Introduction
If you are entering collegiate boxing, you may ask yourself how much time do I need to prepare for competition, how do I train for the match, what kind of shape do I need to be in to compete. I will address all these questions in this article.
General Fitness Requirements
Collegiate boxing requires a certain level of fitness. This level is lower than the level required for non-collegiate amateur boxing, and definitely lower than what’s required for Olympic and professional boxing.
Some college boxing programs use these standards of fitness (or something similar) for potential competitors:
- 60 push ups in 2 mins
- 60 sit ups in 2 mins
- 1.5 miles in 10.5 minutes
These requirements are the bare minimum for competing. Often, collegiate boxers at competition-level fitness surpass all these requirements and sometimes by very a wide margin. For example, a competition-ready college boxer may complete 1.5 miles in 9 minutes. However, it is important to keep in mind that boxing fitness and general fitness diverge at some point. Usually we find that high general fitness does not mean high boxing fitness.
It is reasonable to expect these standards of boxing fitness from collegiate competitors:
- Little fatigue after 3 rounds straight of open sparring
- 70 to 120 punches per 2 minutes for 3 rounds (1 minute break)
- Almost no fatigue from 8-minute mile
How a Schedule Looks
Some coaches say you need at least 12 hours a week dedicated to training for boxing. Granted this estimate may be used to intimidate people, but it is not far from the truth. Here is what an example schedule would be:
- Monday- Hard Conditioning 8 pm-10 pm
- Tuesday- Light Sparring 6 pm-8 pm
- Wednesday- Hard Conditioning 8 pm-10 pm
- Thursday- Medium Conditioning 8 pm-10 pm
- Friday- Hard Sparring 6 pm-9 pm
- Saturday- Light Weightlifting 2 pm-3 pm
- Sunday- Rest
Training Regimen
Everyone has their own preferences to training, and this seems to be the guiding principle in collegiate boxing, since collegiate boxers do not have the luxury of close guidance. Training also depends on the equipment available to the student. Luckily, since collegiate boxing programs operate much like clubs, boxers can rely on the training provided in the practices to meet their needs (or if the practices allow for individualized efforts, go beyond what is offered).
Because the typical college student has little access to the things granted at other levels of boxing, collegiate boxing-related training revolves mainly around mitt training, roadwork (jogging, sprinting), and shadow boxing. Maybe jumping rope and bag work if the program has it.
Conclusion
College students looking for information on collegiate boxing, or non-collegiate boxers wanting to smile, should find this guide helpful. A lot of this information may not have been immediately clear, so this guide should clear up any misconceptions the college student may have about college boxing.
Some Collegiate Training Programs:
http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/22b546_24982b3d5fb04dbc99d23ae7921eb90e.pdf
http://pennstateboxing.weebly.com/club-boxing.html
http://calboxing.weebly.com/practice.html
Rule Book for Collegiate Boxing:
Straight to Boxing 