Athletes in combat sports, like boxing, need to maintain a strict diet plan and workout routine to achieve their fitness goals and perform at their best. This is especially important for professional athletes who aspire to become champions and legends in their sport.
Saul Alvarez, also known as Canelo, is a great example of this. He is the first and only boxer to hold all the Super Middleweight titles, including the WBA Super title, WBC and Ring Magazine titles, as well as the IBF and WBO titles.
It's an impressive feat that highlights the hard work and dedication required to excel in combat sports. Today, we will take an in-depth look into Canelo's training regimen and diet plan.
Let's get started!
As someone who has been coaching for 25 years, I've noticed that Alvarez takes his training with the heavy bag very seriously. This is where he improves his skills and techniques without any distractions.
Canelo practices with great precision, focus, and passion, combining art and strength. What I find most impressive about his training style is how he uses his footwork and adjusts his tempo effortlessly. He knows it's not always about throwing powerful punches but strategically using them.
Watching his training, I see him experimenting with different combinations. He's not just a power puncher but also a versatile and skilled boxer who can use his strengths to his advantage.
Watching Canelo practice shadowboxing is truly impressive. As a coach, I can see how effortlessly he moves between punches and delivers them with incredible precision.
Alvarez also multitasks while shadowboxing, such as moving his feet, head, or throwing punches simultaneously. This is a great technique to use during your workout routine, including while sparring.
For example, you can move your feet while throwing punches or move your head after delivering punches. Canelo serves as an excellent example to follow if you want to improve your skills.
Alvarez regularly practices sparring to improve his boxing skills. During these training sessions, he works on throwing powerful punches and combinations while also focusing on his defense by sparring with other boxers.
However, finding good sparring partners has been difficult for his team, as Alvarez's punches are so strong that many partners have to wear special protective gear to avoid getting hurt.
Have you ever wished to get fit like professional boxers such as Canelo Alvarez but felt overwhelmed by the thought of working out every day?
As a professional coach, I'm here to tell you that you can still achieve outstanding results by following a workout regimen that requires only 3-5 sessions per week. By consistently sticking to this routine, you can improve your overall fitness level, build strength, and boost your endurance.
Whether you're a beginner boxer or experienced, this workout plan can help you achieve your fitness goals without overworking yourself.
Many boxers use a special exercise to improve their stability and core strength. They use equipment like rings, bosu, and gymnastic balls to challenge their bodies to stay balanced. One way to do this is to hold a plank position while balancing on one of these unstable surfaces.
This helps the boxer's body learn to use smaller muscles to stay stable and strong. Plus, the exercise helps activate more muscles than a regular plank because the surface is unstable. This can help boxers throw better punches and stay strong in the ring.
Pull-ups with a wide grip are a fantastic exercise for anyone who wants to improve their upper body strength. They work your biceps, forearms, and back muscles really well and can even help you get stronger abs. Alvarez does all sorts of pull-ups, like narrow and wide ones, and even uses gymnastic rings.
Medicine ball throws are an excellent way to help you build explosive strength in your hips, abs, and obliques. They involve a twisting motion that can help boxers throw more powerful punches.
You see, most of the power in a punch comes from twisting your body, not just from using your arms. So, this exercise can really help boxers improve their punching speed and strength!
Canelo Alvarez uses various types of push-ups to stay fit and strong. One of the push-up techniques he has used is called ring push-ups. These push-ups are similar to regular push-ups but use gymnastic rings that allow the hands and arms to move freely.
The rings make the exercise more challenging by adding an unstable element, which helps work the abs and stabilizer muscles in addition to the arms and chest.
Here's a more comfortable way to work on your abs than the regular hanging leg raise. This exercise is also popular among boxers like Canelo Alvarez. The leg raise targets your abs and hip flexors, which are essential for generating strength and power in your punches.
As a professional coach, I know that becoming a top-level athlete like Alvarez takes more than just natural talent - it requires lots of hard work, dedication, and a strong desire to improve.
One of the most important parts of an athlete's training is their diet. Athletes like Alvarez must be cautious about what they eat and how much they weigh, especially if they need to change weight classes.
This can be a difficult and demanding part of their training, as they must follow a strict diet to stay in top shape and perform at their best. They need to ensure they eat the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
They also have to keep a close eye on their weight to ensure they don't gain or lose too much, which could affect how well they compete. In short, a healthy and balanced diet is a key part of an athlete's training.
