Fighters training schedule

[kboxer2]

Curious to see what the training schedules look like for you guys. I'm a heavyweight so would like to compare to the training schedules of you other heavyweights. Just like how much pad work and bag work you guys are doing. Any weights etc.

Also looking to do my first amature comp. in low kick kickboxing.

[Torakaka]

Since I fight at 118-125lbs I'm not exactly a heavy weight, but basically my pre-fight schedule for my last tournament went like this:

Two mile full speed run with interval sprinting minimum three days/week.

9am-11am, 5 days a week (never more than 1 day in between training)

3x 3minute rounds of skipping rope
3x 3 minute rounds of side to side high knees over hurdles
3x 3 minute rounds fight intensity shadow boxing
3x 3 minute rounds rope drill (tie a rope to opposite ends of ring corners and basically shadow box by dipping under and punching around, under and above the rope)
3x 3 minute rounds focus mitts, primary focus on strategy
3x 3 minute rounds heavy bag (totally continuous action, with a focus on volume and endurance conditioning)
3x 3 minute rounds thai pads with primary focus on maneuverability and cranking out kicks from any position.

whatever time was left was used for clinch+kick sparring. About once or twice a week I'd try and get our team some good sparring from outside boxers or people from another gym, though we didn't do much sparring with each other since the gym owner didn't like to see me sparring with my much larger team mates and getting injured (effecting my ability to train people)

Since I spent all day working at the gym, the owner would typically do about 9 rounds of mitt work at the end of the day.

I did NO weight training or any other sort of conditioning training beyond my fight training. I think the most important thing is to get as much high intensity thai pad, bag work and shadow boxing possible to get yourself as used to the feel of the fight as possible. As little credit as people give shadow boxing, I personally feel good shadow boxing is as important as bag work, if not more so.

[kboxer2]

Nice routine. Thank you. I've been doing a ton of sparring but not enough bag work. I hit the weights twice per week too. But mostly light. Laid off the powerlifting.

How did you feel for your tournament?

[Sang]

Monday to Friday mornings:
5 * 2 minute interval sprints with 1 minute break between intervals.

Monday to Thursday 5:30 - 7:30pm:
15 mins fast skipping to warm up
15 mins shadow boxing (medium pace)

One hour circuit rounds start, buzzer set to 3 min with 1 min break. When minute breaks are called you drop and do 20 pushups then an ab exercise such as leg raises/weighted plank until the next round starts.

The circuit includes; all high intensity alternating between bags doing step up knees, boxing, matching someone for leg kicks on the leg kick bag, elbows, teeps running up and down stairs with someone on your back.

At varying times in this hour i get called to do 5 rounds of high intensity pad working going through our combinations and being corrected.

15 minutes continuous clinch work no round breaks.
15 minutes technique training such as catch and dumps, sweeps, kick parrying OR 15 minutes light legs only sparring.
15 minutes sparring when there is time.

Friday afternoon:
Heavy weights done explosively. I've been doing Stronglifts 5*5.

Saturday:
20 rounds sparring while i complain how sore i am from weights. Intensity varies, personally i stop all hard sparring 3 weeks out from a fight. Our gym is known for sparring much harder than most other gyms which has its positives and negatives.

[kboxer2]

Awesome sang. Thank you.

[Lindz]

Does one session a week of weights actually make you stronger or just maintain what you already have?

[Torakaka]

Nice routine. Thank you. I've been doing a ton of sparring but not enough bag work. I hit the weights twice per week too. But mostly light. Laid off the powerlifting.

How did you feel for your tournament?

Stop weight lifting COMPLETELY before you fight. The guy that I was training for the tournament who was into weight lifting did "light" lifting, but ended up not having enough energy for the fight training we were doing. Bag work is crucial because you need to learn to relax your muscles enough to be able to go full speed, continuous hard bag work round after round which will give you the exact right conditioning for fighting.

I was in perfect shape for an amateur tournament, and despite the high pace wasn't bothered by fatigue. My teammates who's training I supervised were also in the best shape out of all the fighters at the tournament.

[Torakaka]

I stop sparring about two weeks out, but continue to do sparring drills to maintain reflexes.

[Sang]

As Kid says, stop lifting completely at least a week before you fight to let your muscles recover and make sure the priority is on your Muay Thai specific technique and conditioning. I do my one session Friday because by Monday I've fully recovered. I've tried in the past to do two weight sessions a week but it really hindered my fight training.

[kboxer2]

Great info guys. I'm really liking this thread. I'm preparing for 3 two minute rounds. Right now no date is set. I was initially going to do an mma match but I'm much better with the stand up. So i have been lifting but I will keep that in mind.

I've recently picked up Joel jamiesons book 8 week out and has me questioning my conditioning as of lately. With my schedule i meet with the whole group and we spar hard twice a week but the other days are up to me to do conditioning.

So I picked up a heart rate monitor and was going to try some new methods in my training while I'm in the off season.

Was even thinking bout trying bas ruttens CDs to set my pace on the bag work. Staying disciplined is very hard alone. Plus he throws some nice combos together on there.

When I do the pad work it's great but I'll be honest my bag work when I do it has no rhyme or reason.