Roadwork for Fighters: A How To ArticleBy: Kedric UmaaIt is known that if you fght you run! "o most fghters #ut on their $ogging shoes and #um# out a few miles e%ery morning! Howe%er why are you su##osed to run& How do you know $ogging a few miles is the right way to do it& Is there a 'etter way to do it& I(m here to answer these )uestions! I am a retired Thai Bo*er and a trainer certifed with the +ational Academy of "#orts ,edicine and I am here to shed some light on why we do roadwork and how to get the most out of it!I will start 'y e*#laining why we do roadwork! The answer is o'%ious to most #eo#le- cardio! .ogging hel#s you im#ro%e the cardio and stamina needed in a fght! I am here to say that you are right and you are wrong!In order for you to understand this you frst need to understand that we ha%e three di/erent energy systems that we use in di/erent situations! The frst two AT0120 and the 3actic Acid "ystem are used for %ery fast 'outs of acti%ity like lifting a hea%y weight or s#rinting as fast as you can! The second system the 4*idati%e "ystem is used for low intensity acti%ity like $ogging walking ty#ing cooking etc!The frst two systems are called Anaero'ic and you only ha%e enough fuel to last anywhere from 56 seconds u# to 5 minutes for highly trained indi%iduals! The third system is called Aero'ic and can last indefnitely! 7hen you fght you are using 'oth systems! 8ou go 'ack and forth as you 'attle 'etween high intensity 'outs of acti%ity like when you are throwing com'inations and low intensity acti%ity like when you are circling your o##onent! 7hen you go $ogging you are only training your Aero'ic stamina!+ow if we take this a little further you will see that in a fght you are not really doing any Aero'ic acti%ity at all! 8ou are doing A+aero'ic acti%ity reco%ering and doing more A+aero'ic acti%ity! "o $ogging a few miles in the morning actually does not directly a/ect your staminain a fght at all! 7hat $ogging does is make your 'ody more e9cient at reco%ering from acti%ity! Howe%er again it only does so indirectly 'ecause all $ogging is doing is increasing the strength of your heart and lungs and remo%ing waste #roducts through your circulatory system from your last training session!7ith that understanding $ogging is good to do 'ut not the only thing to do! 8our roadwork should resem'le the A+aero'ic:reco%ery:A+aero'ic demands to more closely resem'le whatyour 'ody is going to do in a fght! How do you do that& "#rints 'odyweight or weight e*ercises and $ogging all mi*ed together! A note here 'y weight I don(t mean a leg e*tension or 'ice# curl machine! I mean hea%y things like tractor tires kettle'ells clu''ells sand'ags sleds a hea%yweight fghter and other things that make you use e%eryounce in your 'ody to mo%e it!The closer you get to a fght the more your roadwork should resem'le the A+aero'ic:reco%er:A+aero'ic #rogram and the further are you are from a fght the more $ogging you should do!The reasoning is %ery sim#le $ogging gets your 'ody ready to do the intense stu/ and the intense stu/ gets you ready for the fght!To more concisely illustrate what I am talking a'out 'elow is a sam#le roadwork #rogram for one month 'efore your fght! +ote if your fght isgoing to last ;< minutes => rounds of 5 minutes with ; minute rest 'etween rounds? you should ha%e gotten yourself u# to $ogging at leasttwice that amount of time f%e days a week 'y now! 8ou will 'e doing f%e days a week of roadwork with two days of rest in this sam#le #rogram! 0erform all e*ercises and s#rints A" FA"T A" 04""IB3@AWeek 1Monday7arm1u# with a ;61minute $og0erform ;6 s)uats s#rint ;66 meters #erform ;6 #ushu#s and s#rint ;66 meters 'ack rest ;1minute! 0erform this routine for a total of B6 sets!2ool1down with a B61minute $ogTuesday.og for twice the time of your fght!WednesdayRestThursday.og for twice the time of your fght!Friday7arm-u# with a ;61minute $og0erform ;6 s)uats s#rint ;66 meters #erform ;6 #ushu#s s#rint ;66 meters 'ack #erform ;6 'ur#ees =a!k!a u#1downs? s#rint ;66 meters rest ;1minute! 0erform for ;> sets!2ool1down with a ;>1minute $og"aturday.og for twice the time of your fght!"undayRestWeek 2Monday7arm1u# with a ;61minute $og0erform ;6 s)uats s#rint ;66 meters #erform ;6 #ushu#s s#rint ;66 meters 'ack #erform ;6 'ur#ees =a!k!a u#1downs? s#rint ;66 meters #erform ;6 #ull1u#s s#rint ;66 meters 'ack rest ;1minute! 0erform for;6 sets!2ool1down with a ;61minute $ogTuesday.og for twice the time of your fght!WednesdayRestThursday7arm1u# with a ;61minute $og0erform ;6 s)uats s#rint ;66 meters #erform ;6 #ushu#s s#rint ;66 meters 'ack #erform ;6 'ur#ees =a!k!a u#1downs? s#rint ;66 meters #erform ;6 #ull1u#s s#rint ;66 meters 'ack rest 561seconds! 0erform for ;6 sets!2ool1down with a ;61minute $ogFriday.og for twice the time of your fght!Saturday7arm1u# with a ;61minute $og0erform ;6 s)uats s#rint B66 meters #erform ;6 #ushu#s s#rint B66 meters 'ack rest 561seconds! 0erform for B6 sets!2ool1down with a B61minute $og"undayRestWeek 3Monday7arm1u# with a ;61minute $og0erform B6 s)uats s#rint B66 meters #erform B6 #ushu#s s#rint B66 meters 'ack rest 561seconds! 0erform for ;> sets!2ool1down with a B61minute $ogTuesday7arm1u# with a ;61minute $og"#rint a half mile in under 5 minutes rest ;1minute! Co one s#rint for e%ery round of your fght!2ool1down with a 561minute $ogWednesdayRestThursday7arm1u# with a ;61minute $ogRun one mile A" FA"T A" 04""IB3@A2ool down with a B61minute $ogFriday.og for twice the time of your fght!Saturday7arm1u# with a ;61minute $og0erform B6 s)uats s#rint B66 meters #erform B6 #ushu#s s#rint B66 meters 'ack #erform B6 'ur#ees =a!k!a u#1downs? s#rint B66 meters #erform B6 #ull1u#s s#rint B66 meters 'ack rest 561seconds! 0erform for ;6 sets!2ool1down with a B61minute $og"undayRestWeek 4Monday7arm1u# with a ;61minute $og"#rint a half mile in under 5 minutes rest ;1minute! Co one s#rint for e%ery round of your fght!2ool1down with a 561minute $ogTuesday7arm1u# with a ;61minute $og0erform ;6 s)uats and ;6 #ushu#s s#rint a half mile in under 5 minutes rest ;1minute! Re#eat for e%ery round of your fght #lus one!2ool1down with a B61minute $ogWednesdayRestThursday7arm1u# with a ;61minute $og0erform ;6 s)uats ;6 #ushu#s ;6 'ur#ees =a!k!a u#1downs? s#rint a half mile in under 5 minutes rest ;1minute! Re#eat for e%ery round of your fght #lus two!2ool1down with a ;61minute $ogFriday.og for twice the time of your fght!"aturdayFightA