The Theory of the Sweet Science
The Theory of the Sweet Science
You can download this article in the following formats
Word.doc & Rich text Format (.rtf)
It only takes cursory study to realize that boxing is an evolving sport and the learning herewith never stops. The cold wars impact on the evolution of training theory in boxing is the title of a paper prepared by Nicholas Bourne, Jan Todd and Terry Todd. In it you’ll find a good handful of cases where there has been a concerted effort by many boxing trainers and sports scientists to take the sport to the next level.
Some of the research that is mentioned in the paper is easily found;
Evander Holyfield has been using strength training techniques for a number of years to good effect. His strength and conditioning trainer Tim Hallmark made comment in the December ‘87 issue of Sports Illustrated and called attention to the massive improvements that were made to the conditioning program of his fighter;
During conditioning drills Hallmark monitored Holyfields heart rate to assess workrate and recovery. With this conditioning Holyfields heart rate would drop from maximal to 130 beats per minute at the end of one minute's rest, just like the period between rounds. When he first started, Hallmark said, he could only drop to 175 or 180 beats per minute but now every round he goes out 66% more recovered(1).
So, I present this article as an overview and basic introduction of key concepts in strength training. I make the assumption that those reading are new to the field. So it is by no means a comprehensive guide. The real motivation is an attempt to introduce and broaden your perspective on speed and strength training and set you on the right path to further study.
It's fairly well known that most muscular skeletal damage occurs during a phase of deceleration, so strengthening the appropriate muscles, conjoined ligaments and tendons is as much a proactive preventative measure as it is a strategy for optimum performance.
Speed-strength – the capability to execute an unloaded or light-weighted movement with maximum velocity in minimum time (otherwise known as power) the word ‘Power’ as used in sport has been defined as the optimal combination of speed and strength to produce movement2. To develop speed-strength one should use exercises, primarily with small resistance (20% of 1RM)3. The optimal combination of the volume of exercises with light weights and relatively heavy weights should be in a ratio of 5 to 14. Selecting too heavy a load to perform sports specific movements has been found to interfere with any positive central nervous system (CNS) conditioning and therefore is not recommended. An example of this would be performing multiple rounds of heavy bag work with 10kg weights attached to your hands.
Maximum strength – most muscular force that can be voluntarily generated with no time limits
Explosive strength – “Explosive” muscle strength can be defined as the rate of rise in contractile force at the onset of contraction, i.e., the rate of force development (RFD) exerted within the early phase of rising muscle force5.
Strength endurance – the ability to maintain cyclic work over time e.g. cycling, running, swimming etc
Most exercise can be considered a form of stress. And most living organisms have 3 options when stress is placed upon them;
Strength training programs can be mixed-up using several key variables and they include;
Exercises performed in a given training session can be influenced and structured by the following variables:
Eccentric movement means that the movement being made by the joint/s is one of a generally (but not always) downward motion. In this phase of movement the muscle is being stretched and lengthened and is acting to brake or control the speed of movement e.g. the recoil of a punch, the downward phase of the squat etc. Eccentric contractions require a much higher tension in the fast twitch muscles.
Concentric is of a generally upward motion and the muscle is being shortened and contracted e.g. bicep curl, throwing a punch, standing up, upward phase of the bench press etc. The force a muscle develops with a maximal overcoming action (concentric strength) is between 1.2 and 1.6 times less the resistance strength the contracting muscle displays when it is stretched (eccentric strength)8.
1RM stands for ‘one repetition maximum’ and is the amount of weight a person can successfully lift with one concentric movement. It can be used as an upper limit, in order to determine the desired “load” for an exercise (as a percentage of the 1RM)9. For example, if your program requires you lift at between 20-40% of 1RM and your 1RM is say 100kgs for a particular exercise, then you know that you have to select a load between and including 20kgs and 40kgs.
Static muscle contraction is when the muscle is flexed but there is no movement of the joint/s, change in joint angle or lengthening or shortening of the muscle. This occurs with isometric exercises e.g. pushing or pulling against an immoveable object. Isometric exercise increases voluntary strength maximally close to the joint angle at which training takes place, with the increase being significantly less at other joint angles10. This would tell us that when performing isometric exercises that we use a variety of different joint angles that are relevant to the sport we train in
The Static-Dynamic method is when the athlete performs a static muscle contraction, which is then immediately followed up with a concentric activity e.g. a 2-3 second isometric contraction (at least 80% of one’s maximum) is held, followed by explosive concentric dynamic work with a load 30% of maximum11.
