Boxing Training and Nutrition Guide

Below is a comprehensive training and nutrition guide for aspiring or actual amateur boxers. It presents information from national and international boxing organizations, knowledge we’ve gained from years of boxing experience, and guidance from coaches who were amateur boxing champions or coached amateur boxing champions.

This guide is made from a training and nutrition manual we created in 2019. We have not had a chance to edit or update it. Some of the information below may need updating, especially the sections on nutrition. But instead of letting the manual sit in our files for more years, it is reproduced below. We hope the manual can help you train well and eat right to achieve your boxing goals. Please reach out if you’d like a pdf version of the manual.

Straight to Boxing Training and Nutrition Manual

By Loc Ho & Le Ho

About the Manual

The primary goal of this manual is to consolidate the training and nutrition information that may help a boxer be as competitive as possible. This manual is for amateur boxers, especially ones being coached casually or “democratically,” i.e., in collaboration with their coach(es). You should carefully evaluate the information presented here for relevance to your circumstances or to amateur boxing in general. Similar sports may help inform this manual; likewise, this manual may inform similar sports. Since this manual is for amateur boxers, it assumes that the boxer knows the basic principles of training, nutrition, and boxing. 

The secondary goal of this manual is to provide a more rigorous and organized account of recommended practices in preparing for amateur boxing competition. We created this manual due to the decentralized information sources for competitive amateur boxers. But note that, as with most of boxing, what should be done is what is best and effective for the specific boxer. This guide should provide one with the information to do that.

Table of Contents

Training

Boxing requires the development of many dimensions of athleticism. From aerobic capacity to anaerobic capacity, isometrics to plyometrics, strength to flexibility, mental toughness to tactical development, boxing has many dimensions, and correspondingly, training for boxing should be multidimensional, i.e., a boxer should not solely weightlift, hit bags, or jog. 

Training for boxing can be broken down into technical training, tactical training, and physical training. A good program will prescribe enough training for all three.

The following sections will focus on what factors and principles must be considered when developing a training program, what such a program should look like, and the various ways a boxer can train for competition.

1 Programming

Setting up a program entails setting which times the boxer does their training. This involves training frequency, day-to-day training differences, and setting progression goals weekly, monthly, and even yearly. In addition, a program should be tracked and changed to prevent overtraining, prevent injuries, determine the effectiveness of the program, and ensure the maintenance of athletic performance throughout competitive periods.

1.1 Training Frequency/Program Types

For our purposes, we will specify two program types. The first is called “the one-a-day” and limits training  to one session per day. This is suited for those boxers who work best, for whatever reason, with one training session a day. The downside to this program type is that the boxer must train for two or more possibly conflicting areas of development (e.g. power and endurance) thereby compromising the quality of the training for at least one area.

The second is called “the twice-a-day” and specifies two training sessions a day. This program prioritizes the boxer’s athletic performance yet may be inconvenient. Overall, this program type is better than the one-a-day, since the boxer can distribute the training load between two sessions. 

(The information contained in this manual can be helpful to those who train three or more times a day. However, that training frequency requires specific considerations which are outside the scope of this manual.)

1.2 Day-to-Day Schedule

The day-to-day schedule is also known as the “microcycle.” The boxer should work with their coach(es) and their own schedule to figure out which days work best for training optimally. For example, if coach is available Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the boxer works long hours on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, then that boxer should focus their training on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

A boxer should typically train for a minimum of 5 days a week because of the sheer amount of technical, tactical, strength training required for competition. Each training day should have one or two training sessions a day, and each session should last between one to two hours. There is much room for variance because each boxer has different individual circumstances. The boxer should find a balance between these parameters to ensure enough development while preventing burnout. No boxer however should train everyday because rest is just as important as work.

Training load should be cyclical throughout all stages of training. (Training load is training intensity and volume. Section 1.5 has more information.) In a cycle, each session should have more load than the last until the boxer reaches that cycle’s peak load during a certain training session. Peak load occurs during the training session that has the most intensity and volume compared to other sessions. Load should then decrease until the next training cycle begins. For a simple example, the boxer should not run a pyramid of sprints after a full day of rest. Instead, after a day of rest, the boxer should perform three sets of ball slams and ball throws and then perform a pyramid of sprints up to 200m for the next day. The day after sprints, the boxer should jump rope for thirty-minutes.

An Example Weekly Training Load Schedule with Two Peaks

Day	Workout Number	Training Load (out of 100)
Mon	1	40
Mon	2	50
Tues	3	95
Tues	4	75
Wed	5	60
Wed	6	40
Thurs	7	50
Thurs	8	25
Fri	9	10
Fri	10	100
Sat	11	30
Sat	12	50
Sun	13	0
Sun	14	0

1.3 Week-to-Week Schedule

A week-to-week schedule, or mesocycle, should also be cyclical. There should be a peak training week (or weeks) following a couple of weeks building up to it. The peak training week(s) should then be followed by one or two weeks where the training load gradually decreases. The next peak training week should be harder than the last peak training week.

Week-to-week schedules should change in both intensity and volume of the day-to-day exercises. Week-to-week schedules may also change in the exercises performed day-to-day, yet changing the exercises too frequently impedes the boxer’s exercise-specific adaptation. A change to the week-to-week schedule may be that the boxer performs a pyramid of sprints up to 200m and then a pyramid of sprints up to 400m the week after. 

1.4 Month-to-Month Schedule

A month-to-month schedule may be divided into on-season and off-season (or tournament period and non-tournament period for boxers who compete year-round).

The off-season should see the boxer training technical skills and becoming a better boxer. Since there are no upcoming bouts, it is a good time to learn and practice new skills and focus less on conditioning and more on technique and tactics.

The on-season should see the boxer dedicating more time on conditioning, in addition to ramping up the training load. The boxer should also get sharper (through drilling, sparring, etc.) during this time.  When training for tournaments in particular, the boxer should have less frequent, higher peaks than the non-tournament period to prepare for the intense, but short-lived demands of a tournament.

1.5 Fitness-Fatigue Model, Training Load, and Recovery

For our purposes, fitness is a boxer’s capacity to box competitively (i.e., those short-term and long-term gains that provide success in the ring). Performance is a boxer’s ability to perform at his greatest capacity. Fatigue is both mental and physical accumulated stress.

When programming, the goal is to maximize gains in fitness and minimize fatigue. Gains in fitness are more incremental and long-lasting than increases in fatigue. According to this model(*), where performance is the sum of the boxer’s fitness and fatigue, the training program should allow enough rest for the training loads it prescribes. This will minimize fatigue and maximize fitness and performance.

Training loads are made of three components: intensity (e.g., sprints are more intense than jogging), volume (e.g., the amount of sets, reps, miles, etc.), and frequency (e.g., one or two workouts a day). Given the nature of amateur boxing, the intensity should be generally high, the volume may be low or high, and the frequency may help the boxer cope with both the intensity and volume. It is up to the boxer and coach to find the best set-up.

Recovery is just as important as training. Without adequate recovery (which is not to say “full recovery”), the boxer’s fitness and performance will decrease and the occurrence of injuries may increase. It is important to distinguish whether fitness and performance gains are held back by lack of recovery or an ineffective training program.

2 Improving Athleticism

Training will mostly consist of cross-training, utilizing sprints, running, weight-lifting, and so on, in order to train specific areas where improvement is needed. The boxer should focus on improving a few of the elements of athleticism at a time. For example, a strong boxer who lacks conditioning should focus on training for endurance, among other things.

