CAN WEIGHT TRAINING IMPROVE FIGHTING ABILITY?
"...in
the interview he mentioned training with Lee Haney using weights as an
aid to prepare for his fight with Bowe. He said he had trained with
other weight trainers before but didn't get any benefit in punching
power but that he did get improvement under Haney. I was wondering you
know how they could be used to effect your power. I know you don't need
big muscles to use your system but I'm always looking for new ways to
improve my skills."
ANSWER:
Holyfield
also used a machine called Vertimax. I don't think it was necessary.
There are still very few boxers who can deliver power at any angle
(regardless of how far their arm is extended) because they don't train
simple concepts such as dropping energy and one legged balance.
Some
trainers such as Emmanuel Stewart do indeed teach a generic version of
dropping into jabs. The lineage of this method goes back to Jack
Dempsey who probably discovered it through trial and error. The best
way to enhance your power is by enhancing your one legged balance,
everything else is ancillary. There's a San Shou guy named Cung Le who
has good one legged balance and he DOMINATES his opponents in the ring.
Anytime
you see a good striker, (i.e. Cro Cop) kicking with much more power
than everyone else, it is because they don't have to fight their own
balance to deliver with speed and power.
To
build up the tendon strength, nothing beats Dynamic Contraction with a
Horse Shoe (shown on Companion DVD pt.1). For the explosive
development, nothing will ever surpass slam bag training, ensuring that
you hit with enough force that you make it feel like a solid
rock
upon impact. I first learned the direct benefits of this training when
I took some lessons from Lt. Col. Al. His strikes cut to the bone, even
though to an outsider it appears that he is merely slapping or even
tapping with his strikes.
If
you're a fanatic, things you can add would be lower body plyometrics
(my favorite because I play a lot of basketball) or lifting weights
with chains attached. What you are trying to do is build your explosive
strength. You don't want big bulky muscles. You want to develop muscles
that are neurologically efficient so you can move with more freedom
while using less energy. Therefore, it's best to minimize weight gain.
Deadlifts
are perfect because you have to use practically every muscle in your
body in a coordinated fashion to properly pull the weight. Also, they
develop the transverse abdominus muscles which are the deepest layer of
muscles in your core. All of this will enhance your balance.
--Ken
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Ken has a KCD training group in the Chicago area you may want to investigate.]
See: TRAINING GROUPS
