The science-driven training methods behind Oleksandr Usyk's training

Independent

a day ago

As a fitness writer, certain sporting figures fascinate me; the sheer athleticism of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton; the iron mindset of serial CrossFit champ Mat Fraser. Recently, I added Oleksandr Usyk to that list.
He is lighter than your average heavyweight contender, coming in 10kg shy of Anthony Joshua and 25kg short of Tyson Fury in their most recent bouts. Yet he emerged victorious both times.
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He is also wily in the ring, growing into fights and felling more powerful opponents by subsidising any deficits in brawn with speed and brainpower. Put to this his propensity for dancing, and you have a captivating character.
Now, having seen a snapshot of his training methods, it is clear his strength and conditioning sessions are far from conventional as well. These are the techniques and protocols he is using to prepare for Daniel Dubois on 19 July.
Focus on rate of force production
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In December last year, Usyk's strength and conditioning coach Jakub Chycki, an associate professor at The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, shared a training montage of the fighter's work in the gym. For any fitness fan, it is an intriguing watch.
The first thing I noticed was that Usyk rarely moves slowly. Instead, he can repeatedly be seen executing an explosive concentric phase (the lifting portion) of compound exercises such as the trap bar deadlift, bench press, landmine punch and leaning single-leg landmine squat. During the trap bar deadlift, he even uses a tool to monitor the velocity of his lifts.
This makes sense; how often do you see a boxer throw a slow punch? Having impressive maximal strength levels is all well and good, but if you are unable to translate that to power (force times velocity) then it rarely has much application in a sporting context.
Non-conventional training tools
Strength and conditioning sessions are usually dominated by barbells and dumbbells. Chycki's prescriptions for Usyk are not limited by these options.
During the video, Usyk frequently performs exercises with kettlebells and gymnastic rings. The positioning of the kettlebell's handle away from the weight's centre of gravity allows for more dynamic exercises like the American kettlebell swing and split stance snatch. The kneeling bottom-up kettlebell press can also develop impressive stability around the shoulder joint, which is key in boxing to reduce injury risk.
Using the gymnastic rings can develop greater proprioception (awareness of the position and movement of the body) and allow your joints to follow a more natural path, again lowering injury risk.
Both tools also allow you to move in a range of different ways.
Exploring all planes of motion
There are three planes of motion the body can move in. As a rough guide, these are the sagittal plane (up, down, forward and backward motions), frontal plane (bending and side to side movements) and transverse plane (twisting).
While most strength training exercises are sagittal-dominant, most sports are not. Boxing requires an immense amount of rotational ability and torque to create a powerful punch, while landing rates would likely be far higher if opponents were unable to duck and weave to avoid shots.
As such, Usyk's training involves a heavy dose of all three planes of motion. There is a single-arm ring row to reach, single-arm kettlebell press variation and landmine rainbow to meet transverse plane requirements, while kettlebell lateral lunges, Copenhagen planks and shoulder-centric resistance band exercises see him operate in the frontal plane.
He also employs all three ranges of motion in his stretching, mobility and movement work. The body adheres to the SAID (specific adaptations to imposed demands) principle, so if you want to maintain strength and mobility around your joints, the best way to achieve this is to use it regularly by moving in a variety of ways.
This sends a strong message to the body that you need to use these positions, so it preserves the ability to access them.
Plyometrics
This is linked to the rate of force production. Chycki has Usyk perform multiple plyometric exercises, which can be defined as movements that involve the rapid stretching then shortening of a muscle. The emphasis is on moving quickly to develop power, but you will also develop more robust bones, tendons and ligaments by doing so.
For example, Usyk performs band-assisted plyometric press-ups and medicine ball catches into rainbow slams.
Deep tier plyometrics and landings
Another exercise that caught my eye saw Usyk assume the bottom position of a Bulgarian split squat, with his front foot planted and rear foot elevated, then perform multidirectional oscillations on his front foot.
I cannot say for sure what he is up to here, but it reminds me of a technique I recently discussed with movement mechanics expert and The Training Stimulus founder Ash Grossmann: deep tier plyometrics.
This method places the athlete in the bottom position of an exercise, where the agonist (primary working) muscle is lengthened, then tasks them with pulsing in and out of that end range.
'You're accessing long muscle lengths, then creating force and getting yourself out of them,' Grossmann told me during our interview.
He explained: 'You're developing huge amounts of control and coordination in your body, alongside the long muscle lengths. Then you can build them up to bigger and bigger jumps, so you're generating more force both through the ground and the force generated from your body.'
The result is improved mobility, proprioception and springiness in the working muscles. It can also build the body's confidence in accessing this deeper range of motion and improve an athlete's ability to generate power through the ground, which is pivotal in boxing.
Usyk also uses deep tier landings through a safety bar lunge and lateral lunge. Here, he allows himself to quickly fall into the bottom position of the exercise, then practices safely catching himself then quickly generating enough force to exit this position.
Badminton, speed, agility and quickness training
Athletic training tends to operate on a spectrum between general physical preparedness (GPP) and specificity.
Coaches first need to develop the general physical attributes they want from an athlete – a certain level of strength, speed, power, VO2 max, agility and mobility. This can be seen during Usyk's strength work, and conditioning snippets on a fan bike.
Then, when these foundations are laid and maintained, training can taper to more sport-specific protocols that use those attributes to achieve a desired outcome.
Think of it like a sculptor at work. GPP involves tearing off an appropriately sized chunk of clay; specificity involves moulding it into the exact shape you want.
In Chycki's video, there are many examples of Usyk using sport-specific training, from shadow boxing to speed and reaction tests. There is also a clip of him playing what looks like badminton, developing the speed and quickness he needs to react to unpredictable stimuli in a sporting setting.
Targeted hip flexor training
The hip flexor muscles are those responsible for bringing your knee toward your chest; think walking, running, cycling and various scenarios in most other sports. However, unlike other joint actions, it is hard to load this movement pattern and strengthen the muscles involved.
Many people use a short resistance band to achieve this, lopping it around their feet and lifting their knees in turn. But the elastic nature of the band means the resistance profile changes depending on how far it is stretched, and it is hard to progressively overload the working muscles with this approach.
Instead, Chycki has Usyk stand on an elevated surface with his left foot, hook a kettlebell around his right foot, then raise his right knee. By doing this, it is easier to progress the sets, reps and weights he uses over time, strengthening the hip flexor muscles.
By developing this injury-prone area, you reduce your risk of a spell on the sidelines. These muscles can also help stabilise the pelvis and aid Usyk's mobility around the ring, giving him the tools he needs for explosive forward movements.
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