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The secret training tool behind both Usyk and Dubois’s 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.”
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
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. Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
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.”
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