Last night, Bernard Hopkins gave a proud performance in his light heavyweight fight with the Russian. Clearly, Kovalev was the better fighter and deserved to be champion. The real issue here is Hopkins ability to compete at such an advanced fighting age. Fifty years of age is not young when youre talking competitive athletes. I would venture to guess that there are many coaches in their forties or late thirties in the fight game. The constant movement and pounding exuded during a boxing match takes supreme conditioning. Remember, Hopkins has been in more boxing wars than anyone I know. His performance begs the question, how does someone stay that fit and viable at suck an advanced age? There have been a few instances of wrestlers competing in their late thirties and forties. Usually, the knees, hips, and back dictate the end of your career. During my last nationals at thirty eight, I could not get out of bed the next morning. Literally, I was immobile until I received assistance from family and friends. This is no way to go through life and at that moment I knew I could not compete at the highest levels anymore. Now a full time coach, I look back at my decision to wrestle as a mistake. When you cant recover properly then its time to hang of the shoes. There is no shame is this fact. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to do what I love for such a long time. Now, you must look at a different path. As I look back at my career, I realize that I spent minimal time utilizing recovery. The general rule is recovery exercise must help you get back to a comfortable state. Many athletes will train hard and when they are done training simply shower and go home. Recovery should consist of less intense movements that are related to your workout. If you just ran four miles in sprints then you need to wind down with a two mile cool-down run/jog and form/stretching movements that bring you back to the state you were in before training. If you have just completed a tough, heavy weight workout then you need to mimic those movements with lighter weight and employ movements that will help you elongate those muscles that have been shortened. Most people lift weights and walk away after the last set. Big mistake. Ive found in my advanced years that I need Pilates and Yoga movements more than I need strength and intense workouts. Yes, Im still pushing weight and doing my mat workouts but they are always coupled with a detailed cool-down that helps me walk away with reduced soreness and pain. In the end, your ability to move should never be compromised by your yearning for new personal bests in training. Longevity and fluid movement is the goal of every athlete. Who cares if you had a great career in your younger days but are crippled and unable to move in your latter years. You can still drill techniques, employ light sparring, and engage in intense conditioning workouts provided you plan for after the workout and beyond. Tomorrows workout: EMOM in twenty minutes odd minutes- 5 reps heavy back squats even minutes- 10 weighted pull-ups technique: EMOM in twenty minutes odd minutes- 10 sprawl/re-shots even minutes-20 pop-ups
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 12:40:27 +0000