2.1 Training for Strength

If the boxer has trouble standing their ground, dealing with a clinch, boxing in the pocket, etc., training for strength is a good idea.

To train for strength, increase intensity on mitts, and the heavy bag, weight-lift, and do floorwork (e.g. pushups, situps). Training for strength can overlap a lot with training for speed and explosiveness, so look in sections 2.3 and 2.4 for more ideas on how to train for strength.

2.2 Training for Endurance

If the boxer has trouble with recovering between rounds, throwing combos, jumping on an opportunity in the ring, etc., training for endurance is a good idea.

To train endurance, do interval runs, and any other type of high intensity interval training, battle ropes, jump-roping, shadow-boxing and, more generally, boxing at a high pace. Because amateur boxing consists of short bouts, this kind of conditioning should be limited to less than 30 mins of total work time (work time = total training time – warm-up, cooldown, and rest time).

2.3 Training for Speed

If the boxer has trouble with stop-hits, getting angles, landing counters, throwing flurries or extended combos, etc., training for speed is a good idea. It is especially good for novice boxers, who should be developing the habit of punching with speed by default.

This can be done by performing sprints or pyramid sprints, short intervals of all-out punching (e.g. “shoeshining”), plyometric pushups, speed bag work, mitt work, weight-lifting, etc. Training for speed overlaps with training for explosiveness, so look in section 2.4 for more ideas on how to train for speed.

2.4 Training for Explosiveness

If the boxer has trouble generating power, training for explosiveness is a good idea. Training for explosiveness is mostly about developing the central nervous system to recruit muscle fibers quickly.

This can be done by performing explosive mitt work, medicine ball slams, medicine ball throws, chopping wood, explosive weightlifting, box jumps, etc. It is very important to ensure proper technique and mechanics in training explosiveness, so that performance isn’t sub-maximal and injuries do not occur.

2.5 Training for Agility

If the boxer has trouble with proper footwork, maintaining footwork, getting angles, coordination, etc., then training for agility is a good idea.

This can be done by performing agility ladder drills, shuffle drills, boxing on the back-foot, running backwards and sideways, jump roping, etc.

2.6 Other Training

A boxer can train for other areas as well: balance, flexibility, coordination, mental toughness, stability, etc. Much of these will be trained along with those listed in sections 2.1 through 2.5, but if a boxer’s athleticism isn’t as well-rounded as it should be, then it may be worthwhile to focus on these areas. 

3 Macro-Level Improvement of Boxing Skills

3.1 Shadow Boxing

Shadow boxing’s usefulness should not be underestimated. It primes the joints and muscles for boxing-specific movements and prepares the boxer for visualizing target areas and their opponent(s).

While shadow boxing, the boxer can:

• Improve punching accuracy for target areas (e.g. jaw, temple, liver, stomach)
  • Adjusted to opponent(s), if the boxer knows approximately where the target areas of their opponent(s) would be
• Create and practice defenses against combinations of the opposition, if known.
• Practice familiar or new combinations, maneuvers (e.g. L-step, slip-pivot), and techniques (e.g. breathing, feinting)
• Maintain awareness of the boxer’s position relative to their opponent and the ring

3.2 Pad work/Mitt work

Pad work includes hitting focus pads or punch mitts, body protectors, and punch sticks. Given its realism, compared to other training methods, pad work is versatile, provided the boxer has their coach or someone else available to hold the mitts or focus pads. It is a mistake to look at the pads when you go to punch them; doing so may develop into a form of telegraphing.

Note that the quality of this type of training relies on the skill of the pad-holder in holding pads. A mitt holder who stands straight up, stands square, tends to be immobile, and lacks focus will take away all of the things that make pad work so worthwhile. 

While doing pad work, the boxer can:

• Improve conditioning by boxing with a high intensity or work rate
• Learn new techniques with someone to give feedback and setup the situations necessary to execute the new techniques (e.g. check hook)
• Drill old and new techniques
• Improve timing, especially if the mitt-holder is pretending to box the boxer.

3.3 Bag work

Bag work includes hitting a heavy bag, a wall bag, a teardrop bag, etc. The weight of the heavy bag should be suitable to the kind of training that the boxer wants to perform with it. For example, a light bag (less than 50 lbs) trains things such as footwork and timing.

Even though the focus with a heavy bag is punching a physical target, it is important to develop good habits and prevent bad ones. So, while punching the heavy bag, the boxer should move in, out and around the bag, practice defensive maneuvers, and punch directly at a point on the bag instead of two points on the bag. 

3.4 Non-contact and contact drills

Contact drills provide the situations within which one executes their techniques (e.g. being jabbed while throwing a jab). They are useful in allowing the boxer to develop a sense of how certain combinations or maneuvers might play out or how things change when punching a real target.

Some Recommended Non-Contact drills:

• Practicing several, different combos on mitts
• Non-verbal, reactive punching on mitts
• Practicing a specific combo on mitts
• Infighting on the heavy bag

Some Recommended Contact drills:

• Jab or double jab only
• Assigned offense vs assigned defense
• Limited offense vs free defense

3.5 Sparring

The most important skills in boxing are acquired only through sparring. To put it simply: a boxer who doesn’t spar is like a track and field athlete who doesn’t run. Sparring usually requires protective measures such as, (for contact sparring) headgear, mouthpieces, groin protectors, and sparring gloves weighing no less than ~16oz, or (for non-contact sparring), target zones or open/closed fists.

3.5.1 The Several Forms of Sparring

Sparring is very broad and encompasses many activities. Sparring can be broken down into several forms:

• Open sparring: Both boxers are unrestricted in number/types of punches they can throw but may face restrictions in power, speed, tempo . . . although it is necessary that there is a constructive mindset.
  • Hard sparring: Both boxers maintain a very high level of intensity (especially in power and tempo). Mutual exchanges and/or hard shots are likely.
  • Light sparring: Both boxers maintain a medium to low level of intensity. Mutual exchanges and hard shots are unlikely.
• Closed sparring: One boxer is restricted in either number or type(s) of punches, defenses, or maneuvers and performs them with another boxer. There does not have to be contact.
  • Contact Drills: As instructed, one boxer is restricted to a certain number of punches, defenses, or maneuvers and performs them with a complementary boxer.
  • Pseudo-sparring: An activity where two boxers practice the skills unique to sparring.
    • Partner shadow boxing: shadow boxing with a partner, with both participants reacting to each other’s movements.
    • Touch sparring (highly recommended): Sparring with the aim of touching (not slapping) certain areas on your partner. These areas are usually the head (highly recommended), shoulders/biceps, or knees. 

3.5.2 Skills Involved in Sparring

Sparring allows a boxer to practice their technique beyond what can be achieved through shadow-boxing, focus pads, or a heavy bag alone. It is the only thing boxers can do to practice all aspects of boxing at once, and some of those aspects are unique to sparring (and boxing in a match). Here is a (non-comprehensive) list of skills unique to sparring (and competition):

• ring generalship
• set-ups
• feinting
• adapting and  spotting openings
• intimidation
• suppressing pain (after getting hit hard) and, to a certain extent, emotion (fear, anger, submission, even admiration, pity, etc.)
• staying calm
• creative and/or tactical thinking (for example, punch variation and combination manipulation).

3.5.3 Recommended Precautions for Sparring

There are a few recommended precautions for pseudo-sparring. Mainly, the two boxers should be competent in their fundamentals (i.e. 1, 2, footwork, and blocking), and if applicable, should clarify target zones and allowed maneuvers. If both boxers are experienced, non-hesitation is encouraged.