The Shock Method (Also known as Plyometrics or reactive training) Professor Yuri Verkhoshansky is considered to be the man who discovered the shock method. One of the main goals of this particular exercise regime is to develop explosive strength. The predominant movement is one of landing on a surface after falling from a given height. This could be performing push-ups whereby your hands leave the ground after you push up - as if to try and make your body upright with your push-up. Other movements could be simply jumping , bounding, leaping, depth jumping or skipping.
Dr. Michael Yessis speaks on the concepts of reactive training (Plyometrics) methods and why Europe, China and Soviet nations have consistently made their way into the top 5 of the Olympic Games. Also see Explosive Plyometrics By Dr Yessis
Either way, after you land the active muscles take the force of gravity combined with your weight and velocity (Newton’s second law of motion: Force = Mass × Acceleration) and bring the fall to a fast halt, then you rebound upward or forward with a concentric movement. This is known as the stretch shortening cycle (SSC). You stretch the muscle like a rubber band (eccentric action) and this stores elastic energy and helps that muscle generate more force in the concentric action (shortening phase). According to Siff strict plyometrics require you to perform the movement as if the surface you landed on is red hot – so it’s a very fast action.
To sum this all up, the muscles go through three phases when performing a plyometric exercise;
A broad range of plyometric exercises can be found here. Also read through Plyometrics: A Primer and make yourself at least knowledgeable of the basics before you incorporate this sort of training into your program
Nervous system conditioning is a term used in sport that places emphasis on being able to recruit the most amounts of fast twitch muscle fibers to fire in unison in order to move a given load. In boxing, this attribute is honed by use of plyometrics, resistance band training. (See: How to choose and set up your bands) static-dynamic methods and more sports specific training such as pad-work and sparring. The importance of the nervous system in developing strength cannot be ignored.....the development of strength is related to the number of the appropriate muscle fibres firing simultaneously, which entirely is a function of the nervous system12.
Sports Specific training (SST) is just that, it’s training that is specific. The exercises closely resemble movements, loads and forces that are executed or experienced within a given sport. Normally SST occurs after GPP. GPP is an acronym for General Physical Preparedness. It’s basically an exercise regimen that lifts the overall fitness and conditioning of a person and prepares them for more sports specific training at a later date e.g. Close to the competition time etc. SST is closely related to the notion of Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands (SAID). This principle states that if a person is put under physical stress of varying intensities and duration, then that person’s body and mind attempts to overcome the stress by adapting specifically to the imposed demands. It is therefore extremely important in the planning of specific physical preparation to find methods for the development of specific strength13. Appropriate exercise selection must involve the relevant musculature for the sport being trained to compete in, as well as the primary and secondary movers for the sport, as well as the synergistic muscles critical for optimal performance14.
The strength deficit is used to help determine if an athlete needs a particular kind of strength training. Siff explains that the strength deficit is the difference between the following;
It is possible to find the strength deficit with conventional and accessible means:
In a jumping or pulling activity, an approximate measure of strength deficit may be made by comparing the vertical jump achieved from a static start with knees flexed with a vertical jump proceeded by a sudden dip. In general, if the strength deficit is large for a given muscle group, an increase in speed-strength may be produced by maximal or near maximal neuromuscular stimulation e.g. via plyometric methods. If the strength deficit is small, hypertrophy must be induced by submaximal loading methods as commonly used in bodybuilding, followed by maximal efforts against heavy loads(15)
For a further discussion on strength deficit see: a way to calculate how you should be training
Coaching experience has shown that the high contraction speed of FT fibres can be maintained and even considerably increased if maximal strength training is carried out explosively at all times(16)
Any sport coach will tell you that acceleration is paramount in sports(17).
Power output and speed of execution depend on the load; therefore, selection of the appropriate load is vital for developing the required motor quality (e.g. maximal-strength, speed-strength or strength-endurance)(18).
The advantage of explosive, high-velocity power training is that it trains the nervous system. Increase in performance can be based on neural changes that help the individual muscles achieve greater performance capability(19).
Whether you train in boxing (or some other sport) just for fitness or you compete makes little difference. The aim is to have functional strength. This is completely different to an exercise system such as bodybuilding, which seeks structural changes or hypertrophy.
