Improving Boxing Performance with VBT and GymAware FLEX

Introduction

In the previous article, we explored the concept of Boxing Performance and VBT, diving into the two key areas of dynamics: kinetics and kinematics. Kinetics focuses on the causes of movement, while kinematics studies the movement itself. Tools like the GymAware FLEX are essential for evaluating acceleration, power, trajectories, and speed, giving us valuable insights into the kinetic aspect of Boxing Performance and VBT. On the other hand, kinematics examines movement patterns, forms, and body segment interactions using techniques such as video analysis or motion capture. Together, these complementary approaches offer a comprehensive understanding of both the force generated and the underlying causes of movement in boxing performance.

Understanding the Science of Force Production

From a physical standpoint, force is the product of mass and acceleration (F = m * a). Therefore, there are two possibilities to increase/produce applied force: 1) increasing the mass (e.g., adding more weight to the barbell) or 2) increasing the acceleration of a movement (of the same barbell or our body while performing movements). In this case, the use of validated and reliable VBT technology like the GymAware FLEX is essential.

Increasing Applied Force

Acceleration is the point of contact between kinetics and kinematics. From a kinetic point of view, it is the ratio between force and mass (a = F/m), while in kinematics, acceleration is the ratio between velocity and time (a = v/t). Force production is important in all sports; however, metabolic stresses also come into play.

In the following graph, two athletes exhibit the same force production, but from a metabolic standpoint, their ability to repeat this force over time differs. The ability to continue applying force is impacted by the metabolic stress, which ties directly to how well neuromuscular and metabolic systems are linked. Not all sports have the same metabolic demands — for example, Olympic weightlifting might not place the same demands as boxing, where force production is crucial, but so is the ability to repeat this force over time.

The Mechanisms of Force

As concluded in the previous article, the athlete’s ability to produce increasingly higher force and speed depends on several factors that we can summarize as structural, nervous, and reflex factors.

Neuromuscular Recruitment

Henneman’s size principle is the law that determines recruitment. In short, it states that initially, with a light overload, slow motor units (type 1) are stimulated, which will be able to produce a not particularly high amount of force (lower part of graph 20 RM) because type 1 motor units, those responsible for endurance, are recruited. As the load, the resistance to overcome, increases, fast motor units also intervene, initially those with a lower possibility of producing force, and as the load progresses, there will be the intervention of a greater number of fast motor units with the possibility of producing ever greater force.

The interesting thing to highlight in this graph is that with a load around 5 RM, that load that allows lifting about 85% of the maximum load, all the available motor units at that moment are recruited.

How is it Possible to Lift 100% of the Maximum Load?

Because the nervous system is able to increase the train of impulses and recruit only the fast motor units at the maximum frequency. This is a fundamental aspect regarding training.

When we reason in terms of strength training, one of the many adaptations that can occur regarding muscle morphology is the possibility of adding sarcomeres in the muscle. In this 2007 Stone study, it is seen that with heavy loads, the 5 RM mentioned earlier, therefore loads close to the maximum, the adaptation that occurs at the sarcomere level concerns their parallel placement; this is one of the reasons why certain maximum strength works are also able to determine hypertrophy. On the contrary, training such as plyometrics, in which the contraction speed is very rapid and the applied force is high without moving a significant overload, in this case, the adaptation that occurs at the sarcomere level concerns their serial positioning, therefore without a hypertrophic morphological adaptation.

Boxing and vbt - how is it possible to lift 100% of the maximum load?

These just described are already two different directions regarding training.

To summarize, the INPUT has been described, i.e., the central nervous system that recruits motor units from a spatial (recruits all motor units) or temporal (recruits motor units at the same instant) point of view, intramuscular (within the muscle) and intermuscular (between the muscles responsible for movement) coordination.

The OUTPUT is the movement. The muscle, producing force, applies it to the ground, in most cases, through the GRF, which generates an acceleration of our body or an object. This acceleration determines an increase in speed and therefore a displacement.

There is a Cause-Effect that always starts from force.

The Significance of Using the Gymaware FLEX for Key Training Aspects

training on the recruitment of more motor units, on synchronization and on increasing the stimulus frequency, and then training intermuscular coordination and reflex aspects.

Velocity-based training is advantageous in encouraging an athlete to “lift at speed,” engaging fully and dynamically to achieve optimal results, especially in a sport like boxing, as the technical gesture requires the highest level of force in very short times. And this is where FLEX comes into play to monitor strength training in boxing in several ways:

“Measuring” force production
“Quantifying” the times of expression of that force
“Identifying” the optimal external load
“Encouraging” the athlete to always have maximum intention in moving the load
“Observing” the variations in force production between repetitions and between sets in order to individualize training

All this allows us to follow one of the cardinal principles of sports training, that of training specificity, which we will see in detail in the next article.

Bibliography

Bosco C, La forza muscolare. Aspetti fisiologici ed applicazioni pratiche, Società Stampa Sportiva1997

Henneman E, Somjen G, Carpenter D.O. Functional significance of cell size in spinal motoneurons. J. Neurophysiol. 1965

M. Stone, S. Plisk, D. Collins Training principles: evaluation of modes and methods of resistance training a coaching perspective Sport Biomech, 2002

Monahan M, Petrakos G,^,Physiological and Perceptual Responses to a Single Session of Resisted Sled Sprint Training at Light or Heavy Sled Loads, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2022