mackie Shilstone
Mixed Martial Arts
Optimum Performance: Preparing to rumble in Vegas Posted on November 18, 2016 at 6:00 AM
By
NOLA.com The Times-Picayune
LAS VEGAS - After six weeks of hard training in Andre Ward's camp outside Oakland, Calif., our team transitioned last Sunday to Las Vegas - the site of the Ward vs. Kovalev fight. As I noted last week, Ward is moving up in weight class from super middleweight (168 lbs.) to fight the reigning light heavyweight (175 lbs.) champion Sergey Kovalev.
Story by
Mackie Shilstone,
Contributing writer
Over my years of work in the sport of professional boxing, I have previously been to Las Vegas many times for championships fights - working with boxers like Michael Spinks, Riddick Bowe, Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, and now Ward, to name just a few.
Having participated in the 1989 Bay Bridge World Series with the San Francisco Giants, NHL playoffs with the St. Louis Blues Hockey team, and numerous grand slam tournaments with tennis great Serena Williams, I must say that there is nothing quite like "fight week" at a world championship boxing event.
However, I will never forget experiencing the '89 earthquake that hit San Francisco on October 17th, while I was in the locker room stretching the Giants' starting pitcher - Don Robinson - before a World Series home game against the Oakland A's.
This last week in Vegas will culminate in a battle between two great champions that will ultimately be decided by the outcome of a system of twelve rounds - 3 minutes of work and one minute of rest - of controlled violence taking place in a 20 x 20 square foot ring.
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The focus of this last week was to keep the training as close as possible to the activities in training camp - minus the sparring rounds - in order to allow for proper rest and prevent any unnecessary injuries - specifically, a cut to the face. With the weigh-in Friday - 24 hours before Saturday's fight, it's all about conservation of energy, while maintaining your fitness level and "sharpness."
Realistically, if you're not in shape at this point, you might as well not show up. It's also important that the boxer be within several pounds of his weigh-in weight (175 lbs.) to prevent unnecessary calorie restriction or unorthodox weight loss methods too close to the weigh-in - the downfall to many competitors.
An athlete can lose up to 2% of his or her body weight and still recover successfully within 24 hours of an event. It's also important that the fighter not rebound above his training camp weight. Excessive rebound water weight gain in a short a period of time may cause the fighter to become sluggish and potentially place unnecessary strain on the heart muscle.
From a fitness perspective, the emphasis is to continue a modified training program, which includes: core training, leg strength, scapula stabilization / posterior shoulder strength, a continuation of rotational training, and upper / lower extremity flexibility.
Conditioning-wise, the emphasis is to keep the heart rate variability intact, while not over-stressing the system.
The pre-fight press conference with both fighters and their camps was on Thursday, followed by the weigh-in Friday afternoon. Over the years, besides the typical insults and power plays, the press conference allows the media to get a first hand look at the competitors after their extensive training.
Probably the calmest and most respectful press conference I have witnessed was the one involving Bernard Hopkins, who was challenging Antonio Tarver for his light heavyweight crown. Hopkins won that upset decision.
The most raucous weigh-in I've experienced happened when a fight broke out between the two boxing coaches for Roy Jones Jr. and John Ruiz. Mark Ratner, the former general manager of the Nevada State Boxing Commission, pulled back before he completed weighing Jones to keep from being hit, and missed getting Jones' accurate weight - 200 pounds. Ratner pegged Jones' weight at 193.
It's just part of the sideshow, when two boxing competitors show up to the fight.
Mackie Shilstone, a regular contributor to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, has been involved in the wellness sports performance industry for nearly 40 years. He is currently a fitness consultant to Serena Williams and has trained numerous other professional athletes and consulted a litany of professional sports franchises. Contact him at
mackieshilstone.com.
Source:
http://www.nola.com/mma/index.ssf/2016/11/optimum_performance_preparing.html
