Speed is considered the Holy Grail in most sports. There is just no substitute for
being fast. Strength, stamina and skill are important, don’t get me wrong, but being
fast can make an otherwise ordinary athlete into a star. There is an old saying
in boxing: “speed beats power”, and I couldn’t agree more. A strong fighter with
a powerful punch would have a very difficult time with a fast fighter landing quick
combinations and using the ring to his advantage. Floyd Mayweather’s defeat of Arturo
Gatti illustrates this point very well. No one would argue Gatti’s toughness and
power but he was no match for Mayweather’s blazing hand speed. He was picked apart
and stopped early on. The fight looked like a one-sided mismatch due, in large part,
to Mayweather’s speed. If you are a competitor in boxing or mixed martial arts,
you must be dedicated to improving your speed.
The problem with most strength and conditioning programs for fighters is that speed
is not emphasized enough. Fighters spend hours and hours on roadwork sessions, calisthenics
and pounding the heavy bag, with the mistaken belief that getting fitter will somehow
make them faster. This just is not the case. Speed must be trained specifically
and under very different conditions. There are different types as speed as well.
Starting-speed, speed-strength, and top speed are the ones most commonly discussed.
Starting speed is one’s ability to move quickly from a standing start, such as firing
a quick jab. Speed-strength is the ability to land a hard power punch in explosive
fashion. Top speed is the speed one could sustain in a 100-meter sprint, for example,
and is of little value to a fighter. All of this is great, you say, but how exactly
do I get fast?
Russian Kettlebells offer a unique advantage to any fighter that is willing to change
his mind-set about conditioning a little bit. Properly used, kettlebells can build
speed, power and endurance. The real benefit though, is their ability to help you
develop the type of speed needed in the ring. The ballistic nature of the quick
lifts such as the snatch and swing can help a fighter build tremendous speed. Take
the snatch for example: starting at a dead-hang with the weight between your legs
and exploding it to an overhead lock out requires and develops unreal starting speed
and speed-strength or power. The ideal session would include the use of several
different sub-maximum weights of kettlebells, low repetition sets and adequate rest
periods. For example, a set of 5 reps each side with a 16, 20 and 24 kg. kettlebells
with 3 minutes of rest between sets would be ideal. This allows adequate recovery
time between sets and prevents over adaptation to one specific load. The fighter
must concentrate on being explosive and generating maximum velocity. Stopping the
weight on a dime adds to the difficulty and benefit of the drill. This type of training
will build functional speed in all of the muscles involved with throwing a punch.
Performing a routine like this twice weekly will develop a tremendous amount of
punching speed. Be sure and practice this routine when fresh, so that technique
stays crisp and you are able to focus on exploding the weight overhead.
Incorporating speed specific training into your overall routine could very well
raise your game to the next level. Russian kettlebells offer an effective means
of achieving superior performance in the ring. Seek out the appropriate instruction
from a qualified instructor and find out what training the kettlebell “Hard Style”
way can do to enhance your performance in the ring.
For more information on Tom check out his website
TrainToEvolve.com
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