But there are several important recommendations for open sparring: both boxers should be competent in all the basics (in other words, at least a couple months of experience), know the rules of the sport,  and should both be wearing protective gear: headgear, sparring gloves, a mouthpiece, a groin protector or ball guard, and hand-wraps. Additionally, both should be clear on the instructions from coach or each other, and there should be a third-party present (so that it doesn’t get out of hand).

3.6 Other Boxing-Specific Training

Other boxing-specific training include work on the double-end bag, speed bag, and jump rope. These are good to incorporate into training, but they are not essential. 

A note on jump roping: it mainly helps with coordination and footwork; with this, a faster rope, which means that the rope is relatively short and is made of, say, wire, is not always better, as it might prevent benefits to coordination and footwork. 

The double-end bag, speed bag, and jump rope are all tricky to master due to the initial difficulty of learning how to use them. But consistent practice and pushing one’s comfort with each is key to eventually making them look easy.

Other useful training may include ducking under a rope tied to two posts, slipping a maize bag, using a light board. These are very useful in training certain skills in which the boxer is clearly deficient.

4 Micro Improvement of Boxing Skills

This section details the various training methods for the boxer to improve their skills on a “micro-level.” Improvement on a micro-level means that improvement is achieved through the more narrow, context-specific training methods of boxing. These are training with the appropriate protective gear, developing combos and style, watching tape, and so on; they yield more intangible, but still important, improvements in the boxer than macro-level training methods.

4.1.1 Protective Gear: Headgear, Gloves, Mouthpiece, etc.

Training with proper protective gear is not only a way to prevent injury, thereby reducing the chance of any unnecessary downtime, but also a way to further optimize conditions, e.g. sparring with open-face headgear if one uses such headgear in competition or using shoes designed for boxing.

The headgear protects your head from cuts and blunt trauma. It prevents abrasions from contact with your opponent. Without headgear, a boxer risks getting cut or concussed, which can stop them from training or competing. Headgears vary in their durability, features (i.e. the presence of a face-bar, cheek protectors, and/or a chin protector), weight, and materials. All these things affect the performance of the headgear in protecting the head. Since brain damage is more or less permanent, use of quality headgear is highly recommended. Choice of headgear depends on the experience of the boxer, the type of sparring to be done, similarity to competition headgear, and the style of the boxer.

Gloves are designed primarily to protect one’s hands from injury. They can also provide more protection or harm to your sparring partners or opponents. There are bag gloves, training gloves, and sparring gloves, each being laced or velcro and varying in weight. Generally, more technical training (e.g. pad work) should see lighter gloves used, which may or may not have quality-of-life features for the boxer; more intense training (e.g. sparring) should see heavier, laced gloves.

Mouthpieces not only protect your teeth from the forces of a punch, but they also help with bracing the neck and head, reducing the impact of punches. There are double-sided and single-sided mouthpieces. Single-sided mouthpieces are recommended because double-sided mouthpieces make breathing and talking more difficult. Unless the boxer wants to have to take out their mouthpiece with or without gloves every time she wants to talk, single-sided mouthpieces should be used.

Shoes for training should include a pair of multi-purpose shoes (e.g. running shoes or cross-training shoes) and boxing or wrestling shoes. Shoes are designed for a specific purpose; when one does not use the right kind of shoe for training, training may suffer. Therefore, it is recommended not only that the boxer obtain shoes fit for boxing, but that the boxer obtain training shoes and running shoes. For most boxing-specific training, running shoes are to be avoided. They provide less mobility, feedback, and support than training shoes; and training shoes provide less than boxing shoes. There are many types of shoes fit for boxing, but the boxer should obtain shoes that work with their style rather than against it. For example, a boxer who boxes on the outside will probably want high-top boxing shoes. Additionally, a boxer may find it a good idea to designate a pair of boxing shoes for training and one for competing, depending on the durability and amount of use their boxing shoes get.

Groin protectors and ball-guards must be worn for safety but which type is worn depends on preference. Groin protectors vary in fit, flexibility, and protective area, but they offer more protection than ball guards.

Hand-wraps can be made of gauze and tape, or they can simply be reusable cotton hand-wraps sold at your local boxing store. Hand-wraps prevent injury by compressing the hands and providing support for the wrist.

4.1.2 Other Training Gear

Your training gear can range from only wearing basketball shorts to layering various compression garments with sweats. With so much variety in training gear, it’s most useful to think about guidelines to picking your gear. 

Gear should be: 

• Functional
• Feel good
• Be an asset, not a liability to performance

There are some staples that every boxer should consider wearing. These are:

• Compression pants – helps with fast-twitch muscle performance and recovery (28, 29)
• Compression shorts/sports bra – helps keep some body parts out the way
• Tank top or sleeveless shirt – frees arms to do what needs to be done

4.2 Developing Combos

Combinations or combos are useful insofar as they allow the boxer to execute a proven offense without much thought. Much of boxing consists of an offense that reacts to openings and changing circumstances. Although traditional combos are initiated at a time chosen by the boxer, the series of punches are already determined such that the boxer does not have to focus on which punches she should throw.

Combos are typically two to four punches long. Development of combos may come from practicing coach’s set of combos or finding what combos may work for the boxer, which is mainly achieved in the ring with a partner. For example, if the boxer notices that their lead hook tends to land better after throwing a jab, then it might be a good idea for them to commit the jab-lead-hook combo to their muscle memory.

Note that combos can also incorporate specific defenses, e.g. step-backs.

4.3 Developing Style

Boxing style consists in the coherent set of techniques and maneuvers that the boxer employs on a regular basis. The boxer comes to find their style by trying out new things, as seen in, say, tape. If these new things work, they get used on a consistent basis. If they work very well, they get used almost constantly. 

Considering the multitude of styles, replicating one boxer’s style, although helpful, ignores the various ways one’s style may come into its own. What works varies from person to person, so it is important to recognize what works from what does not when developing one’s style.

It is critical to develop a style for two reasons. One, having a standard style makes the boxer predictable. Two, underdevelopment of a style develops habits of inattentiveness, doing the bare minimum, and ineffectiveness. This second reason points to the fact that development of a style requires attention to what works against whom and modifications to one’s boxing toolbox. If there’s an underdevelopment of style, then  the boxer is training in a way that foregoes attention and a desire to be effective.

4.4 Reviewing Tape

Watching and analyzing tape is essential in developing a critical view of not only the boxer’s performance but also others’ performances. Reviewing tape of themselves or their opponents allows the boxer to focus on identifying their strengths and weaknesses, why or which strategy and tactics  may be working, specific adaptations or patterns, and why they won or loss. Reviewing tape of a role model provides the boxer with new solutions to old (general) problems, incorporating effective and relatively novel techniques into their own skill set. 

Generally, the boxer will gain the most from reviewing recent footage of themselves, their opponents, or their weight class in the same league. That is, if the boxer aims to box in Golden Gloves Tournaments, it is most useful to review current contenders and the most recent matches from or around that weight class.

4.5 Communication and Accommodation with Sparring Partners

The boxer may be substantially better or worse than their partner in different areas of boxing. 

Unless specified by a third party (e.g. a coach), establishing a mutual intensity or distinct roles is often unspoken. For example, a novice would have the good sense to avoid disrespecting an expert, and the expert would understand the limitations of the novice. However, if there is doubt, clear communication between the boxer and their partner always helps to ensure the safety of both. 

With or without communication, the skill differential between partners generally lends itself to the following: 

• If the boxer is sparring someone far better than himself, the boxer should be wary of being too aggressive as the superior boxer is likely to exceed the boxer’s capabilities. Yet, they should also be wary of giving too much respect. The boxer should focus on identifying and making adjustments in order to overcome the difficulty. 

