Strength Training for Boxing, Get Strong Without Becoming Slow

When it comes to strength training and boxing, not many people agree on one specific method. These days a lot of strength and conditioning coaches in boxing aren’t boxers. Some of them stake their claim to fame by having trained good boxers, but those boxers were good before they were trained by them, so they’re really just piggybacking off their success. Strength training can be tricky in boxing because it comes down to trying to develop strength, without sacrificing speed, mobility, and endurance. This is why there is a debate when it comes to strength training for fighters. The fix to this is always to experiment and see what works for you. The following will be a combination of what’s worked for me, fighters I trained with, and the boxing greats that I’ve studied.

The Calisthenics vs Weight Lifting Debate

I once asked Shannon Briggs on his take of what’s better for boxing, weights or calisthenics, and he said the following: “It’s not either-or champ, this is a new age, you gotta do both if you stick to one thing you going to get the hell beat out of you.” What Shannon is saying is mostly true, but also keep in mind he is a heavyweight boxer. Here are a few reasons boxers don’t lift weights: 1. It can add size This is something a lot of fighters in lower weight classes try to avoid because they don’t want to fight taller and bigger guys. Bigger biceps don’t always equal bigger punches. 2. It can slow you down If you’re weight lifting like a lifter, it will 100% make you stiffer, slow you down, and destroy your mobility and agility in the ring. There is a right and wrong way to lift for boxing. 3. It takes time away from more efficient ways of strength training Again, this is more in the alley of lifting for the wrong reasons, but it can take valuable time from the training you should be doing. 4. Can make you tire quicker The more muscle you have, the more oxygen they will need and will gas you out quicker in a fight. 5. Higher risk of injuries For those that choose to lift heavy or are inexperienced lifters, the risk for injuries becomes much greater, especially if you tear muscles before your boxing training. While it’s not all drawbacks, these are some reasons boxers don’t lift weights, however, let’s dive into more detail on why to do calisthenics, why and how to weight lift, and which you should do for what.

Calisthenics for Boxing

In one of his older interviews, Mike Tyson was asked about Frank Bruno’s physique prior to fighting him. The interview asked something along the lines of him looking like a bodybuilder and Mike Tyson said “weight lifting has a smooch to do with boxing as cheesecake.” I’m personally a big believer in that. Later in the book, we will detail Mike Tyson’s workout and you will see evidence of that. As a small preview though, Mike Tyson in his prime did not lift any weights. All of his workouts for strength training revolved around high rep calisthenics in multiple sessions throughout the day. He would do 500 or more reps of pushups, dips, pull-ups, and bodyweight squats. On some occasions, he would do 1,000 squats in the morning after his runs. Even during his time in prison, his workouts revolved around calisthenics and shadowboxing. There are other fighters like Roy Jones, Ali, and Pacqiou, and more that do not lift weights. Calisthenics is a perfect strength training program for boxers and my personal favorite. Let’s cover why it’s good, and a few ways to do it.

Benefits of Calisthenics

Calisthenics is the most popular form of strength training for boxers, even in modern-day. While not many fighters took it to the level of Mike Tyson, they clearly should. This has been around for centuries for boxers and will continue to be the best form of strength training. Here is why:

It Creates Whole Body Strength

Calisthenics, unlike most weight lifting movements, don’t isolate your muscles. Instead, it is a compound exercise that works more than one part of your body. Most importantly, all calisthenics movements engage your core in some way, which is one of the most important strengths a boxer can have. It also gives you a better level of control and mastery over your body.

Explosiveness

One of the first things you will notice when beginning to do a high rep calisthenic routine is that you will feel much more explosive. It will help you develop the muscles and the reflex to explode with your punches when you need to. It gives you an ape-like factor in terms of strength, that can be used functionally because of the interconnectivity it trains between the muscles.

