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Philippines, 16 Jan 2026 |
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AQUAMAN VS THE FLASH: THE TRUTH BEHIND POOL TRAINING By Marc Jonathan E. de Jesus PhilBoxing.com Mon, 12 Oct 2009  As someone who religiously runs between 5-7 miles EVERYDAY (no, this is not a Mayweather-like exaggeration), I can confidently say that pool training (to the non-swimmer) is much much more difficult; with the sole exception being: running steep extended hills. Why I bring this up is not to brag about my daily exercise regimen (okay maybe), but to respond to the many misguided opinions that I’ve been forced to endure while getting my daily fix at mannypacquiao.ph [Pacland Forum]. On my daily runs I can average near 6-minute miles for three consecutive miles (before dropping back down to the 7:30 range), but drop me into a pool and I can barely swim one olympic sized lap before getting winded. Which at first shock the (f)ish outta me. It didn’t make any sense. Why the hell could I run forever, but swim barely a lap??? Well how bout bad technique (not surprising for a beginner), using completely different muscles and bad breathing. Really, really bad breathing. I likened my first few weeks in the pool to doing full intensity sprints; because at the end of every lap, I was breathing so hard the Korean ladies watching their kids nearby started looking at me weird. So, assuming Pacquiao is just as un-technically sound a swimmer as I am, I will just as easily presume his little aquatic experience went a similar route. Which means 26 minutes in the pool, was like an hour of sprinting running. Look, the only reason you swallow urine water chlorine (as reported by coach Roach) is because you have bad technique and you have really really bad breathing. really. And for guys, that’s the only reason you should swallow water. Which points to the genius of Freddie Roach. Pool training can actually benefit a boxer in as many ways as roadwork. Don’t believe me? Just compare the bodies of swimmers to those of long distance runners and you’ll see the difference. But combine the two, and you’ll say (in your best Sam Jackson impression) “now, that’s what I’m talking about”. With swimming you can mix in low impact (meaning not having your knee cartilage take a beating as a result of running on pavement or down hills), leg strengthening exercises by running circles in the kiddie section of the pool. When you’re through with that, you can then go on to upper body strengthening and wind-building exercises by swimming laps. And unless your running long extended hills with light dumbbells, you can’t match the resistance benefits that pool training brings. So with all that said, my point is this: don’t armchair quarterback Pacquiao’s training no matter how eccentric or exotic it may seem. Yes, its probably in our human nature to criticize (which as a consequence, makes for great lively Internet discussion) something we don’t fully understand. But in reality, there’s a reason you’re at home (like me) typing away and Freddie’s in the homeland training away. And from someone (me) who engages in roadwork everyday, I am witness to the fact that pool training is hard, makes you sore and definitely causes you to swallow the first couple tries. * * * More articles by the author at Marc Jonathan E. De Jesus Blog Site. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Marc Jonathan E. de Jesus.  |
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