• If the boxer is sparring someone around their skill level, the boxer should favor unrestricted sparring. Alternatively, the boxer can establish working objectives and roles with their partner in order to practice specific techniques at their skill level. As the saying goes, “iron sharpens iron.” The boxer’s competitive spirit is the key to optimal training in this situation.

• If the boxer is sparring someone far worse than themselves, the boxer should experiment with new combinations, defensive maneuvers, fighting in unusual positions (pocket, on-the-ropes, etc.). The boxer will also benefit from technical sparring. The boxer should focus on working with their partner while finding ways to improve in their own way. 

4.6 Staying Consistent and Focused

Consistency is key in preparing for competition. Without it, confidence cannot be maintained, targeted physiological adaptations cannot take hold, weight cannot be cut, and skills cannot be honed. It is vital that the boxer is consistently training and eating correctly. 

Being focused means accomplishing the task at hand, whether it be sprinting, sparring, hitting mitts, etc. When in the ring, the boxer should spend most of their time thinking not about himself and what he’s doing, but about his partner/opponent and what that he’s doing. That way, reactions will be quicker, timing will be more effective, and control will be better maintained. 

“Thinking” should be the type one experiences when having to run on a trail. One would not think, “I’ll run over this rock, then hop over that branch, etc.” Although some forms of linguistic thinking are sometimes useful, boxing is about physical action, and thought should be focused on helping that.

4.7 Working with Coach

Not only should the boxer listen to their coach, but the coach should also listen to his boxer. Generally, a closer and more positive relationship with coach will yield better training, competition experiences, and advice.

5 Other Considerations

This section details other considerations, heretofore unexplained, for training in amateur boxing. Although not vital, these sections may provide as much guidance as the other sections. This is especially the case for amateur boxers experienced in self-guided training.

5.1 Individual work vs. Partner Work

The boxer should strive for a comfortable balance between training individually and with a partner. The balance should take into consideration factors such as partners available for practice, equipment available for use, the type of training that needs to be done, and the schedule for practice. 

The boxer should have good partners with which to work. Subpar partners should not be acceptable in most cases. If equipment is lacking, partner work might be required. Some equipment, however, is best used individually, e.g. the heavy bag. Mitts, pads, agility ladder, and other equipment that requires feedback are better done with a (good) partner. Different exercises for conditioning, technical work, and drills (contact or not) will dictate whether working with a partner or individually is better. The schedule for practice probably has the biggest impact on the choice of individual work versus partner work.

Many exercises, drills, and activities require a partner, so partner work is important. But individual work may be more important, since the only one in the ring is the boxer and he will ultimately be responsible for his preparation and performance.

5.2 Historical Athletic Tendencies

The best training plan is what works best for the boxer. Boxers may be naturally lean, lanky, and aerobically-inclined; other boxers may be naturally stocky, tending to put on weight, and anaerobically-inclined. The former might train better by doing things like tempo runs and jump roping (since he would probably have a style that benefits from these activities); the latter might train better through, say, sprint pyramids and weight lifting circuits.

5.3 Learning Methods

The primary learning methods for boxing are as follows:

“Mirroring and emulating” is the learning of boxing through the visual learning of maneuvers, techniques, and tactics. This is best done by tape and watching oneself or others. Watching oneself or others should not be a passive endeavor if this is part of the boxer’s training. It should be active so that the boxer can learn from others’ mistakes, find new techniques that might complement their style, learn a new boxing style, reinforce “what looks right/wrong,” and so on.

“Drilling and repetition” is the learning of boxing through repeated, concerted actions. This is best done with equipment and time. With this learning method, “practice makes perfect” or at least permanent.

“Explanation” is the learning of boxing through clarificatory statements and discussion. There are two elements contributing to understanding something like boxing. The boxer can train and practice according to plan, but if coach’s advice and feedback are not received and understood, there will likely be problems. This is type of learning is not necessary for boxing, but it helps, otherwise one would not even benefit from anything in the sections herein.

“Failing” is the learning of boxing through making mistakes, reflecting on how to improve, and then applying the lessons learned so that the mistakes do not happen again. Trial and error, losing a bout, getting beat in sparring; these all help push one’s limits so that success is obtained.

Recognizing these different opportunities to learn boxing and incorporating them will help fully ensure the boxer’s boxing-specific preparation.

5.4 Safety

Boxing is replete with risks. Every punch takes something from the boxer; and punches can cause dislocated shoulders, broken hands and nose, facial cuts, broken ribs, etc. 

But these risks can be minimized and any downtime due to lack of safety can certainly be prevented. It is up to both the coach and the boxer to maintain safe practices and training, while pushing the limits of the boxer. 

Recommended Safety Measures:

• Always spar with a coach present. 
• Wear all your appropriate protective gear (headgear, mouthpiece, hand wraps, etc.). 
• Maintain equipment and gear.
• Don’t ignore injuries and don’t get sloppy with your technique. 
• Have moderation with regards to the load of training types (rounds of sparring, rounds of interval runs and sprints, etc.). 
• Warm up before workouts (and cool down, if needed).
• Stay hydrated and don’t push yourself too hard (e.g. sprints after hard sparring).
• Clench your mouthpiece when being punched.
• Maintaining a certain level of fitness

5.5 Fighting Fire with Fire

Fighting fire with fire is an expression personified by the escalation of violence or the gradual increase of the boxer’s intensity due to the other boxer’s gradual increase in intensity, particularly for sparring.

If a sparring partner is not going light (and not respecting the form of sparring that’s supposed to be done), the best response is to fight fire with fire. For example, hard punches in what’s supposed to be light sparring cannot slide, because it risks the boxer’s (and the other’s) safety and changes the dynamics of sparring oftentimes in a bad way. So, fighting fire with fire or matching the intensity of the other person is the best thing to do, because it levels the playing field, thereby decreasing risk of injury. Keep this in mind and let coach recognize when the increase in intensity is overdone. If the intensity cannot be matched due to a large skill gap or massive fatigue, something has gone awry elsewhere and that must be addressed.

There should be caution with initiating the increase in intensity, because sometimes the partner might unintentionally punch hard or the overall feel of the punches feels hard. Both of these do not themselves warrant fighting fire with fire.

5.6 Competition Schedule

The boxer’s competition schedule can be considered heavyweight (2 or more bouts per month), middleweight (1 bout a month), or lightweight (1 bout per 2-6 months). 

The heavyweight schedule is the most complex to manage. All training principles mentioned herein should still be applied, but there should be a focus on tactical training. According to AIBA, “good tactics will allow boxers to use less physical effort and techniques in bouts.” (6) If the schedule does not allow a mesocycle, then there should be a secondary focus on maintaining the boxer’s performance levels (i.e. more rest or lower training loads). Those boxers with a heavyweight schedule should be experienced ones, who can adjust to the demands of frequent competition and employ good tactics. That means they should be able to box competitively enough when tired, unrested, or even overtrained.

The middleweight schedule is easier to manage. It provides a good balance between time for competition and time for training. Those boxers with this schedule should be able to use the extra technical or conditioning work that comes with the month or so between bouts, and they should see real improvements in their performance.

The lightweight schedule is predicated by training first and competition second. With this schedule, competition is a test of the boxer’s abilities more so than anything else. Boxers with this schedule need much more work in technical skills or their conditioning before competing.

