Page 212 - Fighting Fit: Boxing, Workouts, Techniques, and Sparring

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Cardiovascular

training

Although in boxing it’s commonly referred to as road-
work, cardiovascular training can take many forms.
Whether working on a Stairmaster, recumbent bike or
actually taking it to the road, the key is to make sure
you’re in your cardiovascular target zone.

Each person has a cardiovascular target zone within
which physical activity must be maintained in order to
build cardiovascular fitness.To reach this zone you
must maintain 60–80% of your maximal heart rate for
at least 20–30 minutes per workout.

A simple way to determine your target zone is to sub-
tract your age from 220 and multiply the difference by
.60 and .80.The lower number gives you a target for an
easy day.The higher number is your target for a hard
training day.

To determine heart rate at any given time, take your
pulse for ten seconds and multiply that count by six.

One breath, one sentence method
A rough but effective way to reach your target zone is
to exercise until you cannot speak a complete sentence
without taking a breath. If you can recite the sentence
without doing so you are not there yet. If you cannot
say the sentence without stopping twice for air, you are

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