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My second child is almost 6 months old now. Earlier this week, I finally got around to putting away some of the birthing books that my wife and I had read during her pregnancy. As I mentioned in a past entry, she endured more than 24 hours of natural labor! It didn’t happen by accident however. Yes, she’s obviously a very tough woman, but we had also read everything we could about natural deliveries.

Anyway, six months after the delivery, I almost forgot a section that I had highlighted in one of the books. I’m glad I marked it with a sticky note, as it is actually applicable to the training of athletes. It comes from The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth.

Dr. Bradley, M.D., suggests the following:

“To perform any physical feat with grace and dexterity, the human being must practice and practice to achieve relaxation of uninvolved muscles. Such simple acts as running, jumping, even walking, are instinctively performed gracefully and automatically by nonhuman animals. Grace in physical action is a result of ability to keep the uninvolved muscles relaxed, and economy of muscular action. This does not mean we human beings cannot achieve physical feats similar to those of animals. It means, rather, that we must recognize the human need for practice and physical conditioning of our muscles in the apparent absence of human instinct.”

There are many strength and conditioning coaches who could learn from this birthing book. I continually see those in the S&C field who focus more on fitness challenges than they do on actually improving the athlete for his sport. They seem to forget that athletes compete in specific sports, hence must prepare specifically for such events. This isn’t to suggest that general preparation is not important, but rather that one must prioritize the needs of the unique individual.

Conditioning involves much more than running, calisthenics, and other fitness exercises or routines. I’ve seen so many fighters over the years who can run all day, yet “run” out of gas after a few rounds of sparring. From a physical fitness standpoint, they are in excellent shape, but from a combat sport standpoint, they are in terrible condition.  This phenomenon often hinders novice fighters.  These athletes train feverishly in the gym.  They train long hours and can never figure out why they fatigue so quickly inside the ring.

These athletes are often too tense. They are unable to relax and operate freely. Instead, they become tense whenever their opponent moves, feints, punches, etc. They cannot operate under those circumstances mentioned in Bradley’s text (ie. achieve relaxation of uninvolved muscles).

No amount of running, burpees, or kettlebell swings will teach a fighter to relax inside the ring. The only way to become comfortable inside the ring is by stepping inside and building your experience one round at a time. Experience doesn’t happen overnight however. It takes time. Experience means sparring with more skilled fighters, competing in competitions, etc.

What Does This Have To Do With the S&C Coach?

An S&C coach cannot give his fighter experience. What he can do however (unintentionally) is interfere with his fighter’s development of skill and experience. S&C work is a supplement, not a replacement. The supplemental work that takes place outside of the ring must jive with the skill needs and tasks of the fighter.

For example, if a conditioning workout destroys the fighter so he is unable to spar the next day, it hasn’t improved the athlete. It has simply interfered with more pertinent matters. This is particularly true for novice fighters. These fighters will have enough trouble adapting to the physical demands of the actual sport. It isn’t natural to receive punches to the body and face, which is why it IS natural to tense up when placed in such an environment. The only way to remain calm under fire is through experience, which is why a novice fighter must focus his efforts towards the actual sport. Remember, the sport itself is strenuous. Over the years, I’ve seen many so-called fitness studs collapse after a few rounds of intense bag or pad work.

A fighter must be fresh and prepared to endure such a physically challenging sport. Novice fighters need more time in the ring, on the mitts, on the bags, etc. They must tackle a significant learning curve as they learn to perform without excess tension. This doesn’t happen on the track or pull-up bar. It happens inside the ring.

This isn’t to say that supplemental work cannot and should not follow ring work, as it remains important, but such workouts must be designed with sporting performance as the primary concern. Don’t let your ego get in the way of the athlete’s development. A coach is there to improve the athlete, not brag about how his workouts were too difficult to perform. Anyone can create a challenging workout, but not everyone can create workouts that aid in the development and performance of the unique individual.

