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The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
How Daniel Dubois and his team are training the first professional fighter to beat Oleksandr Usyk
Daniel Dubois is a formidably powerful athlete. When his training camp is opened up to press for a few hours, coaches tell him to wind back to '40-45 per cent' for some padwork, but ringside you can still feel your hair vibrate as each punch connects. This power is one of the major advantages he holds over his upcoming opponent – the undefeated Oleksandr Usyk. On 19 July, the pair will meet for the second time, with the title of undisputed heavyweight champion of the world on the line. When they clashed in 2023, Dubois dropped the Ukrainian with what was judged to be a low blow in the fifth round. The latter took a few minutes to recover, then characteristically grew into the fight to claim victory via a ninth-round stoppage. This time, Dubois and his expanded team are certain things will be different, and they are laser-focussed on the task at hand. Asked about other heavyweights who could present a future challenge, Dubois refuses to be drawn, telling me: 'Many of them, but right now I'm just going to stay in my own lane and focus on the guy in front of me: Usyk. I've got to get him out of the way. It's the mountaintop from there.' At the time of our interview, the 27-year-old is eight weeks into a 14-week training camp. His team is understandably keeping many cards close to their chest with the fight just weeks away – 'When we have press here, we tend not to show everything, because remember the same personnel are still going to go to Usyk's camp, and they gossip,' his trainer Don Charles says with a wry smile. But they are willing to share a bird's eye view of the training techniques they are implementing to create a world champion in waiting. Daniel Dubois: Strength training You might expect someone with Dubois' physique to spend much of their time hoisting heavy weights around. This is not the case, although strength training still plays an important part in his training regime. The first phase of the training camp is used to 'load him up' with heavy compound exercises like squats and clean and jerks, three or four times per week, Charles says. This is not Dubois' favourite part of training – asked to name any exercises he is particularly partial to, he laughs and says it would be a struggle. Although, he is a fan of calisthenics moves, especially those involving the gymnastic rings. 'I like training where you can actually put some creativity and imagination into it,' he tells me. After four weeks of the training camp, strength training sessions shift to focus on developing power using explosive exercises – 'He's already built the body,' Charles adds. He tends to do two per week, never lasting more than 45 minutes. Daniel Dubois: Running From speaking to Dubois' team, running seems to play a significant role in his training regime – both for developing his capacity across all energy systems, and improving his ability to recover from intense efforts. Dubois has just signed a deal with US-based Brooks Running, and dons the brand's Ghost 17 shoe most mornings for a 'compulsory' 5-8km run around his home. Three evenings per week, he also completes sprint sessions at a track with his strength and conditioning coach. 'Then, on Saturdays, he does the mother of all sprints – the hill sprint in Greenwich Park,' Charles says. 'We're talking about a gradient of 25 degrees, then at the top it's about a 45-degree hill. It has a bend to it, it's approximately 120m from bottom to top, and he does it inside 20 seconds.' Dubois will walk back down the hill in about 1min 15sec for his recovery, then hit it again until he has completed 20 rounds. Fortunately, Sunday is his one day off. 'Running is massive for me, just for getting that extra speed' he says at the Brooks Running media day. 'I'm glad we've got the right trainers to help me run faster; it means I fight better. I like to punch and having that speed means I can land it quicker. You also need that athleticism, and the speed to jump around the ring.' Daniel Dubois: Boxing training Boxing dominates Dubois' training time; he is at the gym five times per week, three hours per day. 'Obviously you need all the other parts to help it work at its best,' Charles says. 'But when you undress it all, what you have left standing there is the boxing. His training is all centred around boxing and boxing technique.' He usually does 20 rounds, with three minutes of work followed by 45 seconds of recovery, rather than the full minute he will be privy to on fight night. 'In training, we do 45 seconds recovery so when it comes to the fight, he's ready to go – it's programming the body and the mind,' Charles explains. Daniel Dubois: Diet Dubois' team for the Usyk fight includes a nutritionist who ensures the athlete is fuelling himself for optimal performance. He also has help from his family on this front. 'My dad cooks brilliant food for us,' Dubois says. 'It's good, natural wholefood – the food that gives you power and strength.' Daniel Dubois: Recovery A big change Dubois has made for his latest clash is to expand his team. It now includes a nutritionist, physio Tom Kopelman and Dr Ravi Gill, who is present at training sessions. 'Our main remit is illness and injury prevention, recovery optimisation, and giving Don Charles the best possible version of Daniel Dubois every day,' says Dr Gill. Kopelman is responsible for the injury prevention side of things, prescribing prehab and strengthening exercises to keep Dubois moving smoothly. During training, Dr Gill monitors metrics such as heart rate variability and pulse via a chest-worn strap. After Dubois' last-minute withdrawal against Joseph Parker earlier this year, no chances are being taken regarding illness. Dr Gill also keeps tabs on the fighter's vitals, and says it is 'impressive' how quickly Dubois recovers during training – 'He can go 18 rounds, no problem,' he adds. Several members of this extended team, including Kopelman and Gill, have been sourced from Premier league side Tottenham Hotspur. 'They work with a multi-million, if not billion, pound industry in the football industry,' says Charles. 'If they've been trusted with those players, they're worth a lot of money, so that's good enough for us.' He adds: 'We have a nutritionist, we have a physio and we have a doctor, so they take care of that side of things; helping him maximise his recovery and giving him advice based on their experience.' The work does not end there, says Charles. He adds: 'They've been advising Daniel on how to get the best out of himself, and they talk to us as well. We share information on where we can improve things – I've learned a lot from them, and they learn from us.' Post-training ice baths and even an oxygen chamber have also been employed to aid recovery, but sleep remains the primary focus. 'Sleep is massive for me,' Dubois says. 'I'm knackered now,' he adds with a grin. I am the last reporter of the day. It feels like a good point to stop. Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. 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The Independent
