CONDITIONING TIDBITS
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 04 Nov 2010
Many boxing fans in this country are under the impression that hiring a conditioning coach will produce some kind of magic potion or cure all or quick fix that can produce a world champion boxer. Blame it on Alex Ariza and Manny Pacquiao.
I had a chance to ask Pio Solon, who was recently hired as conditioning coach of the ALA Gym, a few questions about the ?C? word.
Q: For the average sports fan, explain what is conditioning? Or to borrow a line from Denzel Washington in the movie Philadelphia, Please explain this to me like I?m a six year old.
?It is the progressive use of resistance to increase one's ability to exert force. I'd rather be technical and comprehensive.?
Q: How long will it take for the average athlete or boxer to achieve peak or Pacquiao-like conditioning?
?Tough question. Performance is a result of various variables, genetics, mental toughness (another result of different variables), kinathopometric measurements, training history (duration and quality thereof, in a span of years), sports experience, physiological characteristics - muscle fiber composition, endocrine status (cortisol, growth hormone, testosterone, hormones responsible for metabolism and anabolic or androgenic characteristics), to be exact. I wouldn't say peak conditioning, but rather optimal conditioning.?
?Coming into a fight, the program delves into the weaknesses of the boxer and things that are within our control, they key is to get them better progressively, all the time, I'd differ in peak condition. We can get a boxer progressively stronger up until the time when injuries and aging takes a toll on their bodies, then the key is now to maintain athleticism and health in order to perform.?
Q: I heard that conditioning initially tires you out? Will it make a boxer take a punch better or strengthen his chin?
?As with all new activities it will tire you out. But once an individual adapts the program can only get you stronger. I do not think pain tolerance can be influenced by the manipulation of different variables, but I do know that the confidence gained from partaking in a scientifically sound training program can improve performance.?
?These are the variables within our control : speed, agility, strength, power, body composition, stability, flexibility, mobility. Those are variables positively affected by a strength and conditioning program.?
Q: What muscles do you work on in boxers, compared to basketball players?
?There is a need for more rotation and the capacity to exert force at increasing velocities to create more torque, and stability in a split stance. I train integrated movements, not isolated muscles.?
Q: Is swimming beneficial for boxers?
?I have to answer this with a question. How specific is swimming to boxing? There are numerous ways to get an individual in shape for a specific task. The key is to choose the most specific training method suited to the target task, in this case boxing. Specific in duration, intensity, time, muscles involved, physiological stressors, etc.?
Q: There are negative comments and suspicions about Banal's electrolyte levels, as a medical doctor, I also have my worries. Is diet a part of your regimen?
?I give advice on diet. I think you'd agree that Filipinos in general do not have a shortage of sodium in our diets. The key is to keep their diets balanced, varied, and moderated. It is difficult to enforce any type of diet. Hydration is key of course, boxers shouldn't sleep up until urine color is pale.?
?With the current fight, there have been a lot of speculations as to AJ's conditioning, psychological strength, etc. It's part of the sport. I do not think he has a nutritional problem. Let's keep things in perspective.?
Q: Who is the best conditioned ALA Boxer right now?
?The most conditioned boxers are the one who are fighting next within a window of +/- 6 weeks.?
I would like to thank Coach Solon for answering my queries.
Okay, so a six year old can?t understand all of that. But when I was a child I thought my sports heroes would win all the time.
They didn?t.
It took me a while to understand why. It will also take a while for the boxers, who carry our nation?s flag, to emerge from the shadow of the Pacman.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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