5.7 On-Season and Off-season Training

During the season for competition, the boxer should be staying sharp and maintaining/improving fitness. Early on, there should be more emphasis on conditioning. As competition dates approach, sparring should be more open than typical so that the boxer is adequately prepared for the intensity of a real bout. 

During the off-season for competition, there should be an emphasis on the technical side of the sport. Typically, the off-season consists of more drills (non-contact or contact) and maintaining a base level of fitness. There may also be an extended break from boxing altogether. The off-season is a good time for ironing out deficiencies, learning and applying new techniques, and developing new habits.

5.8 Overtraining

Because of the nature of the sport and the culture surrounding it, a boxer can easily be susceptible to overtraining. Overtraining occurs when an athlete exceeds their body’s ability to recover from strenuous exercise. Overtraining can be described as a point where a person may have a decrease in performance and plateauing as a result of failure to consistently perform at a certain level or training load; a load which exceeds their recovery capacity. People who are overtrained cease making progress, and can even begin to lose strength and fitness. (13)

Overtraining also leads to injuries (for obvious reasons) and illness. It can suppress the boxer’s immune system and subject one to upper respiratory infections, resulting in downtime, which can never be made up. Symptoms of overtraining include increased heart rate, negative changes in mood, increased perceived effort in training, insomnia, loss of appetite. (5)

5.9 Training Differences for Weight Classes

Heavyweights should not (and cannot) fight like featherweights, nor should they train like one. Case in point, heavyweights naturally throw more bombs than featherweights, so if anything, a heavyweight would weightlift to match the physicality of another heavyweight, while a featherweight likely needs to do no such thing. Tactics also change between weight classes; heavyweights use footwork as defense less frequently than bantamweights.

In general terms, the heavier boxer’s training should be inclined towards more bag work and weighted work (weight-lifting, sled pushes, etc.), whereas the lighter boxer’s training should be inclined towards more pad work and unweighted work (sprints, agility drills, etc.).

Chances are that if one is a boxer, she can do most exercises without a problem. However, what’s most effective partly depends on the demands of the weight class. A heavyweight’s time is better spent working the heavy bag than working on an agility ladder. A welterweight should not be flat-footed most times, and so, can benefit from jump roping. A bantamweight should not be lifting heavy weights  to build strength.

5.10 Psychological Preparation

Much of boxing is mental-state dependent. Any athlete knows that training after a long day of work adds to perceived tiredness and fatigue, which affects training. Boxers, however, are much more affected by their mental-states and psychological preparation. The importance of psychological preparation is related to ensuring actual success in the ring.

Areas of Psychological Preparation:

• Weight Loss
  • If weight loss is not achieved, the boxer experiences a loss of their sense of control.
• Weight Cut
  • If the boxer does not cut enough weight, they experience a loss of their sense of control and a feeling of failure.
• Training Clothes
  • As the saying goes, “you look good, you train good.” Wearing uncomfortable clothes can slow the boxer down and cause a temporary loss of confidence.
• Ring Clothes
  • Much like wearing good training clothes, wearing unstylish trunks, jersey, or shoes is detrimental to confidence.
• Sparring
  • Sparring develops confidence and helps the boxer keep their emotions in check. Chances are that the boxer has thought about his recent sparring before he competes.
• Tape Review/Watching Opposition
  • Watching tape and the opposition makes the boxer feel more certain about what might happen in the ring. A primary cause of anxiety and fear is the unknown. Watching tape and the opposition addresses such anxiety and fear. It is important not to be over-impressed or over-intimidated, since such mental states prevent adjustments in the ring.
• Competition
  • The best preparation is repeatedly experiencing that for which one is preparing. More bouts means less anxiety, knowledge of one’s limits, knowledge of dealing with different opponents, and so on.

6 Workouts

Workouts should not be improvised, if the boxer is to train optimally. Largely improvised workouts have more potential to be ineffective or unfocused. Workouts should also not be changed frequently. Doing so prevents the chance for the boxer to develop whatever physiological adaptations the previous workouts were designed to offer.

6.1 Making Workouts

The boxer’s workouts should correlate to the mesocycle and microcycle of the training program. With the training load determined by the mesocycle and microcycle, the workouts themselves can be planned optimally. We recommend that the training activities specified by the workouts are either ones that the boxer prefers doing or ones that she should be doing (e.g. sprints). This is because the training should be maximal or worth performing maximally. For example, swimming should not be a part of one of the workouts if the boxer does not like or want to swim; if either is the case, she would not be able to train as hard as she can, resulting in wasting training time. Some training activities are necessary, however; these include shadow boxing, sparring, and drilling. Designing workouts around these activities is a good start to creating a specific training plan.

Whatever specifics the training plan ends up having, the workouts should be goal-oriented and targeted. A set of goals for the boxer’s microcycle may include, but are not limited to, increasing anaerobic power, developing better timing, and increasing lactate threshold. (Goals for the mesocycle should pertain to those elements of athleticism in sections 2.1 through 2.6.) Each training session should aim for one and only one of these goals. With the goals determined, it is up to the boxer and coach to develop a targeted training plan that will achieve them; it is best to designate each training session primarily to one goal (e.g. one training session should focus on developing lactate threshold through interval runs; another session should focus on timing through sparring); and it is best for the training activities specified in each session to complement each other (e.g. box jumps and medicine ball throws for increasing anaerobic power).

Note: Workouts can take however long they need to take. There are no shortcuts to reach the boxer’s goals other than hard work and a smart training plan. But there are time constraints for amateur boxers, so it is recommended that each training session takes 1-2 hours of the boxer’s time.

6.1.1 Warming Up and Cooling Down

Warming up and cooling down should be part of every workout. 

Warming up will prevent injuries. A proper warm-up is not 5 mins of stretching. It should mostly consist of dynamic movements. A good way to know if the warm-up is adequate is to make sure 1) the warm-up routine reflects the activities of the workout to be done and 2) the boxer gets a sweat going. It typically takes ~10-15 mins.

Cooling down helps the boxer recover from their workout quicker, and is more important when the boxer trains twice a day or has completed an intense workout. A cooldown should also be dynamic, and it should gradually lower the boxer’s heart rate to more normal levels.

6.2 Training Peaks

As mentioned before, training peaks occur within the microcycle and the mesocycle. They describe a period where the training load (i.e. intensity and/or volume) is at its max. For there to be a peak in training load, there must be a build-up to the peak and a descent from the peak. This means that for every peak, there are at least two other non-peak training sessions. 

We recommend that the boxer has two peak training days per week, especially if she is training twice a day. Any more than this risks ineffective training or even overtraining because there wouldn’t be adequate recovery.

6.3 Upper body/Lower Body Distinction

A beneficial dimension in a training program is to distinguish those workouts that mainly work the upper-body from those that mainly work the lower-body, i.e. training splits in the program. (2) Training splits of this kind allow the boxer to maximize their opportunities for conditioning. For example, a boxer may do sprints in the morning, but with a training split, she would do bag work in the evening; this split would prevent their previous workout from interfering much with their evening training.

6.4 Sample Workouts

1. Warm-up; Pick and perform 5 agility ladder drills, going down and back 10 times each; 4×20 sit-ups; Cooldown
2. Warm-up; Sprints 100-200-200-400-400-200-200-100 w/ 1.5min rest between each sprint; 4×8 Box jumps; Cooldown
3. Warm-up; 6x2mins w/ 1min rest Jump Roping; 5 rounds of Shadow Boxing; Cooldown

7 Tapering

Tapering is the process of progressively decreasing the boxer’s training load as a competition date approaches. It is typically done by decreasing the volume and maintaining the intensity of the training activities. It can also be done by changing the training activities to ones from which it is easier to recover. (5, 11) These are not mutually exclusive, as the process should be the one that yields the best performance on the competition date. All the work should have been done at this stage, so sparring and strenuous workouts are unnecessary and work against the boxer.