Alvarez starts his day with a healthy breakfast. He likes to eat egg whites fried in olive oil, which are tasty and good for him. He also drinks a refreshing glass of fruit juice and eats a slice of ham to add savory flavor to his meal. This breakfast is both nutritious and delicious and gives him a great start to his day.
Canelo usually opts for a healthy and delicious lunch. His favorite choice is a serving of tasty and juicy grilled or smoked chicken. He complements it with a mix of lightly steamed carrots and broccoli, which offer a range of essential nutrients.
Alvarez loves snacking on healthy food that satisfies his cravings and keeps him fit. He prefers fruits such as apples and grapes and veggies like jicama and carrots. By adding these nutritious options to his diet, Alvarez can maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Knowing that Canelo likes to end his day with a protein shake is fascinating. Although this dinner may not constitute a full meal, it has helped "Canelo" achieve an impressive level of fitness. Despite what others may say, Alvarez firmly believes that this uncomplicated routine is sufficient to fuel his workouts.
When Canelo decides to loosen up and have a cheat day, he treats himself to his favorite foods - sushi and tacos. However, even on his cheat day, he eats enough calories and protein to help him stay fit and strong.
Canelo's dedication to a balanced diet and rigorous exercise regimen shows his unwavering commitment to his profession.
If you're interested in learning about Canelo's training routine, let me tell you that he undergoes some tough training to stay in shape. He trains six days a week to prepare for the boxing matches and only takes Sundays off.
He has two training sessions daily, focusing on building his strength, endurance, and techniques. Canelo usually starts his day with a morning run at 6 am. After that, he eats a nutritious breakfast and a small rest before beginning his afternoon training session.
His training includes various exercises that target his:
He lifts weights, does cardio, and spars with his trainers to improve his agility, speed, and footwork. His training routine is well-rounded and keeps him in optimal fitness and conditioning, essential for his success as a professional boxer.
Canelo is one of the best boxers in the world, and he trains very hard to maintain his skills. He follows a special routine three days a week, including exercises to improve his technique and strategy.
For example, he often jumps rope to help him move quickly and smoothly in the ring. He also does shadow boxing, like practicing without gloves or hitting anything, so he can focus on improving his form.
One of his most essential exercises is hitting a heavy bag, which helps him practice throwing punches at full strength. Lastly, he studies his opponents to identify their strengths and weaknesses and devise a plan to beat them.
All these different exercises help him stay strong and thrive in the ring.
On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, Canelo Alvarez sets aside time for his sparring sessions. During these training sessions, Canelo focuses solely on fight training with his coach and trainer.
He visualizes himself in the ring, mentally preparing for the upcoming fight day. When asked about his sparring sessions, Canelo said, "They are the most challenging but also the most fascinating part of his training routine."
This grueling training regimen requires him to push himself to his limits to be at his best for the big day.
If you need some inspiration to get started on your fitness journey, look at Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, a professional boxer with a simple yet effective approach to diet and exercise.
By following a structured diet plan and committing to a regular workout routine like his, you can achieve the same level of success as Alvarez.
At Elite Striking Gear, we are passionate about motivating people who want to become athletes and fighters to keep moving forward, keep improving, and keep growing.
We share stories of successful athletes like Alvarez to inspire and guide you on your own path to greatness in the world of boxing.
Even though Canelo looks really muscular, he doesn't actually spend a lot of time lifting heavy weights or doing strength training exercises. Instead, he mostly focuses on using light weights for quick movements and doing exercises that use his own body weight.
Have you ever wondered how Canelo Alvarez stays in such great shape? Well, it turns out that when he's not in the boxing ring, he likes to train with gymnastic rings. These rings help him do all kinds of exercises, including push-ups and pull-ups. So, if you want to stay fit like Canelo, maybe you should give gymnastic rings a try!
Canelo is a professional boxer who trains hard to prepare for his fights. He spends six days a week training and only takes a rest on Sundays. He works out two times each day. In the morning, he runs at 6 am, and after eating breakfast, he takes a short nap before his afternoon training session.
Check out our comprehensive training guides on these other world champion boxers.
Brenton is an Australian with 20 years of experience working with professional athletes. These athletes have combined to win more than 15 international events. He holds a Degree in Sports Coaching and was the former Head Advisor to the Japanese Government Sports Institute. Brenton was also the former Manager & Head Coach to Australia’s Governing Sporting Body and has been a Dunlop International Advisory Board member since 2010. His expertise is in Biomechanics, Goal Setting, Leadership, Motivation, Technical Analysis, and Program Design and Delivery. Brenton currently consults with several professional athletes and sporting organizations.
