Dear Sergio Gabba,

Which exercises do you suggest better between bench press, inclined press and military press as boxing-specific weight training?

All these exercises must be part of SSP training system. Regards Military Press, this exercise can be used only by athletes with a good general strength preparedness. For example, Vasiliy Filimonov, in his preparation of National Italian Box Team, doesn’t use Military Press and also other exercises which overload the cerebral column because the back muscles of Italian athletes are not very strong.

Yuri Verkhoshansky

Dear Sergio Gabba,

the most specific weight exercise for boxers is Shadow Boxing with the dumbbells in the hands. The weight of dumbbells could be from 250g to 2 kg.

Yuri Verkhoshansky

Dear Sia Sadjadi,

Yes, the too heavy dumbbells could interfere with patterns for normal boxing.

For this reason it needs to choose the optimal weight for every athlete in  relation with his  physical preparedness level and body weight.  

Vasily Filimonov normally uses Shadow Boxing with dumbbells of 250 g to 1 kg.

The dumbbells of 1 -2 kg could be used only by very strong boxers of high weight category.

Yuri Verkhoshansky

Dear Alex Gold,

1.       With the punching with weights do you recommend hitting a target? It seems that with extra weight in the hands and not hitting a target you risk injuries hyperextending at end range or whilst attempting to decelerate the weight.

First of all, in that thread we were talking about the specific physical preparation exercises for boxers by general point of view, without any specification for the concrete aim of the exercise.

By this general point of view, the Shadow Boxing with the dumbbells in hands could be most specific training means because it’s the “model” of competition exercise that could be used as element of specific endurance training. If you need to increase the power of punch you have to use training means system that includes:

·         traditional overload exercises (for arm and leg extensors muscles and for trunk rotator muscles);

·         specific exercise “Punching of cushion” used without overload with the goal to hit faster, with more precision or to hit faster and stronger. These hits have to be carried out in a regime with 3 minutes of work and 1 minute of rest (8-10 repetitions in 1 training session). During these 3 minutes of work must be executed 50 – 60 hits (1 hit every 3 seconds).

2. Would punching with elastic resistance on the horizontal plane not be more specific (using your dynamic correspondence criteria as a guide)?

In the Shadow Boxing with the use of elastic resistance on the horizontal plane the regime of the muscle work is not specific because it is not ballistic.

Yuri Verkhoshansky