Refer to fitness-fatigue model (section 1.5) to better understand how tapering works.

7.1 When to Taper

Tapering should be done one week out from the competition date. This allows for adequate time for muscles to heal, energy to be restored, mental fatigue to be decreased, reaction times to normalize, and managing the risk of injury from training. 

On a heavyweight competition schedule, more aggressive tapering may have to be started as late as 3-4 days from the competition date.

7.2 Typical Recovery Times

Depending on which types of training you do, your recovery time for optimal performance may change substantially.

• Weight-lifting can take up to 2 weeks from which to fully recover, but most boxers will not be lifting so taxingly. So, boxers can expect it to take around 1 week to recover from any weight-lifting done in training.
• Sprints can take up to a week from which to fully recover. If the training plan has the boxer sprinting less than 100m most times or more than 800m at times, then the time period for full recovery tends to be on the shorter end of the spectrum.
• Runs can take around 3 days from which to fully recover, depending on the volume and intensity. A 5 round interval run would typically take 3 days from which to fully recover.
• Sparring can take 3 to 7 days from which to fully recover, depending on the sparring. The boxer needs more time if the sparring sessions have been especially hard.

8 Days Leading up to Competition

The next several sections give the boxer an idea of what should typically be done at certain periods of the tapering process.

8.1 The Week Before

The training plan is followed and the typical improvements in fitness and skill are expected.

8.2 Days 1-3

Training sees a progressive decrease in volume. Intensity of activities is maintained. Weight-lifting should be cut out from training. Sparring and sprints should be cut out by the 3rd day. 

8.3 Days 4 and 5

Weight cutting should be started and maintained until target weight is reached.

Training sees even less volume. Intensity may decrease also.

8.4 Day 6

A full day of rest is taken and the weight cut should be a priority.

8.5 Competition Day(s)

The boxer rehydrates and eats after weigh-ins. Depending on the amount of time between weigh-ins and the bout, the boxer’s meal(s) should be sufficiently large and nutritious. Rehydration comes more readily if the boxer rehydrates with electrolyte solution, such as Pedialyte^Ⓡ or even Gatorade^Ⓡ. Rehydration is sub-optimal if the boxer eats more than a small snack or foods with high sodium content.

Ideally, there should be no exercise until the warm-up for the bout. Yet, some boxers may still have weight to cut, so exercise should be done only after attempts at dehydrating through hyperthermia.

Warm-up before a bout should be thorough. A proper warm-up may take around 20-40mins. Activities performed should include pad work and shadow boxing.

9 Process After Competition

The extent of the process after competition can be great if the bout was particularly taxing on the boxer.

9.1 Tending to Injuries

The ring doctor and coach can assess any apparent injuries. The boxer should be conscious of any symptoms indicative of injuries that are not so apparent. Treatment of these injuries should be undertaken as soon as possible.

Potential injuries to look out for are broken nose, concussion, and muscle strains. Muscles may become sore from the bout. Elbow joints may be sore from hyperextension.

9.2 After the Bout

A cooldown and further hydration may be needed right after the bout (especially if the boxer is competing in a tournament). The rest of the day should be spent resting. Celebratory meals are encouraged, but alcohol consumption is strongly discouraged.

9.3 Day 1

The day should be spent either resting or doing some recuperative activity. 

9.4 Day 2-3

The boxer should ease into training on day 2 and resume the training plan on day 3.

9.5 Day 4

Contact drills and sparring may be resumed, unless injured in the bout(s).

Nutrition

This section assumes a basic understanding of what good nutrition entails. The following sections will focus on what boxers in particular need for great boxing performance. A boxer’s nutrition does not have to consist of intermittent fasting, carb-loading, etc., but rather, it must consist of a high amount of carbohydrates.

10 Macronutrients

There are three macronutrients: proteins, carbs, and fats. Much like any sport, what’s important is that the ratio of how many calories a boxer gets from each macronutrient is correct. To determine your macronutrient ratios or “macros,” know that each gram of protein or carbs is 4 calories and each gram of fat is 9 calories. So, a boxer who eats 100g of protein, 100g of carbs, and 100g of fat is getting 400 calories from protein, 400 calories from carbs, and 900 calories from fats. She’s getting 1700 calories in total, with 23.5% of that from proteins, 23.5% from carbs, and 53% from fats. His macros are therefore 23.5/23.5/53.

A boxer wants his macros to be around 25/55/20. Of course, these ratios can be adjusted, but it is recommended that you do not go any lower than 20% protein, 10% fats, or 45% carbs. 

10.1.1 Carbs

To achieve their performance targets and goals, boxers need the most carbs they can get while getting enough of the other macronutrients. Much of boxing requires high intensity work. From hitting the bag to sparring in a ring, your muscles need an immediate source of energy to provide the explosiveness necessary to do quality work. If this is not the case for you, you may be wasting your time. The energy provided by carbs, either directly in the form of blood sugar or, indirectly, in the form of glycogen (carbs stored in the muscles), is more immediately available than the energy muscles can get from fats. Loosely-speaking, boxing is much more similar to sprinting than it is to jogging, so boxers need the right amount of readily available energy, and this is done by having a high-carb diet.

10.1.2 Fats

Everyone needs certain fats, like omega 3’s. There is a consensus that saturated fat should be avoided in favor of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat. Trans fats should definitely be avoided, as it has been proven to be bad for one’s health.

Fats are calorie dense, so eating a high-fat diet may leave one unsatisfied due to the low volume of food one can eat while staying within one’s calorie goal. Fat also provides a form of energy that is not readily available for use. This means that the boxer’s performance would suffer if they are metabolizing fat instead of carbs. For these two reasons, a high-fat diet is not recommended. 

10.1.3 Protein

Everyone needs a certain amount of protein to support bodily functions, so the protein ratio cannot be 0. However, athletes need more protein than normal people so that their muscles can repair and recovery can be optimal. This is why boxers’ protein ratio should not be less than 20.

If a boxer is trying to gain weight (i.e. muscle), then the protein ratio or total caloric intake may need to be increased to facilitate protein synthesis. Muscle is built when there is an excess of protein and calories.

10.2.1 Micronutrients

Micronutrients are everything else in food that’s not carbs, fats, and proteins. This includes your vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. Everyone should be getting enough micronutrients to stay healthy and avoid any deficiencies. But there are two micronutrients which boxers should keep track of. These are sodium and potassium. 

10.2.2 Sodium and Potassium

Sodium and potassium are particularly important because they are manageable, important electrolytes, and they help with weight. Electrolytes help the brain and muscles function. The more sodium you have, the slower you’ll more likely be; the less potassium you have, the more cramps you may get.

Since boxers sweat a lot in boxing, they lose plenty of sodium and potassium while training, so it is important to maintain the right amount of these nutrients. Additionally, almost everyone knows that sodium (found in table salt) helps one retain water, contributing to water weight, but only some people know that potassium helps one lose retained water and shed water weight. Besides cutting weight, water weight should be kept in check so that one is not slowed down by excess weight.

Potassium has a recommended daily intake of 4700mg; sodium has a recommended daily intake of 1500mg. Salt is in many (packaged) foods, and is easy to intake. Potassium is much more difficult to intake. Use of a salt substitute, like NoSalt^Ⓡ, can help supplement one’s potassium intake.

