Swimming in place of Roadwork

[exwrestler]

Hi all. If Swimming laps is in place of roadwork, does anyone have a sample routine how to get the best out of swimming intervals? We all know that roadwork is to be done in intervals, as opposed to running long slow distance (ex. 5 miles at a decent pace) because boxing is anaroebic so roadwork should be done that way. So how about swimming? Some days I'd prefer swimming because its less pounding on my shins and knees, and its a nice change from running. Thanks all.

[Sharla]

25 or 50 m sprints in a 50 m pool. In a 25 m pool it's hard to do 50 m sprints.

Can do graduated 100m eg 25 m slow, 25 m moderate, 25 m firm and 25 m all out. I like this one for learning your gears. If you can't really explode in the last 25 you've swum too hard in your lower gears. I was told I'm meant to feel like a coil ready to spring out for that last 25 m and it feels good

Mix up the strokes if you know them.

A pair of short fins is good to help with interval work in a 50 m pool - gives you just a little more power and lets you sprint the butterfly all out for 50 m which is hard work and difficult for non-accomplished swimmers to do well without fins.

Recovery could be:
A) A set time eg 15 seconds
B) A slow swim for a set distance eg 100m before going again, or
C) a rest at the end of the pool on a timed cycle eg 2 mins to do a 25 m sprint with 75 m slow - then might have 15 secs break before your next sprint.

A few hundred m warm up and cool down is also good. backstroke makes for a really nice stretch in your cool down

[Lords Gym]

i love the pool , in additrion to traditional roadwork. something fresh submurge you shoulders shadowbox in the pool.. work your combonations. get some water weights . they look like dumbells but they for the pool... shadow box with thses bad boys,, submurge your shoulders and fire away. great workout , you will enjoy .

[silent assassin]

I do think that there are many things that u can add to a training routine that can be beneficial. But IMO (& everyone in the fight game that I have ever been associated with), there's NO substitute for good ol skool roadwork.

[Ice Man]

i wish i could swim

[Sugar_Shaw]

I do think that there are many things that u can add to a training routine that can be beneficial. But IMO (& everyone in the fight game that I have ever been associated with), there's NO substitute for good ol skool roadwork.

Yeh I agree. You can't replace roadwork completely but that doesn't mean you can trai in a pool aswell.

[danchar123]

Swimming is great for enducrance of the muscle thats for sure, however it can also put a fair bit of muscle on you (look at the olympic swimmers) so if you need to make a certain weight it may not help you.

[Sharla]

Swimming is great for enducrance of the muscle thats for sure, however it can also put a fair bit of muscle on you (look at the olympic swimmers) so if you need to make a certain weight it may not help you.

Yeah you're right. For me that's been a bonus since that muscle has made my back a little more resistant to pain from working the heavy bag etc. Good for people with a history of back pain I think.

there's NO substitute for good ol skool roadwork.

I think it depends on the individual. I love running and i don't think swimming works me aerobically the same way. I feel it does improve my aerobic fitness but more in combination with my muscular endurance rather than pure aerobic fitness.

Having said that a guy who used to train in our club who won the Australian light heavyweight title last year did all his non boxing cardio work in the pool.

All his swimming was all out sprinting and he did a lot of burn rounds on the bag which would have added to his fitness. He wasn't just fit enough - the nurse at the pre-national medicals said he had the lowest resting heart rate out of everyone who competed in the nationals across all weight classes - a lot of athletes - many of which ran. He had a lot of self discipline and made a really good workout out of it.

Some days I'd prefer swimming because its less pounding on my shins and knees, and its a nice change from running.

When I hurt my knee and took up swimming I lost weight because despite doing a lot of training I couldn't run at a hard enough intensity or for long enough on an injured knee to train properly. If you are prone to pain from running having swimming as a cross training exercise might still make you fitter.

[silent assassin]

Swimming is great for enducrance of the muscle thats for sure, however it can also put a fair bit of muscle on you (look at the olympic swimmers) so if you need to make a certain weight it may not help you.

Yeah you're right. For me that's been a bonus since that muscle has made my back a little more resistant to pain from working the heavy bag etc. Good for people with a history of back pain I think.

there's NO substitute for good ol skool roadwork.

I think it depends on the individual. I love running and i don't think swimming works me aerobically the same way. I feel it does improve my aerobic fitness but more in combination with my muscular endurance rather than pure aerobic fitness.

Having said that a guy who used to train in our club who won the Australian light heavyweight title last year did all his non boxing cardio work in the pool.

All his swimming was all out sprinting and he did a lot of burn rounds on the bag which would have added to his fitness. He wasn't just fit enough - the nurse at the pre-national medicals said he had the lowest resting heart rate out of everyone who competed in the nationals across all weight classes - a lot of athletes - many of which ran. He had a lot of self discipline and made a really good workout out of it.

Some days I'd prefer swimming because its less pounding on my shins and knees, and its a nice change from running.

When I hurt my knee and took up swimming I lost weight because despite doing a lot of training I couldn't run at a hard enough intensity or for long enough on an injured knee to train properly. If you are prone to pain from running having swimming as a cross training exercise might still make you fitter.

I have trained with such trainers as Don Turner & Lou Duva among others. Too many fighters to list but include Wlad & Vitali Klitschko, Jeff Harding & his team, & many-many more. These great trainers & top fighters have all (+) & (-) different things in their training regimines. None, including myself have/would ever totally substituted roadwork in a camp (not the camps that I was involved in with any fighters).

Having said that, IMO different things could/would work for different people. I truly beleive that the guy that u talked about is the exception & not the rule. From what u posted it obviously worked for him. But this wouldn't be the case for everyone IMO. I'm also guessing that this guy was/is probably an animal in the gym (boxing training). His hard gym training would/could also have had a huge impact on his fitness for his fight.

If asked my humble opinion I would never advise anyone that has aspirations to, or is actively fighting competitively. I beleive that it would be a mistake.

On a totally unrelated matter I have to CC u. I couldn't look at the three 6's that u had anymore. Have 2 get rid of the devil's mark 4 u.

[Sharla]

CC back silent assassin

I see your point. I love to run. I think road work is an ironic name for it since I think running on grass or off road is often the best for you but I guess it depends on what you have around.

[Scrap]

I believe that after many years of study running with bad technique does more harm than good, most boxers have bad technique.

[Sharla]

What are our most common technical running faults Scrap? Low cadence, not bending enough to absorb the shock, having a weak and a strong side which do different things, prioperception?

[Scrap]

Ask why do I run, how far at what consistancy for what.Will it improve the muscle adaptions for Boxing, not really. Are there better ways for muscle adaption strength, endurance and stability without injury yes there are. Because its what everybody does doesnt make it right also it doesnt make it wrong. Theres a balance you have to look.

[md]

CC Scrap. There are better and safer ways than running to improve your engine.

[1-hit Wonder]

CC Scrap. There are better and safer ways than running to improve your engine.

Exactly like Swimming (much easier on all the joints and ligaments in the body, think when have you ever heard of a swimmer being "injured", very rarely.