Ariza works on Pacquiao
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 17 Apr 2011
The one week without chief trainer Freddie Roach has given strength and conditioning expert Alex Ariza chance to concentrate on giving world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao extra weight in preparation for his coming title-retention fight with American challenger ?Sugar? Shane Mosley.
With Roach in Manchester, England to be in the corner of another ward, super-lightweight kingpin Amir Khan, in his successful title defense over Paul MacCloskey, Ariza and Pacquiao worked on strengthening the latter?s muscles needed in his May 7 encounter against the bigger, heftier Mosley, a three-division champ himself.
?Of course we continued his sparring sessions three times last week, but we spent more time on getting back to plyometrics and isometrics stuff which we will try to continue until next week,? Ariza said by way of assessing the gains the eight-division belt owner accomplished.
Plyometrics is a system that provides functional weights for more explosive, quick movements and power to an individual doing the rhythm.
?It?s functional weights we?re putting on as opposed to aesthetically building muscles provided by conventional lifting of weights,? the Colombian conditioning expert explained. ?In aesthetic stuff, you see, you look good, you look great, But it doesn?t mean you?re conditioned.?
?Anybody can look aesthetically great, but it doesn?t appear that way. Underneath is where truth lies,? he stressed.
Another factor the conditioning regimen, especially the warming up portion, is targeting is to make as many muscles as possible to be functional and get involved in coordination with the hands, eyes and feet.
?And I?m happy to say that everything has gone well at Wild Card even sin the absence of Freddie. Manny has stayed focused the whole week as in the past weeks. We haven?t really skipped a bit and Manny?s looking really sharp,? be observed.
Pacquiao, for his part, said in the absence of Roach, assistant trainer and long-time buddy Buboy Fernandez took care of doing the routine mitts with him with Nonoy Neri taking charge of his diet on orders of Ariza.
?Hindi naman makakaila na hindi birong kalabang si Mosley kaya kahit wala si Freddie, seryoso pa rin ang training nmin,? Pacquiao said. ?Si Buboy Fernandez ang sumasalo sa aking mga suntok upang mapaghandaan namin ang anumang pwedeng gawin ng kalabang si Mosley.?
Sa labang ito, kinakailangan kong kumain ng marami dahil kung hindi, madaling babagsak ang aking timbang at lalo tayong madedehado sa laki ng ating makakalabang si Mosley na isang natural welterweight. Kaya naman kasama ni Pareng Nonoy si Alex na siyang nagbibigay sa akin ng mga tamang supplements upang mapanatili ko ang aking timbang at kasabay nito ang hindi pagkawala ng lakas at bilis.
Although Pacquiao had somewhat slowed down on the boxing aspect of preparations, sparring partners Karim Mayfield and Shawn Porter continued providing with the necessary pointers in in-fighting and keeping him ag a distance to his opponent.
Mayfield, Ariza said, has a similar styles with Mosley besides possessing, too, with a big right hand as the Pacman?s challenger, but added that Porter having Pacquiao?s mate in his preparations against Miguel Cotto three years ago, is giving the title-defender the better workout.
?Porter has been with us for a while and, therefore,, giving us the best work. He?s familiar with Manny and he has improved a lot since the first time we were together,? Ariza said
(FILE PHOTO - Ariza with Pacquiao at Gerry Penalosa's gym 2009)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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