Need some opinions

[jeppuda]

TweetI am currentlly bulking, but I want to start boxing next monday. I have taken this week off and will start a new routine. I was thinking of doing HST ( if your not familiar w/ it check www.thinkmuscle.com or www.hypertrophy-specific.com) I've done this routine and gained 8 lbs before.

I know boxing involves a lot of cardio, so I will up my calories to try to maintain or possibly even gain weight. What kind of training regimin do you guys recomend for someone in my situation? 3 day a week: push, pull, legs? Hypertrophy? ect.
Thanks in advance.

[pudgy]

TweetRoadwork -- by Chris Wheless, BS, CSCS
"Roadwork" is a form of supplemental training that most everyone associates with boxing. We can all recall the exhilarating scene in "Rocky" as he runs with a legion of children following closely behind. Remember the old Nike advertisements which showed a hooded boxer running and shadowboxing?

Yes, roadwork is a very important aspect of boxing. Sadly, however, many coaches are missing the boat when it comes to prescribing running programs. More times than not, they just tell their athletes to make sure they run six days a week, and the further the better. I have seen too many boxers use distance as a means of monitoring their progress.

The problem with this approach is that their intensity is usually a little shy of what it should be. Boxing is approximately 70% anaerobic and 30% aerobic. Anaerobic exercises are high intensity, short duration, like those used in power activities such as weight lifting, sprinting and punching. When running, the intensity must be high enough to stress the two energy systems (discussed later) in the body responsible for anaerobic metabolism. In a three minute round, an athlete's heart rate can fluctuate between 70 and 100% of maximum heart rate. When choosing a running strategy, make sure it closely emulates the demands of the sport. Distance running does not do this. Interval training does!

Basic Energy System Physiology
The goal of interval training is to increase anaerobic threshold (AT) by improving your body's ability to metabolize lactic acid. This allows you to train harder before experiencing the pain of lactate accumulation and oxygen debt (when oxygen demand exceeds intake). During low intensity activities (aerobic), our bodies burn glucose and/or fat in the presence of oxygen to supply itself with energy. At higher intensities (anaerobic), the cardiovascular and circulatory systems cannot supply enough oxygen to keep up with demand. As a result, the body compensates by burning glucose (carbohydrate) in a short-term chemical reaction which does not require oxygen to be present. Anaerobic metabolism is only good for a few seconds before waste products such as lactic acid begin to build up. It is at this point that severe fatigue begins to occur and you feel as if you cannot throw another punch or sprint another 10 feet.

There are three energy systems in mammalian muscle cells, which serve to replenish ATP (adenosine triphosphate). The two anaerobic pathways are the phosphagen system and anaerobic glycolysis. The third one is the oxidative system, and it is responsible for aerobic metabolism. All three of these are active at any one time, but the extent to which they are involved depends on the duration and intensity of the activity. Since boxing is mostly anaerobic, it is necessary to place a greater emphasis on the phosphagen system and anaerobic glycolysis. Interval training is an excellent means of accomplishing this.

The Phosphagen system is primarily responsible for providing ATP during high-intensity, short-term activities (5-10sec) such as a punch flurry or a sprint. This is accomplished by chemical reactions between creatine phosphate and ATP, along with various enzymes. After approximately ten seconds, intramuscular stores of phosphagens become low and the phosphagen system ceases being the dominant energy pathway. Anaerobic glycolysis, which uses carbohydrate breakdown for energy, supplements the phosphagen system. Anaerobic glycolysis and the oxidative system then become the primary energy pathways for the rest of the interval.

The benefits of training these two energy systems with very high intensities are as follows:
> Increases muscle tolerance to lactic acid.
> Increases enzymes in your muscles that are responsible for anaerobic
> metabolism.
> Simulates the intensity used for large combinations and fighting on the
> inside.

During interval training, the sprints represent punch flurries. Just as it is impossible to throw ten-punch combinations with 100% intensity of effort, back-to-back for an entire round, it is also impossible to sprint full speed for three minutes. At some point, lactic acid begins to accumulate; you become winded and simply cannot continue at such a high intensity. You must then reduce the level of intensity in order to allow your body to recover. In the boxing match, this is done by getting to the outside, staying on your toes and jabbing while you recover. During intervals, simulate this by jogging for 20-30 seconds, or however long it takes you to recover. The jog represents being in long range, sticking and moving.

The Routine
When performing intervals, keep in mind the length of time you will be fighting. Try to make the intervals as sport-specific as possible. If you will be competing in two-minute rounds, then I want you to run in three-minute intervals. If you are fighting on a professional level, run for 4 minutes. First, begin with a 5-minute low intensity jog, which will raise your core temperature and prepare the lower extremities for what lies ahead. It is also important to engage in light stretching, especially in the hamstring and groin areas, to help avoid sprint related injuries. After sufficient warm up and stretching, set your stopwatch and mentally prepare yourself.

I do not recommend starting with a sprint; instead, gradually accelerate to full speed within the first 15 seconds. Maintain maximum intensity for as long a possible. You are going to feel the discomfort that accompanies high intensity running - heavy breathing, tired muscles and fatigue. When you can no longer tolerate this, slow down to a jog for 20-30 seconds, and then sprint again. After the run time has elapsed, take a passive (stationary) rest for 2 minutes (or until your heart rate lowers to approximately 65% of max).

Once you have recovered, begin the next interval. Perform as many intervals as the number of rounds you will be fighting. If you do not have the conditioning to perform at least three, do as many as you can and add an extra interval every two weeks. Try to make the intervals resemble the most fatiguing, exhausting round you have ever experienced. As time goes by, your body will be better able to tolerate and utilize increased concentrations of lactic acid. As a result you will be able to sustain higher intensities for longer periods and recover more efficiently.

Frequency
These workouts are very intense and stress your body inordinately. As a result, you should not do these two days in a row or you will quickly become overtrained. It is very common for my athletes to take two days between intervals, especially if an interval day is going to fall on a sparring day or a strength-training day. For example, if you run on Monday and Wednesday and sparring is on Friday, run on Saturday instead of Friday. It will not hurt you to take two days between runs; in fact I encourage it.

Calculating Heart Rate
Throughout this article I have made mention of heart rate percentages. For now, you need only be concerned with heart rate during rest intervals. In future articles I will explain how to use heart rate percentages during run-time. There are a couple of formulas which can be used to determine ones estimated maximum number of beats per minute. For our purposes, the basic formula will suffice, which is 220 - (your age) = Maximum Heart Rate. For example, a 20-year-old boxer will calculate his/her recovery HR in the following manner:
> 220 - 20 = 200
> Next, calculate recovery HR by multiplying maximum HR by .65.
> 200 x .65 = 130 Beats Per Minute

Check your pulse by using either the wrist or carotid artery (neck). Count the number of beats in ten seconds and multiply by six. If you are 20 years old, like the boxer in the example, begin your next interval as soon as your pulse rate reaches 130bpm (65% of max).

Remember, interval training is a more sport-specific approach to roadwork than distance running. Perform the intervals with at least one-day rest between, preferably two. Make sure you allow your heart rate to come down to 65% of max before starting your next interval. After a few runs you should notice that your recovery time is decreasing. Do not exceed three intervals in one week. As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

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