Unusual Training Regimes

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 23 Jan 2004, 08:11

On another web site I recently came across a story relating to Michael Armstrong, the British Super Featherweight title holder of the early 90s.

It was said that he used to sleep on his garage floor before fights to harden himself up!
This struck me as an unusual, but believable pre-fight practise.

There is a famous old story that relates to Jack Dempsey. He is said to have bathed his face in beef brine/ or urine pre-fight to harden his skin against cuts. This seems to be a technique that has fallen out of favour in recent times!

I also remember hearing that Jirov, whilst an amateur in Russia, would be chased down by an Alsatian dog to improve his speed.

Neither of these are as common as say medicine ball work in modern gyms but do you know of any other such extreme methods?

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 23 Jan 2004, 08:19

Yeah that Jirov had a helluva trainer in Russia didn't he?! His other trick was to throw Jirov overboard in the middle of a huge freezing lake, and let him swim to shore.

Ali's preparation for the Foreman fight was extreme: just let his sparring guys pound him on the ropes, to get his body used to the punishment.
( in his book Eubank seems to have used a similar method )

I remember Mickey Duff came up with a bizzare cure for Billy Schwer's cuts problem, something like the Dempsey cure I think ( though not involving German water sports ). It involved Billy dunking his head in some liquid every day, can't recall what exactly - didn't make a blind bit of difference either

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 23 Jan 2004, 08:22

Ray Robinson claimed he drank OX blood, but many think he made it up for a laugh so he could have a chuckle imagining everybody else trying it out. If that was the case it was a great little scam.

Not quite as extreme as some of yours, but, Howard Rainey is reknowned for having some innovative ideas when it comes to training, he has all sorts of self made inventions that help his fighters get in condition.

Eamon Magee claimed he got his ribs twatted with a lump of wood to prepare him for Hatton's body attack.

Bareknuckle legend Tom Cribb used a tree instead of a punchbag.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 23 Jan 2004, 08:29

The Ambling Alp Primo Carnera was said to have his 'apendage' secured with an elastic band by his trainer at night during camp to avoid an secretions/leakages whilst he slept.

Guess he wanted to get him mean and wound up. Either that or he was just a pervert.

Poor Carnera, he really had it tough.

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 23 Jan 2004, 08:52

TerribleTerry wrote:The Ambling Alp Primo Carnera was said to have his 'apendage' secured with an elastic band by his trainer at night during camp to avoid an secretions/leakages whilst he slept.

Guess he wanted to get him mean and wound up. Either that or he was just a pervert.

Poor Carnera, he really had it tough.

judging by the size of Carnera, it must have been a big elastic band!!!

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 23 Jan 2004, 09:50

Good thread. I remember that about Michael Armstrong, who was based just down the road from me in Stoke and was a useful kid. He's the guy who threw punches at referee Billy Rafferty when stopped in a Commonwealth title fight against the Kenyan Modest Napunyi. He was so dazed, he thought the figure in front of him was Napunyi and threw several punches. A real fighter.
Ray Mancini used to shadow box underwater for 15 rounds (amazing how he could hold his breath that long

), which explains his legendary stamina. Carlos Monzon also had his own - highly successful - way of training. His roadwork would last for 45 minutes (i.e., 15 rounds duration) and he sparred light. That, he said, saved his best for the fight. He smoked all through his boxing career.
Monzon has a point (not the smoking!). I think many fighters train too hard. Their bodies are worn out by the time they're in their late twenties from sheer gym exertion, more than hard fights in my opinion. Roberto Duran, Alexis Arguello and Julio Cesar Chavez were three old school fighters who preferred to stay in shape by taking part in many non-title fights in betwen their defences rather than killing themselves in the gym. But so many fighters just relax after a big fight, lose shape, and then have to build it back up in training (think of Riddick Bowe). That takes it out of the body. I know the likes of Ricky Hatton can do that, and even Ali, but it is unnatural.
For me, keeping busy is the only way to stay ring fit.

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 23 Jan 2004, 10:22

The legend Harry Greb fought so often he was fighting fit all the time, however he was notorious for his womanising and it wasn't unheard of for the great man to 'entertain' a coupla' broads in his dressing room pre-fight.
Leading up to his title shot against then champ Johnny Wilson, Harry was seen frequenting several speakeasy's around New York, he would be knocking over tables, slurring loudly and zig-zag his way around clutching what appeared to be a large whiskey, Wilson and his camp caught wind of this and wrote Greb off as an alcoholic bum.
Wilson was whipped all over the ring for 15 rounds in 1923 (if memory serves me) and Harry was the new champ-een of da world!
Harry was drinking apple juice all along.

Dynamite Dean Phillips · Post by **Dynamite Dean Phillips** » 24 Jan 2004, 21:05

shit..I'll have to try that one

Dynamite Dean Phillips · Post by **Dynamite Dean Phillips** » 24 Jan 2004, 21:07

I read somewhere about someone laying in a freezing cold bath of water for half an hour before a fight.

pbrennan · Post by **pbrennan** » 24 Jan 2004, 21:47

Billy Schwer tried drinking 8 pints of water a day in an attempt to toughen up his skin. It seemed to work fine until he came accross Stevie Johnson.

I suspect that Hattons career will also end in blood sweat and tears.

David Tua tried taking ice baths to control his weight - another failure?

Dynamite Dean Phillips · Post by **Dynamite Dean Phillips** » 24 Jan 2004, 23:58

Its not unusual, but the fartlek bleep test is an excellent form of training; giving both an aerobic and anaerobic workout to the max.

Southpaw Stylist · Post by **Southpaw Stylist** » 25 Jan 2004, 05:14

Fartlek bleep test?

That's new to me.

If you're talking about the multi-stage fitness test, then it ain't fartlek.

Dynamite Dean Phillips · Post by **Dynamite Dean Phillips** » 25 Jan 2004, 12:09

So what's it called then??

I was always told it was called the fartlek bleep test, even going bk to my school days

Dynamite Dean Phillips · Post by **Dynamite Dean Phillips** » 25 Jan 2004, 12:14

Yes,

Fartlek is a form of interval training. Found an article on the web that explains exactly what it is:

http://www.coolrunning.com.au/expert/1997c002.shtml

Deserter · Post by **Deserter** » 25 Jan 2004, 12:18

Dynamite Dean Phillips wrote:So what's it called then??

I was always told it was called the fartlek bleep test, even going bk to my school days

I think fartlek is when you have varying speeds e.g. if you're on a treadmill starting at 10km/h, going up to 12, 14, and then 16, before dropping back down to 10 and starting again. So on a graph there would be peaks and troughs in your workout.

With the bleep test it's more a steady upward curve as you start off at a low intensity and keep on increasing - there's never a downward curve or trough at any point.