The rule goes that if you are in a sport that only moves a small external weight (hands and gloves for punches) then most of your strength training should be focused on nervous system conditioning.
The maximal rate of rise in muscle force has important functional consequences as it determines the force that can be generated in the early phase of muscle contraction (0-200 ms)(20). For example, fast movements such as sprint running, karate, or boxing typically involve contraction times of 50-250 ms. In contrast; it typically takes a longer time to reach maximum force in most human muscles(21), i.e., ≥300 ms for the elbow flexors(22) and knee extensors(23). During fast limb movements, therefore, the short contraction time may not allow maximal muscle force to be reached. As a result, any increase in contractile RFD becomes highly important as it allows reaching a higher level of muscle force in the early phase of muscle contraction, e.g., within the initial 100-200 ms of contraction.
In boxing, it's all about expressing your strength quickly. This is what is meant by a rapid rate of force development (RFD). It is the ability to generate maximum force in minimum time. Rapid rate of force development is required when initial movement velocity is zero e.g. before throwing a punch, start of sprinting etc. Think of it like pressure building up quickly in a closed container and then exploding.
So when RFD occurs it happens under an isometric muscle action. This points us toward the fact that isometric exercises hold great importance for boxers when developing speed and power.
Train for what happens most and you'll be able to handle most of what happens – Marc Mac Young
To develop speed for boxing you have to predominately train with submaximal loads. Training with light and mid-range loads means that you can move the weight faster and thus develop power, which is one quality that boxing training aims for.
To increase force you can either add weight to the bar or move the load faster.
For boxers the intent should be to move lighter loads at a fast rate (increased bar velocity), NOT increase weight. Boxers don’t normally encounter a situation in boxing where they need to exhibit maximum-strength. So they don’t train for that quality, it would waste valuable time and energy which they could have put into skills training.
To develop the greatest amount of speed and strength the table developed by A. S. Prilepin (see below) is considered to be a good guide. It is used for choosing the optimum weight to develop both speed and strength.
He (Prilepin) discovered that if 7 or more reps were performed at 70%, the bar speed slowed and power decreased. The same holds true when using 80% or 90%; once one goes above the rep range shown, the bar slows, which translates to less power. Doing fewer or more lifts than Prilepin suggest will cause a decrease in training effect(25).
| Percent % of 1RM | Reps per set | Optimal total | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 - 65 | 3 - 6 | 24 | 18 - 30 |
| 70 - 75 | 3 - 6 | 18 | 12 - 24 |
| 80 - 85 | 2 - 4 | 15 | 10 - 20 |
| > 90 | 1 - 2 | 7 | 4 - 10 |
It is recommended that you are proficient in an exercise before speed is incorporated into any heavy resistance training program. One should know that explosive weight training should only be done after warming up past 25% of a 1-rep max26.
If one analyzes common sporting actions, a frequently recurring position is the "power position," characterized by the athlete standing with slightly flexed hips and knees similar to the starting position of a vertical jump. It follows that derivatives of the bench press and squat, which emphasize acceleration throughout the range of motion, such as bench press throws and jump squats, may be effectively combined with the weightlifting exercises to offer the best training stimulus for improving explosive strength generating qualities(27).
After years of personal experience with weight training I recommend that you always train with compound exercises as they stimulate the CNS the most – which of course is what we aim for. I’ve personally used the following to good effect.
In the hope that you can relate to what I say here I want to tell of two experiences that point towards your brain as your main weapon in not just thought, but its ability to adapt in time. It could be argued that this part of the article transcends scientific thought on sports training, but I think it’s equally important in the discussion nonetheless.
In high school (early 90’s) I competed in badminton. For four years, every school day about eight other kids and myself trained our asses off in the designated lunch hour. We didn't use an auxiliary training programs, we simply played the game hard. Eventually four of us were selected to represent the school in the state championships. We got to the semi-finals two years running and lost on both occasions. We got there a third time and then went onto to win the state championship a month later by 3 points. WTF does badminton have to do with boxing you ask?
Well, not a lot, but try to stay with me here I’m getting to the important part….
Anyway, on the odd occasion, maybe twice a year, one of us would just get this feeling. I cannot describe it, its something you need to experience for yourself. What I can say is that when this feeling was there, whoever possessed it was practically un-beatable. I had it about a half dozen times in 4 years of training and it was as if I was walking on air. I made shots from angles that as an amateur, I shouldn’t have been able to. That feeling alone made all the hard work and sacrifice worthwhile.
