycle crunches for side obliques
mountain climbers for developing deep muscles within the abdomen

The good news is that you can find many of these sophisticated core workouts online these days. Boxers often share the details of their workouts publicly so people can find out what they are doing to become so strong and athletic.

They do heavy bag work

Obviously, boxers do a lot of bag work, but they differ from most amateurs in how they treat the bag. Instead of standing still and punching it like it’s a cushion, professional boxers see it as an opponent and try to bob and weave at the same time. They make sure that they’re constantly thinking about what the bag might be doing if it was a person and trying to hit them back.

Because of this, they throw combination punches, step back occasionally, and then slip in hypothetical counterpunches. This all increases the intensity of the workout and also makes it more relevant to their particular sport. If you go and do this at the gym yourself, you’ll notice that it’s more tiring than just standing there and punching the bag. It forces you to constantly think on your feet and respond and react to the situation around you.

They do shadow boxing

Related to this, a lot of pro boxers get fighting fit by doing shadow boxing. This trains muscle memory and allows the nervous system to operate more efficiently than if they were simply practising with pads. If you try to do this in the gym yourself, you’ll notice that it will increase your focus and accuracy over time. You’re able to deliver punches with more skill and shorter reaction times.

Once you go beyond the 30-minute point, you begin to enter the fatigue stage. There is a limit to how long you can concentrate on fighting an invisible opponent, but this sort of training comes in handy when you’re in the ring.

They develop rhythm

Another thing you’ll notice pro boxers doing is developing their rhythm. Many of them jump rope to help them develop sudden bursts of energy. You also see them doing sprint intervals and hill training.

If you want this type of experience, it might be worth joining group fitness workouts. These often vary the types of workouts that you do while focusing on fitness and strength.

Rhythmic workouts are obviously the most effective for boxers. Skipping rope, for example, improves spatial awareness and ankle coordination, which can help keep boxers planted in the ring. It can also be useful to do double-unders and high knees while skipping to increase the intensity and make the experience more effortful.

They sprint instead of plod

Lastly, pro boxers get fighting fit by sprinting instead of plodding. Most people do zone 2 cardio because it feels more comfortable and keeps their heart rate in a slightly elevated range, but for boxers that’s not enough. When you’re in the ring, often wild and dramatic exertions are required, which is why sprinting is the superior training method.

If you want to train like a boxer, it’s a good idea to sprint up a hill or hike with a heavy backpack on. These activities tend to spike the heart rate and build fast foot turnover, making it a more natural part of the boxer’s baseline. Training these physical movements over and over again can have a profound effect on how the boxer moves and reacts in the ring. It also means that they can continue to generate power from their legs even when they are swimming in lactic acid.

So there you have it: some of the ways pro boxers get fighting fit before matches.