Increase Punching Power and Speed

My first two years of boxing didn’t include much if any strength training. I was still a pre-teen and my coaches didn’t feel the need to put me through the wringer outside of some pushups and situps. They warned me against weight lifting as they didn’t want me to bulk up or slow down, but I was ready to start getting stronger as I was facing older kids in our gym to gym matches. I started with pushups first, then added pull-ups, and would do it every day. Over the next few months, I had multiple sparring partners tell me they’re feeling my punches more, except they attributed that to me “becoming a teenager,” but I knew better. Calisthenic exercise develops your body and muscles ina way that gives you more mobility, and most importantly, more access to the muscles that you are building. Because it does not consist of isolated movements, you will find yourself working all of the big and small muscles that will allow you to hit harder, and faster.

Great Overall Endurance Training

Because you will have to hit high rep numbers and multiple sets, bodyweight exercises are the perfect endurance training for boxing. Not only do they work your lungs and heart, but they also help a ton with muscle endurance. The last thing you want in a fight is for your shoulders to get heavy and be unable to keep your hands up. Or worse, get so beat down to the body and arms that they give out.  For this reason, it’s important to keep your body hard, ready to take punishment, and in good shape. Calisthenics is the best way to do all of that in one workout.

Mental Training

Boxing is a lonely sport. You may have partners with you in the gym and a coach that helps you, at the end of that day you step into that squared circle by yourself against your opponent, and to win you will have to have to focus for every second of every fight, even when your mind takes you to a dark place or asks you to quit. When doing high reps of bodyweight training over and over again, you will have to force your mind to keep pushing if you are to hit your rep goals. Unless you want to practice quitting in a fight, do not under any circumstances quit before you hit your goals. Calisthenics is the best mental training because it is the most treacherous, repetitive work that you can do.

Calisthenics Workout for Boxing

About two years into boxing, my coach had to take a few months to leave from the sport. During that time, we had a replacement fill in coach come in who was an ex-navy seal. I’ll never forget the first day of class, when he introduced himself and said “I’ll tell you what, none of you here look like fighters, and we’re not going to do any boxing until we get you into fighting shape.” That began an 8-week strength and conditioning program that revolved around running, doing stairs, pushing trucks, and most of all strict calisthenics workout with no “cheat” reps. By the end of the 8 weeks, I was surprised to see that despite missing most of my boxing work (I would cheat and sneak some in at home) I was faster and stronger than ever. My sparring partners told me how much harder I was hitting. From then, I included a pretty strict calisthenics regimen in any workout I do, even when I turned part-time weightlifter in my later years when taking a break from boxing. That being said, calisthenics can be a great way to increase strength, speed, endurance, and mental toughness. Let’s dive into the workouts you should be doing. I’ve warned you guys multiple times throughout this book and I’ll keep doing so, I’m all about simplicity, so you won’t see any cross-legged squats while holding a pineapple or any pinky pushups whilst staring at goats here. We’ll be focused on doing a lot of the classic calisthenics workouts.

The Exercises

The exercises we’ll be focused on are the following:

• Push-Ups
• Dips
• Pull-ups
• Squats
• Situps
• Neckups and Neck Bridges

Now I’m going to provide you with a few different ways of doing these exercises during your training.

The Punisher

This workout is exactly what it sounds like because it is very intense and the only thing you will be punishing is your body. This is very much how Mike Tyson did his calisthenics and based on how he looked and performed, he was pretty fit and strong. Basically, you will be dividing up the following reps into 3-4 separate sessions in a day. You will do: 500 Pushups 500 Dips 200 Pull-Ups 500 Squats 500 Situps 200 Leg Raises However, you will do these in a circuit each time. We’ll divide these up into circuit one and circuit two. Circuit 1: Push-Ups Dips Pull-ups Squats 1 Minute Break Repeat 3-5 times for that circuit (depending on how many reps you can do) Circuit 2: Situps (include twists and side-bends) Leg Raises Neckups or Neck Bridges 1-Minute Break Repeat 3-5 Times Do this multiple times throughout your boxing workout. Here is some example of a structure but you can do it as you please. Shadowboxing Heavy Bag Circuit 1 Sparring Circuit 2 Jump roping Pad Work Circuit 1 Running Circuit 2 You can even do them when you rise in the morning before you start your day or late at night before bed. Another way to do this circuit is to not take any long breaks between latter sets but knock it down all in one go. You will also separate these into two separate workouts, however, circuit 1 and circuit 2. Except you will do these 10 times each and call it a day. Circuit 1: Push-Ups Dips Pullups Squats 1 Minute Break Repeat 10 times for that circuit You can do some boxing workout, take a break, or jump right into circuit 2. Circuit 2: Situps (include twists and side-bends) Leg Raises Neckups or Neck Bridges 1-Minute Break Repeat 10 times This is a tough workout and it’s supposed to be, let’s dive into my personal favorite and how I train on a daily basis.

