Each one of us has our own battles with health and fitness, particularly with weight loss. Most people want to lose a certain amount of weight for whatever reason. They want to see movement on the scale, and want to see visible changes when they look into the mirror.
If you want to lose weight, look and feel better about yourself, we’ve always highlighted training like an athlete to achieve your goals, particularly like a martial arts athlete. The training philosophies at the highest level of sports are designed to optimize physical capacity, which is why a lot of martial arts athletes are able to get into shape fairly quickly and efficiently.
Boxers, in particular, are accustomed to meeting weight limitations. It’s part of the game. They know effective ways to lose weight and get into prime physical condition rather fast.
In this article, we’ve come up with a few tips for you to follow, based on a boxer’s training regimen, to help you achieve the same success.
Remember, it takes an average of 8-12 weeks to achieve noticeable results, which is why fight training camps usually last for a similar duration. A rule of thumb is to stick to any fitness program you adopt for that period of time. Nevertheless, try these suggestions out and you will soon look and feel like an elite athlete.
Today, Evolve Daily shares five things pro boxers do to lose weight fast.
1) Road Work
Road work is still a major component of a boxer’s physical conditioning routine, which is why most boxers run to build their cardiovascular endurance, as well as burn copious amounts of calories.
Running is a great energy sink, which metabolizes energy in a consistent and efficient manner. It’s easy to get into and anybody can do it. All you need is a comfortable pair of running shoes, and you’re all set.
Most boxers run a few miles every day, especially in the thick of a training camp when they’re trying to bring their weight down. For us normal people, a 30 minute light jog every other day will give you incredible results. You can even mix in some brisk walking — anything to maintain a slightly elevated heart rate steadily for a set period of time.
2) Two-A-Days
Most people train for an hour on average once a day. But have you ever wondered how boxers can whip themselves into shape so quickly? The key is training twice every day, even thrice for the most dedicated.
Fighters call this training methodology two-a-days. Typically, a boxer will train very early in the morning, before they have to take care of other things during the day like work and family-related matters. They take a short rest after lunch and then return to training in the evening.
In some cases, fighters will even train three times a day. These aren’t long workouts. They last for 45 minutes to an hour on average and focus on a specific aspect of the regimen. For example, morning sessions can focus on strength and conditioning, while afternoon or evening sessions tackle boxing skills and strategy.
3) Eat Clean
Of course, any successful and effective weight loss strategy involves a well-balanced diet that consists of good, wholesome, and clean food. Eating clean is the other half of the equation when it comes to weight loss, and hands down the most important half.
As the popular saying goes, abs are built in the kitchen, not in the gym.
Boxers adhere to a very strict diet to make sure the food they put into their bodies is put to good use. They look at food as more than just something they enjoy, but rather the fuel they need for a good performance in the ring.
For boxers, eating clean means paying close attention to the macronutrients they consume, particularly protein, carbohydrates, and fat. They weigh every gram of food and break it down to a science. Most high-level fighters hire nutritionists to help them with this aspect of their camp.
For us, it can be as simple as just making the right food decisions, like opting for grilled chicken and a salad, rather than a double cheeseburger with fries and a soda.
4) Ample Rest
One area of fitness that is often overlooked, and one that fighters take very seriously, is rest and recovery. After gruelling training sessions where the body is pushed to the absolute limit, rest and recovery play a major role in turning the body into a machine.
It may sound counterintuitive, but taking consistent naps each day is great for the body. Boxers tend to take naps after every training session. After their morning strength and conditioning routine, boxers typically take a short nap and wake up a couple of hours later for lunch. At this point, the body is relaxed and reenergized, and ready for another tough workout just hours later.
Needless to say, getting at least eight hours of nightly sleep is also important. Some fighters even take melatonin supplements to help them achieve deep sleep.
However, rest and recovery goes beyond just sleeping the fatigue away. There are also modern methods of recovery to take note of. Athletic recovery technologies such as cryotherapy and zero gravity chambers have found a home in combat sports over the years.
5) Remove Distractions
Last but not least, boxers remove all external distractions from camp. Most make major sacrifices when they are in camp, like isolating themselves from friends and family, which allows them to then focus solely on training and optimizing their fitness.
You don’t have to go to the extreme and check yourself into a hotel all by yourself, away from society, in order to focus on your fitness. But you may want to cut out unhealthy influences in your life that could be limiting your ability to eat clean and train.
Cutting back on social media consumption is one example, or every once in a while turning down a night of binge-eating and drinking with your friends. Keep it simple and just try to set yourself up for success as best as you can, instead of setting yourself up for failure.
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