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
The secret training tool behind Usyk and Dubois' knockout power – and why boxers are taking note
Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois will share the ring for the second time this summer. But they appear to have little else in common as fighters. Dubois' imposing physique is backed up by an aggressive style and knockout power, while Usyk's footwork, speed and versatility are among the attributes that have seen him rise to the top of the sport. However, inspecting the pair's strength and conditioning regimes, there is an unorthodox training tool employed by both camps: gymnastic rings. The video below shows Dubois performing an exercise called the 'skin the cat', hanging from the rings then athletically levering his legs up and over his torso. This is particularly impressive given his imposing 250lb frame. Usyk, in a series of intense training clips shared by athletic performance coach Jakub Chycki, completes ring rows and single-arm rows with a reach. But why do the fighters choose to use gymnastic rings alongside, and at times in place of, more traditional strength training tools like dumbbells and barbells? Improved shoulder health, stability and resilience to injury If you've ever trained on gymnastic rings, you'll know it's a very different proposition to standard calisthenics work. Even biomechanically similar exercises, such as press-ups and ring press-ups, feel vastly different thanks to the instability that comes courtesy of the rings' long straps. With most exercises performed with the hands gripping the rings, and many starting in a dead hang position, the shoulder joint in particular is put to the test. This is a positive thing for boxers, strengthening an otherwise-vulnerable joint so it can survive the rigours of the sport. 'The instability of gymnastic rings will require the boxer to create co-contractions and joint centration [ ideal alignment ],' Matchroom Boxing's head of performance Dan Lawrence tells me. He adds: 'The small intrinsic stabilising muscles around the shoulder, such as those in the rotator cuff, will be brought into play, adding stability and protection to the joint. This is important for when a boxer throws power shots with high forces and at high speeds.' Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime. See Schedule ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. By performing the skin the cat exercise, Dubois demonstrates strength, stability and control while taking the shoulder joint through a wide range of motion. The same can be said for Usyk and the single-arm row with reach, which you can see in the video below. Increased core involvement View this post on Instagram A post shared by CHYCKI (@chycki_the_brains_behind) This second point is again linked to the instability offered by gymnastic rings: the consequent recruitment of midline muscles allows you to maintain optimal positions during each exercise. This is particularly true during unilateral (or one-sided) work like Usyk's single-arm row with reach, seen in the video above. 'We know that, to increase punching power, we need to be able to transfer forces from foot through to fist,' says Lawrence. 'The role of the core is to be used as a transfer centre when transferring these forces. He goes on: 'By isometrically working the core [ contracting without changing the length of the active muscles ] while using gymnastic rings, we improve midline control, stability and core strength to give the boxer the best chance of transferring these forces and producing a knockout punch.' Allowing for natural movement When using a gym machine, you are forced to follow a fixed movement pattern. When using a barbell, your movement is still limited by your fixed grip on the bar. 'For some, this may not align completely with their anthropometry,' Lawrence says. 'Daniel Dubois is 6'5', so if he was completing a back squat on a Smith machine his limb length and overall movement would make it a very different proposition compared to someone like Naoya Inoue [ who stands at 5'5' ] performing the same exercise. This would have to be a consideration in their strength and conditioning programming.' Contrastingly, gymnastic rings allow your limbs to move in a way that is more comfortable for them. For example, during a row, there may be a natural supination of your wrist (inward rotation) as you pull your body upward. 'Gymnastic rings work with the natural movement patterns of your body,' Lawrence explains. 'This will result in less stress on your shoulders, elbows and wrists, which is very important for boxers. Developing proprioceptive and kinaesthetic awareness As the name suggests, gymnastic rings are primarily used by gymnasts, both as a training tool and as a piece of apparatus in competition. Both gymnasts and boxers require exceptional proprioceptive and kinaesthetic awareness – the ability to sense their body's position, know where it is in relation to its surroundings, and understand how it moves through space. Lifting dumbbells and barbells largely involves moving an object; training with gymnastic rings involves moving your body, developing both attributes alongside fundamental facets of fitness such as coordination and balance. 'Using gymnastic rings will give the boxer an opportunity to work in multiple planes of motion, increase the demand of their workouts and add a higher technical and skill component to their training,' Lawrence adds. Building strength and muscle To persuade the body to build strength and muscle, mechanical tension is required as a stimulus. Mechanical tension can be achieved by working against a force that is trying to stretch our muscles. When performing a single-arm dumbbell row, the dumbbell pulls downward to stretch the muscles of the back such as the latissimus dorsi, then the athlete overcomes this by pulling the dumbbell towards their body. A single-arm ring row acts in much the same way, only the force you're overcoming is gravity rather than the weight of the dumbbell. Your body does not categorise one as a free-weight exercise and one as a bodyweight exercise. It simply recognises the resistance you need to overcome, so both can be used to build strength and size if they provide an adequate challenge for your muscles. However, given their status as heavyweight boxers, I would wager this final point is not as relevant to Usyk and Dubois. Strength is something both fighters already have in abundance, so if they want to develop this further a heavier stimulus is likely needed. This is why you can also see both athletes completing heavy compound (multi-muscle) exercises like the trap bar deadlift, bench press and leg press in recent training videos. 'Are gymnastic rings the answer to producing maximum amounts of force and getting stronger which can then lead to more power? In my honest opinion, no,' Lawrence concludes. 'But are they a worthwhile tool to use in workouts for some of the reasons listed above and some auxiliary and capacity work? Yes.'