10.3 Meal Timing

There is no consensus on meal frequency, yet there is evidence that eating several small meals a day, controlling for other factors, yields more fat loss than muscle loss when losing 2lbs a week. In regards to meal timing and training, the boxer should allow an hour of digestion for every 100 calories consumed.  Thus, if the boxer eats a large banana (~130 kcal), they should wait an hour before training. Additionally, a meal of over 300 calories should be given at least 3 hours to digest. Cramps and lethargy or sluggishness may occur if the boxer does not allow enough time to digest. The boxer is recommended to have a high protein meal after training and eating a very small snack (~100 kcal) before working out. 

10.4.1 Supplements

Eating can be expensive. Since athletes need certain foods to fuel themselves adequately and ensure that their training is optimal, they have certain nutrition requirements that tend to increase their budget for food. Supplements are a relatively inexpensive source for certain nutritional needs. They also help the boxer maintain their macros, while staying within the daily caloric limit.

10.4.2 Protein

Protein powder is the best source of inexpensive and calorie-effective protein. Other sources are protein bars, but these are often calorie-dense and expensive.

Water can be taken with protein powder. If that is not palatable, protein powder can be mixed with unsweetened almond milk or milk or both.

10.4.2 Caffeine

Caffeine tends to raise the heart rate of athletes. A higher heart rate inherently means a limit on performance. However, it does help one stay alert during the day. So, if caffeine should be taken, no more than 150mg of caffeine should be ingested during the day.

Caffiene is a diuretic, which means that is causes one to urinate. It affects hormones related to maintaining the fluids in the athlete’s body. Use of diuretics is not recommended, so caffeine intake should be controlled.

10.4.2 Creatine

Creatine helps the boxer perform anaerobic activities. With creatine, the boxer may be able to sprint longer or faster. Yet, creatine makes the boxer retain a large amount of water weight. Water weight gain from creatine use can be around 3 to 6lbs. The boxer may not want to train with this much water weight, as it could slow them down.

10.4.3 Other

BCAA’s help with recovering from a workout, but they are relatively expensive. They are good to take, but if the boxer follows the advice herein, they are not necessary. The boxer may consider ZMA dietary supplements for improved sleep quality (and as a result, enhanced recovery).  

10.5 Losing Weight

Shorter term weight loss is achieved by sustaining a caloric deficit (Kcal burned > Kcal consumed). How many total calories boxers should eat depends on the particular boxer’s height, weight, and body fat percentage. There are various calculators online to help one determine how many calories to eat. (If interested, search for TDEE calculators.) However, know that your body ultimately determines how much food it needs and everything else is just an estimate. This goes for how many calories you should supposedly intake and how many calories are supposedly in the food you eat. So, the best advice here is to listen to your body and not take these numbers too seriously (they’re still serious, however).

The extent of one’s caloric deficit has implications on training and body composition. Generally, the greater the deficit, the more one’s performance suffers when training and the more muscle one would lose rather than fat. However, some people find an aggressive deficit more sustainable, because it takes less time to lose weight, and it may yield better fat loss. It is up to the boxer and their historical tendencies to figure out the extent of their caloric deficit, and what’s best to meet their weight loss goals.

Long term weight loss is less about caloric deficits and more about eating in a balanced way.  For example, the American diet features too many grams of fats and carbs but not enough micronutrients.  Prioritizing veggies, fruits, and complex carbs (e.g., sweet potatoes) will provide your body with the right nutrients.  In turn, your body would likely eat less overall since it’s getting what it needs.  When trying to lose weight in the long term, calories and depriving oneself of certain foods is less important (if at all), and listening to your body becomes vitally important.

10.6 Cutting Weight

When cutting weight, all weight cut is mostly water weight or food waste. 

Food waste can weigh up to 2lbs in the body. Use of a laxative is not recommended, as laxatives have too much potential to disturb the bowels uncontrollably. If the boxer’s diet and training are right, food waste would account for less than 2lbs in the body, such that use of a laxative is not worth the trouble.

Similar reasoning applies to diuretics. Diuretics are effective at helping an athlete cut weight, but they are not as controllable as the other, safer methods of cutting weight. 

An athlete may safely cut up to 3-4% of their (fully hydrated) body weight as water weight, depending on the size of the boxer. (One’s fully hydrated body weight is one’s weight while not restricting calories and carbs and not limiting water intake.) There are three viable ways to cut weight: through exercise, a low carb diet, or hyperthermia (sweating). Note that cutting weight is inducing dehydration, so if one neglects to rehydrate after weighing-in or if one cuts more than 4% of his body weight, he is at risk of suffering a concussion.

Hyperthermia is best done wearing a sauna suit, taking hot showers, wearing layers of clothes, or driving in a car with the heat on. Both exercise-induced dehydration and a low carb diet are directly detrimental to performance in competition. Because hyperthermia spares (some) of the boxer’s energy, it is the recommended way to cut weight. However, these methods of cutting weight are not mutually exclusive; they can all be done to cut weight. What method(s) are used depends on the boxer’s experience and comfort with the method(s), the amount of time available before and after weigh-ins, and the equipment available for cutting weight.

10.7 Water weight and Glycogen

Glycogen is the energy stored for your muscles to use more immediately than fat. It provides the energy for activities like throwing counters, so maximizing glycogen storage should be a priority for a boxer. However, glycogen storage requires that each gram of glycogen binds to four grams of water. Glycogen depletion may account for 3 to 7lbs of additional weight loss. 

Provided that the food waste is taken care of, weight may be quickly cut if glycogen storage is depleted (through exercise and sustained caloric deficit). But this approach to weight cutting leaves the boxer with suboptimal energy levels. Since replenishing glycogen stores takes some time, it is best to minimize the glycogen loss during the weight cut.

Although not as fast, cutting weight while minimizing glycogen loss can be done by hyperthermia. Since hyperthermia requires no activity, the boxer is left with more energy for boxing after the weight cut. But if hyperthermia yields insufficient results or there is no time to wait for the water weight to be sweated out, then glycogen depletion should be considered.

During an extended weight cut or during extended periods of a caloric deficit, glycogen depletion is inevitable. This is because the body has no way to fully replace the glycogen lost during the weight cut (i.e. exercise, however light) or weight loss. Although the boxer should be maintaining a high carb diet, carbs from food are not enough to negate the glycogen loss from the weight cut or weight loss.

10.8 Maintaining Energy and Performance Levels

When losing weight, the boxer will suffer a performance loss. However, the boxer is able to minimize the performance loss by sustaining optimal meal timing (see section 10.3) and/or by maintaining a light to moderate caloric deficit. If the boxer wants to maintain an aggressive caloric deficit, two refeed days are recommended. (A refeed day consists of 200-400 calories more than a normal day’s eating and a relative increase in carbs and proteins. Fats should not drop below 30g for these days as fats help with digestion.) 

The boxer should not go drastically below their target caloric deficit if they have been maintaining a consistent daily deficit. The boxer will be weaker and slower, tire much faster, and suffer a higher heart rate.

When cutting weight, the boxer may maintain energy levels by minimizing glycogen depletion and limiting water weight cut to no more than 4% of their normal body weight. Depleting glycogen (through exercise-induced dehydration or low-carb dieting) will cause the boxer to tire easily and perform explosive movements more slowly. Cutting more than 4% of water weight will cause similar results, in addition to an increase in perceived effort and a decrease in reaction time.