The Every Minute-man

No one wants to be a minute man, but there is something to be said for the guy that can go every minute. Yes, we’re still talking about calisthenics. This calisthenics workout will challenge you and force you to go all out, it’s not for the faint of heart so I recommend you don’t take on it if you’re not ready. The recommended set of reps below is only a recommendation, you can do more or less as you see fit based on your capabilities. I used this very method to be able to do 1,000 push-ups in just 27 minutes. Here is how it will work: This training method is borrowed from what Crossfit made popular with EMOM training. EMOM stands for every minute on the minute. It works very simply, you start your timer at 0:00. Once your timer starts you get down to do your first set and try to get as close to max as possible, then stop and look at the timer. Once the timer hits 1:00, you go down for your next set, regardless of when you stopped. It doesn’t matter if you stopped at 0:55 seconds and only got 5 seconds of rest or stopped at 0:30 seconds and got a 30-second break, you go back down once the timer hits the one minute mark. You repeat this for every time the clock strikes the one minute mark. So you will do your next set at these marks: 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 And so on. 400 Pushups EMOM 250 Dips EMOM 200 Pull-ups EMOM 400 squats EMOM Then in a separate workout, do this: 400 sit-ups 100 leg raises Neck Bridges 5 sets (non EMOM) Neckups 200 EMOM It’s okay to take breaks of 2-3 minutes between exercises, just not during. So if you’re doing pushups, go non stop, but take a break before you jump into pull-ups or dips next. If those numbers are too high for you to realistically knockdown in a decent time frame, try this instead: Because this is an EMOM workout, minutes also equal sets 15 minutes of pushups 10 minutes of dips 10 minutes of pullups 15 minutes of squats Then do something else and finish off with this sometime later. 15 minutes of situps and leg raises 5 minutes of neck bridges 5 minutes of neckups This is a very challenging workout and it will test your mental and well as physical strength. Do this for at least two months and you will see how strong you become and how it impacts your boxing. Personally, if you’re going to do this one, in particular, I recommend separating it from your boxing workout all together.. If you do boxing in the morning or afternoon, then do strength training in the evening and vice versa.

Weight Lifting – the Forbidden Fruit

Weight lifting isn’t all bad for boxing and has its benefits. The thing is, you have to do it right and stay away from isolated movements for the most part. We’re going to focus on higher rep compound movements, mainly to avoid injuries as your body will be pretty worn out from the boxing training alone. I personally don’t recommend anyone lift weights as it is not necessarily for boxing, but if you must, here are the exercises to do. We’ll be focusing on compound movements here. One thing to make sure is that you do every exercise in an explosive and fast fashion.

Shoulder Press

The shoulder press is one of the best exercises you can do because the shoulders are one of the most important muscles when it comes to throwing and snapping your punches. The shoulder press is also one of the best exercises for explosiveness. You will be doing 5 sets for 10-20 reps, explosively, so pick a weight that you can throw up that much. This will also help your neck and your traps, which can help you take a better punch. The calisthenics alternative to this is handstand pushups. Which is a much harder workout that will also work more muscles in your body.

Deadlift

If you keep the weight light and use good form, this should be a relatively low-risk exercise for you but you absolutely have to get a good form on it. I’ve hurt myself twice deadlifting heavy and I’m living with that injury to this day. Learn from my mistakes and don’t get injured. Warning aside, this is a great exercise to work on explosiveness. Terrance Crawford has been seen deadlifting and jumping at the top of the motion. You can do the same thing as long as the weight is light enough. One of the best ways to make sure you don’t get injured is to put the weight on a little bit of platform so you’re not lifting all the way from the ground. One of the best things I learned about deadlifting is that it is a pushing motion and not a pulling motion. You’re pushing your feet off the ground and holding the bar while doing it. You’re not pulling the bard off the ground. Make sure you use your legs and ass to lift it, not your lower back. Do 5 sets of 10-20 reps and be as explosive as possible when you do it. This is the one workout there aren’t really any bodyweight movements that can replace it. However, it is not a must. None of the greats that I can think of deadlifted in their routine.

