Stamina and Footwork - Long Rounds

Mobilisation (5 minutes)

• Neck rolls: 10 each direction
• Shoulder circles: 10 forward, 10 back
• Thoracic rotation: 10 each side
• Hip circles: 10 each direction
• Ankle circles: 10 each foot (footwork demands warm ankles)
• Calf raises: 15 reps
• Bodyweight squats: 10 reps

Warm-Up Drills (8 minutes)

Progressive footwork (4 mins)

30 seconds step-and-slide forward and back. 30 seconds step-and-slide lateral. 30 seconds pivoting on the lead foot (quarter turns). 30 seconds circling left. 30 seconds circling right. 30 seconds combining all directions with the coach calling changes.

Build the pace throughout. Start at walking speed, finish at working speed.

Shadow boxing at pace (4 mins)

1 x 4-minute round. Yes, 4 minutes. This is the first signal that today's rounds are longer than normal. Members should pace themselves. Throw combinations, move, reset, throw again. No stopping.

"Four minutes. Pace yourself. If you sprint the first minute, you will be standing still by minute three."

Main Session (38 minutes)

Cone Footwork Circuit - Continuous (10 mins)

Set up 3 cone patterns across the gym. Members rotate through all three with no rest between stations. 3 minutes per station, 30-second transition.

Station 1: Box drill
4 cones in a 2-metre square. Start at one corner. Step-and-slide forward to the next cone. Lateral slide to the next. Step-and-slide backward. Lateral slide to the start. Continuous. Do not stop. Keep the stance throughout. No crossing feet.

Station 2: Zigzag drill
6 cones in a zigzag line, 1.5 metres apart. Move through the zigzag in stance, changing direction at each cone. At every cone, throw a jab-cross before changing direction. Reach the end, turn around, come back.

Station 3: Circle drill
5 cones in a circle, 2 metres apart. Member stands in the centre. Step-and-slide to cone 1, touch it, return to centre. Step-and-slide to cone 2, touch, return. Continue around all 5 cones. Then reverse direction.

Coach calls "switch!" to rotate stations.

Long Round Shadow Boxing (10 mins)

2 x 5-minute rounds. 1 minute rest between rounds.

Five-minute rounds are punishing. The standard 3-minute round allows members to go hard knowing rest is coming. At 5 minutes, they must manage their energy.

Round 1 coaching cues by the minute:
- Minute 1: "Stay loose. Find your rhythm. Jab, move, jab, move."
- Minute 2: "Add combinations. 1-2-3. Footwork after every combination."
- Minute 3: "Halfway. How is your breathing? Settle into a pace you can sustain."
- Minute 4: "This is where it gets hard. Keep your hands up. Technique does not take a break."
- Minute 5: "Last minute. Push the pace. Empty the tank."

Round 2: same structure, but add defensive movement between combinations. Throw, slip, move. Throw, bob and weave, move. The defensive movement uses the legs even more.

Heavy Bag - Non-Stop Rounds (12 mins)

3 x 4-minute rounds. 30 seconds rest.

The only rule: do not stop punching. The output can be low. The speed can be slow. But the hands must keep working for the entire 4 minutes. No standing and staring at the bag. No hands-on-hips rest.

• Round 1: any combinations. Manage the pace. Some members will try to go 100% and die at minute 2. Let them learn the hard way, then coach: "You went too hard early. Round 2, start at 60% and build."
• Round 2: footwork emphasis. Circle the bag continuously while punching. No planting in one spot. Move left for 30 seconds, move right for 30 seconds, move in and out.
• Round 3: volume round. Maximum number of punches in 4 minutes. This does not mean maximum power. Light, fast, continuous output. Count punches if possible.

Watch for: dropping hands between combinations. When members are tired, the guard disappears. "Hands up. Even when you are exhausted, the guard stays."

Footwork Under Sustained Pressure (6 mins)

Pairs. No punches. One partner applies pressure by walking forward in stance. The other must maintain distance using footwork only. No running. Step-and-slide, pivot, angle change.

3-minute rounds, swap. The member applying pressure should be relentless. Slow, steady, forward. The member defending must move constantly to keep distance.

"This is what it feels like in the later rounds of a fight. Your legs are heavy and someone is walking you down. The footwork you practised today is what keeps you in the fight."

Conditioning Finish (6 minutes)

• 1-minute non-stop fast jabs on the bag (pace yourself across the full minute)
• 30 seconds rest
• 1-minute non-stop combinations on the bag
• 30 seconds rest
• 30-second plank
• 20 squat jumps
• 20 sit-ups

Cool Down and Reflection (3 minutes)

Calf stretch: 15 seconds each. Quad stretch: 15 seconds each. Hip flexor stretch: 15 seconds each. Hamstring stretch: 15 seconds. Ankle circles: 10 each foot.

"Today was hard because the rounds were longer. In sparring and in competition, the later rounds are where fights are won and lost. The member who can still move and punch in round 3 while the other is flat-footed wins. This session builds that ability."

Preview: pair this with a technical session next time. Stamina without technique is just running. Technique without stamina is useless in the late rounds.

Coaching Notes

• This session suits large classes because it requires minimal equipment. Bag work can rotate with shadow boxing if bag numbers are limited.
• Expect members to hit a wall around minute 3-4 of the long rounds. That is the point. The training benefit is in pushing through that wall while maintaining technique.
• Members with fitness concerns should be told upfront that they can reduce intensity but should try to keep moving. Walking in stance is better than stopping.
• The cone circuits should be set up before the session starts. Do not waste session time arranging cones.
• This is a good session to run every 4-6 weeks as a fitness benchmark. Note which members can sustain output for the full long rounds and which members break down. Use this to inform individual training recommendations.
• Hydration matters more than usual in this session. Allow brief water breaks between the main blocks if needed, but keep them to 30 seconds.
• Do not run this session the week before a competition. It is a training session, not a tapering session. Members need recovery time after this level of output.