10.9 Gaining Weight

Gaining weight is straightforward. An athlete may gain weight by maintaining a caloric surplus. This surplus is recommended to be between 100-500 calories over the athlete’s TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). However, although any weight gain will see some gain in body fat, it is important that the athlete does not compromise their body composition. To help prevent gaining body fat, the boxer should spread their caloric consumption throughout the day, maintain a light to moderate caloric surplus, and continue a macronutrient split where protein and/or carbs remain the majority of the calories. Additionally, weight training, sprints, plyometrics, and other explosive movements enable the body to utilize additional protein towards muscle growth. In sum, a combination of weight training or explosive movements, a caloric surplus, and a percentage increase in the macronutrient split for protein will lead to weight gain in favor of muscle mass. (Note well: sleep and rest are vital to muscle growth, and for that matter, performance too.)

It is important that the boxer controls the volume of the food eaten. In a 2500 kcal diet, eating a great amount of, say, rice to get one’s calories would leave them bloated. Other causes of bloating could be from ingesting too much sodium.

Sample Training and Nutrition Plan

This section can help readers develop their own training and nutrition plans. The plans below are the ones a collegiate boxer used to become national champion.

Sample Training Plan (Warm-up, cooldown, stretching excluded)

M	T	W
~6 rounds, Interval Run (am) ~10 Sprints, less than 100m; Boxing Practice (pm)	~5 rounds, Shadow Boxing; 5 rounds, Burnout Shadow Boxing (am) Drills (footwork, hand-eye, etc.); Contact Practice and/or Sparring (pm)	Jump Roping/Rowing/Swimming/other (am) Sprint Pyramid up to 400m/800m (e.g. 50-100-200-200-400-200-200-100-50); Technical Boxing Practice (pm)

Th	F	Sat	Sun
Recovery Jog (am)Bag work; Pad work; Boxing Practice (pm)	~5 rounds, Interval Run (am)Tape Review; Contact and/or Sparring Practice (pm)	Shadow boxing and Active Rest (walking, swimming, massage, etc.)	Rest

Sample Nutrition Plan

Notation: #u [Food] =^df amount of grams or milliliters of specified food, PrW =^df Pre-workout, PoW =^df Post-workout, L =^df Lunch

M	T
20g Raisins (PrW) Coffee w/ 20g Half½ 80g Oatmeal; 200g Plain low-fat Greek Yogurt; Sucralose to taste; multi-vitamin (PoW) 150g Rice; 150g Baked Beans; 28g Peanuts (L); 140g De-frosted Broccoli 20g Raisins (PrW) 100g Rice; 100g Baked Beans; 41g Sardines drained of Olive Oil; carrots/celery stalks till satisfied; 25g Casein Protein Powder w/ 250ml almond milk Total Caloric Intake: ~1550cal	20g Raisins (PrW) Coffee w/ 20g Half½ 80g Oatmeal; 200g Plain low-fat Greek Yogurt; Sucralose to taste; multi-vitamin (PoW) 86g Bread (2 hotdog buns) w/ 10g peanut butter (5g each bun) and 15g jelly (L) 20g Raisins (PrW) 150g Rice; 15g hummus; 41g Sardines drained of Olive Oil; carrots/celery stalks till satisfied; 25g Casein Protein Powder w/ 250ml almond milk Total Caloric Intake: ~1450cal
W (Refeed day)		Th
20g Raisins (PrW) Coffee w/ 20g Half½ 120g Oatmeal; 300g Plain low-fat Greek Yogurt; Sucralose to taste; multi-vitamin (PoW) 150g Rice; 150g Baked Beans; 28g Peanuts (L); 140g De-frosted Broccoli 100g Rice; 150g Baked Beans; 15g hummus 20g Raisins (PrW) 100g Rice; 100g Baked Beans; 41g Sardines drained of Olive Oil;carrots/celery stalks till satisfied; 50g Casein Protein Powder w/ 250ml almond milk (PoW) Total Caloric Intake: ~2100cal		20g Raisins (PrW) Coffee w/ 20g Half½ 80g Oatmeal; 200g Plain low-fat Greek Yogurt; Sucralose to taste; multi-vitamin (PoW) 86g Bread (2 hotdog buns) w/ 10g peanut butter (5g each bun) and 15g jelly (L) 20g Raisins (PrW) 150g Rice; 15g hummus; 41g Sardines drained of Olive Oil; carrots/celery stalks till satisfied; 25g Casein Protein Powder w/ 250ml almond milk Total Caloric Intake: ~1450cal

F	Sat/Sun
20g Raisins (PrW) Coffee w/ 20g Half½ 80g Oatmeal; 200g Plain low-fat Greek Yogurt; Sucralose to taste; multi-vitamin (PoW) 150g Rice; 150g Baked Beans; 28g Peanuts (L); 140g De-frosted Broccoli 20g Raisins (PrW) 100g Rice; 100g Baked Beans; 41g Sardines drained of Olive Oil; carrots/celery stalks till satisfied; 25g Casein Protein Powder w/ 250ml almond milk Total Caloric Intake: ~1550cal	Unrestricted but stay within calories and avoid empty calorie foods (i.e. foods w/o micronutrients); continue to eat a few meals a day. Total Caloric Intake: ~1550cal

Addendum

1. One of the reasons this manual was created is so that amateur boxers can feel more prepared for upcoming bouts. But practically, a boxer who feels unprepared should speak to a coach about it. The battle is won in the gym, which means that one or two weeks is not enough to become prepared, at least physically. One week is enough, however, to become prepared mentally (refer to section 5.9 for more info). If the boxer is feeling unprepared close to competition, then focus should be placed on strategy and mastery of a couple of tactics. Although difficult, bouts can be won with just a jab, a straight, and footwork; what determines success (all things equal) at this point is confidence.

Sources

*      https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-022-00426-x

1. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the_importance_of_rest_and_recovery_for_athletes
2. https://strengthmatters.com/ten-components-athleticism-matter/
3. https://simplifaster.com/articles/concurrent-training-freestyle-wrestling-performance/
4. http://inwr-wrestling.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/2010_FILA_Weekly-Preparation-Rrogramme-for-Elite-Wrestlers.pdf
5. USA Boxing Grassroots Task Force Training Manual, v.01.1
6. AIBA Coaches Manual, 2011
7. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.1996.tb00469.x
8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1761-7
9. https://medium.com/@SandCResearch/what-is-the-fitness-fatigue-model-6a6ca3274aab
10. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/21/1/27
11. http://boxingscience.co.uk/tapering-strategies-for-boxing/
12. https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/lactatethreshold.html
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overtraining
14. https://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/fatigue.html
15. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/35/6/390
16. https://journals.humankinetics.com/doi/abs/10.1123/ijsnem.11.2.238
17. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s004210000251
18. https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2008-1034625
19. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2013/04000/The_Acute_Effects_of_Fluid_Intake_on_Urine.18.aspx
20. https://www.nature.com/articles/1601897#ref2
21. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279671459_Physical_work_capacity_after_dehydration_and_hyperthermia_A_comparison_of_the_effect_of_exercise_versus_passive_heating_and_sauna_and_diuretic_dehydration
22. https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/4033401
23. https://journals.humankinetics.com/doi/abs/10.1123/ijsnem.15.3.236
24. http://www.natajournals.org/doi/abs/10.4085/1062-6050-48.5.01?code=nata-site
25. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00913847.1981.11711208
26. https://straight2boxing.com/2018/09/09/amateur-boxing-amount-of-weight-to-cut/
27. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/aha-diet-and-lifestyle-recommendations
28. https://www.physioroom.com/info/the-benefits-of-compression-clothing/
29. https://journals.humankinetics.com/doi/abs/10.1123/ijspp.8.1.4