Mikenobike

How would one go about cycling for boxing. I've been cycling maybe once every week and its really helped me maintain the strength in my legs as the rounds go on. I used to just go for long random rides (45 miles, 4500ft elevation, took like 3-4 hours) but recently switched to just doing 1 mile 5-6% climbs for 1-3 sets as fast and hard as I can about twice a week and the occasional long ride just for fun. Any thoughts? Or resources (books, coaches, etc). I know cycling is starting to become a really popular cardio tool in combat sports!

canklecat

When I boxed amateur in the 1970s-early '80s I mostly cycled for overall conditioning, partly because I had chronic pain from running -- arch cramps, shin splints. I discovered years later my narrow feet with high arches made it difficult to find shoes that fit properly, which contributed to running injuries.

TBH, while cycling is great for aerobic conditioning, there is no substitute for jogging, skipping rope and other leg/footwork exercises for boxing and martial arts. In the amateurs especially, conditioning is everything. We get only three or four rounds, usually 2 or 3 minutes per round, and the action is usually intense, non-stop, so the best conditioning usually wins. It's pretty uncommon in sanctioned amateur bouts to see clean KO's or even TKO's of an exhausted opponent. The ref will stop the bout before it gets to that point. So it's absolutely crucial to have top conditioning, move a lot and give the appearance of having plenty of spring in the step.

I often gassed out by the end of rounds two and three (standard three 3-minute rounds back then) because cycling wasn't really working my legs in a way that translated to boxing. I moved a lot, side to side, etc., and that demands workouts that exercise the legs the same way we will move in the ring.

So go ahead and keep riding. Back then I commuted 20 miles almost daily and longer rides on weekends. So my cardio was always good. But in retrospect my avoidance of jogging cost me a couple of close decisions when I gassed out in the third round after winning the first because I was a fast starter. When I did more leg work, including moving around the ring with the coach holding the pads, I always won.

Besides jogging -- usually 3 miles/5k about 3 times a week is good, aiming for a 30 minute pace -- and skipping rope, do pad work in the ring to get a feel for that padded ring. If you're accustomed to footwork on the gym floor or similarly hard surface, a ring with squishy mat can feel like moving in sand or mud. So do footwork in the ring too.

Explosive stuff like lunges, squats and jumps, etc., are all good too. Practice those on a gym mat or in the ring too. Most boxing gyms will have mats for workouts, since ring time is often limited by high demand.

Check YouTube for videos of workouts by Floyd Mayweather Jr, Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao. Those guys were gym rats and worked out hard, including lots of footwork exercises, including side to side skipping through tires. You can mimic that with just juking side to side across painted lines, or set up traffic cones or even just plastic cups set on the gym floor or parking lot.

I'm 63 now and will never box again, but I still work out the same way. I resumed jogging in October, first time in 40 years. My route includes a wide roadside with concrete drainage half-pipes. I do part of my jogging in those half-pipes, juking side to side for the length of the drainage ditch, around 100-400 yards. Really works the hips, outer leg muscles. I overdid it recently and my fibula and fibularis longus muscles are sore now, but that shows how little real conditioning I got from cycling. Pedaling does not work the legs for side to side movement essential to boxing footwork.

Mikenobike

Thanks for the reply! Out of all cardio disciplines I cycle the least. I used to run 4x a week and now do it 3x a week. Cycling is just supplementation on the side. In my experience cycling is not great for the lungs but it is great for maintaining your legs strength/power output as your lungs give out.

Mikenobike

That's assuming all I do is cycle! I box in a gym that has produced many champions under the supervision of very good coaches. These practices last about 1.5 hrs with an additional half an hour of additional work after the practices. In addition I run 3x a week, lift 2x a week, and do all that jazz, including hard sparring. Cycling is becoming popular as a form of cardio for combat sports athletes for a variety of reasons:

1. It is mentally challenging, which mimics the mental toughness required in fighting more so then running (no disrespect to running, I actually like it more then cycling).
2. Running is important for combat sports (road work) and cycling makes your running better.
3. Whereas running works out your lungs and the strength of your tendons and ligaments due to impact and stress, cycling gives you more muscular endurance for your legs. Specifically, it allows you to MAINTAIN power and strength in your legs as the rounds go on. This is not to be confused with maximal strength, as this is power/strength endurance. Why would this be good for boxing? Legs give out during the later rounds, very common. If your legs give out it not only impacts your own performance but it makes you more prone to getting knocked down, your base of stability is gone!

So with no snarkyness intended, I'm not asking what to do for cardio for boxing. I know that already, I have coaches as well. However, I'm cycling as supplementation 1-2x a week. I'm asking what should those sessions look like? Right now I'm just going up 1-2 mile climbs at 5-6% elevation gain at a 7-9min pace per mile. This sound good?

Thanks!

canklecat

In some respects I find cycling better for cardio, particularly when I use an indoor trainer or comparable machine. When I don't need to worry about exhaustion resulting in stumbling, losing my balance and falling, I can push myself harder during interval sessions.

I can usually hit my peak heart rate during cycling, outdoors or on the trainer -- 173 (again, I'm 63, and a younger, fitter athlete would have a higher maximum HR).

But so far I haven't been able to approach that when running outdoors. I hit 171 bpm once, last week, during sprint/intervals, walking between sprints of around 30 seconds each. Usually when running I peak around 160-165 bpm. Beyond that I'm literally stumbling as my legs turn to jelly.

Now, my legs turn to jelly on the bike too during intervals and max effort sprints and time trials. But I can coast or soft pedal until I catch my breath. And on the trainer even if I push until I'm about to vomit or pass out, no big deal -- I'll flop over onto the sofa or rug.

In terms of cardio, cycling and running seem pretty comparable. Since November I've cut back from around 500 miles a month on the bike to around 100 miles, due to neck and shoulder spasms from old injuries. I was worried about losing fitness so I resumed running. Now when I do ride the bike, once or twice a week, I still feel fine... even a little stronger on climbs. I'm not sure I could handle a 30-60 minute time trial max effort, but it would take only a week or two to regain that level of fitness. Running has worked out pretty well in conjunction with reduced cycling.

BTW, some old school boxing coaches hated that kind of cardio training. They wouldn't have approved of high intensity interval training, sprints, any kind of weight lifting, etc. But there were a lot of superstitions in boxing back then that have proven to be false. Especially the outdated notions about not drinking water during training, and carefully managed weight training. Michael Spinks basically revolutionized boxing training when he went up from light heavyweight champion to take on Larry Holmes for the heavyweight title. Spinks' training program was publicized -- including lifting weights to put on muscle, wind sprints, etc. -- and old school trainers like Gil Clancy ridiculed Spinks and his trainers for deviating from the traditional training. But Spinks outhustled Holmes and was a legit threat at heavyweight until he met Mike Tyson. While Spinks didn't clearly outpoint Holmes in their rematch, he destroyed the much bigger Gerry Cooney.

So, anyway, while I'd strongly encourage you to continue the footwork drills, do whatever your trainer recommends. Martial arts training now is better than ever. And I'd say mixed martial arts competitors train harder than 90% of boxers.

texaspandj

You're doing it right. Long rides 1-2 hours in the saddle will help with endurance. Intervals will help with short burst in ring recovery. After training easy spinning rides will help with overall fitness recovery. In addition, stationary cycling between rounds will put you on another cardio level. And finally, fun riding will give you a nice break from training and allow you to use your hard gym work acquired fitness for plain fun.
A word of caution, I would Only do these cycling workouts once a week.