Squat

This is one of the best weightlifting exercises that I can condone. Although it is not necessary to use weight, weight can make it easy for you to progress. In fact, this is one of the only weights Roy Jones was said to have lifted in his prime. Squats work your 70% of your body, and your legs, which is one of the main driving forces of your punching power. So if you’re lacking in the punching power department, working your legs will be a good option to help increase it if you’ve done everything you could for your form. The front squat is a good exercise as well because it can engage in your core much more than most weight lifting exercises. This is another exercise you want to make sure you learn to do properly from the best lifters out there. You can do this for 10-20 reps, 5 sets.

Bench Press

The bench is people’s favorite workout and it can have it’s placed in a boxing workout if done in the same way as all the other compound lifts. Focus on tightening your back and glutes when you lift and make sure to engage more than just your chest to get the weight up. Try not to isolate your chest and bring your grip to shoulder length in order to get more tricep in there. This is the closest thing you can get to pushups. 10-20 reps, 5 sets, explosive, fast. All in One day, 2-3 Times a Week If you’re going to lift, do it only 2-3 times a week, and when you do it, do all these compound lifts in one day, back to back, after your boxing workout. Give yourself adequate rest from weights, this is not something you want to do every day.

Compliment, Not Replace

Let this compliment, and not replace calisthenics as your form of strength training. You don’t want muscle s gains, you want strength gains. If you’re any weight that’s not heavyweight, you want to stay as lean as possible unless you’re trying to jump weight classes.

Stretch

Make sure to stretch after every weight lifting session. The last thing you want to do is to get tight from your weight lifting sessions. This is one of the main factors of success that Holyfield attributed to having been one of the few boxers who have been able to lift weights without losing speed, power, or endurance. In fact, Holyfield was able to improve all of those aspects when he moved up to heavyweight even though he lifted weights. He is one of the most successful boxing weight lifters there were. Most muscular boxers like Anthony Yarde and Jeff Lacy tend to gas quicker due to the extra muscle mass. To avoid getting tight and getting too bulky, stretch AFTER each session. Stretching too much beforehand can lead to injury. You want to be warm before your lifts, but not too loose in the muscles as a lot of them have to stay tight for successful lifts.

Not My Go To

Many modern-day strength and conditioning coaches will attack me for this, but I prefer natural movements. I prefer things like calisthenics, plyometrics, kettlebell swings, wood chopping, and the like. Most of your power can be worked while punching and creating those neural connections in your brain to hit hard. If any of the greats can go without lifting a single weight, then why can’t you? If we compare the modern-day fighters to the past greats, we can see that new strength and conditioning programs don’t exactly make a difference. In the end, it comes down to skill and will. Most fighters will come to fight in shape. The strength and conditioning that you do should be focused on outlasting your opponent, and being mentally ready to take on the abuse you get in the ring.

Isometrics

For me personally, isometrics were introduced by Bruce Lee. It is aid he would do these every day to every other day and it wouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Isometrics is essentially stopping at the hardest part of any strength training motion and freezing in place. This can be done with bodyweight and weights depending on what you prefer. Some of these will require weights to make it easier to do while others are wont. Isometrics help you build raw strength and create great connectivity with all of the muscles. These types of exercises will give you the stiffness at the end of your shots, that every fighter has experienced and hates getting hit by. It gives you a density that will hurt when you’re on the other end of it. Like most things boxing training, it’s also great for mental training.

The Front Raise Hold

This move will require you to pick up a weight that is either a bar or individual dumbbells and hold that weight right in front of you. You’ll have to experiment with time and weight that pushes you to the limit but able to get you to the point where you can do it between 45-90 seconds. Do this for one set and move on to the next exercise.

