Dr.Hab., Associate Professor G.V. Rudenko¹
Dr.Hab., Professor G.I. Mokeev^2
1St. Petersburg Mining University, St. Petersburg
²Ufa State Aviation Technical University, Ufa

Keywords: training, periodicity, boxing, micro-cycle, competitions.

Background. We applied a retrospective analysis of our long practical experience and findings of a few experimental studies [1, 2, 3] to design an efficient cycled training model for skilled junior boxers. The study offers an overview of the training model application experience in a six-month precompetitive training of a junior boxer for the Russian Boxing Championship where he won the champion’s title.

The comprehensively planned training process was launched six months prior to the Russian Boxing Championship Finals after the Republican Qualifiers won by the boxer. The training system was designed to include two three-month sub-cycles, with one of them completed by an interim event to check the boxer’s progress and the other finalised by the Russian Boxing Championship Finals. Every sub-cycle was broken down into three monthly stages with their relevant stage-specific missions, contents and priorities. The trainee’s progress was managed to grow in a phased manner to reach its peak on the days of the Russian Boxing Championship Finals.

Objective of the study was to improve the elite boxers’ precompetitive training system with a special emphasis on the correlations of the training process effects, trainee’s functionality and competitive performance.

Methods and structure of the study. The training cycle was designed to include the following competitions: University Games plus the Bashkiria Boxing Cup in January to February (planned as the conditioning and progress-testing events, respectively); Bashkiria Sports Festival in March (a sub-qualifying event for the national Championship); Regional Qualifiers for the Russian Boxing Championship in April; and the Russian Boxing Championship Finals in May.

The first-stage (December) training process was designed to step up the bodily functionality and partially included special body conditioning practices. The stage training process was dominated by cross-country races, team sports, weight practices and swimming. Special training component at this stage was dominated by the special preparatory practices (SPP) with supporting practices on apparatuses (POA) and partner-assisted practices (PAP). Neither contingent fights (CF) nor free fights (FF) were planned for this training stage.

Total load of the first-stage monthly training was estimated at 1,572 minutes and it was the highest for the whole six-month cycle; with the two thirds of the time scheduled for body conditioning (BC) and only one third for special training (ST) practices. The training process was designed to include 2 sessions per day i.e. 12 sessions per week. The Thursday trainings were eased to morning sessions only (the same as on the other days of the week) including 15-25-minute moderate-speed and moderate-intensity races (with the HR coming up to 140-150 beats per min) and fight-imitating practices of a slightly higher intensity (the HR up to 140-160 beats per min). The Sunday trainings were dominated by rehabilitative moderate-intensity practices with the HR kept within the range of 120-140 beats per min.

The evening (main) training sessions were designed on a weekly basis as follows: Monday, Friday and Saturday: speed practices; Tuesday: speed-strength practices; Wednesday: overall/ special endurance building practices; Thursday: conditioning/ rehabilitative practices; and Friday, Saturday and Sunday: rehabilitation including sauna and a variety of relaxation procedures.

The progress test data (see Table 2 hereunder) showed a significant growth of the functionality rates and somewhat lower growth of the special physical qualities at this stage.

The second-stage (January) training, therefore, was designed to further build up overall and particularly special endurance, with the total training time being cut down to 1,284 minutes and the training process intensity being reduced as well. The training process was dominated by the special training practices taking 65% of the time, with the other 35% assigned to the practices on apparatuses (POA) and partner-assisted practices (PAP). A high priority at this stage was given to the fighting technique excelling practices and the middle- and close-distance fighting tactics.

Progress-test competitions (the Bashkiria University Games) in the late phase of the second stage were used to assess the trainee’s interim fitness. The win in the Games and the progress rating tests were both indicative of a good progress in the overall and special endurance albeit the trainee was still tested as far enough from his individual best sport shape.

The third-stage (February) training was designed to further advance the special endurance rate and, particularly, the technical and tactical mastery levels with a special emphasis on the training process individualising aspects. With this purpose in mind, the total training load was further cut down (about 2 times versus the prior stage) although the training intensity was increased. The training sessions were reduced to once a day and focused mostly on the speed-building and tactical/ technical skills excelling practices; with a higher attention given to the partner-assisted practices (PAP) in form of contingent/ free fights.

At the first stage of the next half-cycle (March), the training process was focused on the boxer’s functionality building practices. To avoid the sport shape being prematurely achieved, we somewhat increased the total load at this stage by 260 min versus the prior stage with the intensity being reasonably decreased. Half of the training time (53%) was assigned to special practices, plus special preparatory practices (27%), practices on apparatuses (POA) and partner-assisted practices (PAP) accounting for 13% of the time.

By the end of the third-stage training sub-cycle, the boxer was going to compete in the Bashkiria Sports Festival. To secure good fitness for this qualifying event, the intensity of the practices on apparatuses (POA) was increased and the partner-assisted practices (PAP) were dominated by contingent fights. This training process design was intended to excel a variety of special skills for the upcoming competitions. The boxer’s victory in the competitions and the progress test data showed that the boxer was fairly close to his individual best sport shape. This was the reason for a high priority being given at the next stage to the special physical fitness excelling practices and individual distance-specific techniques and tactics advancement training.