Ross

November 8th marks an anniversary of sorts for Roy Jones Jr.  It was November 8th, 2003 when he first showed signs of normality.  He labored through a close decision over light heavyweight Antonio Tarver, after having beaten John Ruiz convincingly just months earlier at heavyweight.  Roy then went on to lose three fights in a row, two by knockout.  It looked like it was over for Roy. He just wasn’t the same after rapidly cutting to light heavyweight after the Ruiz fight.  He looked like a shot fighter after three straight losses.

Yet to the surprise of many, Roy is back in the spotlight.  Tomorrow night he faces off with unbeaten super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe.  My logical side tells me that Roy is far past his prime, and I shouldn’t be interested in this fight.  Logic is losing the argument for me however. As a youngster, I vividly remember watching Roy Jones in 1988 as an amateur on the US Olympic team.  It was that year’s Olympic games that sparked my passion for the sport of boxing.  I recorded all of the fights and still have the old VHS tapes.  Roy Jones Jr. was the one fighter who stood out to me.

Years later, I received an 8 x 10 autograph that was personalized to me from Roy.  Former world title contender John Scully (a mentor of mine) had gotten it for me.  He knew Roy since the amateurs and later trained with him as a pro.

You can actually see a brief video of John sparring with Roy back in 1988 at the the link below.  The two were sparring in preparation for the 1988 US Olympic Trials.  The sparring took place at Sugar Ray Leonard’s gym in Maryland.

Scully and Roy

There is no question that the interest sparked from the 1988 Olympic games is at least partially responsible for where I am today.  It was then that my passion for the Sweet Science took off.  It’s hard to believe that it has been over 20 years since those Olympic games.  I would have never imagined that Roy would still be fighting at this level.

The kid in me is excited about this fight.  Calzaghe has been a dominant champion throughout his career.  I remember reading about his interest in fighting Roy Jones many years ago in the International Boxing Digest magazine.  I wish it had happened back when Roy was in his prime, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Here we are however and I’m excited about tomorrow night’s fights.  Scully and many other fighters from our old gym are actually making the drive to New York to see the fight live.  We are all hoping for the old Roy, as opposed to an old Roy.  Calzaghe is a great fighter however, who has not received the credit that he deserves.

Regardless of the outcome, I hope that it turns out to be an exciting, fan pleasing fight.   To those who are not familiar with either fighter, below are two highlight clips that you may enjoy.

Enjoy the fights!
Ross

PS - One last thought worth mentioning…  I’ve written about Roy in this entry as I followed his career since the amateurs.  This should not take away from Joe Calzaghe however, who has been a dominant force in boxing throughout his career.  He is unbeaten and will certainly be very difficult to beat.  I wouldn’t bet money on this fight.

With the Olympic Games underway, it is a great time to focus our attention towards an Olympic powerhouse.  And while the story alone is interesting, there are important lessons that can be realized by studying the success of one small island nation.

Cuba is without question the most dominant force in amateur boxing.  This small island of 11 million people won its first Olympic boxing medal in 1968.  In the time since, Cuba has captured 32 medals, including 26 gold.  These astounding numbers are slightly deceiving however, considering that Cuba boycotted the 1984 and 1988 games.  Their totals would have likely surpassed the 40 medal mark (through 2004) if they had competed in the 1980’s.  In 1992, they came back and won 9 medals, including 7 gold.
So, how does this nation of 11 million people create so many champions?  New York City alone has over 8 million people.  Cuba isn’t competing with New York City however.  Cuba has dominated the United States, along with the rest of the world.  An entire world of boxers cannot compete with an island of 11 million people.

How can it be?
Many will read of Cuba’s success and assume that the nation has the most sophisticated training methods in the world.  They must have dedicated PhD’s, sports scientists, nutritionists, certified trainers and specialists, etc. all working around the clock, right?  After all, our industry promotes the message that one cannot excel in today’s sporting world without highly sophisticated methods.

