Returning to the ring age 36

[Sunshine23]

Hi,

I’m 36 and I have put myself forward for a fight at the end of May. The last one I had was nearly 5 years ago, although I have continued to train regularly since (been training about 10 years in total). I’ve got a good level of overall fitness.

One thing I’ve noticed however since I started stepping up my training a few weeks ago is that it feels like slower progress in terms of gas in the tank for sparring rounds than previously.


This is my current routine:

Monday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints.

Tuesday - boxing session

Wednesday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints

Thursday - rest day (falls on this day due to work)

Friday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints.

Saturday - boxing session

Sunday - rest day


I’m keen to keep the weights session as the weight I’m fighting at means I need to keep the muscle I have. I’ve always done 3 sets of 8/10 reps, would a 5x5 routine be more suitable at the moment?
Should I swap a sprints session for a more steady state, longer run? Drop a weights session and focus on cardio that day?

Any tips are welcome, especially from those at my age or older and how they worked their cardio.

Cheers

[abracada]

Hi,

I’m 36 and I have put myself forward for a fight at the end of May. The last one I had was nearly 5 years ago, although I have continued to train regularly since (been training about 10 years in total). I’ve got a good level of overall fitness.

One thing I’ve noticed however since I started stepping up my training a few weeks ago is that it feels like slower progress in terms of gas in the tank for sparring rounds than previously.


This is my current routine:

Monday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints.

Tuesday - boxing session

Wednesday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints

Thursday - rest day (falls on this day due to work)

Friday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints.

Saturday - boxing session

Sunday - rest day


I’m keen to keep the weights session as the weight I’m fighting at means I need to keep the muscle I have. I’ve always done 3 sets of 8/10 reps, would a 5x5 routine be more suitable at the moment?
Should I swap a sprints session for a more steady state, longer run? Drop a weights session and focus on cardio that day?

Any tips are welcome, especially from those at my age or older and how they worked their cardio.

Cheers

I’m 35 and still fight.

Big difference since I was 20!

What I do to keep OK energy levels is supplements!

1. Creatine 5g each day.
2. Multi vitamin every day.
3. Vitamin C, 1000 mg tablet alternating days.

Works a treat for us oldies

[OctoberRed]

That's still young. If you were 66, that's a different story.

[Eastbound]

One or two days a week, warm up with a mile run, then do a tempo run where you’re running 75-80% of max for the length of the round then jog slow (recovery) for the rest period in between the round. Start with doing this three to five times per session then gradually increase either round length or times per session. Cool down with another half mile or so. Do this with the jump rope also. Do more rope work in general it will help

[Redd Foxx]

Work on your breathing, that'll help a lot. Be conscious of how your're breathing while you're hitting the bag and doing drills. As your coach to monitor your breathing while you're working with him.
The main factor at this point in your life is going to be your cardio and breathing.

[OctoberRed]

Work on your breathing, that'll help a lot. Be conscious of how your're breathing while you're hitting the bag and doing drills. As your coach to monitor your breathing while you're working with him.
The main factor at this point in your life is going to be your cardio and breathing.

Sometimes hard to work on when our sparring partners stinks like Dan Rafael...

[scbb]

Hi,

I’m 36 and I have put myself forward for a fight at the end of May. The last one I had was nearly 5 years ago, although I have continued to train regularly since (been training about 10 years in total). I’ve got a good level of overall fitness.

One thing I’ve noticed however since I started stepping up my training a few weeks ago is that it feels like slower progress in terms of gas in the tank for sparring rounds than previously.


This is my current routine:

Monday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints.

Tuesday - boxing session

Wednesday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints

Thursday - rest day (falls on this day due to work)

Friday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints.

Saturday - boxing session

Sunday - rest day


I’m keen to keep the weights session as the weight I’m fighting at means I need to keep the muscle I have. I’ve always done 3 sets of 8/10 reps, would a 5x5 routine be more suitable at the moment?
Should I swap a sprints session for a more steady state, longer run? Drop a weights session and focus on cardio that day?

Any tips are welcome, especially from those at my age or older and how they worked their cardio.

Cheers

I started boxing at age 55. I am now 58 and plan to fight competitive in the master division this year. My schedule is as follows. I only box 6 months a year from Jan through June.

Mon-Sat - 20-30 minutes of weights, 20-30 minutes of elliptical
Tue and Sat - 1 hour boxing class
Thursday - about 8 one to two minute rounds of sparring in the ring.
Sunday - 9 inning baseball game

[Eastbound]

Hi,

I’m 36 and I have put myself forward for a fight at the end of May. The last one I had was nearly 5 years ago, although I have continued to train regularly since (been training about 10 years in total). I’ve got a good level of overall fitness.

One thing I’ve noticed however since I started stepping up my training a few weeks ago is that it feels like slower progress in terms of gas in the tank for sparring rounds than previously.


This is my current routine:

Monday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints.

Tuesday - boxing session

Wednesday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints

Thursday - rest day (falls on this day due to work)

Friday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints.

Saturday - boxing session

Sunday - rest day


I’m keen to keep the weights session as the weight I’m fighting at means I need to keep the muscle I have. I’ve always done 3 sets of 8/10 reps, would a 5x5 routine be more suitable at the moment?
Should I swap a sprints session for a more steady state, longer run? Drop a weights session and focus on cardio that day?

Any tips are welcome, especially from those at my age or older and how they worked their cardio.

Cheers

You're trying to increase the level of activity you can sustain comfortably during the round. Breathing is very important..to have relaxed breathing when not engaged and then exhale in bursts when punching or defending. Also, relax the body when not engaged. The more you can relax, the less energy you will use. relax the upper body. Don't tense up if you don't need to. Work on cardio, steady state and intervals as previously mentioned. the short sprints will probably not give you the results you want

[Rockin']

Hi,

I’m 36 and I have put myself forward for a fight at the end of May. The last one I had was nearly 5 years ago, although I have continued to train regularly since (been training about 10 years in total). I’ve got a good level of overall fitness.

One thing I’ve noticed however since I started stepping up my training a few weeks ago is that it feels like slower progress in terms of gas in the tank for sparring rounds than previously.


This is my current routine:

Monday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints.

Tuesday - boxing session

Wednesday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints

Thursday - rest day (falls on this day due to work)

Friday - Compound weight session followed by 20 mins of sprints.

Saturday - boxing session

Sunday - rest day


I’m keen to keep the weights session as the weight I’m fighting at means I need to keep the muscle I have. I’ve always done 3 sets of 8/10 reps, would a 5x5 routine be more suitable at the moment?
Should I swap a sprints session for a more steady state, longer run? Drop a weights session and focus on cardio that day?

Any tips are welcome, especially from those at my age or older and how they worked their cardio.

Cheers

If you are to fight you will want to get in more sparring than just 2 days a week. You want to improve your fighting endurance, fight. Get all of those muscles working during your sparring and show up ready to throw...…..Rockin'

[OctoberRed]

If you are to fight you will want to get in more sparring than just 2 days a week. …..Rockin'

^^^^^^^^