I can’t brag of being a boxing champion because I was not. I didn’t compete but simply trained and then trained some more. What I can say is that there was a certain time when I trained my ass off on a very consistant basis. One day I walked into the boxing gym, jumped on the heavy bag for 4-5 rounds, then completed 4 or 5 rounds on pad work. The difference in the way I felt from the time before was like night and day.
The key was the night before I went to train I had a dream that I was moving around the ring with ease and I was punching with accuracy and power like I never had. It was a great dream and a great feeling but the point here is that I believe something in my brain just clicked, I felt it in my dream, I felt it when I woke up and it happened for me in reality. It was as if because I dreamt it I could really do it – in essence it was a visualization wrapped up in a dream. I’ve similar experiences with both weight training and running.
The feeling came after a lot of hard work and consistant effort and that is the common thread between these two stories. I don’t know what mechanism in the brain was at work and frankly it doesn't’t matter. What matters is that is that its available to anyone who wants to put in the effort. Do not underestimate the capacity of your brain in physical pursuits. Skill, speed, accuracy, power and staying ability is in the mind, but it needs to be unlocked.
Remember the SAID principle. Specificity is crucial in sports. If you are a boxer, think of strength training as supplementary. Resistance training is simply not boxing. Aim to keep weight sessions down to no more than 2-3 days per week.
Novices and low ranked amateurs need to focus most on skills training because its the foundation upon which you work with in this sport, it’s your tool box. No point having speed-strength if you can't punch properly or you don’t possess basic defensive capabilities.
Be safe. There is no substitute for experience and you need to have a solid foundation in weight training before you attempt to lift with high velocity. Remember that attempting to lift fast does not mean the load will move fast. Speed of movement is proportional to the external load e.g. heavy weight = slow bar velocity.
Also, everyone is different and everyday is different. What works for one may not necessarily work for another and what works at one time, may fail at another. Last but by far not least, the thing between your ears is your best weapon - always. And pure scientific thought is no whole substitute for thinking for yourself.
In the words of Carl Jung:
'A collection of a hundred great brains makes one big fathead'.
Note: Further articles on strength training from reputable sources can be found on the forum; [Free Training Articles and How to videos]
1 Clive Gammon, “Tuning Up for Tyson.” Sports Illustrated 67(14 December 1987): 48-50; 65.
2Chu - 1990.
3Supertraining sixth edition – Mel Siff PhD.
4Supertraining sixth edition – Mel Siff PhD Pg 263.
5Increased rate of force development and neural drive of human skeletal muscle following resistance training.
6Bompa 1990.
7Strength training for Rugby Union: The general preparation phase by Glenn Corcoran.
8Supertraining sixth edition – Mel Siff PhD.
9One repetition maximum.
10Supertraining sixth edition – Mel Siff PhD Pg 28.
11Supertraining sixth edition – Mel Siff PhD Pg 235.
12Supertraining sixth edition – Mel Siff PhD Pg 60.
13Principles of the organization of Training for high performance Athletes By Prof. Yuri Verhoshansky.
14Strength training for Rugby Union: The general preparation phase by Glenn Corcoran.
15Supertraining sixth edition – Mel Siff PhD.
16Foundations of Exercise Science.
17Hit…….or Miss? by Louie Simmons.
18Supertraining sixth edition – Mel Siff PhD Pg 146
19Bompa 1999.
20 Increased rate of force development and neural drive of human skeletal muscle following resistance training.
21 Journal of applied physiology - Increased rate of force development and neural drive of human skeletal muscle following resistance training.
22Sukop, J, and Nelson RC. Effects of isometrical training on the force-time characteristics of muscle contractions. In: Biomechanics IV. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1974, p. 440-447.
23Thorstensson, A, Karlsson J, Viitasalo HT, Luhtanen P, and Komi PV. Effect of strength training on EMG of human skeletal muscle. Acta Physiol Scand 98: 232-236, 1976.
24Rapid Rate of Force Development By Kevin Neeld.
25Hit…….or Miss? by Louie Simmons.
26Hit…….or Miss? by Louie Simmons.
27Powerlifting Versus Weightlifting for Athletic Performance. Chris Moore, Mike Favre. Strength and Conditioning Journal. Lawrence: Oct 2007. Vol. 29, Iss. 5; pg. 55,