Half Pushup

Go down to do a pushup, and then on the way up stop midway. Then hold that position for 45 to 90 seconds depending on what you can do.

Half Squat

This exercise can be done with no weights. It is essentially a wall sit with no wall. Go down for a squat and stop when your hamstrings are parallel to the floor.

Half Curl

Grab a small weight and curl it until your forearms are parallel to the floor and hold for 45-90 seconds.

HandStand

This is perhaps the hardest of them all, and you can use a wall if you’re not used to it. Basically, walk your feet up the wall with your palms on the floor until you’re standing on your hands. Hold this position with your body and arms as straight as possible.

Negative Pull Ups

This is somewhat of an isometric exercise. Go up for a pullup but on the way down halfway, stop and freeze until you can’t anymore, but don’t release, instead go down slowly, keeping the tension in your arms and back. Then rinse and repeat at least 5 times.

Plank

This is the most famous of isometric exercises and the most simple to do. Simply get down in push-ups position, then get on your elbows and hold that position for as long as you can.

Calf Raise and Hold

Here you want to simply do a calf raise and stop at the top when you’re on your tiptoes and just hold it there. This is good to work with our calf conditioning. One of the first things that go when you get tired is your legs and makes it go in or out on an opponent.

Your Core Will Thank You

Outside of creating that density, it will also aid your core in more ways than one. Most of these will require you to engage your core and make it stronger in order to make it handle the load. This exercise won’t take but a few minutes but will give you an edge over those that don’t do it.

The Odd Ones Out (And The Most Important)

Some of my favorite exercises for boxers are those that are not really considered exercise by most people. These are natural movements that many people who do manual labor do every day. If you ever heard the stereotype of farm boys and mountain people being strong, it’s absolutely true, and it’s due to exercise that we’ll talk about below. A lot of these workouts work the same muscles that boxing works due to their motions and will work both functional; strength, endurance, and explosiveness.

Wood Chopping

The manliest of manly exercises, and there’s a reason for this. Fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Marvin Hagler, and Muhammad Ali have all been witnessed doing this. People in the gym try to replicate this exercise by hitting hammers to tires and it’s similar, but not quite the same. There is extra resistance in having to pull the ax out of the wood, and an extra bit of resistance to get it into the wood rather than have it bounce off for you. However, if you don’t have a place to chop wood, and understandably so, then hitting the tire with a hammer will have to do. Do this for 3 rounds, preferably with another exercise in between, rather than just resting.

Pushing a Car

Let your coach put the car in neutral and push that car down the road for as long as you can. Rest for a bit, then do it again until you feel like collapsing. Start by picking a distance like a quarter mile, and gauge your endurance from there. This will help you wor on that consistent explosiveness in a fight, and teach you to drive power from your legs.

Swimming

Swimming is one of the best exercises a boxer can do. It’s one of the best risks to reward rations of exercises that you can do. If you’re laughing while reading this, then you’ve never swum for exercise and only for fun. Next time you have access to a body of water, try to set goals for the time you spent swimming nonstop or laps if it’s a pool. And hit those numbers until you’re tired. It works a lot of the same muscles boxing does and is perfect to teach you how to operate when you’re tired in a fight. Pay attention to your body after the first day of swimming.

Farmer’s Walk

We can’t talk about getting farm boy strength without the farmers’ walk. This can be done with a trap bar, or grabbing fairly heavy dumbbells in each hand, leaving them at your side, and simply walking forward for a set distance. Then you will drop it, picking it back, and head the other way. Do multiple sets of this for about 5-10 minutes. This is good for explosiveness, core, and balance. It will also give you an overall strength.

Experiment and Create Your Own

These are all great to do whenever you can. We can’t possibly fit all of them into one workout, so it will be up to your discretion to try and tweak these as you see fit. You can see what in the following link what I see as a good boxing workout. Make sure to experiment with many different ways of doing things and see how your boxing responds to it. In the end, no training that works your body is bad training, don’t be afraid to try things out. In the words of Bruce Lee: “Take what is useful, discard what is not, and make it your own.”