Champion Kiwi boxer Joseph Parker has a new fitness regime. Photo / photosport.nz
Champion Kiwi boxer Joseph Parker has a new fitness regime. Photo / photosport.nz
Joseph Parker's new fitness regime, which he believes will help him unify the heavyweight world championship, is starting with his feet.
For him it's about building from the ground up — literally — and improving the muscles in his feet, along with his balance in general, will in theory give him an advantage if and when he faces Anthony Joshua in what will easily be the biggest fight of his life.
Parker's fitness has always been considered a strength, as has his attitude to training.
He finished relatively strongly in his 12-rounder against Carlos Takam last year and was forced to come from behind on the judges' cards to beat Andy Ruiz Jr in a majority decision to win the WBO world title at the end of 2016. He also went 12 rounds against Hughie Fury in September.
But, like anything, that staying power, along with his power and explosiveness, can be improved, so he has linked with strength and conditioning trainer Sean Hughes in Auckland, a man who has worked with various elite athletes including Dan Carter, Beauden Barrett, Maria Tutaia and Shaun Johnson.
Hughes told the Herald on Sunday: "With Joe it's not about changing anything too drastic, it's about making him more efficient so when it gets to the later rounds of the big fights he's not as fatigued."
Parker's training with Hughes starts at 5.30am every weekday and while the sessions last only up to an hour, they are intense and challenging. "The work really gets you," Parker said.
Hughes said an athlete can't unlock their potential without a strong foundation — hence Parker's feet workouts. "In my last fight my footwork wasn't the greatest when I was chasing Fury around," Parker said. "Wearing shoes sometimes stops us from strengthening the muscles in the feet. Wearing shoes changes how we walk and run.
"There are exercises that he has shown me and also a 'trigger' ball which helps release all the muscles in the feet. I've done a bit of research on it and everything he says is legit."
Trainer Sean Hughes with netballer Maria Tutaia. Photo / Facebook
Parker is also working on his hips in order to deliver more power, and Hughes has been impressed with the 25-year-old's natural athleticism, to the point where he said: "If you compare him to Anthony Joshua who has every resource you can imagine, I think Joe would naturally be the stronger athlete."
Joshua appeared fatigued in his recent fight against Takam, whom he stopped in the 10th round. He also looked muscle-bound and relatively slow in comparison to his condition in his victory against Wladimir Klitschko in April — his greatest achievement to date.
Many observers have suggested Joshua's heavy muscles are impacting on his ability to go deep into fights and Parker said it was an area his English rival had to improve. Joshua often looked flat-footed in the Takam fight too, which, given his career-heavy 115kg, was probably not surprising.
Parker said: "They've got the best people in the world helping him — sparring partners, personal trainers, everything — but if you're still gassing after round five or six there's something you have to change. He looked big and strong but there's no point in being big and strong if you are going to gas.
"He's come a long way and has done a great job but there's still a long way to go in terms of fitness; for me, it's skill and technique and power and fitness too ... as champions we still have a lot to work on.
"What we have done already has made a big change. The balance and strength in each leg has improved already. It will help."
If Parker doesn't fight Joshua in London in March — and all indications are that the negotiations between the camps are heading towards that — he will take on Australian Lucas Browne, an orthodox fighter of a similar height to Joshua with plenty of power in his right hand.
Browne, too, has had issues with his fitness — he freely admits it — so straight away Parker should have an advantage over him.
"They're not too different," Parker said. "We have a fair idea about what styles they bring. They are both come-forward fighters.