Yet, to your surprise, Cuba’s methods would be considered rudimentary by many in our world.  Their athletes are not successful because of a state of the art facility.  Their coaches didn’t become successful by paying thousands of dollars on Internet certification programs.  Their small island isn’t blessed with a superior genetic pool.

So, what is the secret?

There really is no secret. Cuban boxers begin training as youngsters.  There is a boxing academy in each of Cuba’s 14 provinces.  Children have access to the sport, and take pride in becoming champions.  Within the video clips below, you’ll see how the Cubans advance through their system.  One of the young fighters makes the following statement:

“To become someone, you have to make sacrifices.  If you don’t, you can’t become what you want to become.”

These young fighters are raised with this mentality.  They train hard and become active as youngsters.  The combination of hard work, consistent work, pride, and experience is instrumental in their success.  Boxing is one sport where experience is a must.  No amount of bag work in the basement can substitute the need for real competitive experience.  Cuban fighters commonly rack up well over 100 amateur bouts, often much more.  This amount of experience is worth its weight in gold (literally).
Take some time to watch documentary below.  There is a related story at this link.

The Cuban story highlights many truths regarding athletic preparation.  Successful coaches know their sport.  Their knowledge wasn’t developed in a laboratory.  It comes through years of involvement in the actual sport. Speaking from personal experience, many of my own mentors would be considered uneducated from a societal standpoint. Their knowledge of the sport however is as refined and advanced as the most educated professional.  There is absolutely no substitute for experience.

There is also no substitute for hard work, just as there is no substitute for pride in your work.  The fact that a nation of 11 million people can continually dominate the international boxing scene shows us that there is much more to athletic success than simply having superior genetics.  Hard, consistent work with experienced coaches is the only real secret, and this is the message that we should all be preaching.
And no, this isn’t a knock against sports research and science.  A week doesn’t pass without me actively studying new material.  There are times however when we must fall back on the most simplistic definition of science.  Merriam-Webster lists the following definition:

Science - the state of knowing

Cuba knows how to develop champions, which makes their methods as scientific as any.  As a coach, it is useful to learn from those in the trenches, who continually produce champions.  Spending time in an archaic gym that produces champions then becomes just one more step in the “scientific” process.

Ross

In recent years, members of the strength and conditioning industry have become more involved (than ever before) in the development of combat athletes.  Fighters often turn to strength and conditioning coaches in search of greater strength, power, speed, and endurance. 

At face value, the extra attention (from the coaches) and the eagerness of the athletes should be commended.  Unfortunately, many athletes make the mistake of focusing too much attention on the supplemental work, and not enough on the actual skills of their respective sports.  The S&C coach who doesn’t truly understand the specifics of the sport is also at fault.  He must understand the intensity and steep learning curve of the combat sport.

Strength, power, and added endurance mean little if the athlete lacks skill.  Superior skill is the ultimate equalizer, and regardless of what you read in an advertisement, there is absolutely no substitute for skill training with an experienced coach.  As a fighter, much of your development takes place inside the ring or cage.   Even the best book, video, or web page can’t provide you with live sparring. 

The video clip below shows the importance and danger of skill.  Watch how Donald Curry counters the jab with a perfectly placed left hook.  

Milton McCrorry never has a chance to brace for the punch, as he is hit before he even knows it.  All of the strength training in the world wouldn’t have saved him, nor would the most sophisticated periodization model.  Curry beat him with skill.  The counter left hook is a thing of beauty when properly executed.  Developing the skill and instinct to land this punch without conscious thought requires many hours inside the ring.  You can’t buy this ring experience in a book.  It only comes to those who put in hours of work at the gym.

The lesson to be learned is simple.  Each piece of the puzzle is valued, but no single piece should stand in the way of skill development.  Supplemental work is supplemental.  Do not make the mistake of putting supplemental work in place of your actual sport/skill.

Ross