At the onset of the third-stage sub-cycle, the boxer was slated to compete in the Regional Qualifiers for the Russian Boxing Championship Finals. Therefore, the first-stage training sub-cycle loads were quite extensive and special, with most of the time (60%) assigned to special practices dominated by the high-intensity practices on apparatuses and the partner-assisted practices.

In the second-stage (relaxation) sub-cycle, the load was twice as little and the intensity was raised by 9%. The POA rounds were also cut down to 2 min. The partner-assisted practices (PAP) were basically reduced to the high-intensity contingent/ free fights, with the special preparatory practices (SPP) being notably cut down.

The boxer was ranked number one at the Regional Qualifiers for the Russian Boxing Championship, and this success was followed by a six-day active recreation period intended for rehabilitation prior to the focused precompetitive training for the upcoming Russian Boxing Championship Finals.

A top priority in the next primary sub-cycle (with the total load of 308 min) was given to the special physical qualities excelling practices including weight exercises, imitational fights and individual coach-assisted padding practices.

Going next was an intensified sub-cycle closely modelling the upcoming competitions including two free fights for two days in a row. In the free-fight days and other days of the sub-cycle the boxer worked fairly intensively with the partner (mostly in contingent fights) and on apparatuses[1]. A significant time was assigned to the BC and SPP.

The fourth-stage (final) precompetitive sub-cycle training gave a top priority to the increasingly specialised loads, the training process being geared to activate the top-priority special perceptions of the boxer up to the competitive ones – in other words, to achieve the best mental setting as verified by the relevant boxer’s performance rates at the moment. It should be noted that the SP loads at this stage were higher than the BC loads (61% versus 39%, respectively) that means that the training process was highly specific: see Table 1.

Table 1. Breakdown of the training loads of the boxer (Master of Sport C) at the final stage of precompetitive training for the Russian Boxing Championship Finals

Note: BC body conditioning, SPP special preparatory practices, POA practices on apparatuses, PAP partner-assisted practices, CF contingent fights, FF free fights, SP special practices, TL total load

Precompetitive test rates (the tests were limited by 10 min) were indicative of the boxer’s mental and physical progress versus the prior test rates (one month earlier). The mental and emotional status of the boxer (as provided by his self-rating) was also much better, and it was proved by the win in the Russian Boxing Championship Finals: see Table 2.

Table 2. Functionality rates of the boxer (Master of Sport C) in the precompetitive training for the Russian Boxing Championship Finals

Study results and discussion. On the whole, the six-month training model included two three-month half-cycles, with the first half-cycle generally geared to build the basic components of the bodily functionality required for the technical and tactical skills being excelled; and the second half-cycle intended to step up the competitive performance efficiency to facilitate the top sport form being achieved on the right time. The final stage of the training process was designed to excel the technical and tactical mastery aspects by the fight speed-, pace- and rhythm-varying special practices.

As required by the process stage missions, the half-cycles were different both in the training tools and contents and the total training loads. The first-half-cycle load totalled 3,536 min versus the second half-cycle load of 3,334 min, with the half-cycle intensities estimated at 67% and 71%, respectively; and the general versus special practices rated at 51:49 and 47:53 by the half-cycles, respectively. The loads and intensities of the most laborious practices (on apparatuses and partner-assisted ones) were also higher in the second half-cycle. It should be also noted that a higher priority in the last half-cycle was given to the competitive training tools with a special emphasis on the actual competitive conditions being modelled as close as possible.

Conclusion. The training model reported herein was designed in line with the sport shape achievement logics and, as verified by its practical application experience, may be highly beneficial for the boxers’ precompetitive training process. The training model was practically tested in the academic boxers’ training process at Saint Petersburg Mining University. The model benefits were confirmed by the high competitive accomplishments of the University boxing team in the top-ranking events of 2016.

References

1. Mokeev G.I., Nikiforov Y.B. Modelnye kharakteristiki trenirovochnykh nagruzok i podgotovlennosti bokserov [Model characteristics of training loads and fitness in boxing]. Boks: ezhegodnik [Boxing: Yearbook], Moscow: Fizkultura i sport publ., 1983, pp. 17-19.
2. Mokeev G.I., Rudenko G.V., Kostromin O.V., Zaytsev A.V. Poisk zakonomernostey predsorevnovatelnoy podgotovki sportsmena [Search for Regularities of Pre-Season Training of Athlete]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2014, no. 6, pp. 69-72.
3. Mokeev G.I., Rudenko G.V., Mokeeva E.G., Panchenko I.A. Eksperimentalnye issledovaniya vzaimosvyazi trenirovochnykh vozdeystviy, sostoyaniya i sorevnovatelnoy deyatelnosti bokserov [Experimental studies of the relationship of training effects, conditions and competitive activity of boxers]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2015, no. 5, pp. 79-80.

Corresponding author: fizkult@teoriya.ru

Abstract       

Subject to the study was a half-year pre-season training macro-cycle of the elite boxer who won the Russian Boxing Championship. Each of the two tree-month training periods was broken down into three monthly training stages, with the staged training process design and contents being analysed and followed by the data arrays being summarized for the whole six-month cycle. The periodic design of an athletic training process may be viewed as natural for a sport fitness building process and, as verified by the authors’ practical experience, facilitating for the boxers’ precompetitive training process. The proposed training process design model was tested in the precompetitive training process of the Saint Petersburg Mining University boxing team. The training process model was proved successful as verified by the high competitive accomplishments of the subject boxers in the 2016 top-ranking events.